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Byleth stirred. She was warm. The rich scent of coffee filtered into her mind as she woke. Sitting up, she blinked and looked around. Khalid smiled sheepishly at her. He wore a long robe and stood over a table. There was a steaming pot of what she assumed was coffee that he was watching. The bed shifted as he sat back on it and reached for her. Byleth closed her eyes as his hand brushed through her hair and he leaned forward to press his lips to her forehead.
“Sorry if I woke you. I was hoping to have it ready before you got up.” Byleth stared at the setup. Was he preparing it himself? The action surprised her.
“Did we miss breakfast?” Khalid flushed red.
“I wanted to let you sleep. I didn’t hurt you, did I?” He ran his hands down her arms slowly and she shook her head.
“I’m alright.” Wrapping her arms around her neck, she pulled him closer and kissed him. He relaxed as he kissed her back briefly.
“As much as I’d love to continue last night’s events,” he murmured with a chuckle. “I’m afraid we have to get up.” Byleth sighed. He was right, of course. As if to comfort her, he offered her a cup and some biscuits.
“I, unfortunately, did not make the biscuits. But the coffee is one of my favorites. I get it myself from the market.” As he rambled about where it came from, a realization dawned on her. If Khalid didn’t make the biscuits, then a servant brought them. And if a servant brought them… Byleth’s face felt warmer than the mug in her hands. Khalid cut himself off. “Are you alright?”
“Did someone.. ah… see us?” He shook his head vigorously.
“No, no. I took the cart from the servant at the door.” He assured her quickly. Well, she supposed there was no way their night would be secret for very long, but she’d hoped to at least have the morning. Sothis’ laugh echoed in her mind and Byleth shushed the goddess. Once they’d eaten and were caffeinated, Byleth slipped out of the bed and reached for her clothes. Khalid helped her dress and she did the same for him. It felt oddly… domestic. And not at all unwelcome. As he finished combing her hair, he leaned forward and kissed her neck gently. “I’ll be busy most of the day. Since things have calmed down, the meetings with the Fódlan envoy have begun again.” Turning around to face him, she placed a hand on his chest and stretched up to kiss him.
“Stay safe,” she murmured. The feeling of the pendant under his clothes helped ease her worry. Instinct told her the twins would be going after Khalid next. Being the firstborn son, Mirza was too big a target for them to tackle as they were right now.
It was afternoon by the time Byleth became concerned. Cyril hadn’t checked in all morning. She’d wondered if it was because the boy might be embarrassed, but it wasn’t like him to ignore duty because of his emotions. And he hadn’t given any indication that he would be investigating something on his own. Wandering towards the kitchens, she wondered if he’d gotten caught sneaking snacks again. It appeared as if her shy student had managed to make a few local friends and they tended to get in trouble together. But if they were ever found out, it was normally just a week scrubbing pots and pans for the cooks or mucking out stalls; tasks Cyril was already accustomed to. Unfortunately, the cooks and his friends informed her they hadn’t seen him either.
After returning to her rooms, she had an answer. Pinned to her bedpost by a dagger was a note.
Come to the Merv Oasis. Alone. Tell no one or the boy will be killed .
Anger rose from the depths of her heart. How dare they! After consulting a map, she deduced it would take her approximately two hours to reach the oasis. Without wasting any time, she grabbed the sword from the bottom of her trunk and hurried out. Closing her eyes, she reached with her magic for Khalid.
‘Khalid.’
‘Byleth?’
‘Cyril’s been kidnapped. I’m going after him. You can’t tell anyone else, though.’ There was a moment of silence before he responded.
‘I understand. Take Omar.’ Really, she was going to already. But it felt nice to get permission from the wyvern’s rider first.
The white head popped up at the sound of the stable door opening. He blinked at her as she grabbed his saddle. Khalid had told her to stop bringing him so many treats since he was getting fat and the poor mount looked at her so sadly whenever she visited without them. But, as if sensing the urgency of the situation, he watched calmly. He didn’t even try to play any games as she prepared him.
“Alright, buddy.” Byleth spoke as she led him out into the open ground. “Southeast, okay?” Mounting up, the wyvern rose and shook himself as if to prepare. “Fast as you can hold it.” A low growl rumbled in Omar’s throat. In a few powerful flaps, the wyvern was speeding into the distance.
As the oasis came into view, Byleth realized the whole trip had been a blur. Without anything to tell the time, she wasn’t sure how long it took, but Omar seemed to be doing just fine. Her mind had been occupied about what she would do when she caught the culprit. Dragging said person plus Cyril plus herself.. She wasn’t entirely sure the wyvern could handle the weight. Of course, as light as he was, she could send Cyril alone with a message that it was safe to come get her. But there was no guarantee the villain would survive a moment alone with Byleth or if she’d let anger take over. Their telepathy would be affected by distance, but just how far away she could be from him was unknown to her.
Landing a ways away from the meeting spot, she patted Omar on the shoulder as she dismounted. After giving her companion most of the water from her pouch, she ordered him to stay safe and out of sight. With a huff, he flew off to who knew where. But she was confident he’d be fine. He was as clever as his master, after all. With grim determination, she headed towards the meeting spot.
Cyril was on his knees on the ground. Even dusty and ragged with a bag over his head, Byleth knew her former student when she saw him. Behind him was a stranger. The man wore a brown tunic over black pants. The boots primarily worn by those who thieved in the desert covered his feet. They were made to be soft enough not to disturb the sand, but hardy enough to withstand rocky terrain if the bandit ever came across it. Upon spotting her, the man smiled triumphantly.
“It’s you.” Byleth blinked at him in confusion and he scowled. “Don’t remember me? Well, I guess the likes of you wouldn’t. You never did, Ashen Demon . Why would I ever expect that to change?” At the mention of the name she’d picked up as a mercenary, the memories flooded back to her. The bandit from the hunt. It’d been so long she nearly forgot.
“Release him,” Byleth snapped. “I’m here, aren’t I?” The man let out a cruel laugh and yanked Cyril closer.
“Oh, I see you are. My friends know it too. But see, the note never said anything about releasing him if you came. Now did it?”
“It said-”
“If you didn’t come, we’d kill him. Yea, sure. But it never said what would happen if you did, now did it?” Without warning, the man raised his blade and drove it through Cyril’s shoulders. “Now you know what-”
“Cyril!” Screaming in hatred, Byleth didn’t hear the rest of his words as she unfolded the sword of the creator from its covering. On her command, it separated and sped forward to stab the bandit in the chest. Trembling with anger, she stalked forward. Judging from the look on the man’s face, it was clear he hadn’t been expecting this.
“You-” He coughed. “You’re too late. By now, they’ll have slaughtered the whole palace.” Her blood ran cold.
“They?” She dared to whisper. But the man said no more as he fell sideways, dead. Ignoring him, she knelt and pulled Cyril towards her.
“Cyril, Cyril.” She murmured his name as she removed the bag from his head. His eyes were wide.
“Damn coward,” he wheezed. “Can’t even stab a guy right.” Tears pricked at Byleth’s eyes.
“It’ll be okay, I promise.” Her hands glowed as she began to heal him. Cyril gripped her wrist weakly and shook his head.
“Can’t.. linger, Professor.”
“What do you mean? I need to heal you.” He shook his head.
“No use. But the twins,” Byleth flinched at their mention. She suspected, of course. But so soon after Behrouz’s dismissal? “The twins are going to kill every outsider- and anyone they view as a traitor- in the palace if they haven’t done it yet. You have to get back.” Alarm ran through Byleth.
‘Khalid?!’ She reached with her mind for the prince. Silence greeted her and she was afraid she was too far. Or worse.. Adding a touch of power to her magic, she tried again. ‘Khalid, the twins. They’re going to-’
‘Attack the palace?’ Relief flooded her as he responded, but it was short lived as she realized he knew.
‘How did you…’ He ignored her question.
‘Did you find Cyril?’
‘Yes, but-’
‘I’m glad. Byleth, I’m sorry.’
‘I don’t understand, what are you…’
‘I should’ve kept up with those practice sessions with you.’ Dread crept up in her chest. Because the connection was telepathic, his tone didn’t transfer. ‘Don’t come back to the palace. It’s not safe for you. Take Cyril and Omar. Run. Well, fly like hell. Warn House Goneril that the envoy’s been killed and that Almyra will attack soon.’
‘Khalid, you can’t-’
‘I love you. ’ The connection broke off. She felt his presence fade as the goddess’ did whenever Sothis left the conversation. Byleth gasped as her eyes snapped open. She hadn’t realized she started crying, but her cheeks were wet and her vision blurred. In her arms, Cyril didn’t move. His eyes had closed, but his hands hadn’t moved from their position to stop her. Despite the pendant she’d given him, Khalid had been killed. Cyril. And who knew who else. Making up her mind, she grabbed her sword and whistled. Within seconds, Omar hovered above her. He roared with a fury that matched her own.
“I’m going to kill them.” Jumping on his back, they sped back to the palace.
With Byleth feeding her magic to Omar to strengthen the wyvern, they returned in record time. Already she could see the aftermath of the fight. Or, slaughter more like it. Servants and knights alike lay strewn out across the grounds. But no one else was around. The usurpers were nowhere to be seen. Jumping down from Omar’s back, she waved at the wyvern to return to safety. Without waiting to see if the mount obeyed, she ran into the halls. The stench of blood blocked out anything else.
“You waste time.” Sothis scolded her. Byleth ignored the goddess. “You know what this will cost you. You know you have already failed. Why do you wait?”
“This is not a waste.” Normally, Byleth didn’t respond out loud to the woman. But it hardly mattered now. In the throne room, she found who she was looking for. Well, one of the people. Hassan unfolded himself from the seat as she stood in the doorway. On the ground between them were the slain bodies of King Xerxes and Queen Tiana. The woman had been beheaded and a broadsword protruded from the king’s chest. Closer to the prince, Khalid lay across the steps that led up to the throne. His green eyes were wide and a pained expression remained frozen on his face. Clearly, Hassan had forced him to watch his parents die. The normally stone faced prince was actually smiling as he rose and descended towards her.
“I was wondering when you’d get here. Ahead of schedule, I see. But, no matter. Arash is already leading our men to the border.” Despite Byleth’s blood boiling, she forced herself to respond calmly.
“So this was your plan all along?”
“Oh, no. Not the whole time. We play it by ear, you know.” Drawing his sword, he pointed it at her. Byleth noticed there wasn’t a single drop of blood on his upper body. Any red was on his shoes, as if he walked through the results of the masacre without a care in the world. “I’ve been wanting to fight you ever since you got here. And then I found you used to be a mercenary? Ah, I could barely contain my excitement. But Arash wanted another go at you. Thought you might be useful to us. And well, since Khalid-” The emotions in her exploded and she lunged for the man.
“Do not speak his name!” Surprise flickered across the prince’s face briefly, but he parried with ease.
“Tell me, Ashen Demon, did you love him?” It didn’t matter now. Pain flashed through her. Hassan continued to taunt her, spitting his insults about her, Khalid, Cyril, and even the queen and his own father. Byleth ignored them. The prince was wasting his breath. And Byleth was planning. The sword of the creator clearly threw Hassan off. His fighting style was cautious and he was experimenting, not yet going full out. Well, Byleth was done messing around. Redoubling her efforts, she forced him to go on the defensive as she pushed him back.
“I had thought Farzad and Shahid were the ones with the most hatred in their hearts, but it’d always been you two, hadn’t it?” Anger flashed in his black eyes.
“Our mother deserved to be queen!” He snapped. “Do you have any idea of the effort she put in to be noticed? A woman from a lesser house wedding a prince, even a younger prince, is no small feat.” Their blades sang as they clashed. Byleth hadn’t realized just how small of a house Lady Yasmin must have come from. “And then that outsider, ” he said the word with such disgust. “comes in and becomes queen instead.” The prince refrained from saying the popular phrase ‘it’s not fair’. Life was very rarely fair, Byleth knew. What the lady did and did not deserve, Byleth decided not to focus on. Instead, she stepped in and brought her sword up. It opened and closed briefly, catching Hassan’s sword in its segments. Realizing he’d lost it, the prince released his grip on it and stepped back to dodge Byleth’s downswing. His back hit the bodies of the king and queen and he stumbled. In one smooth motion, she beheaded the younger twin. As his head rolled from his body, Byleth closed her eyes and focused.
Hassan had said the twins played it by ear. So they likely only resorted to kidnapping Cyril and killing the palace residents after they discovered she and Khalid slept together. The bandit couldn’t have taken a wyvern to the Merv Desert. It would’ve been too noticeable. Horseback was the more likely mode of transportation. And whoever initiated the kidnapping probably grabbed Cyril and handed him off to the man. What would have been the best time to do it?
Halting the rewind, Byleth took a deep breath. Opening her eyes, she bolted upright in bed, breathing heavily. Beside her, Khalid stirred. He sat up, rubbing his eyes. The pendant dangled from his neck and swung back and forth.
“Is something wrong?” Inhaling slowly to compose herself, Byleth nodded. He’s alive . She resisted the urge to pull him close and kiss him senseless.
“Khalid,” she whispered. He blinked at her, green eyes suddenly alert. “Do you trust me?”
“Of course”
“Then get dressed.” After yanking on clothes, Byleth led the way through the halls, ignoring the servants who bowed as she passed. Taking the path at a run, the prince was silent beside her.
Upon arriving at her own quarters, she noticed the door was slightly ajar. Bursting through it, she snatched her dagger and threw it at the woman who was currently trying to drag Cyril through the open balcony. The attacker’s eyes widened at the sight of them and they dodged, dropping him to the ground. The dagger embedded into the door and shut it. Byleth was on the woman in seconds, slamming her to the ground and knocking her out as Khalid went to Cyril and pulled him to safety. The boy was dazed as Khalid removed the bag from his head. Byleth let out a sigh of relief. She’d picked the right time. Too early and they would’ve alerted the twins needlessly. Too late and Cyril could’ve been long gone. With such luck, she wondered if Sothis had a hand in it. If she did, the goddess said nothing.
Presently, Khalid was asking Cyril if he was alright. Even so, the prince’s eyes were trained on her and Byleth could practically see the questions bursting from him. Later, she promised with her eyes. Khalid blinked. He’d hold her to that. They took Cyril to the medical wing. As skilled as her footman was, he’d have to be drugged to not be able to hold off a lone attacker. Byleth’s suspicions proved correct; it likely happened during the servant’s breakfast. When asked how she knew, she simply said that she magicked her servant so she’d know if he was in danger. The spell was activated by her target’s fight or flight response. Thankfully for her, the doctors didn’t know enough about magic to refute her. They simply seemed impressed. The chief doctor assured her Cyril would be looked after and she and Khalid returned to his rooms.
Alone once more, Khalid turned to face her as he sat down. Wordlessly, Byleth took a seat across from him. The two stared at one another before she sighed. It seemed he wouldn’t ask outright. Wondering how to start, she stared down at the ring on her finger, twisting it.
“I’m able to turn back time.” Deciding it was easiest to just say it, she raised her eyes to meet his. To his credit, the prince merely raised an eyebrow.
“Is that… a normal thing for mages to be able to do?” Byleth hesitated, unsure of how much of an explanation he wanted. Time travel was possible for a group of powerful mages, although it was closer to seeing the past than actually going into it.
“No. My power is unique.” She shook her head. As far as she was aware, anyways. Being able to alter Time. Well, it wasn’t as if the records would show it if someone else was able to do the same. Not unless the alterer said so. And why would they? It was a power better kept secret. Judging by the prince’s expression, it was clear he was still skeptical despite her actions that morning. “Say something. Anything. The more random, the better.”
“Hm. Alright. How about ‘the doll spun around in circles in hopes of coming alive’.” Closing her eyes, Byleth focused once more.
“Hm. Alright. How about-”
“‘the doll spun around in circles in hopes of coming alive.’” Byleth’s voice matched Khalid’s word for word. His eyes widened. She watched him evenly as this information sank into his mind slowly.
“Do you.. use your power often?” He asked after a while. She shook her head.
“No. I.. it’s not a good idea.” There was a moment of her trying to decide how much of that aspect she wanted to share with him. If Sothis had anything to say about it, she remained silent. But Byleth was done keeping secrets from him. “Every time I use it, it takes an equal amount of time off my total lifespan.” With that in mind, Byleth only ever used it if the need was dire. It was hard, deciding when and where to do so. She’d allowed comrades- her students- to die because she didn’t see their lives worth saving from a tactical standpoint. With a quiet voice, she shared her greatest sin with him. Compared to what she’d done, or hadn’t depending on how one looked at it, feeding unsuspecting women contraceptives was hardly anything.
Byleth talked. About Jeralt’s Mercenaries’ chance encounter with students from Garreg Mach Monastery. How she’d foolishly stepped in front of an axe to save one of them, and in turn received a scolding from Sothis. Of course, then she had to talk about the goddess and how she’d come to rest inside of Byleth. Which required details of Lady Rhea’s actions over the years and her father’s flight from the monastery in the first place. It was the most she believed she ever talked in her life despite her three years as a teacher.
While she talked, Khalid remained quiet. It was hard to know what he was thinking and suddenly Byleth felt as if their roles had been reversed. Now, she knew what could spur the normally secretive man to ramble. One rambled because they were afraid of what the other person would say when they stopped. But they would have to at some point. And eventually, Byleth did. The silence felt as if it stretched for hours.
At long last, Khalid rose and transferred to sit beside her. His hand brushed against her hair and cupped her cheek gently. His green eyes were gentle and Byleth slowly let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
“Thank you,” he murmured. “For sharing with me.” Leaning in, he kissed her gently. “What else happened? Before you turned back time.” A knock on the door prevented her from telling him the twins succeeded in staging a coup. “Enter.” With the prince’s permission, a servant poked their head and bowed.
“Your Highness, the one who arranged the kidnapping of Miss Goneril’s servant has been found. The king awaits you.” Byleth raised an eyebrow. It felt too easy.
“Understood.” After the servant was dismissed, Khalid smiled ruefully at her. “Well, shall we?” Offering her his arm, he led the way to the throne room.
Memories of the bloodied room left Byleth’s feet unmoving. Khalid wrapped an arm around her waist and held her. With his encouragement, she willed herself to walk. Standing at the center was Lady Yasmin. The woman appeared unbothered by the guards on either side of her. After formalities were given, the king cleared his throat.
“Miss Goneril, the one who paid to have your servant kidnapped was Lady Yasmin.” Whispers rose throughout the room. Xerxes nodded to Yasmin who stepped forward.
“You see, Miss Goneril , I happened across some interesting information.” The woman’s voice was airy and carried across the hall. “I’d hoped to settle the matter between us, as women-”
“So you kidnapped my servant.” Byleth raised an eyebrow. The woman flapped a hand and ignored the comment. Instead, she turned to address the people of the room.
“I’d never heard of one ‘Byleth Goneril’ before.” Count Gloucester’s eyes narrowed. “I did a bit of digging,” beside her, Khalid stiffened. “And imagine my surprise when I discover there is no such lady with the same name. There was, however, a teacher who worked at Garreg Mach Monastery with the name Byleth. Their family name, however, was not Goneril. Instead, it was Eisner. Do you deny this to be your true identity?” The woman didn’t wait for an answer. She whirled to face the king. “Your Majesty, these cowards have deceived us by not only sending a commonborn girl, but one who is not even of the alliance! This cannot be allowed!” The king’s brown eyes were hard as he looked to Byleth. Of course, he could not openly admit to knowing. And mentioning that Byleth held a noble title now wouldn’t do much good. The whispers grew louder and it appeared as if people were taking steps away from the Fódlan ambassadors.
“The records have shown this to be true.” The king’s deep voice silenced most chatter. “Miss Eisner, what do you have to say for yourself?” Aware of all the eyes on her, Byleth took a deep breath and strolled forward. Her presence shoved Lady Yasmin to the side.
“It’s true. My name is Byleth Eisner. I am the daughter of former mercenary Jeralt Reus Eisner and the nun Sitri.”