Chapter Text
It was hard to believe the war was really over.
As Claude picked his way down the cobbled streets of Derdriu, he took a moment to be thankful the fighting had never made it here. That didn’t mean the city was entirely unaffected, of course. The market he had just passed had a rather meager selection of fruits and vegetables and hardly any delicacies, and many of the people he’d seen seemed guarded and weary. Certainly, if there hadn’t been a war, he would not be going to visit Edelgard, Hubert, and Ferdinand, currently under house arrest.
It had been a bit difficult to convince Judith, Hilda, Leonie, and Lorenz in particular that house arrest was the right decision. They were worried that he was being overly lenient and greatly underestimating how much of a threat Edelgard and her two closest confidants could still pose, if they were to escape.
Claude acknowledged their concerns, but thought escape was very unlikely. Derdriu was an easily defendable and out of the way location where almost nobody sympathized with the former empire, and besides, all three of them had sustained injuries in the battle at Enbarr. They likely weren’t going anywhere anytime soon.
The truth was, even after all the violence he had witnessed, Claude could simply not stomach locking up three former… acquaintances in some dark cell. He’d almost thought of them as friends, but they hadn’t ever been close enough at the academy for that.
However, many of those who were actually close to Edelgard had still been completely surprised by her declaration of war against the church. Even though Claude was already aware Edelgard disagreed with the church and it was very obvious she was hiding something, or perhaps several somethings, he had not seen it coming at all. Now that he and Byleth had succeeded in finding Rhea and questioning her, Claude only had more questions. It made him wonder how much Edelgard knew. She was certainly not the type of person to make thoughtless decisions with no regard for the consequences, so she must know something.
Claude also couldn’t stop thinking about what Edelgard had said about how he didn’t have sufficient knowledge of Fódlan’s suffering. He’d been turning it over in his head, wondering if there was something that he was missing, or if it was something that he did, in fact, know, that Edelgard just didn’t know that he knew.
In any case, attempting to get answers was the primary reason Claude was going to talk to her, Hubert, and Ferdinand. He would have liked to pretend it was purely out of the goodness of his heart, to check up on them and see how they were faring, both physically and mentally, and while that was certainly a secondary purpose to his visit, it was mostly his insatiable curiosity that had led him here.
As he stepped up to the small house, with few windows and a high fence all the way around it, he wondered if they were going to be at all willing to talk to him.
Claude rested his hand against the bars of the fence and waved to the closest guard, who walked over to open the gate. “Good afternoon.”
“Good afternoon, Duke Riegan.” The guard shut and relocked the gate behind him.
“How are they?”
The guard shrugged. “They’ve been pretty quiet. The doctor just left and said their injuries have been healing well so far.”
Claude nodded. “Well, that’s good. Can I go in right now?”
“Yes, that should be fine.” The guard knocked on the door, a trifle forcefully. “Duke Claude von Riegan is here to visit.”
Through the door, a slightly muffled, “You may enter,” was still clearly distinguishable as Edelgard’s voice.
The guard unbolted and unlatched the door, and Claude stepped inside.
The front door lead right into the house’s living room, which consisted of a couch, a small table, and two armchairs facing the fireplace, and a kitchen attached at the back of the room. Two closed doors opposite the entrance presumably lead to the bedrooms.
Edelgard was sitting on the couch with a book in her lap, looking up at Claude. She looked strange without her gold horns and armor, instead wearing a simple black dress and a short red cape clasped at the throat. Her only visible injury was a bandage on her cheek.
“Hello, Claude.”
“Hello, Edelgard. May I sit here?” Claude gestured at one of the chairs.
Edelgard raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think I can refuse, considering I’m your prisoner.”
Claude chuckled awkwardly. Edelgard’s sense of humor was very hard to pin down at times, so while it seemed like she was joking, he wasn’t certain. “If you really didn’t want me here, I would leave.” He looked around as he turned the chair towards the couch and sat down. “Where are Hubert and Ferdinand?”
“In their room. Doing whatever it is they do in there,” Edelgard said ominously.
Claude decided he didn’t want to know. “How are you?”
Edelgard shrugged. “Well enough, I suppose. How are you?”
“Quite well,” Claude said with a slight grin. “I’m very glad this war is over with.”
Edelgard’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Did you find Rhea?”
“Yes, we did, after searching the entire palace.” Claude was grateful that Edelgard had brought her up so he didn’t have to. “She had some interesting things to say.”
“Oh?” Edelgard closed her book and set it on the table.
“A lot of it had to do with Byleth, and Rhea almost certainly wouldn’t have said anything without them there.”
Edelgard folded her gloved hands in her lap. “Are you going to tell me, or not?”
“Well, this is sensitive information I don’t want getting out to the masses. I would hate to cause an uproar right after things have just settled down.”
“I can assure you, I am very good at keeping secrets.”
Claude smiled. “I don’t doubt that, Flame Emperor. Very well then.”
Edelgard raised her eyebrows expectantly.
Claude leaned forward in his seat. “Would it surprise you to learn that Rhea is actually Seiros, and is a thousand years old?”
“No.” Was Edelgard smirking? “I knew that already.”
Claude leaned back and laced his fingers together. How interesting. “How did you know?”
“Rhea, or Seiros at the time, established the Adrestian Empire and crowned the first emperor. Knowledge about her has been passed down through the imperial family.”
“What else do you know, then?”
Edelgard moved to cross her arms over her chest, then winced slightly and let them fall back into her lap. “Really, Claude? You tell me one thing and then turn the tables on me.”
He shrugged. “The war is over. I don’t see why we can’t be candid with one another now.”
She pursed her lips and stared at a spot somewhere above Claude’s head. “I suppose so.” She took a deep breath. “The Hero’s Relics were not a gift from the goddess, to be used to restore peace to the world. They were created by people who used them to kill the goddess, and Seiros collected them after killing the 10 Elites. She then convinced everyone to turn against Nemesis and kill him as well. Seiros then founded the church and began building what she considered a perfect, controlled world for the sake of the goddess Sothis, who she has been attempting to resurrect ever since.”
Claude’s eyes narrowed. “That’s not quite what Rhea said happened.”
“How can you know she’s telling the truth?”
“How can you know previous emperors were telling the truth, and that the story was passed down faithfully?”
Edelgard sighed and clenched one hand into a fist. “I can’t know that for sure, unfortunately. What exactly did Rhea tell you?”
“She said that Sothis and her children were murdered by Nemesis and the 10 Elites, and Rhea simply enacted revenge.”
Edelgard’s brow crinkled. “Sothis’s children… How is it possible for a goddess to have children?”
“Easy, if Sothis wasn’t really a goddess.” Claude tapped a finger against his chin. “That’s just speculation, though. I really have no idea. Rhea said she’s the last of the goddess’s children, and it certainly is rather god-like to live for a thousand years.”
“Claude…” Edelgard began slowly, “If I remember correctly, back at the academy, you mentioned a drawing of the Immaculate One you found that Seteth confiscated.”
Claude nodded. “Yes, I remember that clearly. I didn’t exactly mention it, though. You were skulking around the library and eavesdropping and then confronted me about it afterwards.”
“Oh, is that how that went? Silly me. In any case, have you learned anything else about the Immaculate One?”
Claude shook his head. “Unfortunately, no.”
“Rhea is the Immaculate One. So I would absolutely believe that she’s one of the goddess’s children. I just didn't realize that there were any others,” she added more quietly.
“Ohhh.” Claude put his hand in his chin. “I see.” He ran the same hand through his hair. “Yeah, that kinda makes sense. I’ve been wondering about Seteth and Flayn too. It’s very rare to be born with a major crest, which they both have, and they’re so close to Rhea…”
Edelgard nodded. “Yes, it would make sense to me if they were both also children of the goddess.”
“Which would mean that Rhea lied about being the last one.”
“It wouldn’t surprise me if she lied to protect them.” Edelgard tapped a finger against her arm. “Not that this isn’t interesting, but I don’t think, out of the issues at hand, that it’s most important to figure out who is or isn’t a child of the goddess. Did Rhea say anything to you about the Hero’s Relics?”
Claude scratched the back of his head. “Yes. She did.”
“You seem reluctant to tell me.”
“A little. It’s not a fun story. Rhea said Nemesis and his accomplices made them out of the remains of Sothis’s children.”
“Is that all?”
“No. The 10 Elites stole the blood of Sothis's children for their crests, and Nemesis stole Sothis’s blood to give himself the Crest of Flames.”
Edelgard’s eyes widened. She looked like she’d seen a ghost. “Are you sure about that?”
“Yes.” So far, Edelgard had taken all of this more or less in stride, but now she actually seemed shaken. “You know something about this.”
“I might. Did Rhea explain why Byleth has the Crest of Flames?”
“She did, in fact. I’m surprised she explained while I was in earshot. She might not be thinking clearly after all that time in confinement.”
“Out with it, Claude.”
Edelgard really was shaken by this. “You’re absolutely correct that Rhea has been trying to resurrect Sothis, her mother, ever since she died. Byleth was the latest experiment. Sothis’s heart, the crest stone for the Crest of Flames, is implanted in Byleth’s heart.”
“I knew Rhea was doing crest experiments, but…” Edelgard seemed to be almost talking to herself. “The question is, did they not know? Or did they just not tell me?”
“Who is “they”?”
Edelgard looked directly into Claude’s eyes, and he was startled by the intensity of her gaze. “The war is not over, Claude.”
“What?”
“The war is not over. Fódlan’s greatest enemies still live. Did Rhea say anything else about Nemesis’s accomplices?”
“No, she didn’t.” Claude’s heartrate started to pick up. This was not exactly the news he wanted to hear.
Edelgard stood up and began pacing. “But, she said they made the Hero’s Relics?”
“Yes.”
“Did you ever wonder where my relic came from? The axe Aymr?”
“…Yes.” He’d noticed the crest stone in Edelgard’s axe was definitely not the Crest of Seiros, but hadn’t been able to get a good look at it to discern anything further.
“They made it for me. I think they made all the other relics too. It makes sense.” Edelgard was still pacing, anxiously tapping her hands against her thighs. “Infuriating, how they never told me anything. Then again, I never told them anything either…”
“So, just like us, up until this moment?” Claude joked weakly.
Edelgard stopped and glared at him. “No, nothing like us. I want these people dead.”
“You still haven’t told me who they are.” Claude prodded gently. He had a suspicion, certainly. The strange mages that had fought with the empire, that frequently used crest stone beasts, and that Lysithea said looked like the ones that had experimented on her, so many years ago, would certainly fit with what had been said so far.
Edelgard’s pacing had left her behind the couch, which she now leaned against. “Hubert calls them “those who slither in the dark.” It’s long-winded, but rather accurate. They’re responsible for the Tragedy of Duscur, and the Insurrection of the Seven and the subsequent infiltration of the empire, and…” she grimaced, “for doing crest experiments on Lysithea, and others, among other things.”
Claude sucked in a breath. “How has such an organization escaped the world’s notice?”
“They’re very crafty, but they haven’t completely escaped notice. Thales, Solon, and Kronya are or were members.”
“I see.” Claude could still feel his heart thundering in his chest as his mind whirled, trying to make sense of it all. He didn’t think, at this point, that Edelgard had any reason to lie, and this did certainly explain a lot, but, “Why did you work with them, then?”
Edelgard’s eyes narrowed. “That’s very complicated. I mentioned they infiltrated the empire, did I not? They happened to have a common enemy of the church, although for entirely the wrong reasons, and as they were already attempting to overthrow the church, I worked with them to further my own goals. I assure you I hated every second of it and planned to destroy them the moment they were no longer useful to me.”
“That sounds like a dangerous game.”
Edelgard was silent as she stared at him. Her eyes were warning Claude that if he pressed any further, he’d face her ensuing anger. Claude wasn’t sure he agreed with Edelgard’s decisions, but he didn’t have all the facts, and since she didn’t seem keen to explain herself in any more detail, he’d just have to let this go for now.
Claude took a deep breath. “How do we destroy them, then?”
“We didn’t know their location until very recently, when they unleashed the javelins on Fort Merceus.”
Claude gasped. “So that was them as well?” He wasn’t sure why this was the deed that surprised him so much, out of everything they’d done. Perhaps because it was such a ridiculous display of raw power that he’d actually seen in person.
“Yes. Hubert located their base using the magical signatures from the javelins. We imagined that you would probably have some questions for us that would lead you here, and when you did visit, Hubert actually suggested that I tell you all of this, and ask for your help. It is very rare that Hubert asks for help, so that should give you an idea of how serious this is.”
“Yes, I must admit I’m a little surprised that this was Hubert’s idea. Was it just a coincidence that you were the only one out here to greet me?”
Edelgard smiled craftily. “No, that was planned. We figured you’d be more likely to talk if it was just me.”
Claude sighed. “And they call me a schemer.”
“Indeed. We are just as bad as you are, if not worse.” Edelgard walked back around the couch and sat down again. “Can you come back tomorrow, by any chance, so the four of us can scheme some more? I’d imagine it would be helpful if we could formulate a plan now, so that you can tell your allies what’s going to happen.” Edelgard frowned. “I hope you were already planning on involving everyone. I hate to endanger more people, but we cannot underestimate these foes.”
“Don’t worry. After everything I’ve heard and seen about these slitherers, I’m certainly not going to underestimate them.” Claude tilted his head to the side. “Wait, are you planning on coming?”
“Of course. I wouldn’t ask anyone to do anything I’m not willing to do myself.”
“You’re still injured though.”
Edelgard glared at him again, but it had no real bite this time. “I’ll be fine. For better or worse, it’ll probably be a couple weeks before you’ve gathered your allies, and then it’ll take a few days to march to Shambhala, and by then I’ll be even more fine.”
Shambhala must be the name of their base. Claude sighed. “You realize you’re still technically under arrest, right?”
Edelgard just looked at him, eyebrows raised.
“Hubert and Ferdinand are going to want to come too, aren’t they.”
Edelgard smiled at him. She looked very amused.
Claude sighed again and pinched the bridge of his nose. “It would be too much of a political nightmare to release you all so soon, so I suppose we can sneak you out of here without word getting out.”
Edelgard nodded, still smiling. “That’s a wonderful idea.” She stood and bowed dramatically. “I am looking forward to fighting by your side, Claude von Riegan.”
Claude stood and mirrored her, bowing even more deeply so as not to be outdone. “Likewise, Edelgard.”
Just what was he getting himself into this time?
It was both a curse and a blessing that Edelgard was in house arrest with Hubert and Ferdinand instead of alone.
A curse, because sometimes she’d walk into the living room and there they’d be on the couch with their mouths locked together like they didn’t have a separate bedroom.
A blessing, because it meant she had two of her closest friends to talk to.
This evening, Hubert and Ferdinand were sitting on the couch, but thankfully they were both reading. Edelgard plopped down into the chair Claude had been sitting in earlier. “I told him,” she declared.
Hubert looked up and smiled. Someone who didn’t know him might say that he smiled wickedly, but that was just how his face always looked. “Excellent. What did he say?”
“He agreed quite readily to go to Shambhala with us, and he’s coming back tomorrow for us to discuss details.”
Ferdinand grinned. “Oh, good, he’s letting us come! Does that mean we’re being released early?”
Edelgard laughed. “No. That would be, and I quote “too much of a political nightmare,” so he’s sneaking us out.”
Ferdinand’s brows furrowed. “That… certainly sounds exciting.”
“Everything about this is exciting,” Hubert said in a very flat voice. “I will wait until the meeting tomorrow to truly get my hopes up, but it’s a great relief that Claude is willing to assist us.”
“Indeed, it is. That reminds me…” Edelgard tapped a finger against the arm of her chair. “Hubert, before the final battle in Enbarr, when I asked what would happen if we lost, you said you had a plan and that I shouldn’t worry about it. Normally I would not have accepted that, but I was too distracted at the time to press you any further.”
Ferdinand raised an eyebrow and shot Hubert a knowing look.
Hubert shifted uncomfortably. “In preparation for the possibility of our deaths, I wrote a letter to Claude briefly explaining the threat those who slither in the dark pose to the world and included Shambhala‘s location, asking him to eradicate them on our behalf. Since we survived, the messenger I left the letter with must not have delivered it.”
Edelgard smiled. “You continue to surprise me, Hubert, in the best way. However, I must ask why you didn’t tell me you were writing this letter. I would have agreed it was a good idea.”
“Well…” Hubert trailed off.
“He could hardly bear to consider the possibility that we would all die.” Ferdinand piped up. “I barely managed to get him to talk to me about it.”
Hubert glared at Ferdinand. “Yes. Precisely. I did not wish to discuss such things with you when I so fervently hoped we would still succeed.” He inclined his head towards Edelgard. “I hope you will not hold this against me.”
Edelgard smiled softly. “Of course not. I completely understand. The thought of losing either of you pains me greatly.”
Ferdinand made a grand show of wiping a tiny tear away from his eye. “I second that. You both are very dear to me.” He spread his arms slightly and beamed at both of them. “Now, may we have a group hug? To put the cherry on top of this touching moment?”
Edelgard and Hubert shared a look.
“Yes.”
“If you insist.”