Chapter Text
Edelgard shifted the spear, barely blocking a savage thrust meant for her heart. Sweat rolled down her brow as she pushed back, lashing out with a strike of her own that was swatted aside as if it were nothing. Given her opponent, that statement was more than factual. Captain Jeralt was over three hundred years old and didn’t look a day over thirty.
He also moved like he was still young, which explained how he had held his title for centuries. Byleth was off on a mission, investigating something in the Kingdom with Catherine. It was odd how she found herself almost mourning the loss of the blue haired swordswoman, yet she wasn’t lacking for instruction.
Alois stood off to the side of the training yard, talking in hushed tones with her mother. They still hadn’t moved out of his home despite continued assurances that it would be any day now. Edelgard was starting to suspect they might not ever leave, and she was surprisingly okay with that. Alois was a respectful man, even if his sense of humor was…
Unique.
A heavy blow caught Edelgard in the stomach, driving all the air out of her lungs. She instinctively drew on her Crest of Seiros to keep her feet under her, but that mattered little. The spear tip touching her chin told her the exchange was already over.
“Not bad,” Jeralt said, stepping back. “You’re picking up the fundamentals very quickly. I’m impressed.”
“Thank you, Captain,” Edelgard said, still fighting for breath. “I will strive to live up to your expectations.”
Jeralt sighed. “The only expectations I have for you are that you live a long and happy life. These skills I am teaching you are merely tools to help ensure it.”
A way for her to keep the snakes from controlling her life should they discover her, the power to root them out when the time came. That was what she wanted, and Jeralt gave her everything and more on a platter. No amount of hard work was going to make up for the opportunity that he had given her.
“Lunch time,” Mother declared. “I think El has worked up quite the appetite.”
Alois chuckled. “Right you are, Ann. She looks positively famished.”
The man’s stomach chose that moment to grumble audibly, sparking laughter among the whole group. It was strange going by different names, similar as they might be to their given ones, yet it also felt right. Edelgard’s sister had called her El, and it felt like reclaiming a piece of her past to be called that again. She didn’t miss the casual contact between Alois and her mother, especially when they thought she wasn’t watching.
Even after two months at the monastery, she was still struggling to accept that her mother was getting close with a man that wasn’t her father. She’d been told the story of how they met, how it was love at first sight, yet she’d never seen her mother smile at anyone like she would smile around Alois.
Was that story just a lie to make a little girl feel special among her siblings? Watching her mother laugh at one of Alois’ jokes, Edelgard decided that it didn’t matter so long as her mother was happy now.
Gathering their gear, Edelgard quickly packed it away, as was expected of a Squire. Less than a minute later they were heading to the cafeteria and Edelgard could practically taste the promised cheesecake. It might not be her absolute favorite, yet it was something sweet. Ever since the snakes had carved a second crest into her blood Edelgard found herself craving sweet things more often. Byleth had made certain the cooks knew to save her a serving of desert, and it was a gesture that was most appreciated.
As they passed through the entrance hall, Edelgard caught sight of an unmistakable mess of blue hair out of the corner of her eye. Turning, she grinned wide when she caught sight of the woman who had first taught her how to hold a sword.
“My teacher!” she called out, the affection having stuck following her original slip. “You’ve returned!”
“El,” Byleth said, an ever so slight upturn to her lips that may as well have been a radiant grin on anyone else. “It’s good to see you’re well.”
“Of course she’s well!” Alois declared. “She’s staying under my roof and I wouldn’t have it any other way!”
“Still haven’t found a home that’s available for them?” Byleth asked, tilting her head. “Careful Uncle, soon people might start thinking you want them to live there.”
Alois froze in place, as did Edelgard’s mother for that matter. The pair shared a brief look that Edelgard couldn’t decipher before their expressions returned to normal as if nothing had happened.
“I trust your journey went well?” Mother asked.
Byleth rolled with the obvious change of subject. “It was interesting. The reports ended up unsubstantiated, yet Catherine did seem to win over a mercenary from the recent Brigid/Dagda war.”
Edelgard had to fight back a wince at the mention of Adrestria’s conquest of Brigid. Yes, Dagda had been the initial aggressor in the conflict, but it was the Brigid people that suffered for it. Edelgard had little doubt that the snakes had influenced the conflict in many ways to their advantage. Yet another wrong that she would one day correct.
Byleth was looking off into space with a frown. “I don’t see how Catherine seduced Shamir into joining us, all they did was—” A heavy sigh escaped her teacher. “Can we get something to eat? We’ve had nothing but travel rations for three days.”
“Sounds good kid,” Jeralt said. “I think that meat pie is on the menu today.”
Edelgard scrunched her nose at the idea of such a heavy dish, but she also knew there would be other options. The academy hosted far too many nobles from across the continent to risk serving only one main dish per meal. A quick check of the chalkboard by the entry confirmed that there was a fish and pasta dish with a side of roasted vegetables that sounded absolutely perfect.
Alois offered to pick up their orders while everyone else claimed a seat at one of the tables away from the students. Edelgard sat between her mother and Byleth, eager to hear all about her friend’s adventures while she was gone.
“The mercenaries weren’t the ones raiding the villages like the reports suggested,” Byleth explained as she poured a cup of water for herself. She hadn’t even needed to be asked to begin. “Turned out that House Menja refused to pay them, all in an attempt to force the mercs into banditry so they could justify killing them. They didn’t rise to the bait and spread the word. Turns out the Lord didn’t like that and tried to get us to clean them up instead. Catherine set him straight.”
“She didn’t take his head for the offense?” Jeralt asked.
Byleth shook her head. “Shamir and I talked her out of it. It isn’t worth pissing off all the nobility by killing one of them like that.”
“At least it didn’t turn into a bloodbath,” Mother said. “I worry for you, being so young and heading out on missions like that.”
“The academy sends their students on monthly combat missions,” Jeralt said. “Usually bandit extermination and such.”
“Usually,” Alois said, setting down a tray that was brimming with plates of food. Edelgard spotted her own pasta dish and thanked the man when he set it in front of her. “Don’t forget that month where the students were sent to help guard outposts in the war.”
Jeralt grimaced. “Right, I nearly forgot about that since I was on mission too.”
“Rhea doesn’t like foreign invaders, never has,” Alois said. “Missions to help the Alliance check Almyra happen at least twice a school year.”
Edelgard considered that as she ate her pasta. The Church really did have their hands in everything, yet they had kept out of the Insurrection of the Seven. What other events in history did the snakes have a hand in that Rhea looked away from?
“I trust you’ve been keeping up with your training?” Byleth asked.
Edelgard quickly finished chewing, swashing it down with a glass of sweetened lemon water. “I would like to think so. Between Captain Jeralt and Commander Alois I feel like I’ve progressed greatly with the spear and axe to the point that my sword skills have fallen behind.”
“I suppose we’ll just have to test that assumption.”
Byleth’s eyes glimmered with the promise of rigorous drills and Edelgard couldn’t wait. It probably wasn’t fair to bait her friend like that, but she missed her dearly while she was away. She’d missed out on two weeks of the woman slowly opening up, letting down some of the walls of her emotions. Edelgard just hoped that those walls hadn’t gone back up during her absence.
“So, what’s this about Catherine bringing someone back with her?”
Byleth paused, a spoonful of meat pie halfway to her mouth. She looked longingly at the bite before setting it back down with much hesitation. “I’m not sure. Our mutual friend was rather giddy about it, however.”
Right, they were in public so mentioning Sothis by name was too much of a gamble.
“I look forward to meeting this Shamir,” Edelgard replied easily, settling back into her meal.
Byleth continued to discuss her travels, the woman’s voice barely shifting with any discernible emotions. Edelgard thought she could pick up a slight change of pitch here and there, but she could also be projecting her own feelings upon her blade instructor. As she feared, some backsliding had occurred but not as much as she feared. Soon enough there were nothing but empty plates and the basket of bread was depleted.
Her teacher had gone back for seconds, bringing a slice of cheesecake back with her that Edelgard surprisingly had room for. As Edelgard finished her plate and dessert, Byleth managed to polish off the second meat pie and her own slice of the sweet desert. It was taking time for Edelgard to adjust back to how heavy some meals could be, and even after months she sometimes struggled to eat a full portion. Even the light pasta she had ordered was almost too much to stomach, but she knew she would need the strength for the afternoon lessons.
“El, could you run by the library for me?” Byleth asked, handing over a sheet of parchment. “I need a few books to research my next lecture.”
“I can certainly do that, my Teacher,” Edelgard agreed, seeing two titles by name on the list along with a few notes about them. “I take it you still need to report to the Archbishop?”
Byleth sighed. “I do. Father, I would ask you to join me, I’d like to cast a few lines.”
Jeralt nodded, any levity having faded. Byleth was making it a point to use her command over time to get information out of the Archbishop at every opportunity, and they were beginning to get a picture of what happened to Byleth as a child.
Not that Edelgard was hearing the full story, but she wasn’t prying either.
Byleth would open up in her own time, that much she simply had to trust her Teacher with. Such secrets weren’t owed to her, so Edelgard resolved to be patient. Having finished her meal, Edelgard stood and bowed slightly to Jeralt.
“I take my leave to fulfill the request your daughter has of me.”
Jeralt laughed. “No need to be stuffy about it, now off you go. You’re free for the day.”
Stepping into the vast library of Garrag Mach, Edelgard couldn’t help but marvel at the massive shelves lined with books. It actually eclipsed the Imperial library, which Edelgard hadn’t thought possible. It was a dizzying experience each and every time she stepped foot inside the building, but she was there with a purpose.
Edelgard hurried over to the counter where a kindly old man stood. He looked up from his ledger and smiled widely. “Hello Tomas!”
“Well, if it isn’t little El,” Tomas said, setting a fountain pen aside. “Here for more books on famous battles?”
Edelgard nodded, pulling out a sheet of parchment. “Byleth asked for two specific books to prepare for her coming seminars.”
He took the list gingerly, reading the titles as well as supplementary works that might be useful to reference despite her apparent perfect memory when it came to her passions. Edelgard was starting to suspect that she requested those books specifically for Edelgard’s benefit and she wasn’t sure how to feel about that.
Tomas cross checked the locations of the books while Edelgard waited, considering how her life had changed in the last months. It was strange to consider that she had been a prisoner just a few short months ago, and a pampered princess two years prior. The guilt weighed on her greatly, knowing that her siblings died while she lived. Jeralt had called it survivor’s guilt, something he claimed to be all too familiar with given his extended life.
“Ah yes, here they are,” Tomas said, placing the books on the counter.
Edelgard accepted the tomes, as well as the scrolls that Byleth had listed out, with a smile. “Thank you, Tomas. I don’t know what we’ll do once you retire.”
The librarian laughed. “There’s still a few years left in these old bones, little El. Don’t you worry, Byleth talked me out of leaving last year, and I think I’ll stick around a while more.”
He punctuated that statement with a wink, returning to his work in managing the largest collection of books in all of Fodlan. Edelgard left, smiling as she found herself humming along with one of the hymns she heard every service only to stop cold when she realized what she had been doing.
“What was that?” Edelgard whispered to herself.
“It sounds to me like you’re happy,” Tomas said, not looking up from his work. Edelgard barely managed to avoid dropping everything in her arms at the sudden proclamation. “Cling to that, it is truly a precious feeling.”
With a swift bow for the advice, Edelgard hurried out of the library, not yet ready to confront that feeling, or the fact that she was fairly certain that the man was right.
Thankfully the next hour following lunch would normally be a seminar, this day being Byleth’s lesson on battlefield tactics. Those had been put on hold with the absence of her teacher and Edelgard was thankful to have Byleth back for those. The books were dry reading, but Byleth always spiced them up with detailed diagrams of troop movements and hypotheticals of how things might have played out differently.
Edelgard might not be planning on leading armies, but she knew the day might come when knowing troop movement might save her life, especially with the snakes taking hold of her country to serve as their blade. Then again, as the apprentice and squire of the Captain, there was actually a good chance that she might see large-scale combat given a few years of training.
Edelgard strode into the classroom with full confidence and took the books straight to the desk, setting them down for Byleth with a smile on her face.
“Thanks, El,” Byleth said, her face impassive and her voice monotone. “I appreciate it.”
“Think nothing of it, Lieutenant Eisner,” Edelgard said, sticking to formalities given the more public setting. Unfortunately, just as they settled in for the lesson the door opened and in stepped an apologetic looking Alois.
“Sorry to bother you, but Lady Rhea is requesting you, Lieutenant.”
Her teacher grimaced, looking back at the blackboard with trepidation. Clearly she would rather stay and was considering doing just that when Byleth’s demeanor shifted abruptly.
“Very well, it must be important for her to interrupt my class like this,” Byleth said softly. “Apologies everyone, but it appears it will be one more lesson of book reading before I get to resume teaching.”
Several students let out groans and Edelgard could only offer a soft smile of reassurance. As Byleth departed she stopped beside Edelgard and leaned in close. “My father won’t be at the meeting, let him know that we have news from Ordelia, he’ll know what it means. Not fishing or training, I need to conserve my attempts from here.”
Byleth continued on without blinking, joining Alois as he led her off to the Archbishop’s audience chamber. Edelgard stood, her cheeks red as all eyes turned to face her. “Apologies, it would seem I need to inform the Captain of her summons.”
“Shouldn’t he be in the chamber with them?” An academy student asked.
Edelgard tried to shrug it off. “I am assuming he is somewhere not easily reached. As Lieutenant Eisner is my direct superior, I dare not gainsay her orders.”
And that should be the end of it. She wasn’t a student of the academy even if she did attend some of the lessons with them, she was part of the Knights of Seiros. Orders were to be followed, which was half the reason it worked so well as a cover. Few would expect that the girl so eager to do as instructed would be a hidden princess.
Edelgard skipped the obvious and sought out the Captain in the third most likely location, the stables. Sure enough, he was brushing the mane of a mighty warhorse even as he fed it apple slices. It was always sweet to see how the man doted upon his horse, he’d explained it that since the animal carried him into battle it deserved the finest of treatment, for their lives were often cut short.
It was a fine sentiment, and one that she intended to mirror should she ever take up to a mount. She wasn’t ready, her own training was progressing, but such matters took time. Perhaps one day she would ride a mighty horse into combat, but something told her she would be much more dangerous riding a pegasi or wyvern instead.
Taking a breath, she squared her shoulders and approached her superior.
Captain Jeralt turned, then smiled kindly at the sight of her. “Hey kid, shouldn’t you be at By’s lesson?”
She nodded. “I was, but the Archbishop sent Alois to summon her.”
“Her but not me?” Jeralt said with a frown. “She just returned from a mission hours ago, what could be so urgent?”
“Byleth said it was something to do with Ordelia,” Edelgard passed along.
Jeralt’s eyes widened as his expression turned grim. “Damn, I feared it might be something like that. Head home and inform your mother, it seems we might be running a side mission in addition to whatever Rhea decides to do about this.”
A grim chill settled over Edelgard as she realized the implications. The snakes must have made a move, and they were about to answer it, whatever it might have been. Rhea would do something, but it would be Jeralt and his hidden cabal that truly answered whatever atrocity it might have been.
“Sir!” Edelgard snapped, turning so she could run straight back home.
She barely considered that she already thought of Alois’ house as her home.