Chapter 6: From Inlaws to Outlaws
Catherine awoke in bed, the warm light of the morning sun shining onto her face. She twisted around and felt something cold and heavy run over her shoulder. She rubbed her eyes with her wrist and was shocked to feel cold metal meet her face. Catherine bolted awake and a pair of heavy steel manacles around her wrists, she looked down and saw they were connected to the corner of the room by a chain. Wait. The room is different.
Catherine looked around the room and realized it was different to the guest room that her and Byleth had been staying in. She looked around the room and instantly recognized it as her childhood bedroom. The room had changed very little since she had left, various doodads and baubles from her childhood lined the shelves; a wooden figure of a knight on pegasusback, a small golden brooch with a lion on it from her academy days, a medal from the first time she'd won a sword fighting tournament, a book on classical swordsmanship that she'd long since surpassed.
There were also notable absences in her room, her first training sword was gone, the dagger that she normally kept in her bedside drawer was absent, anything in the room that could have realistically been used as a weapon was gone. She looked to the windows and found that metal bars had recently been added to the windows. Someone had turned her old room into a prison cell, a well furnished prison cell but a prison cell nonetheless.
Catherine stood up from bed and walked over to the anchor on the wall that her chain was attached to. She grabbed a hold of the chain and gave it as hard of a tug as she could muster, after a few seconds without progress she let go, the chain and the anchor were both sturdily made.
"What in the…" she said to herself still confused about how or why this had happened.
She walked to the door of her room until the chain went taut, only letting her get to around halfway across the room. She looked down, a line had clearly been marked to how far she could reach. She tried stretching as far as she could without injuring herself, she could only get around a foot beyond the line if she stretched her entire body.
"Dammit," Catherine said to herself.
"Hey!" she yelled at the door "Is anyone out there?! Let me out!"
She listened for a moment and heard the sound of boots and armor quickly trail off away from the door. After a minute she heard the sounds of more people approaching before the door opened up and Helena entered the room. Helena smiled as she came in but as she approached her sister a knight standing in the door put a hand on her shoulder.
"Remember," he said, pointing one hand towards the line in the floor, "don't get too close."
"I know Sir Cameron, that'll be all" Helena replied before brushing him off.
"So, sis…" Catherine said before lifting up her shackles "care to explain this?"
"I'm sorry Cass but it's for your own good" Helena answered, "you aren't yourself but Mom and Dad are working to fix it."
"Well I feel fine now so how about you come over and unlock these chains?"
"I'm sorry but we can't let you go until we're sure we've broken the spell that was put on you"
"Spell? What spell?"
"Well, a bit ago we received a letter detailing the various crimes your 'boyfriend' has committed on his journey to seize control over Fodlan, and among those crimes was using a spell to enthrall you to join his cause and to fall in love with him."
Catherine was dumbfounded by what she was hearing and so she did the only thing she could in her disbelief, she broke out into a fit of laughter.
Byleth woke up in the cold and the dark with an aching pain in his arms. After he opened his eyes he looked around the room, the room was mostly dark but he could quickly identify it as a prison cell of some kind. The room was only half lit by the flickering light of a torch burning in the hallway just outside the door. He looked up and saw he was hanging from a chain connected to the ceiling, looking down he saw he was hanging just above the floor.
Byleth's thoughts swam with questions, why were they betrayed, where was Catherine, and most importantly how can he get out of here. His eyes followed the chain the best they could through the flicker halflight of the torch, it was attached to a winch on the far side of the room, if he could get over there he could release himself. He grunted as he kicked his legs out, trying to get the chain to swing towards the winch. Byleth had started to move a little bit when he heard the shuffling of feet outside his cell door and the light of the torch approaching. A few moments later he saw a pair of armed men come into view.
"He's awake," said one of the guards, turning to the other "go inform Count Charon."
Without a word the other man quickly began moving away, Byleth listened as his footsteps got further and further away.
"Where -" Byleth started until he was interrupted by the sound of something striking the metal door of his cell.
"Quiet in there!" the guard yelled, his voice filled with anger.
Byleth bit his tongue, he knew the value of keeping quiet when dealing with someone who hates you. He only had to wait a few minutes before he heard the sounds of more people approaching. He saw the other guard come around the corner alongside his Father in law to be, Castor. The First guard unlocked the door and opened it up for his lord. Silently Castor walked into the room up to sighed, took off his jacket, and launched his fist directly into Byleth's face. Byleth caught the blow on his cheek, Castor was strong even at his age and Byleth felt it.
"I've wanted to do that for a long time now," Castor said, rolling his shoulders.
"Why? What did I do?" Byleth asked, still reeling from the blow.
"Don't play dumb, we know all about your plans!"
"What plans?"
Castor punched Byleth again, this time in the gut. "Your bid to take control of Fodlan! We know how you had Prince Dimitri, Emperor Edelgard, Archbishop Rhea, and your own liege Duke Riegan murdered! All to clear the way for your own ascension to the throne!"
"That's not true, Claude is in Almyra."
"Yes, a likely story, the only person standing between you and total domination happened to leave on a highly dangerous mission away from Fodlan."
"Claude is my friend. I would nev—" Byleth's words were cut short as Castor's fist slammed into his face, silencing him mid-sentence.
"Enough, deny it all you want, I have all the proof I need" Castor retorted, pulling a letter from his pocket.
Byleth blinked away the pain, focusing his gaze on the letter in Castor's hand. The official seal of the Archbishop of the Church of Seiros gleamed under the dim light, unmistakably genuine. Yet, even as he stared at it, he couldn't shake his skepticism. Rhea, of all people, would never have written anything to betray him. Whoever wrote this letter, though, must have had access to her quarters—or been close enough to the Church to forge her seal flawlessly.
"Before you had the chance to silence her, Archbishop Rhea sent me this letter!" Castor shouted, thrusting the parchment so close Byleth could feel its edges scrape against his cheek. "If I had made this public, every person in Fodlan would demand your head. Only the knowledge of the spell you put on my daughter stayed my hand"
Byleth looked over the letter until he reached the section regarding Catherine.
'... I send this letter to you as it also regards your daughter Cassandra, for the past decade she has served as a faithful knight in the Knights of Seiros under the name Catherine but in recent times the usurper has placed some form of enchantment upon her. She is barely the woman you once knew, bound and reshaped to serve his every will and dark desire. I know not if there is a way to break the enchantment but it is likely that if you kill him the enchantment may end and you will get your daughter back. Only a father's courage could shatter such a curse, restoring your daughter to the woman she once was, free from the shadows cast by this tyrant."
"These are just baseless accusations. You can't possibly believe this," Byleth said, his voice laced with disbelief.
"Enough! I will not be swayed by your lies!" Castor shouted, his clenched fist trembling as he resisted the urge to strike Byleth again.
Silence hung heavy in the air as Byleth weighed his options.
"If that's true, then why haven't you killed me already?" Byleth asked, hoping to spark any lingering sense of reason in Castor.
Castor drew a steadying breath. "I am not an unreasonable man. I would spare your life if you agree to my terms: renounce your crown, grant the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus its independence, and, most importantly, release Cassandra from whatever spell you've cast over her."
Byleth stared at Castor, almost dumbfounded by the recklessness of his demands. The Count seemed to have put little thought into the reality of what he was proposing. Byleth was friends with the heirs of Fraldarius, Gautier, and many other noble houses in Faerghus. Even if he granted independence, how many regions would willingly take it? And the accusation about Catherine—that was absurd. Byleth didn't even know if magic like that existed, much less how to cast it.
"Castor, I love Catherine, and she loves me. I would never do something like that to her."
Castor sighed, shaking his head before striking Byleth sharply across the cheek. "I had hoped you'd be reasonable. But I see now… we'll just have to see which breaks first—your lust for power or your body."
Byleth tasted blood on his lip. "You won't get away with this. Sooner or later, someone will come looking for us."
Castor's lips twisted into a grim smile as he lifted his hand, sparks of electricity dancing between his fingers. "You're right. Someone will come—eventually. Your stay here was meant to last a week, which is precisely why, if you haven't given in by then, I will personally see to your execution. If nothing else, that should free Cassandra from whatever hold you have over her."
Before Byleth could respond, Castor placed his hand firmly on Byleth's chest, and a surge of lightning coursed through his body. Byleth cried out in pain, for the first time since coming to Styx but certainly not the last.
It had been two days since she had been imprisoned and communication had all but broken down between Catherine and the rest of her family. She'd wanted to believe there was a mistake, a momentary lapse in judgment. But the instant her father thrust that letter in her face, she'd realized how deep their betrayal went. She'd nearly broken her wrists trying to grab him after that.
"If any of you hurt him I swear I'll-" Catherine growled, shooting a glare at her mother.
"Cassandra," Elysia replied, entering the room with a measured calm, "this is for your own good. You'll thank us when this is over."
"When I get out, I'm taking the head of anyone who so much as touched him," Catherine snapped, rattling her chains for emphasis.
Her mother didn't flinch. "Your father has spent every effort trying to free you from that man's spell." Elysia leaned forward, her tone almost sympathetic. "I've even been to the cell myself to make sure he receives the punishment he deserves for what he's done to you."
"He didn't do anything to me!" Catherine yelled, slamming her bound fists against a nearby table.
Elysia sighed. "Didn't he?" She looked her daughter up and down. "You just threatened your own father and me. The Cassandra I raised would never say that."
"The Cassandra you raised," Catherine shot back, her voice low with controlled fury, "didn't spend 5 years fighting a hopeless war. She didn't fail to rescue the woman who saved her life. She didn't find someone else to not only help fill the void but save Rhea and end the war. Catherine did, I did, Mother."
Elysia's eyes narrowed. "That man murdered the archbishop, Cassandra. He's been manipulating you, and it's only through Rhea's last wishes that we discovered his treachery."
It took every modicum of self control Catherine had to not tell her mother that Rhea still lived. That there was living proof that proved everything in that letter wrong. Catherine knew that claiming Rhea still lived would only endanger her and would do little to assuage her parents beliefs.
"I know it's hard right now," Elysia said almost tenderly "but we'll fix this and make sure everything goes back to the way it should"
Catherine quietly stirred the stew she'd been given for dinner, watching the familiar aroma rise as she pushed the spoon in circles around the bowl. It was a taste of her childhood, one of her favorites. Apparently, the chefs at Castle Styx remembered her preferences. She only ate to conserve her strength in hope of breaking out eventually, but nothing tasted right. Every spoonful went down sour, like a betrayal in her mouth.
Even in her confined state her family had still tried to make her comfortable, they had said that if she ever needed anything she only needed to ask. They'd taken her imprisonment seriously, down to even forbidding her a knife or fork. Still the guard posted outside her door was supposed to grant any "appropriate request" .
"Hey!" she yelled at the door.
A moment later, the door opened, and a knight stepped in, clad in armor, an expressionless visor hiding his face.
"Yes, my lady?" he asked, his voice carefully polite.
She let out a sigh and watched the stew slide off her spoon. "Not much, really. I just… got used to having someone to talk to while eating."
"I see, I believe your family is dining right now as well but I could see if-" he started before Catherine interrupted him.
"Goddess no, I've spoken with them enough for today"
The knight paused, seemingly caught off guard. "Forgive me, my lady, but… I don't understand what you're asking."
"I'm asking for you to take a seat and talk with me. That's"
"I…" He paused, clearly uncomfortable. "If that is your wish, but I'd prefer to stand."
"Suit yourself," she murmured, lifting another spoonful of stew into her mouth. "You got a name?"
"Knight Cameron, my lady"
Her gaze sharpened, and she swallowed. "Cameron… I remember you. You were Sir Stefan's squire, weren't you?"
There was a hint of a smile in her voice, and the knight shifted his stance. "Yes, my lady. You… you have a good memory."
"Well, I spent plenty of time training with Sir Stefan when I was a girl." She leaned back in her seat, a hint of a smile returning. "We definitely spent some time together."
"Yes. In fact…" he trailed off, reaching up to remove his helmet and revealing a plain-looking face with short brown hair and a faint stubble. "We even sparred once. You left me with something to remember it by." He gestured to a small scar just above his left eyebrow.
Her eyes widened briefly, and the energy drained from her voice. "Damn. Sorry about that."
"No need to apologize, my lady." Cameron chuckled, trying to brush off her concern. "It was entirely my fault. I tried blocking one of your swings, and you nearly shattered my training sword in the process."
She let out a sigh. "Learning to control the power of my crest took longer than I'd like to admit. After hurting someone like that, I spent weeks just trying to master it."
"Sir Stefan called it my 'badge of honor.' He said it was no small feat to walk off a crest-empowered strike from my future liege." He smiled faintly. "I took that to heart."
"Speaking of Stefan… is he still around?" she asked, though the silence that followed already hinted at the answer.
Cameron's expression darkened. He said nothing, but his silence conveyed more than words could.
She waited a moment, then, voice softened, pressed on. "How did he die? If… you don't mind my asking."
His lips tightened, struggling to hide any emotions he was feeling. "He fought alongside Damian during the opening stages of the war but when the Dukedom caught them in an ambush he was the only one to make it back. He was on death's door when he returned and barely had enough life left to tell your father of Damian's valor in battle…then he was gone."
After a moment of silence, he continued, "Shortly after that, I was knighted to take his place. I spent most of the war fighting the Dukedom in the east, and I'd like to think Sir Stefan would have been proud of what I accomplished in his stead. I would have joined Lady Antheia at Gronder Field if a bandit hadn't put an arrow in me a week before, rendering me too injured to fight."
"Cameron," Catherine leaned forward, meeting his gaze. "We didn't know Antheia was at Gronder. If we had, we would have—"
"Lady Cassandra," he interrupted gently, "I don't blame you or even Byleth, for that matter. It was war, a war you didn't start, a war you fought to end."
"Then why are you keeping us here?" she pressed, frustration edging her voice. "Don't tell me you actually believe the nonsense in that letter."
His silence lingered, casting a shadow over the conversation.
"Please, Cameron. You can free me. I'll talk with my father, with my fiancé, and we can put an end to this."
With a sigh, he lifted his helmet, sliding it back into place and masking his expression once more. "It doesn't matter what you or I believe, my lady. Count Castor has ordered that you remain here. And a knight… does not disobey his lord."
Catherine's expression hardened, disappointment giving way to anger. She'd hoped her father's men might see reason where he could not, but to a knight of the Kingdom, loyalty and honor were everything.
"If that's all, my lady." He gave a respectful nod before turning and exiting the room, leaving her alone with her unresolved fury.
Two more days passed with no change in Catherine's routine. Her family visited her; she demanded her release, and they refused, always countering her pleas with the same cold, inflexible resolve. Over the four days, her worry for Byleth grew sharper, each visit bringing new threats. Castor and Elysia claimed daily that they knew how to "break" him, and she knew each claim meant new methods to torment the man she loved.
"Please, if you release him, I'll stay with you," Catherine said, clasping her hands, a plea softening her voice. "On my honor, I'll never leave you or Mother again. I'll cancel our engagement—you can even keep me here to ensure he never goes back on his promise to restore Faerghus! Just… stop hurting him."
Castor simply shook his head, expression unyielding.
"Father, please!" Catherine knelt, nearly prostrate, her voice choked with desperation.
"Absolutely not," he replied, his voice calm yet steely. "That man is a snake, and until he breaks his hold on you, he'll keep twisting your mind. Besides, he still has to answer for what he did to Prince Dimitri and Antheia."
"He didn't kill either of them!" she shouted, the cracks in her composure giving way. "Father, if you had been there, you would have seen—the battlefield was chaos. When Dimitri's troops tried cutting through us to reach the Imperials, we had no choice but to defend ourselves."
"Really?" Castor scoffed, his voice biting. "Reports from the few men who returned to me tell a different story. They claim he fought Dimitri one-on-one and nearly killed him, leaving him for the Imperials to finish."
"He only fought because he had no choice!" she cried. "Do you think he wanted to? Byleth and Claude both tried reasoning with him, but Dimitri was… he was like a beast out there! When Byleth first told me about their clash, it was eating him on the inside. "
"Are you so far gone you'd defend a murderer over your own family?" Castor's voice was heated, his eyes narrowing as he stared her down. He clenched his fists, visibly trying to regain control. "I won't listen to this nonsense. You're bewitched—convinced by his every word. But I will break his hold on you, Cassandra, then you'll see."
Catherine couldn't recall the last time she had seen her father this angry. He was never one to let his temper get the better of him. Even when she was accused of plotting to assassinate King Lambert he had been more sad than angry at her or her accuser.
"I thought somewhere in you, my daughter could break free," he said with a bitter edge. "Now I see I've wasted every word on a stranger."
Catherine stayed silent trying to steady her breathing and control her rage.
Castor's tone softened slightly as she remained silent "Cassandra?"
She remained silent.
The count turned to leave when she broke the unsettling silence.
"You shouldn't call me that" she muttered barely loud enough for Castor to hear.
"What was that?" he asked, looking over his shoulder to his daughter.
"You shouldn't call me Cassandra, I go by Catherine now, Castor." she hissed, her voice brimming with a cold rage.
Castor flinched slightly, his composure fractured for a moment before he stormed out, slamming the door without a backward glance.
Here's a refined version incorporating the suggestions for added emotional depth, smoother pacing, and a cliffhanger ending that highlights Catherine's desperation and the tension with Helena:
Six days had passed, each one more suffocating than the last. Catherine felt crushed under the weight of her helplessness; Byleth's execution was scheduled for tomorrow, and with it, her final hope. She curled up in the corner of the room, letting the chain that kept her here pile in a cold, coiled heap beside her. She had already resigned herself to breaking her promise to Lady Rhea, breaking her vow to Byleth, breaking everything she still held dear.
Her parents had stopped visiting her since her last argument with Castor. Only Helena still bothered to try and talk with her. Catherine was glad that Helena still visited, if nothing else then because she never tried to argue when they talked. She was simply there to talk, and today was no different. Catherine heard two soft knocks before the door creaked open, and her sister's face peeked around the edge.
"Hey, Cas—" Helena started, catching herself. "Sorry. Catherine."
She stepped inside, walking to the line on the floor that marked the farthest Catherine could reach. She moved aside several untouched dishes that sat just within the line.
"Cameron said you haven't been eating" Helena said as she took a seat across from her sister
"You can guess why," Catherine muttered, not even lifting her head from her knees.
"I'm sorry, Catherine. I wish there were any other way—"
"There is," Catherine interrupted, her gaze finally meeting Helena's. "Just let me go, and I'll handle the rest.
Helena shifted, averting her gaze. "Mom and Dad say you'd kill them if you got out."
"Do you believe that?" Catherine asked, voice hushed. "Do you really believe anything in that letter?"
Helena looked down. "I want to believe you. But I also… want to trust our parents' judgment."
Catherine's head slumped again. Silence stretched between them before Helena broke it, her voice soft.
"I can't stand seeing you being this miserable, is there anything I can get you to help?"
Catherine stayed silent.
Tea? Medicine?" Helena hesitated, searching her sister's face. "I heard you drank a bit at Garreg Mach. Maybe I could find some beer, or wine?"
Catherine muttered something under her breath.
"What was that?" Elysia asked, leaning forward a bit.
"I'm not supposed to drink"
"C'mon what Mom and Dad don't know won't hurt em"
"It's not that"
"Really?" Helena asked, leaning in even closer. "Then what is it?"
"I don't want either of them to find out"
Helena scooted forward across the carpeted floor and leaned forward "Come on, whatever it is it's safe with me."
"You promise?"
"Cross my heart and hope to die" Helena said, running a finger across her chest above her heart.
Catherine's voice trembled as she spoke. "I've been feeling tired and… a little nauseous. And I…" She trailed off, her voice too quiet for Helena to hear.
"What?" Helena shifted even closer. "I couldn't hear that last part."
"I missed my last period," Catherine whispered, the words barely escaping her lips..
"Wait, so you're…, does that mean-" Helena said, her mouth moving faster than she could think.
"I think I'm pregnant" she said, finally confirming the thoughts buzzing through her sister's head.
"Oh Cass I'm so happy for you" she said her voice brimming with joy in her voice faded as she realized the implications. "It's his, isn't it?"
Catherine had closed her eyes, nodding again.
Helena scooted forward one more time and hugged her sister. "It's alright Cass, you'll get through this- I know you will."
"Thanks Helena, I needed that" Catherine whispered in her sister's ear "I'm sorry… for what comes next."
"Wha-" Helena barely had time to start standing before she was dragged to her feet in a blur of motion. Before she realized what was going on she had been spun around and she felt the cold iron chains of her sisters manacles around her throat.
"Stay calm, and do what I tell you," Catherine whispered. "I won't hurt you if I don't have to."
Helena's hands flew up to claw at the chain, but Catherine held firm, her voice steady and low. "Breathe, Helena. Just breathe. This will all be over soon."
Helena forced herself to take slow breaths, though her mind raced. She could feel Catherine's grip firm and unyielding, her sister's voice soft yet unbreakable in her ear.
"Now call for Cameron," Catherine instructed, her tone leaving no room for protest. "Not too loud."
Helena steadied herself, and with a quivering voice, called out. "Sir Cameron, I need you."
The door opened slowly, and Cameron stepped inside. "Yes, m—" His words stopped as he took in the scene, his sword hand twitching. In a heartbeat, he had his weapon drawn.
"Drop it and close the door!" Catherine yelled, putting every bit of anger she could muster into it.
Cameron's eyes went to Helena's face, her struggle, and after a long pause, he complied, setting his sword down and closing the door behind him. "You don't have to do this, Cassandra," he said, holding up his hands.
"Shut up or I'll crush her windpipe!" Catherine yelled, tightening the chains around her sister's throat to emphasize her point.
"What do you want?" he asked.
"You know exactly what I want!"
"You know I can't do that, and I know that you wouldn't hurt your sister."
Catherine scoffed. "If I'm really under some spell, as you all claim, you know I won't hesitate to do anything to get what I want. Either I'm bewitched, or there's no reason to keep me here. Now toss her the key, or I swear I will kill her."
Cameron reached for the key ring at his belt, his eyes cold, and tossed it to Helena, who caught it with shaking hands.
"Now unlock my cuffs" Catherine growled in her younger sister's ear.
Helena struggled for a moment to slot the key into the hole in the shackles but after a few tries she turned the key and the shackles unlocked with a satisfying click. In another blur of motion Catherine tore the shackles off her wrists and slapped them on her sister's. She looked back to the last obstacle stopping her from escaping who was reaching down for his sword.
As he wrapped his fingers around the grip she slammed a foot down onto the blade smashing his hand onto the thinly carpeted floor. He cried out in pain and barely had time to look up as Catherine grabbed him by the helmet and smashed his head against a nearby wooden coffee table. The table collapsed entirely as the knight's head came crashing through it to the stone floor beneath it, stunning him.
Catherine went for the stunned knight's sword testing the weight as she gave it a quick twirl, it felt good to have a weapon again. She immediately set about using it by slamming the pommel of the sword into Cameron's helmet. She knew that would keep him down for a while as long as she didn't overdo it.
She reached down and started to strip him of his boots, her wardens hadn't even allowed her any form of footwear that would be appropriate for moving quickly. As she was putting them on she looked back to Helena who was massaging her throat, still staring at her sister.
"Was any of that true?" Helena's voice cracked, her eyes filled with tears. "Did you even mean it?".
"About the pregnancy? Not entirely." Catherine remarked adjusting the borrowed boots. "My period is late, but that could just be from… a stressful week. I wouldn't put it past the professor to get me pregnant, though."
"Cass, please don't hurt them" Helena pleaded, her voice trembling.
Catherine looked back at her sister, her face unreadable. "That'll be entirely up to what they do."
Author's Note:
Hey hey, I'm still here to say thanks for your continued support. There are some notes I would like to add. Firstly I thought it would be fun for Catherine's family to think she's been Kaga'd (female character is kidnapped and brainwashed to work for the bad guy) mistakenly. I really wanted to use this chapter to show how things would be different for Catherine's family in a post Verdant Wind world rather than post Azure Moon. In regards to how quickly I got this one out compared to the last, I surprised even myself with how quickly I was able to churn it out. As always, be sure to post any critiques or advice in the comments. Thanks!