Chapter Text
Rain was pouring heavily in the city of Enbarr as the people went about their day. Despite the heavy downpour, the citizens of the city went on as if they were experiencing a sunny day. Restaurants and stores were opened, children played in the rain, and people walked or drove to work as the day steadily went on. Had this been a millenia ago, before the on-going Thousand Year Peace of Fodlan started, soothsayers and fortune tellers would’ve taken the heavy downpour as an ill omen and warned anyone who would listen to halt their activities for the day and stay home for safety. In short, they would’ve taken it as a warning of terrible things to come.
However, times have changed; this was no longer a thousand years ago. And people hardly believed in soothsayers and fortune tellers nowadays. No one can stop progress in the continent of Fodlan. After all, progress is what helped them prosper. Since the nations of Adrestia, Faerghus, and Leicester decided that warring with one another wasn’t worth their time, things only seemed to look up for the three nations; relations between the three improved, trade with other nations only went on the rise, and bloodshed was at an all time low.
But...where there was prosperity, one can count on corruption being around as well. And indeed, if it weren’t for nobles or officials siphoning money from taxpayers, it was the common folk swindling one another for what little they have. And so, while peace between three nations remained, crime rose in their streets, under the noses of those who governed them. It seems while you can’t stop progress, you can’t stop crime as well.
Ultimately, the crime in the streets of Fodlan’s three nations became organized, giving birth to four mafia families that continue to rule in the shadows to this day. To the south and west of Fodlan, the Adrestian Mafia is ruled by the Hresvelg Family while the Blaiddyd Family ran the show in Faerghus to the north. Leicester in the east of Fodlan, on the other hand, was the domain of the Riegan Crime Family and their ilk. And there, slapped right in the middle of the three, in Garreg Mach, was the Seiros Mafia, a family that hasn’t been around for as long as the other three and one whose holdings were quite small but they still commanded a significant amount of respect and power amongst their territories. And that made the other three wary of them.
Each family had warred with one another in the past. Everyone knew that. But in recent times, none have warred with another more often than the Seiros and Adrestian mafias.
Once, the two families worked closely with one another and a previous head of the Adrestian crime family even gave up some of their territories to the Seiros mafia to help them prosper. Unfortunately, not long after, those same heads had a falling out and their families have been embroiled in an intermittent war ever since.
Now for a nine year old like Byleth Eisner, such histories shouldn’t even reach her knowledge until she reaches the age of 12 or 13. However, she was no ordinary nine year old; she was the heiress to the Seiros Mafia, after all. She was far from the run of the mill child you find in the suburbs. Besides, they were meeting with the Hresvelgs of the Adrestian Mafia today. It wouldn’t hurt to mentally brush up on her knowledge so she’ll know what topics to avoid around them.
“Are you okay, sweetie?” A gentle voice asked her. Immediately, Byleth turned her head from the rain spattered window and faced her mother, Sitri, who gave her a gentle smile on her face as she expected an answer. Quietly, the little girl nodded before turning her gaze back outside the window to look at the rainy cityscape of Enbarr. Sitri, meanwhile, turned to her husband, Jeralt, who merely shook his head as he held her hand.
If they were to be honest, Byleth worried them. She wasn’t a cruel or violent child. She was actually far from it; she was kind and gentle and she loved to play with animals or read or play games with whoever was willing. All hallmarks of being a normal kid. But she was quiet. Too quiet for a nine year old in fact. And sometimes that unsettled and worried them all, especially her grandmother. Speaking of…
“We’re going to see grandmother in a bit, Byleth. Are you excited to see her?” Sitri asked, trying to keep the conversation going. However, Byleth merely nodded, not saying a word as she continued to look out the window. Once again, Sitri couldn’t help but sigh; sometimes, she couldn’t help but wonder if Byleth’s distance was their fault. Due to their family’s line of work, their daughter never had many friends. Parents tended to keep their children away from a child who is a mafia heiress, after all. But the years dragged on and Byleth hardly had any friends apart from their capos and soldiers. Before they knew it, Byleth had grown distant and emotionless than a nine year old should ever be.
“Ma’am, Sir...we’re here.” The driver informed them from the front. With a nod, Jeralt got out of the car first and aided Sitri and Byleth in getting out. For a moment, Sitri knelt before her and straightened the collar of Byleth’s shirt and brushed off the imaginary dust on her pants.
“I think you’ll have fun here, Byleth. You might make friends.” Sitri said with a small, optimistic smile. Byleth, however, blinked at her owlishly, trying not to let her confusion show. With a mischievous smile, her mother leaned in and whispered…
“I hear Mr. Hresvelg has a daughter a few years younger than you. Maybe you can be friends with her. Can you promise daddy and I that you’ll try to make friends with her?”
As soon as Sitri posed her question, Byleth nodded in agreement. Satisfied, she stood and they began to walk toward the front door. Byleth was mesmerized by the size of the Hresvelg estate’s courtyard. There was a fountain in the middle and flowers grew all over the garden. She was sure that they had more flowers and trees in the backyard too! She turned her eyes up front again and her jaw nearly fell at the amount of stairs they have to climb. Not even their estate in Garreg Mach was this large and had this many stairs.
“Byleth, go say hi to grandma.” Jeralt gruffly told her. Byleth shifted her eyes once more and she saw her grandmother, Rhea, coming down the stairs with her brother and the family consigliere, Seteth, trailing right behind her. Immediately, lest she displease her parents, Byleth ran up the stairs as fast as her legs would take her and met Rhea halfway in an embrace. It always amazed everyone how despite having a fully grown daughter and a granddaughter, Rhea still managed to remain youthful. Sometimes, it amazes Byleth too; in movies, grandmothers were old and wrinkly, after all. But her grandma was anything but.
“Oh my sweet child.” Rhea greeted her as she dropped a kiss on her forehead. She kept Byleth close as she straightened up to greet her daughter and son-in-law. Byleth, however, noticed the somewhat sad and apprehensive look on her face and it seemed her grandmother did as well.
“You need not worry, Sitri. I saw the girl myself. She’s a well-mannered child.” Rhea tried to assure them, confusing Byleth even further. What girl are they talking about?
“We know and we have no doubt that she is but...aren’t they too young for such an arrangement?” Jeralt asked, voicing out the question that has plagued his wife ever since they started the journey to Enbarr.
“They are. But...that might be an advantage. For them at least.” Rhea said as she took Byleth’s hand and led them up the stairs. Upon noticing her daughter and son-in-law’s wary expressions, Rhea couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Have a little faith in me, you two. I’ve yet to lead our family astray since I took over from my mother.” She stated.
“We do have faith in you, Rhea. But is this alliance really worth it?” Seteth said in his niece’s place. Like Sitri and Jeralt, he too was apprehensive about the deal Rhea was about to make with the Adrestian Mafia. But even he can’t question the wisdom of the move. Their territories were too small after all.
“If it protects our family, any alliance is worth it. Besides, what we’re about to do could finally cement peace between our families. We’ll not just be protected but the bloodshed could end before it even starts as well.” She answered as they stopped in front of the front door. One of the soldiers bearing the Adrestian Mafia’s heraldry, a double-headed eagle, opened the door for them and Byleth was herded indoors by her grandmother.
Byleth’s gaze wandered as they entered; the estate’s indoors was as gaudy and extravagant as the exterior. As they entered the foyer, she saw a grand staircase leading to the second floor and there, by bottom of the stairs, four people awaited them.
The first person, clearly the one her grandmother and parents need to talk to, was tall and lanky with brown hair reaching up to his shoulders and striking lilac eyes that were shared by his companions. He was clean shaven and he wore a crisp red suit that helps him exude power in the room. Despite that, however, he had a pleasant smile on his face. Next to him was a tall and well-built young man, clearly in his early 20s, with short blonde hair, wearing an all black suit. Unlike the red suited man, he had a stern and unimpressed look on his face, especially when his gaze landed on Byleth. Much to his shock, however, Byleth merely met his gaze with a stone cold stare.
On the red suited man’s right, on the other hand, was a beautiful woman in a black dress. Like the young man, she looked as if she was in her early 20s and she had brown hair and lilac eyes. Unlike the young man, however, she had a small smile on her face, as if she was trying to make them feel welcome. But upon looking in her eyes, Byleth could see that it was all a facade. A ruse to make them feel safe. They’ll have to keep a better eye on that one if they want to feel at ease.
Finally, Byleth’s eyes landed on the girl next to the woman and her eyes widened. Her breath hitched and for some reason, her heart was beating faster than it should. Like the older woman, the girl had long, brown hair and lilac eyes. The only difference was that her hair had two purple ribbons on each side and she wore a red dress paired with small brown boots. As Byleth held her gaze, the girl gradually inched back and hid behind the older woman’s back. Immediately, she knew; this must be the daughter that her mother spoke of. Oddly enough, Byleth wanted to talk to her. Before she could, however, the man in the red suit spoke.
“Jeralt, Sitri. Welcome to our humble abode. It’s been a long time since we saw one another.” He greeted as he shook Jeralt’s hand and gave Sitri a chaste kiss on the cheek.
“Ionius, it’s good to see you again.” Jeralt greeted him with a small smile. With a nod, Ionius gestured to the three people behind him.
“Well, you remember Wilhelm and Margaret, my two eldest children. The little one behind them is our darling Edelgard, my ninth child.” He introduced them. The little girl, Edelgard, shyly waved from behind her sister’s skirts while Wilhelm and Margaret nodded in acknowledgement.
“It’s nice to meet you, little Edelgard.” Sitri greeted her with a gentle smile. One that Edelgard couldn’t help but return. Finally, Ionius’ gaze landed on her and he spoke up.
“Well, I don’t think I’ve met this little one before. It has indeed been a long time hasn’t it.” He said in a good natured manner. With a smile, Sitri brought Byleth closer and she couldn’t help but wrap her arms around her mother’s leg.
“This is Byleth, our daughter.”
“I see. Well, it’s very nice to meet you, Byleth.” Ionius said with a gentle smile. “I have a favor to ask of you.”
Confused, Byleth tilted her head, an act that clearly amused Ionius if his chuckle was anything to go by.
“Your family and mine must speak of matters that are for adult ears only. Would you be a dear and accompany her? You can play in the gardens if you’d like.” Ionius stated. Warily, Byleth looked towards her mother and with a gentle smile, Sitri nodded in approval. She turned back to Ionius and spoke.
“Yes, sir.” She answered.
“Excellent. Edelgard, why don’t you show Byleth to your fun space in the garden? I’m sure the two of you will find something in common soon enough.” Ionius suggested as he turned to his younger daughter. With a nod, Edelgard approached Byleth and gently took her hand before leading her away.
“Go on now, El. Have fun.” Wilhelm told her with a surprisingly gentle smile on his face. With a nod, Edelgard led her to a door and opened it, leading to a large garden on the back. Once more, Byleth was in awe at the sight; as she thought there were plenty more trees and flowers to be seen and there was even a long pool beyond the garden. Edelgard continued to lead her down the stone staircase and their feet touched the grassy ground once more.
“Let’s sit.” Edelgard said as she led Byleth toward a large tree just sitting off to the side of the garden. As they walked, the nine year old found that she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the brunette girl leading her by the hand and once more, she felt her heart beating rapidly in her chest. That’s odd. That’s never happened before. Was she sick or something? Before she could speak up, however, Edelgard stopped and let go of her hand before settling by the large roots of the tree. Slowly, Byleth sat next to her and noticed the book in her hands.
“What are you reading?” She asked her as she curiously peered at the pages Edelgard was on.
“A collection of fairy tales. My older sister reads it to me every night.” She answered as she laid the book on the ground between them. “It’s a story of a lady-knight, saving the princess from bandits.”
A lady-knight saving the princess, huh? That’s a story that Byleth has yet to hear of. Before she could stop herself, she blurted a few words that caught Edelgard by surprise.
“Will you read it to me?”
Despite her initial surprise, Edelgard nodded and she flipped the pages back to the beginning of the book. It was odd; a six year old reading to a nine year old like this. But...one can’t say that they weren’t having fun. Byleth was clearly enjoying Edelgard’s company and Edelgard obviously felt very much the same. They read, they played, they rolled around the grass together even as the servants came to bring them some refreshments. As soon as they finished eating, they returned to playing, where Edelgard pretended to be a princess trapped in the clutches of an evil tree monster.
“Help me, Sir Byleth!” Edelgard pretended to scream as she made a show of being captured by the tree’s giant roots. With her trusty and sturdy stick as her sword, Byleth puffed out her chest and spoke.
“Don’t worry, Princess! I’ll save you!” She declared before attacking the tree and its roots with a strong war cry. Eventually, she landed enough hits and the (imaginary) tree monster finally let Edelgard go.
“Thank you, Sir Byleth!” She said as she wrapped her arms around her before giggling in delight at the fun they were having. Byleth, meanwhile, promptly froze as she felt her heart beat rapidly once more. Eventually, Edelgard separated from her and took her hands in her own.
“I’m glad we got to play today, Byleth. It’s been lonely playing by myself.” She said with a grin on her face. By herself? That’s odd. Last Byleth remembered, she had 10 siblings.
“I thought you have plenty of siblings?” Byleth asked her in confusion.
“I do.” Edelgard answered, this time with a tinge of sadness at her tone. “But they’re all busy with school to play. My younger siblings are too young to play outdoors with me. Unsupervised, at least.”
“I’m sorry.” Byleth said out of nowhere. She didn’t know what to say so she figured it was best that she just say what popped up in her mind first.
“It’s okay. I have you to play with for today. And that alone makes me so happy.” The brunette admitted with a smile before she hugged BYleth once more. This time, Byleth returned the embrace.
“Good. I like it when you’re happy.” Byleth said, allowing a small smile and a blush to creep up her face. “Your smile is very pretty.”
Before Edelgard could say anything else, however, one of her father’s guards, a woman with long brown hair, approached.
“Miss Byleth, Miss Edelgard, Don Ionius requests that you return inside. He says there are some things to discuss with the two of you.” She stated. With a nod, Edelgard spoke.
“Thank you, Miss Altena. We’ll be there.” Edelgard said as she took Byleth’s hand once more. With a nod, they made the walk back to the manor under Altena’s watchful eye and once they got to the foyer, they were met with their respective families. Immediately, Edelgard let her hand go and ran to Margaret’s arms, leaving Byleth to walk back to Rhea’s side on her own.
“Margaret, we had fun outside! We read, we played, we ate, and Byleth even saved me from a tree monster with her sword!” Edelgard rapidly said from her perch in Margaret’s arms, earning chuckles of amusement from the adults in the room.
“A tree monster, you say? Well, I guess we’ll have to hear more of your quest to slay the dastardly tree monster later, little El!” Margaret said before she put Edelgard back on the ground.
“We had so much fun! Can Byleth come back to play with me again soon? Can she, daddy, can she?” The six year old said as she turned to her father. Byleth approached her, took her hand, and nodded in a show of solidarity with her request. This time, it was Rhea who spoke.
“Of course she may, my child. After all, it’s best that the two of you get to know one another as soon as possible.”
“What do you mean, grandma?” Byleth asked, tilting her head in confusion once more. With a sigh, Jeralt and Ionius kneeled before them and sorted their thoughts out.
“Kid, I know that this’ll come as a shock to you both but...it’s best that you know now instead of later. We don’t expect you to understand but someday you will.” Jeralt stated as he gently rubbed Byleth’s shaggy teal hair.
“Edelgard, Byleth, our families have been at war for so long and loathe as we are to say it, tensions are rising between our men despite our efforts to stop it. So, Donna Rhea and I have come up with a solution. To ensure that our families will be at peace with one another at long last.” Ionius explained with a gentle smile on his face.
“What is it, daddy?” Edelgard asked.
“When the two of you are all grown up, you and Byleth will be married to one another. I know it’s a big responsibility to place on your shoulders but...we’re certain that when the time comes, you two will rise to the occasion and you’ll be very happy with one another.”
Stunned by the news, the two youngsters didn’t speak and it honestly worried them. They may be children but this was still a shock to them. After what seemed to be an hour of silence, Edelgard finally spoke.
“I don’t mind.” She said, much to the surprise of the adults in the room. “Byleth is nice and she’s fun to play with. I wouldn’t mind marrying her one day.”
Her innocence astonished them all and yet Sitri couldn’t help but smile at how adorable it was.
“I don’t mind either. I like Edelgard. It’d be nice to see her more.” Byleth responded. As soon as she said those words, Ionius let out a relieved chuckle. They were young and there were so many ways this plan can go wrong; Edelgard may want to leave the family, Byleth may fall in love with someone else, Rhea may decide that this alliance isn’t a good fit for them, that type of thing. But for now...he’ll settle for their innocent acceptance, all the while praying that nothing would go wrong in the long run.
“Then, allow me to be the first to say it; welcome to the family, Byleth.”
16 years later
In the city of Gronder, the early morning roads were surprisingly clear as everyone went along their way for the day. And taking advantage of the clear roads were three youths from in a fancy car. Everyone in Gronder could likely hear the loud purr of the sports car they drove. While it would seem like normal teenage behavior, anyone who would look at them would know it wasn’t just that. Sure, they were teenagers but the suits they wore and the design of their car would know that they were unruly because they knew they could. Both their suits and the car bore the double headed Eagle; the sign that they were part of the Adrestian Mafia Family. Despite their rowdiness, however, they haven’t caused much trouble so far. They were on the way back to Enbarr, after all. They were just enjoying the ride home as they drove as fast as they can and blared their music as loud as possible.
“And the ghost of the boulevard littered with lonely hearts!” The three young men sang as they drove. “The city like a graveyard once was a postcard! When you lose your wonder and you can’t remember!”
“Ready, lads!” The driver, a youth with short red hair, just before the next line came.
“ When we were living in the days of thunder! Living...in the days of thunder!” They all sang at the same time. Then the green haired young man at the back made a show as if he was playing a saxophone from where he sat, earning boisterous laughs from his pals.
“God, that’s such a good song. Wouldn’t you guys agree? We should thank Miss Bernie and Princess Edelgard for introducing us to this band, don’t you think?” The young man in the passenger’s seat said.
“That’s...not a bad idea, Lukas. We should get them some cakes. I know they both love those.” The driver answered.
“Alright. All of you better pitch in though.” The young man in the backseat stated.
“Ah, we’re good for it, Alm. Calm down.” Lukas responded. “Especially Conrad here. I hear you got a big payoff from that protection racket you were working with Boss Wilhelm and Frederick.”
“That is true. So we can definitely splurge for a bit.” Conrad answered with a grin on his face. Then the grin fell. “Damn, we need to stop for gas. Hang on.”
As soon as he said so, he moved the car toward the next lane and entered the gas station. Immediately, he parked the car by a pump and shut the engine off.
“I’m gonna take a leak. Don’t leave without me.” Alm said as he opened the car door.
“Alright already. Just go.” Lukas said as he and Conrad exited the vehicle. With a playful scoff, Almd straightened up his jacket and walked up to the toilet. Conrad and Lukas, on the other hand, minded their own business as they waited for the car to get filled up. Just as it did, however, a car pulled up in the pump across them. And out came three young men in crisp black suits. Lukas took one glance at them and promptly gulped; their suits bore the mythical Crest of Flames, the sigil of Seiros Mafia who ruled Gronder City.
“Well, well, look what the cat dragged in.” The young man with the long red hair said with a mischievous grin. “Little birdies from Adrestia.”
“Heh, you’re right, Joshua. Wonder what they’re here for.” A young man with short, spiky black hair said as he stood next to his companion.
“Guys, leave them alone.” Another young man, this time one with green hair, chided them.
“Ah, come on, Ephraim. Ross and I here are just having a bit of fun.” Joshua said before he and Ross burst out into small chuckles. “You know...like how our princess had a bit of fun with theirs a few years back.”
As soon as he said that, Conrad’s head shot up and he put one foot forward as he clenched his fist, intent on making the man eat his words. Lukas, however, held him back.
“Don’t. We’ll just go home and report this to Boss Wilhelm.” He said as he spotted Alm finally leave the bathroom and approach them
“Let’s go.” Alm said as he wiped his hands.
“Yeah, that’s for the best.” Lukas said as he turned to the car. “They ain’t worth our time.”
“What did you just say?” Ross asked, fury clear in his voice. This time, it was Conrad who responded.
“He said you aren’t worth our time.” He shot back.
“Oh yeah, just like your boss’ daughter wasn’t worth our princess’.” Joshua said before he and Ross laughed out loud. This time, Conrad really did take a step forward with a fist raised. However, Lukas held him back.
“Stop. Let’s just go home.” He said as he tried to drag Conrad back.
“We’re just passing through, lads. We ain’t looking for trouble.” Alm said with a nervous smile on his face as he held his hands up in surrender. Then he held out a piece of paper. It had two stamps on them; one was the seal of the Seiros Mafia and the other of the Leicester Family. Immediately, they knew what it was; a document granting them safe passage through their territories. For a vacation in Leicester apparently.
“Let’s go, guys. They have safe passage.” Ephraim said in an attempt to diffuse the situation, having finished filling the gas tank. Finally, Lukas let Conrad go and just as they were about to enter the car, Conrad let his thoughts slip his mouth.
“Seiros scum.”
“That’s it!” Joshua exclaimed. Immediately, he drew a gun out from his jacket pocket and fired. The shot rang out, the crowds dispersed as they called for the authorities, and in no time at all, Conrad hit the ground with a bullet hole in his chest. His eyes showed no life in them; he was dead before he even hit the pavement.
“No!” Lukas yelled out as he and Alm drew their own guns. Ross and Ephraim did the same and gunshots rang throughout the gas station. Alm fired his gun as he ran from cover to cover in an attempt to avenge his fallen brother, with Lukas trying to do the same. By sheer luck, he managed to hit Joshua in the leg. Enough to distract Ross from taking shots at Lukas. Just as Lukas dove for a different cover, however, he felt a bullet pierce his chest and before life slipped from his body, he managed to see that it was Ephraim who dealt the killing shot. In his grief at watching two of his brothers die, Alm recklessly left his cover and shot at them.
He didn’t stay up for long. For Ross' aim held true and Alm felt a bullet pierce his stomach. He could’ve sworn he felt it sever his spine. He’d be lucky if he can still walk after this.
“Let’s finish him off.” Joshua said as he attempted to limp towards Alm’s broken body. However, Ephraim held him back.
“You’ve caused enough damage, damn it!” He yelled. “Donna Rhea’s gonna have our heads for this! Get in the damn car!”
At his words, Joshua paled. It was clear that in his anger, he had forgotten about the safe passage the three were granted. Killing someone with such a document is as good as signing your death sentence in their line of work. Immediately, he and Ross got in the car and Ephraim wasted no time in driving away from the scene.
Try as they might to run away, however, the damage was already done. Adrestian blood was spilled on the Seiros Mafia’s territory. And blood that was granted safe passage at that. This meant only one thing.
If no one brokers peace immediately, war WILL break out between the two families. And may the Goddess help those who have the misfortune of being caught in the crossfire.
In Enbarr, it was surprisingly quiet around the Adrestian Mafia’s estate. Each soldato kept themselves occupied one way or another; some read books, watched TV, or played games on a console. The guards silently did their patrols without question as several others were having drinks while playing cards in one of the estate’s numerous first floor recreational rooms. Some have opted to return to their own homes or retire in the dorms in the estate’s grounds. All in all, it was shaping up to be a quiet night.
Even for the Don of the Adrestia’s Mafia family and his son and underboss.
“Well, well, look what we have here, father. Another Letter of Intent for our dear princess.” Wilhelm said with a smug smile.
“Again? It’s not one of von Riegan’s Almyran half-brothers once more now, is it?” Ionius asked as he took a sip of whisky from his glass. With a chuckle, Wilhelm shook his head as he scanned the envelope. There was no defining mark that said it was from one of the other families in Fodlan or abroad. Then he caught a glimpse of the sender’s address and scoffed.
“It’s from...well...you know at this point who it is. What should we do?” Wilhelm asked. He already knew the answer but he wasn’t the Don. He’d still need a verbal order from his father.
“Reject it as always.” Ionius answered with a bittersweet smile. Wilhelm nodded with a small smile as he walked over to the desk and whipped up a quick letter to respond to the Letter of Intent.
“You know I’m starting to take some form of sick, sadistic pleasure from these rejections.” The young underboss said with a small smile as he sealed the response up. “It’s a bad habit I wouldn’t want to undertake. Goddess knows my wife would take pity on her for these repeated rejections.”
“Ah yes. How is your wife and my grandchildren?” Ionius asked with a fond smile on his face. He may be the Don of the Adrestian Mafia but he still liked to keep tabs on his eleven children’s lives.
“She’s fine, dad. You see her in the estate almost every day. As for my kids...well, they’re growing. 10, 8, and 4 is nothing to sneeze at. They do so enjoy playing with their Uncle Henry but even Henry has his University studies to contend with so they wish their other aunts and uncles would spend more time with them. El and Em especially.” Wilhelm said. At the mention of Edelgard, his face took on a somber expression. Unlike the older siblings, the two youngest Hresvelg daughters have flown coop a year ago. But despite that, Emilia still made it a point to visit every now and then to spend time with the family. Edelgard, however, seems to be only willing to meet with them outside the estate’s grounds. It was like being in the estate was too painful for her. Which was why when she started to go to college, Ionius was so gracious and purchased her a home in the city to live with her best friends, who incidentally were also the heirs of his capos. But sometimes, they can’t help but think of that move as a mistake.
“El...imagine how happy they could have been. Now, not even the home she grew up in can be a safe haven for her. Honestly, I still haven’t forgiven that bastard for what happened.” Ionius said as he offered Wilhelm a glass of whisky.
“I know how you feel. Margaret and Ludwig are still intent on giving her a beating if they could.” His son answered as he took a sip of the drink offered to him. “Paul and Frederick have been keeping tabs on her. She’s become someone we wouldn’t want to give our El off to.”
“I see. Well...what can we do?” Ionius wryly asked. Ah...how happy they could have been. But he supposed life doesn’t always pan out the way they intend it to. Before either can say another word, there was a knock on the door and immediately, Wilhelm stood to open it. Behind it stood Altena, who saluted him immediately.
“Ah, Altena. Just in time. Please mail this out as soon as you can.” He requested as he handed her the letter, which she took and put in her coat’s inner pocket immediately.
“Forgive me for the disturbance, Don Ionius, Boss Wilhelm...but there’s been an incident. In Gronder City.” She reported. Wilhelm gestured for her to continue and she did.
If they didn’t know any better, they’d think the entire estate heard the breaking of the whisky glass that Wilhelm had dropped.
“What? What do you mean three Adrestians were killed on Seiros Territory?” The Donna of the Seiros Mafia seethed out as she stood from her desk. Her brother and consigliere, Seteth, remained still before her, already used to her sudden outbursts of rage. Really, he couldn’t blame her; the job of being Donna wasn’t an enviable one and had it not been for the early deaths of their older brothers, Indech and Macuil, Rhea wouldn’t have taken their mother’s place as the family head.
“I meant it exactly as I said it, Rhea. It seems our two new recruits, Joshua and Ross, provoked three soldatos of the Adrestian Mafia at a gas station in Gronder City. According to witnesses, the three were getting ready to leave when Joshua shot one of them in the head. Ephraim was there but he hardly did anything to stop them.”
“Oh dear goddess.” Rhea muttered as she rubbed her forehead before chastising herself for taking the Goddess’ name in vain. “Is there something we can do to make amends?”
“I’m afraid it’s more complicated than that.” A gruff voice said as the door swung open. The Donna of the Seiros Mafia raised her head and she couldn’t help but let a sardonic smile overtake her stressed expression upon seeing Sitri and Jeralt enter the room.
“Ah, my daughter and son-in-law. I hope you two have a few solutions to our predicament.” Rhea said.
“I’m sorry, Mother. But like Jeralt said, the situation is far more complicated than we expected.” Her daughter responded as she laid a bloodstained piece of paper on her desk. Rhea took it and unfolded it as quickly as she could.
“That is a safe passage document that those three soldatos drafted and was approved by us. Judging from the other stamp, it was clear that they were heading home from a boy’s trip in Leicester.” Her son-in-law explained. “Rhea, our men just killed someone we granted safe passage. Ionius will no doubt take offense at this.”
“Well, this is quite the predicament. I don’t even remember approving this.” She responded as she looked down at the document she held in her hands.
“That’s because I approved of it.” Sitri answered. Rhea’s head shot up with a questioning look on her face. However, Sitri merely gave a non-committal shrug before answering as she toyed with her dress’ sleeve.
“It was just a vacation. How was I supposed to know this was going to happen?”
Loathe as Rhea was to admit it, Sitri did have a point. At the time, she saw no harm in letting the boys pass through their territories. But still, as much as Rhea adored her daughter, that same kindness was the reason why she chose Jeralt to become her underboss and not Sitri. She would be too soft, too forgiving to get things done. Jeralt, on the other hand, had already killed for the family long before he even fell in love with her. He knew how the family worked and he’d do what was necessary for their survival.
“Mother...I hate to admit it...but this time, our men were in the wrong. And we need to do something to appease Ionius. Fast.” Her daughter reminded her. Reluctantly, Rhea nodded. With that many witnesses and the incident making national headlines, there was no use in denying that they were free of any wrongdoing. She sat in her elegant and rather comfortable chair and thought deeply of their next step. Right now she could think of a few possible solutions and not all of them foolproof.
Solution one would be to kill the perpetrators herself and send their corpses as tribute. But Ionius’ eldest son and daughter would never accept that; those two like toying with the lives of others. They’d likely want to decide their fates themselves. Solution two would be to pay them off and give the families a huge sum in restitution. But then that may insult the entire family. In their eyes, it would be like Rhea was saying they could easily be bought. The final solution would be an alliance. However, Ionius would only agree to an alliance under one condition: marriage. And seeing as how Seteth would never stand for his daughter, Flayn, being used in the family’s schemes, she only has her darling granddaughter and heir to offer.
But again, even that has a snag; the last time they offered Byleth to marry one of Ionius’ children, Byleth broke little Edelgard’s heart and only served to increase the tensions between their families. Still...maybe if Rhea offered all three, it would get Ionius to reconsider. Hell, it may even finally tame her wild granddaughter. Yes...maybe her plans may work after all.
“Rhea!” Jeralt called for her. Rhea blinked and looked up at him, only to see that the three of them were waiting on to speak.
“What should we do?” Jeralt asked once again. Finally, Rhea stood and turned to Seteth.
“Seteth, I want you to contact Don Ionius and tell him that I wish to speak about this incident. And hopefully, make peace during our talk. I am trusting him to choose the neutral ground and he may bring any of his children to the discussion. It will be a talk that involves them, after all.” Rhea stated before taking a moment to contemplate her next words. “Then, I want you to go to the vaults with Alois. Take a substantial but reasonable amount and put it somewhere that will allow us to safely carry it to Enbarr.”
“We’re paying them?” Sitri asked. Reluctantly, Rhea nodded.
“That’s not all.” She said before turning to her son-in-law. “Take Catherine with you and find those three. Rough them up if you must but I want them in relatively good condition when brought here. We will let Don Ionius decide their fates.”
“And now we’re giving them up too? What would our men think of us?” Jeralt asked, shock clear in his tone.
“They would think that we, the heads of the family, are as honest as we demand them to be. As much as I don’t want to admit it, Jeralt, our men were in the wrong and we must find a way to prevent a war between our families. We may not be lacking in finances but we don’t have as many men in our ranks as the Adrestians.” Rhea gently explained. Reluctantly, Jeralt nodded and after leaving a kiss on Sitri’s cheek, he walked out of the room. No words had to be said; they both knew that Rhea would send her out on her own mission, after all.
“Sitri, take Shamir with you to Remire. It’s time to bring Byleth home.” Rhea ordered her daughter as she gently held her hand.
“What for?” Sitri asked in confusion. With a sigh, Rhea answered.
“We won’t just be paying the Adrestians off and offering three of our men to them. We’ll also make a matrimonial alliance with them. Just as we should’ve years ago.”
“Is that a wise choice? We both know what happened back then. Ionius’ children will never stand for that.” She stated.
“It’s a gamble, yes. But one we must make all the same. Besides, this could be Byleth’s chance to make things right. And we both know how much she’s suffered since that day.” Her mother explained in a sad tone. With a hum, Sitri nodded in agreement before leaning up to give her mother a kiss on the cheek.
“Now go. Bring our darling home. I’m sure she’ll be ecstatic to hear that an opportunity has presented itself.” Rhea said. Immediately, Sitri turned and left her office, ready to do as her mother asked and bring her daughter home to their estate in Garreg Mach. Rhea, on the other hand, retreated back to her desk and let out a mighty sigh as she let the tension leave her shoulders. Then, her eyes landed on a photo of Byleth as a child, happily playing with Edelgard in the grounds of their estate.
'Forgive me, my sweet child. But hopefully, my decisions, questionable they may be, can finally help you get what you want the most.'
With another mighty sigh, Rhea poured herself a glass of wine and drank as she tried to prepare herself for the days to come.