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The library was engulfed in darkness, save for a single candle that emitted a soft glow throughout the shelves of books.
Lindhardt sat at a table, his fingers lightly drumming a stack of books. His eyes, which were usually closed in a soundless sleep, were now wide open as he scanned the pages of a book on Crestology.
Normally, he would write notes in the margins, underlining significant phrases that he would later utilize in his research notes. But tonight, his mind was occupied with a hurricane of thoughts regarding the Adrestian Empire’s situation.
From the corner of the room, the door opened, revealing his father. His lips were pressed tightly together, and his tight grip on the door suggested he had gone through another night of analyzing important data for the Emperor.
“Son. I’m having another meeting with Count Bergliez. I’m assuming you will be attending as well?”
Lindhardt looked up from the book he was examining. “Sure. I’ll be there,” he said, finishing his sentence with a trademark yawn.
“Do try to get some rest, will you? We’ll be leaving early in the morning.”
“Don’t worry yourself, father. I’ll just sleep in the carriage,” Lindhardt said, waving him away.
His father said nothing, but his expression was enough for Linhardt to determine he wasn’t pleased with his response. It wasn’t like that was the biggest of his concerns, anyway.
Linhardt leaned back and closed his eyes as he thought back to the last time he had seen Count Bergliez’s son.
“You hear me, Lin? Next time your Dad comes over for a political deal we’re getting out of here. We’ll stop by the Varley manor, pick up Bernadetta, and the three of us will run. We’ll find a way to meet up with everyone else. I know they’re out there waiting for us.”
Lindhardt smiled. Leave it to Caspar to propose an escape plan. The three of them were heirs to seats on the Adrestian Emperor’s council, but not one of them cared enough to stay behind.
Tomorrow, they would flee from the empire.
———
Bernadetta pressed her ear against her bedroom door. Her father had locked it, and from what she could tell, several men stood guard outside. During her days at the academy, she didn’t mind staying indoors all day. Now that it was no longer a choice, she felt more like a prisoner than the daughter of the manor’s master.
It was no use trying to eavesdrop, seeing as there was no more information to learn than what she already knew. The cabinet meeting was held at the Bergliez manor, and Bernadetta had already figured out the pattern of the guard’s patrol. As of now, they were in the process of rotating shifts, giving Bernadetta a couple minutes of freedom.
Not like she would be able to go very far when she was trapped by a locked door.
She slumped against the wall. Her crochet needles were too far away, and she felt no motivation to walk over to the other side of the room to pick them up.
Tap. Tap.
Bernadetta looked around her room, trying to figure out where the sound had come from. Was it coming from the window?
Tap. Tap.
Definitely from the window. She crept over to the velvet curtains, and gently pulled back to investigate the source of the noise. A small pile of stones rested on the wide base of the window. Who on earth would be throwing stones at her window at this time of night?
As scared as she was, her curiosity got the best of her. She pushed open the glass doors to her balcony, and looked to the ground below.
Two shadowy figures stood in the gardens. Something about them seemed familiar, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. She squinted her eyes in an attempt to make out their forms.
Lindhardt? And Caspar?
“Hey! Bernadetta!” Caspar called.
“What in Fodlan are you doing here?” she asked, gripping the banister tightly.
“Breaking you out, obviously,” Linhardt responded. “Unless, you want to stay trapped in there until your father arranges your eventual marriage.”
Bernadetta gazed at the large drop that stood in front of her. “And how am I supposed to get down, exactly?”
Caspar eyes rested on a trellis built to support vines of ivy. “I’m gonna see if I can find a way to get up there.”
Lindhardt grimaced as his friend began his ascent up the manor wall. “Do be careful, Caspar,” he said, his eyes fixed on the wooden structure that slightly squeaked with Casper’s added weight.
He carefully scaled the wall. His foot slipped once, causing Bernadetta to gasp. Before long, he reached the top of the trellis, and now stood only a few feet away from the balcony. “Grab my hand!” Caspar said, reaching out to Bernadetta.
It was just out of reach, and even standing on the tips of her toes, dangerously leaning over the banister, the best she could do was brush his fingertips. “It’s too far!”
“Then jump! I’ll catch you!”
“Are you crazy? If you miss I’ll fall to my death!”
“You won’t die! You’d break a couple bones at the most,” Caspar said.
“Not helping!”
Lindhardt sighed. “Have both of you already forgotten I have white magic on hand?”
Bernadetta looked back to her bedroom door. The rotation shift was almost over, and new guards would be in place soon. If she wanted to escape, it would have to be now.
Bernadetta climbed onto the edge of the balcony. She held her arms out for balance as she struggled to keep her footing on the ledge. Her heart pounded as she looked to the gardens, which could not feel any further away. She tore her gaze away and forced herself to focus on Caspar, one hand gripping the structure, the other extended, ready to catch her.
“I can’t do it!” She cried. A large gust of a wind passed by, and Bernadetta quickly shifted her weight to balance herself.
“I’ll count you off!” Caspar offered. “One… two…”
You can do this, Bernie.
“Three!”
Bernadetta leaped from the balcony. She was only in the air for a couple of seconds before Caspar caught her. He steadied her against the trellis.
“See?” he said with a wide grin, “That wasn’t so bad.”
A cracking noise sounded below them.
“Climb down, climb down, climb down!” Bernadetta repeated. It was a race for time, and Bernadetta hoped they would reach the bottom before the structure collapsed.
They managed to finish the majority of the descent when the trellis finally broke. Bernadetta was able to break her fall. Caspar wasn’t as lucky.
“Sorry Caspar,” she managed to say as she crawled off of him. It was a good thing he wasn’t wearing his plated armor, or her landing might have been a bit more rough.
“On second thought, Lin,” he stuttered, peeling himself from the ground, “We could use that healing magic of yours.”
———
Dorothea always had a collection of nobles who attended her performances, but today there was a certain guest that had grabbed everyone’s attention.
“Don’t you know?” One of her chorus girls told her after the show had ended. “The son of the former Duke of Aegir is here. You know, the one the Emperor completely stripped power from.”
“Is he now?” Dorothea said. Ferdinand had written her a couple of letters since they both left the academy (she had only responded to about half of them), but this was the first time he had reached out to her since House Aegir had been dissolved.
“He’s looking for you, Dorothea.”
As Dorothea made her way through the crowds, people complimented her on her voice, her beauty, everything Dorothea might have cared about long ago.
Not in recent times.
Her ears were trained to listen for the whispers spoken in hushed voices.
“How embarrassing to lose a seat on the council.”
“I can’t believe the Aegir boy is able to show his face.”
“They deserve it after what happened in the Hyrm territory.”
Despite being a wealthy man who would never need to worry about a bed to sleep in at night, the way others talked about him reminded Dorothea of her times in the streets. To be looked down upon. To be considered worthless.
Dorothea continued to search the crowds until she found who she was looking for. His hair might have gotten considerably longer, but Dorothea could recognize Ferdinand’s regal posture from a mile away.
“Hello, Ferdie. I wasn’t expecting you to drop by this evening.”
“The pleasure is mine, Dorothea. Your song is beautiful as ever.”
“You flatter me.” Dorothea dropped her smile to a stern expression. “Now what’s your real reason for stopping by?”
“I… needed to take a break. I have not slept much recently, and I was hoping a trip to the opera house would clear my head.”
Dorothea raised an eyebrow. “Losing House Aegir really upset you, didn’t it? Tragic. Whatever will you do?”
“Edelgard has said if I fight for the Empire, she will hand me the title of Prime Minister.”
Dorothea laughed. “Throw a dog a bone, and he’ll come running back to his master,” she scoffed. “Don’t try to justify her cause. Edie’s gone. All that’s left is a bloody-thirsty tyrant who will massacre hundreds of innocent people to get what she wants. You’re a fool if you follow her.”
“I am aware,” Ferdinand said, his voice quiet. “That is why I plan to turn down her offer.”
Dorothea’s eyes widened. “If you tell Edelgard that, Hubert will make sure you’re a dead man before you can issue a public statement.”
Ferdinand nodded. “In truth, I will not be telling them anything at all. Tonight I leave Adrestia. I came here tonight to wish you a final farewell.”
“Ferdie?”
“My only wish is that you will one day look at me and see me for more than my noble aspirations. I do not wish to lead for the sake of power. I wish to lead so that I can make decisions that will improve the livelihood of everyone, not just a select few. Siding with Edelgard would only contradict the very ideals I stand for. A noble leader would not use a town of innocent civilians as a line of defense.”
Dorothea’s smile returned, but this time it was genuine. “I’m impressed. You’ve left me speechless.” Ferdinand’s statement had given her hope. A hope that things could be different.
Ferdinand cast his gaze away. “I have imposed on your kindness long enough. I should take my leave,” he said with a bow.
Dorothea grabbed his wrist. “This doesn’t have to be goodbye.”
“Do you not understand, Dorothea? The moment I step foot off Adrestian soil, a bounty will be placed over my head. The chances we should meet again are near impossible.”
“Not if I go with you,” she said, squeezing his hand.
Ferdinand shook his head. “You would leave your career? Nothing is left for me here. You still have your reputation as a songstress.”
“I’d leave it all behind if it meant I could help stop innocent people from dying. I value the life of my friends more than the opera.”
Ferdinand let go of her hands. “Is that what you truly wish?”
“Yes, I will join you. I want to believe you’ve changed from our days at Garreg Mach, I really do.” She searched his eyes, hoping for some sort of reaction. There was a certain longing in his expression. Longing for peace, longing for freedom, maybe just longing for a friend. Things she wished for as well. “Don’t prove me wrong.”
Ferdinand’s eyes surveyed the area. Dorothea herself noticed there were several people attempting to eavesdrop on their conversation.
Ferdinand leaned forward and tucked back her hair so that the words he whispered could only be heard by her.
“Meet me in front of this opera house at the first hour of the morning. I will bring a second horse, and we will find a way out of the Empire.”
His face was now only inches from hers. Dorothea turned his head to the side and brushed her lips against his cheek.
“I’ll be waiting, Ferdie.”
As Ferdinand walked away, his face was almost the same color of his scarlet red coat.
Dorothea considered it her talent to be able to discern a person’s true intentions. Once, she was certain Ferdinand was nothing more than a stuck up noble. But after writing her dozens of letters, baking those stupid treats, and offering to run away to fight in a war that had stripped his nobility, she was willing to admit that this time she might have been wrong.
———
Petra stood by her grandfather’s bedside. She held a cold cloth to his face as he drank a mixture of herbs that would supposedly improve his health condition.
“Petra, my starlight, you are all Brigid has left. Should you fall, who will lead our country in your stead? These old bones will not last forever, you know.”
Petra smiled. “Do not worry yourself, grandfather. My intention is not to die, just to fight for our freedom. I will be back home before you know it.”
“I watched both your mother and father die fighting. I couldn’t bear to lose you as well.”
“Royal blood does not dictate whether someone is worthy to rule. Brigid does not need me to stay home to give orders. It needs me on the battlefield, fighting for our country.”
Her grandfather cupped her face and used his thumb to brush a couple strands from her cheek. “Make me proud, Petra.”
She held her hand against his for a moment before leaving his room. A crowd of people waited outside. Petra straightened her back. It was refreshing to be able to speak in her native tongue, rather than stumbling for the right words in Fodlan’s language.
“My people!” she shouted to the crowd. “For far too long we have let Adrestia walk over us. At their prestigious school I was nothing more than a bargaining chip to ensure cooperation. Our people hunt all day, while they lounge around on their thrones and sap us of our wealth. We will not stand for their overbearing rule. I am gathering an army so that we can march onto Adrestian land and declare our independence. There have been rumors that the Ashen Demon, savior of Fodlan, is still alive. We will join forces and take back what is rightfully ours! Who is with me?”
A cheer resounded throughout the people.
At Garreg Mach, Petra was not blind when others stared at her face tattoo. She was not deaf to the other students’ snickers whenever she struggled to find the right word in Fodlan’s language.
She would march back into the heart of Fodlan wearing Brigid’s traditional clothing, and she would hold her head with pride.
It was about time she started standing up for herself.
And she was certain some of her former classmates felt the same way.