Chapter Text
One year has passed since Byleth left her family to eke out a peaceful existence in Remire City. One year has passed since Byleth had her epiphany that she needed to leave her family. And one year since she’d last tried to contact Edelgard by phone. One year. One year and she’s had nothing to show for her efforts. True, after one year the bar that her grandmother entrusted to her has been thriving and she was making good money from it but in regards to her situation with Edelgard...she’s no better off now than she was a year ago.
Of course, that didn’t mean Byleth had given up on trying to get Edelgard’s father to reinstate their engagement. If anything, it’s only made her more dogged in her pursuit. Every month, she sent her letters without fail and every month, she would receive a letter of rejection in turn. Some would come from Ionius, some from Wilhelm, and some would even come from Margaret and Edelgard’s other siblings. If Byleth had to admit, the most amusing one had to have been the one Henry sent. Apart from a strongly worded letter of rejection, he also sent a list of reasons why Edelgard should never marry her (of which there are many, apparently) along with what may have been 10 pages worth of memes that reject her suit in various ways.
But as amusing Henry’s letter may have been and as much as Byleth succeeded in not letting the rejections get the better of her, she couldn’t deny that her separation from Edelgard was finally taking its toll on her. Only took a few years but it finally was. Night after night, she was beginning to find it hard to sleep. And day after day, she was beginning to find it a bit difficult to function properly. Her thoughts were plagued by the lover she was forced to leave behind because of her stupidity and every day, all Byleth could think about was how Edelgard was doing. Was she doing well in school? Are her friends still there for her? Were they able to expand and befriend others in Enbarr U? Do they keep to themselves and simply go through the motions together like they always have?
Does she miss Byleth as much as Byleth misses her?
Those were the questions that have been plaguing Byleth for a while now and quite frankly, she could no longer go on without knowing the answers. So, she decided to do something about it. Something that would land her in heaps of trouble with her grandparents and the Hresvelgs if they were to ever find out.
She decided to pay a visit to Enbarr U.
For more than two weeks now, Byleth has been hanging around Enbarr, doing everything she can to keep a low profile. She rented an old car from the local rental place, stayed at a cheap motel on the outskirts of the city, drove around town during the day with her hood up and with sunglasses in her eyes, anything to avoid being spotted by the many enforcers patrolling the city day in and day out. And keeping a low profile was necessary because her routine in Enbarr was to wake up early, drive to the home that Edelgard shared with her friends, follow them to school, stay there until it was time to return, follow them home, and then head back to her own motel. Just rinse and repeat for the past two weeks.
Of course, there were instances when she could’ve sworn she was about to get caught but whenever she felt they were onto her, she would leave for a few hours and return just in time to merge with her routine once again. There were hardly any deviations and for that Byleth was grateful; all Edelgard did was leave home for school and come home for a quiet night in. Occasionally, she’d go out with the others for a party but Hubert and the others would always see her home safe and sound.
Now, here she was again, in her car, watching over her beloved. This time, Edelgard was hanging out at the local sports pub that Enbarr U students often frequented, drinking and eating as she talked with some of her friends. It wasn’t Hubert and the others so Byleth would hazard a guess that they were friends she made in her other classes. Byleth couldn’t help but smile as she saw her beloved be happy in the presence of people who cared for her. Then, slowly, her smile gave way to a frown and she couldn’t help but start tapping her index finger on the steering wheel in impatience.
While Byleth may be happy that Edelgard was making new friends, there was one person in the group that she didn’t like; a well-dressed young man with red hair and a cocky grin that never seems to leave his face. For the past few weeks since she’s arrived, Byleth noticed that he seemed closer to Edelgard in this group and try as he might to hide it, he clearly felt something for her. So he followed Edelgard around like a puppy, acting the perfect gentleman in hopes of having her reciprocate his feelings. Edelgard was clearly uninterested in anything more than friendship but Byleth couldn’t help but worry that he would do something rash to make her his. If that were to ever happen, Byleth would make sure he would never see the light of day again. He may be wealthy and well-mannered but he was not the right fit for her El. NO ONE would ever be the right fit for her.
“Bye guys!”
At the sound of her beloved’s voice, Byleth snapped out of her musings and saw Edelgard getting in an expensive car with the young man. It wasn’t Edelgard’s convertible so it was clearly his own. Bought and paid for with his rich daddy’s money, no doubt. They pulled away from the bar’s parking lot and headed off, Byleth tailing them a fair distance away. Within a few minutes, they were back in the suburbs where the house Edelgard stayed in was located. As before, Byleth parked a few paces away from them but it was enough to hear their voices in the quiet street.
“I had a good time tonight. Thanks for taking me home.” Edelgard told the young man as he helped her out of the car. She swayed a bit as her feet hit the solid ground, immediately exposing that she was drunker than usual this time around.
“Yeah, no problem. Always happy to help a friend in need.” He responded.
“I know. Thank you so much. I’m so glad you-”
Before Edelgard could finish her sentence, he pressed his lips against hers, pushing her back to trap her between his body and his car, his hands roaming and touching her figure as he did so. As Byleth watched them, her eyes widened and she let out a breath she didn’t even realize she was holding in. Just...what...how...how dare he?
How dare he touch Edelgard? How dare he press his lips against hers when he didn’t even deserve that honor? How dare he lay even a single finger on her?
“What the hell are you doing?” She heard Edelgard scream as she pushed him away. Immediately, Byleth prepared to leap to her defense, pulling her gun from the glove compartment. At this point, she no longer cared if she was going to get caught. She was going to kill him and that was that. Damn the consequences. No one touches her woman and gets away with it.
“Don’t be such a fucking tease, Edelgard. You know you want this. You want me.” He said with a lecherous grin on his face as he pushed her back. Byleth got out of her car, ready to run and aid her beloved in her dilemma. But before either of them could do anything else, however, someone else intervened.
“Get your goddamn hands off her!” Came a boisterous yell. Immediately, the young man was pulled away from Edelgard and a fist flew to meet his face. It was Caspar, who proceeded to give the boy the beatdown of his life. Ferdinand and Dorothea also emerged from the house and ran to aid Edelgard and bring her in.
“You think you can just put your hands on a woman like that, huh? What the hell is wrong with you?” Caspar yelled at him as he continued to punch him in the face. The soldatos arrived for their routine patrol of the street and the surrounding area and Byleth got in her car before she could be caught. But she had no plans of leaving. Not until she found out where they would be taking him. He has to pay for what he did. From her perch, she watched one of the soldatos pull Caspar away and the other two detained the bleeding man by his arms.
“Call Boss Wilhelm and tell him that this asshole tried to assault Edelgard. Wait for him to tell you how to deal with him.” Caspar said, showing an uncharacteristic seriousness for once in his life. With a nod, the men brought the boy back to his car and drove out of the area using his vehicle. Caspar trudged back to the house, slamming the door behind him as he did so. Byleth followed after the car. She needed to know where they would take him and what would happen to him. She can check on El later. Byleth had no doubt that Dorothea and the others would take care of her. Right now, it’s more important that she right this wrong.
And she will do anything to right this wrong, no matter what method she has to use.
xxx
As Byleth quietly tailed the group from her car, she contemplated on what she planned to do with Edelgard’s former friend. It’s highly unlikely that the Adrestians will kill him; he’s too much of a small fry to eliminate. Simply send him home to his wealthy parents beaten black and blue with a warning and they’ll no doubt be packing for the next plane out of Fodlan, trying to escape the wrath of the Adrestians for what he did, or at least tried, to do to their princess. That said, she can’t kill him either; since he was last seen with Edelgard, it could bring heaps of negativity on her and her family. So, she settled for giving him an additional beating. One that he would never forget. She intends to make it as memorable as possible. That way, even when he leaves, he’ll know never to set foot in Enbarr again. She was thinking she’ll break a couple of his fingers, some toes, maybe his knee caps too assuming the soldatos don’t beat her to the punch.
Yeah...that sounds like a solid plan.
“The hell’s your problem, boy? Your mother forgot to make you drink your respect women juice growing up?” A soldato asked the young man as he threw another punch towards his face. Currently, they’re at the docks, teaching the boy a lesson. Byleth kept a respectable distance from them, watching events unfold before her very eyes.
“Please...enough…” The boy begged them through his sobs, tears mingling with the blood that was scattered all over his face.
“Sorry, kid but we’re only allowed to stop if you’re dead or the Princess’ brother says it’s time to stop.” Another soldato said as he held him up. Just as he said that, however, his phone began to ring, notifying him of a message.
“Well, you’re in luck, it’s the boss. Smile.” He mockingly said as he took a picture of the man and sent it to Wilhelm. After a few seconds, a response came in, eliciting a chuckle from the man with the phone.
“Looks like it’s your lucky day, boy. The boss thinks you’ve had enough.” He said. Then he took the young man by the collar of his shirt and held him to eye level. “If I were you, I’d leave with my family the moment I get the chance. Get out of Enbarr. If any of us see you again around these parts, there’ll be hell to pay from the Adrestians, you hear me?”
Weakly, the boy nodded in affirmation and the soldatos let him go, allowing his beaten and battered body to crumple to the soaked ground below him. Then, the soldatos left and Byleth was left there alone, observing the young man as he pitifully lay there. Honestly, she almost felt sorry for him.
Almost.
Byleth stayed in her car for a few moments, watching him writhe in pain. She’d get out immediately but she knew that staying put for a while would make her good samaritan story even more believable. After a few seconds, she got out of her car, gently closing it so he wouldn’t realize that she’d been there all along.
“Hey! You okay?” She asked as she ran towards him. Groaning, the young man shook his head but he offered Byleth’s help to stand nonetheless.
“What happened to you? Do you need medicine? A hospital? My car is just a few minutes walk away if you need it.” She offered him. Once more, he shook his head but this time he spoke, albeit with significant difficulty.
“N-no. I-I want to go h-home.” The young man answered as Byleth swung his arm around her shoulder.
“Okay, well, you gotta tell me where your place is. What happened to you to be exact?” She asked.
“I-I made a pass at a girl in my class.” He said before taking a moment to cough. “Turns out she meant it when she said that she’s not into guys. Now her brother’s dick suckers decided to…” Another cough. “...to teach me a lesson.”
“Yeah, they usually do mean that.” Byleth dryly responded as she helped him to her car.
“I-I mean-” He paused, groaning as he leaned against a stack of crates next to her vehicle as Byleth moved to open her trunk under the guise of getting him something to help clean and dress his wounds. Then he continued despite the pain he felt. “I just thought she needed a good dicking, you know? That should get her to see I’m the best fit for her.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Byleth stopped her movements. She had to admit; he still had the balls to mouth off disrespectfully despite the pain he was feeling. Not a lot of people can do that after being beaten by mafia enforcers.
“She-she was such a bitch, you know? And a fucking tease.” He declared despite his initial struggle. “Befriending me and then refusing to sleep with me. What the hell kind of woman does that?”
Byleth wasn’t a person who talked much, especially around people she doesn’t know. But holy hell, this guy left her speechless. Just how entitled was he? But while that was something she could let slide, the way he spoke about Edelgard was something she couldn’t.
“But what the hell? She doesn’t know what she’s missing out on. But I suppose all it’ll take is a little bit of powder in her next drink. It’ll be so easy.”
The young man took a moment to chuckle before erupting into a coughing fit. Byleth, for her part, was seeing red at this point. Earlier, she contemplated letting him go after a bit of a beating but now…
Now she can’t do that. He’d only try to hurt Edelgard otherwise.
So, without a word, she approached him. And before he realized what’s happening, she forced him to turn around. Before he knew what was happening, the Ashen Demon known as Byleth Eisner had a garrote wire around his throat, ready and primed for the kill.
“Wh-What the hell do you think you’re doing, you bitch?” He asked through gritted teeth. Immediately, his bravado crumbled when she used her knee to force him down once again.
“I saw it, you know. I saw everything. How you tried to force yourself on Edelgard. How you wouldn’t let up when she told you no. Wilhelm made a mistake letting you live. And I’m going to rectify that.” Byleth said through gritted teeth. Despite the fact that he was facing the other way, she just knew that the moment she said those words, his eyes widened and she could feel him begin to tremble in fear now that he was facing his own mortality.
“No, wait, wait, please. I was just fooling around. I’ll leave with my parents please. Don’t kill me.” He begged as he tried to pry her arms away from him. But her grip was iron and eventually he began to tire himself out.
“You know...I love Edelgard more than anything in this world. I was going to marry her once. One day, I will. And I am not going to let anything get in the way of that. Not even an entitled little punk like you.” Byleth said, leaning into his ear to make sure he heard it. Then, she began to tighten the wire around his neck. Once again, Byleth felt herself become detached to the world as the young man before her struggled in his attempt to pry her away, trying to catch some air and hoping against all hope that he may live to see the morn. Eventually, he just...stopped. Byleth heard his death rattle as he did so and once it was over, she looked down to see the deep ligature marks around her neck that was left by her wire. Then all of a sudden, it dawned on her.
This boy was Edelgard’s friend.
She killed Edelgard’s friend.
Sure, he may have done something despicable but once upon a time, he was still a dear companion to her beloved. Maybe in a few years, once he’s been given the chance to think about what he’s done and how he intends to make up for it, that friendship could’ve been born anew. He could’ve changed himself into becoming a decent person after some time away.
But now they’ll never know. They’ll never know because Byleth killed him without a second thought. Looking down at her arms, she saw how her sleeve was covered in his blood. Whether they came from the earlier beatings or if the wire dug so deep that it caused cuts around his neck, she didn’t know. What she did know was that she was becoming something else entirely. Something Edelgard wouldn’t be proud of. Something Edelgard would fear just from a glimpse of her.
She didn’t want that. Byleth didn’t want Edelgard to be disappointed in her. That was the last thing she wanted. She had to take care of this. Make sure no one ever finds him. Make sure Edelgard never learns what she’s done until she’s certain she’ll forgive her for this mistake. Without a second thought, she walked back to her trunk and pulled out some equipment she brought with her. A white sheet and some duct tape. Never know when she’ll need them, after all. Then with all her might, she carried him to one of the speedboats used by the Adrestian soldatos to conduct their shady business around the harbor and loaded him there.
Within a few minutes, she was out in the open waters with her commandeered speedboat and with a few heavy rocks she found around the docks tied to his ankles, she dropped him in the water. There’ll be a storm tomorrow. With any luck, his body will be washed away by the currents to somewhere far away. Somewhere he’ll never be found. Then she returned to the harbor and got in her car, leaving the docks before someone caught a glimpse of her hanging around places she shouldn’t be.
xxx
Byleth drove around Enbarr absentmindedly as she usually did whenever she came from a job. Often she used the time to destress and think about what she did. Now, however, she couldn’t even do that. Her mind was just blank. Just her and the road. Eventually, she ended up at the suburbs once more and before she knew it, she was already stopped in the middle of the road, in front of Edelgard’s home. From her car, she could see her beloved sleeping on the couch, her friends sprawled in different places of the living room, slumbering just as she was. No doubt it was to comfort her after what just happened. Byleth wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around Edelgard. Comfort her. Protect her. Tell her that nothing will harm her ever again.
But she can’t. She’s not worthy of her yet. What she just did just proved that. And until that time comes, it’s best that she stay away in the meantime.
So, with a heavy heart, she drove away. Byleth stayed one more night in the motel she was staying in. And the very next morning, she returned the rental car and caught the next flight back to Remire City. She would return to her bar, continue running it, and she would send her letters to Edelgard’s father to ask him to reinstate their engagement once more.
At the same time, Byleth would try to improve herself. Make herself worthy of her beloved. Then maybe...just maybe...if she does, she’ll finally get the second chance she’s been craving for so long.
“Byleth? Byleth!”
As soon as her brain registered the voice, Byleth rapidly blinked and raised her head. Gradually, she registered her surroundings and she recalled that she was at her home in the Hresvelg Estate. It’s been around two days since her bachelorette party and now she’s simply spending the day with her beloved.
“Byleth, are you alright?”
Speaking of her beloved…
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. Why?” Byleth asked, turning her gaze to Edelgard with a smile, hoping that it would remove the frown from her face. Unfortunately for her, however, it didn’t seem to have worked.
“Well, for starters, your head just dipped down there and you weren’t paying any attention to the documentary anymore. Plus it took a while to catch your attention.” Edelgard enumerated. Byleth could nod in agreement with her observation; Fodlan history is one of their shared interests after all, so for Byleth to just space out really is a bit odd.
“I’m fine. Just tired. I promise.” The teal haired woman assured her as she leaned down to press a kiss to Edelgard’s forehead. Then she leaned back on the couch and wrapped an arm around the younger girl’s shoulders, gently tracing shapes on her arm as they continued watching the documentary that played before them.
It’s been two days since their bachelorette party and it’s been two days since Byleth killed Nasser to keep Edelgard safe. While it’s too early to tell, she knew that no one would ever find his body. Shamir is thorough that way; chances are she either threw him into the ocean, his body locked away in an old trunk, never to be seen again or she burned his corpse in a clearing in the woods, ensuring that none but ash remained. But Byleth still had one dilemma; telling Edelgard everything she had done.
Their wedding would take place in a few days and she had promised her father that she would admit what she had done before their wedding day. But it’s not exactly an easy thing to do. Byleth knew she’d understand, or at least she hoped she would, but that fear of Edelgard looking at her differently stayed her hand and prevented her from telling the truth.
“So, did you see the news the other day?” Edelgard asked her, her eyes still trained on the flat screen in front of them. Before Byleth could even ask, she continued. “Claude’s half-brother is missing. Didn’t he go to your bachelorette party?”
It took Byleth everything she had to not stiffen in her seat. If she did, Edelgard would surely catch on and she’d have a lot of explaining to do. That was not a conversation she was looking forward to just yet. Luckily enough, Byleth was good at hiding her emotions. Not only did she grow up doing so but her parents and grandmother also beat the importance of not having any tells into her since she was a kid.
“Yeah. He was. He went home early though. Said the party was too boring for his tastes. What’d the news say though?”
Edelgard shrugged, refusing to look away from the documentary.
“Just that he’s been missing for two days and based on his previous behavior, authorities feel their father jumped the gun by reporting him missing immediately.” She responded. Byleth nodded in agreement, pulling Edelgard closer to her as she did so.
“I’m sure he’s fine. He’ll turn up...somewhere when he fancies it.”
“I suppose. I don’t even know why I’m so worried about him. I never really liked the guy, anyway.” Edelgard said as she curled further into her embrace. Byleth, for her part, merely smiled in agreement as she wrapped her arms tighter around her beloved, content to enjoy the moments of peace and quiet while they still could.
xxx
The days following their living room discussion were full of peace. In the mornings, Byleth would accompany Edelgard with whatever she wanted to do for the day. Sometimes she would venture out into town on her own to see the sights she hasn’t had a chance to revisit yet. In others, she would help train the family’s new recruits or help babysit her soon to be nieces and nephews. At night, she’d spend it with Edelgard as usual. Sometimes, their friends would join them for games and drinks or they’d be asked to join Ionius and Wilhelm at the main estate for dinner. All in all, her days were busy and she liked it that way.
But whenever they went to bed, Byleth would sometimes stay awake, lying in bed as she stared at the ceiling above. Her mind drifted back to everything she’s done; Nasser’s murder, the raid on von Aegir’s home, even that boy from Edelgard’s university many, many years ago. She wondered when she would gain the courage to ever tell Edelgard of these horrendous deeds of hers. Or if she should even tell her at all. Honestly, she was leaning towards the latter option. What her beloved doesn’t know won’t hurt her, right?
That’s the course of action that Byleth decided was best. It was the night before their wedding and Byleth still hasn’t told Edelgard anything about her involvement in the recent purge or Nasser’s disappearance. She was mostly at peace with her decision until…
“Hello?” She responded as she picked up her phone. Byleth was having a grand old time lounging around at home when her phone started ringing out of nowhere, the caller ID revealing that it was Ionius on the other line.
“Byleth, yes, hello.” The deep timbre of her future father-in-law’s voice greeted her.
“Hello, Ionius. What can I do for you?” Byleth asked incredulously, wondering where this was going. Ionius didn’t usually call her unless he needed her for a job. And since the sun has gone down and the wedding is tomorrow, she’ll hazard a guess that it’s not for that.
“I’m sorry to bother you at this time of night but please come to my office. There’s something we must discuss.” He requested.
“I’ll be there in a few minutes.” She answered before hanging up. Once she did, however, she couldn’t help but feel dread as she prepared to meet with Ionius at the estate.
xxx
“You wanted to see me?” Byleth asked as she gently knocked on the door of Ionius’ office. Immediately, the man looked up from his book and gave her a gentle smile.
“Ah, Byleth. Come, please. Sit.” He requested as he gestured toward the chair placed in front of his desk. Byleth did so, trying not to let her apprehension show on her face. For a moment, they sat in silence; Byleth twiddled her thumbs as she patiently waited for him to start and Ionius finished whatever he was reading in the meantime. Finally, he set the book down and turned to her.
“Well, the wedding is tomorrow. Are you excited? I know you’ve been waiting for this day for a long time now.” He said. That brought a smile to Byleth’s face as she nodded. She couldn’t deny that she was indeed excited. In fact, if she could, she’d advance time just for the morning of their wedding to finally be here.
“Yes, I’m very excited. I know Edelgard is as well.” She stated as she leaned back in her chair. Ionius couldn’t help but share in her excitement. But eventually, his face took on a serious expression.
“Speaking of Edelgard…” He began and slowly, the smile on Byleth’s face gave way to neutral expression. Deep inside though, she’s nervous as all hell. “...have you told her?”
‘I’m fucked…’ She thought to herself. Still, it would leave a bad taste for her to lie to her father-in-law so she answered.
“I haven’t.”
As soon as the words left her lips, a frown descended upon the older man’s face. Were Byleth a lesser woman she’d be sweating bullets upon seeing that look. Luckily, years of training her own emotions have prepared her for this, allowing her to mask the nervousness she truly felt at that moment.
“Byleth, you swore you would tell her.” Ionius said.
“Yes, I know. But...wouldn’t it be safer for her to not know anything about our activities?” She stated. For a moment, he looked like he did indeed consider her words. But almost immediately, he shook his head.
“No. I think it’s best if you tell her.” Ionius replied. Before she could protest, he held a hand out, effectively silencing her before she could even speak. “If Edelgard somehow finds out in the future, it will only hurt and anger her more. The longer you wait, the uglier this will get for the both of you. And I don’t know about you but I don’t want the start of my little girl’s marriage to be mired in secrets.”
Not for the first time in her life, Byleth felt conflicted. Should she tell Edelgard and potentially ruin their marriage before it even started? Or keep it to herself and have the secret hurt her in the long run if she ever finds out? As she mulled over her choices, however, Ionius seemed content to make the decision for her.
“Tell her, Byleth. Tell her...or I will.” Were the only words he said. Unfortunately for Byleth, it seemed he was no longer willing to hear her out, waving his hand in a command of dismissal that she had no choice but to obey.
Only a few minutes after that conversation with Ionius, Byleth wearily trudged into her home. Closing the door behind her, she couldn’t help but lean her back against the door and let out a loud sigh as she rubbed her face in frustration.
Great. Just great. The wedding is tomorrow and she now has to tell Edelgard about everything she’s done. At this rate, it’d be a miracle if she doesn’t decide to leave her at the altar tomorrow.
“Well, that was quite a sigh.” Edelgard said with a hint of mirth in her voice. Byleth couldn’t help but let out a wry chuckle as she finally moved away from the door and approached her lover.
“We need to talk.” Byleth stated. Before Edelgard could say anything else, she led her to the living room and asked her to sit down. Immediately, she did but Byleth can see the confusion in her eyes.
“What’s wrong?” She asked. Byleth gingerly sat on the coffee table in front of the couch she sat on and spoke.
“I killed someone.”
Those were the only words that Byleth spoke after a brief moment of silence. That confused Edelgard even more.
“Yes, Byleth. I know you’ve killed someone. You’ve told me as such when we were young.” She responded with a somewhat nervous smile on her face. However, Byleth shook her head and continued.
“No. No, I’m not talking about the ones from before.” She said. “I’m talking about the ones from around a month ago.”
Now that shocked Edelgard to the core. Just...what did Byleth mean?
“You remember...that man at Emilia’s restaurant? The man who shot me?” Byleth asked. Reluctantly and quietly, the younger woman nodded and Byleth continued.
“He was one of Von Aegir’s men. He slipped from our grasp when we raided Von Aegir’s compound and he tried to kill me in retaliation for what we...I...did to him. For aiding in that raid that resulted in Von Aegir’s execution.”
“You...you were there? When father purged Von Aegir and Von Vestra from our family?” Edelgard asked. True, she may not have been involved in that raid in any way whatsoever but of course, they had to tell her what happened eventually. It was unpleasant news, yes, but unlike Ferdinand, Ludwig von Aegir wasn’t a character to like all that much. While she was relieved to hear that her family narrowly avoided the ruin orchestrated by that man, what she couldn’t believe was that Byleth was involved in the purge as well. And if she was...well…
“Why didn’t you tell me? That you were part of it?” She asked.
“I was scared.” Byleth admitted, looking down at her hands in shame. “I didn’t want you to be mad at me.”
“Oh…”
That was all Edelgard could say. To be honest, she didn’t know how to respond to this news. She didn’t know if she should be mad or disappointed in Byleth for keeping this from her. But there was one emotion that she was feeling that she knew what name to give.
Hurt.
She felt hurt that Byleth didn’t trust her enough to tell her what happened. Before she could voice it out, however, Byleth spoke up once more.
“But that’s not all I wanted to tell you.” She said as she took the younger woman’s hands on her own. “El, for the record, I’m sorry that I kept these things from you. I just didn’t want to lose you again. But at the same time, I know that I can’t keep them from you any longer. I don’t want our marriage to start off with a bevy of secrets that can eventually destroy us because I chose to keep them in the dark. So...I’m just gonna come out and say it. But I want you to know that whatever happens, I’m still me. I’m still your Byleth and I always will be.”
At her words, Edelgard couldn’t help but let out a nervous breath as she nodded. She needed to hear Byleth say what she wanted to say. Whatever secrets she was keeping in the dark, Edelgard wanted her to say them now. And then she’ll pass judgement later on.
“I killed Nasser.”
Try as she might not to, Edelgard couldn’t help but release an audible gasp at the words her beloved just uttered. Not only that but the calmness of how she delivered the news slightly unnerved her to the core.
“I killed Nasser. He was threatening to hurt you and take you away from us. From me. I couldn’t take that risk. So when Claude told me that his father put out a hit on his own son, I jumped at the chance to eliminate him.”
In her disbelief, Edelgard couldn’t help but abruptly stand and pace around the room. Everything Byleth was saying was such a shock to her that she had no idea how to process them. As she did so, she saw Byleth stand as well from the corner of her eye.
“Please don’t hate me. I did it to protect you. To protect us.”
“You swore to me.” Edelgard said as she finally dared to look at Byleth. “You swore that you wouldn’t be a cold hearted killer. I didn’t expect you to stop killing because of who our families are but I did expect you to not kill someone out of a personal vendetta.”
“I know. I know that. But, please understand that I did it for our future. If I had let Nasser go that night, who knows what he would’ve done to you.” Byleth argued as she finally moved closer and took her by her shoulders. “I don’t want to kill, Edelgard. But I will if I have to. I will kill anyone if it means protecting you. Just like I killed Nasser and just like how I killed that boy from your class years ago.”
Did...did Edelgard hear her right? Did Byleth just say she killed one of her schoolmates from Enbarr U? As soon as the words left her mouth, Edelgard immediately knew right then and there who exactly her fiancee allegedly killed.
“No. No. Wilhelm’s men did that. They deny having anything to do with his disappearance but I know they did.” She tried to reason with the older woman. But when that look of shame crossed her face, Edelgard knew that to repeat her words would simply be a denial of what really happened. As always, there was no guilt in Byleth’s expression. In her eyes, it was a justified killing, after all.
“I killed him. I was there the night he tried to force himself on you, watching over you from afar. I was going to let him go but he made it clear that he was going to come back for you. I had to stop it. I had to. I strangled him and dumped his body in the ocean so no one would find him and trace it back to me or your family.”
Once again, Edelgard was left speechless. She was always known for her quick wit and her ability to respond to anything, no matter how baffling they may seem. But this...this left her unable to even think of the proper response. Before she could get lost completely in her thoughts, however, she felt Byleth’s warm hand on her cheek, gently prodding her to look the older woman in the eye and see the warmth and love that she held for her there.
“Oh, El. I love you so much. I would do anything for you if you asked.” The teal haired woman said as she drew her closer to press a kiss to her forehead. Adoration was clear in her voice as she spoke. But then the next words that came from her mouth shot a small bolt of fear through Edelgard’s heart. “I love you and I would do anything for you...but I will kill a thousand people if it means I would get to keep you with me for the rest of our lives.”
Finally, Byleth drew back and before Edelgard knew it, she gently pressed her lips against hers in a chaste yet loving kiss. Edelgard wasn’t even able to decide if she was going to respond or push her away before Byleth separated from her.
“Go to sleep. We have a big day tomorrow. It’ll be our wedding day, after all. I’ll catch up in a bit.” She said before walking away to the kitchen, phone in hand and clearly about to make a call to someone, leaving Edelgard to walk back to their room and prepare for bed in a daze, still trying to process the revelations the night brought her.
xxx
The wedding day finally arrived and the guests were buzzing with excitement over the event. Peace between families is about to be had after all and it was all thanks to the joyous occasion taking place on this rainy day.
As expected, the cathedral was steadily being filled with the guests; friends, family, acquaintances, business partners Ionius and Rhea want to stay in good terms with. All were eager to see the union between the two heiresses and the excitement can clearly be felt in the air.
Of course, no one was more excited than Byleth herself. As the guests began to settle down and the time for the ceremony to start drew ever closer, she had already taken her place by the altar with her entourage, excitedly fiddling with the cuffs of her tuxedo’s coat as she did so. Finally, the doors of the cathedral opened and there stood the love of her life, arms linked with her father and wearing the most beautiful white wedding dress that Byleth has ever seen.
“Only took a few years but here you guys are.” Claude, her best man, whispered as Edelgard walked down the aisle. With a small smile on her face, Byleth could only nod in response, still trying to process just how beautiful her wife-to-be is.
But while Byleth was elated that their wedding was finally happening, Edelgard’s mind was still running a mile a minute, recalling their conversation from last night. It was honestly all she could think about; she barely got a decent amount of sleep and she kept spacing out thinking about everything Byleth revealed to her. It wasn’t as bad to the point that Dorothea or, Goddess forbid, her sisters noticed but it still happened nonetheless. She responded to conversations and questions and acted as normally as possible but those thoughts still plagued her even now as her father gave her hand to Byleth and she approached the altar with her fiancee, allowing the ceremony to start in earnest.
Could she actually stomach marrying Byleth and living with her for the rest of her life? With such revelations that she still hasn’t fully processed hanging over their heads? Edelgard supposed it was too late to second guess their relationship because of it; this was her life now and soon, she’ll be living with Byleth in Remire City as they await for her to be recalled to Garreg Mach for her training to take over the family.
As the priest continued his sermon before the guests and the soon to be newlyweds, Byleth gently took her hand in hers. Edelgard looked at her and was met with a gentle and comforting smile. One that, somehow, was able to put her mind and heart at ease. She returned it for a second before turning her attention back to the priest before them.
Just as she did, Edelgard’s eyes wandered to the stained glass window behind them. One that depicted the Goddess coming down from the heavens and embracing her children in forgiveness for a transgression they had committed. As she stared, she noticed that the rain had finally stopped and a ray of sunlight had begun to break through the dreary clouds, allowing it to shine its light upon the glass window.
Somehow, that gave Edelgard a little bit of hope. Maybe...just as the sun shines its light upon Fodlan after a rainy day, it’ll one day shine its light upon her and Byleth as well.
Maybe...just maybe...there was hope for them, after all.