Chapter Text
“Heavy, isn’t it? All of Fódlan in your hands?”
“You’re not strong enough. You weren’t strong enough for your siblings.”
“You’re weak. A liar, a cheater, a scared dictator.”
“In more ways than one.”
“I have ruled since the dawn of time. What makes you think you can do better than me?”
“What makes you think you’re worthy of your kingdom?”
“What makes you think you’re worthy of yourself?”
“What makes you think you’re worthy of me?”
——————————————————-
Byleth awoke to breathy sobbing. She tried to shake the sleep out of her head, at least as much as she could. “El? You ok?”
“B-by…”
“Hey…deep breaths, ok?” Byleth sat up to join Edelgard. “Bad dream? Um…was it your siblings again?”
“No, it was…Rhea. And Unc—Thales. And Dimitri and…um…” Edelgard’s words turned into sobs, and before Byleth could offer anything more, the two were interrupted by a knock at the door.
“Who is it?” Byleth called, not presently caring if she woke anybody else up.
“Helene. May I come in?” came a familiar voice from the door.
“Y-you may.” Edelgard said in between sobs. Helene half walked, half ran through the door and to the bedside.
“Lady Edelgard, are you alright?” Helene took a deep breath herself. “Could I get you some tea?”
“Thank you. Both of you. But I think I need some time alone right now.” Edelgard left the room in the same way Helene had entered. Helene turned to follow Edelgard, not noticing the firm grip on her hand until she felt the pull from behind, stopping her from moving more than a foot. The nasty expression she shot at Byleth was met with a reassuring one.
“Let her go, Helene. She just needs a minute, that’s all.”
Helene scowled. “Fine. I suppose Shez will have seen her on her way out. She can follow her—just to ensure her safety.”
Byleth sighed. “Very well.” Helene turned away from Byleth and growled, burying her face in her newly freed hand.
“I’m worried about her. Over the past few weeks—I know there’s something wrong, but she won’t talk to me!” Helene’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Why won’t she talk to me?”
“I know that feeling.” Byleth replied. “Edelgard likes to take things into her own hands. She thinks she’s the only one on her side. Back at the Officer’s Academy—“
“That was different! I was her best friend! I…thought I was…”
“Helene, are you crying?” Helene was one of the only people who truly appreciated Byleth’s bluntness, especially when it came to emotional matters.
“Hormones, that’s all.” Helene sniffled. Unfortunately, to Helene at least, she wasn’t the only one gaining emotional intelligence.
“Are you sure? If there’s something wrong, you can tell me…”
Helene was still turned away from Byleth’s concerned face. “I don’t mean as much to her as she means to me.” Helene sobbed into her hand. “I’m just some clingy, creepy man—“
“ Helene.” Byleth had made her way around to face Helene. Byleth wrapped Helene in a tight hug—it was an unfamiliar experience for both of them, but it felt right. “You have no idea how wrong you are.”
Before Helene could process Byleth’s words, Shez barged through the door. “Professor, Marchioness.” She said, saluting.
“At ease. Your report?” Helene inquired.
“Her Majesty made it safely to Dorothea’s. I assume she’ll either stay the night there, or Dorothea will escort her back.”
“I hope she comes back.” Byleth thought aloud.
“Oh? Is somebody jealous?” Shez smirked.
“Don’t you dare accuse Her Majesty of something so crude.” Helene shot back.
“Hey, it was just a joke…”
“Jealousy, huh?” Byleth looked contemplative. “I guess that’s another one for New Emotions Bingo.”
“See, she thought it was funny!”
“You’re insufferable.” Helene sighed, half-serious. “One of my informants discovered another Agarthan bunker. It would be a pleasant alternative to sleep, if anyone is interested in joining me…”
“Sure!”
“Ok.”
“I’ll wake Jeritza.” Helene said with a devilish grin.
———————————————————
It was Winter, yet the warm, humid summer winds of Brigid had not yet given way to the crisp chill from Sreng. Thus, it was almost as stuffy outside as it was in, and naught but the crescent moon was visible in the sky.
So much for a change of scenery, Edelgard grumbled. Still, she started down the sidewalk, not particularly caring about where she was headed. Knowing Helene, there was probably somebody following her, stalking the rooftops a few paces behind. She took comfort in that fact—both that she was safe, thanks to her dear friend, and that she was one step ahead of her “guardian angel.”
She wandered past unlit street lamps, past the bakery she liked, past the flower shop that sold the carnations she and Byleth would surprise each other with. Past the opera house and the old, worn-down ballistae. As she walked on, the shuttered shops of downtown Enbarr melted into rows of multi-level houses. That’s Dorothea’s house up there, Edelgard thought. Dorothea…
Before she knew it, Edelgard was on Dorothea’s doorstep. She considered dismissing whoever it was that was following her, but decided against it, instead knocking on the door to get out of the humidity as soon as possible.
“Ugh…who is it?” Edelgard heard Dorothea call from inside.
“It’s Edelgard.”
Dorothea sighed as she opened the door. “This had better be good, I have a matinee later…” She finally caught a glimpse of Edelgard’s tear-streaked face. “Goddess, what happened to you? Please, come in!”
“Thanks, Dorothea.” Edelgard said as she stepped through the door, settling on to the couch in the center of the front room. Dorothea stepped away, returning a minute later with two cups of still-steeping tea.
“So?” Dorothea prompted, settling onto the couch beside Edelgard and handing her a cup of tea.
“Thank you for the tea.” Edelgard said. “And for waking up at this hour just because I wanted to see you.”
“It’s my pleasure!” Dorothea said. “That’s what friends are for, right?”
“Friends…” Edelgard started crying again.
“Woah, are you alright? I didn’t mean to…” Dorothea put a hand on Edelgard’s shoulder.
“No, it’s just…that means a lot, Dorothea.”
Dorothea smiled at Edelgard. “So…do you want to talk about it? Whatever brought you here, now, I mean?”
“I had a nightmare. It wasn’t about my siblings, though, it was…Thales, and Rhea, and Dimitri…and they were saying things about me. That I was a tyrant, and a killer…”
“So what? Those three are evil.”
“But…I’m worried that what they’re saying is true.”
“Oh, Edie, of course it’s not—“
“And then, in the dream, I was giving a speech to the people, but they were saying the same things. And then Byleth…she…and I woke up, and I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want Byleth to hate me, or Helene to hate Byleth, or…” Edelgard’s words disappeared into sobs.
“Edie…” Dorothea pulled Edelgard in for a hug. “Listen to me.” Her voice was gentle, but assertive. “Deep breaths. You’re worthy, you’re valid, you’re awesome. Okay?”
“O-ok…” With Dorothea’s guidance, Edelgard’s breaths returned to a softer, steadier pace.
“Do you need a second, or can I give you my thoughts?”
“Please, go ahead.” There was still a hint of a sob in Edelgard’s voice, and Dorothea hoped that she wasn’t suppressing anything for Dorothea’s sake.
“In my professional opinion, it was just an anxiety dream. I mean no wonder your subconscious is stressed—you’re under a boatload of pressure, you’re working through trauma…but you’re doing an amazing job! You’re the best ruler Fódlan has had for a long time. And one of the best friends, might I add. So all that was nothing more than a bad dream.”
Edelgard sighed. “That…makes sense. Thanks, Dorothea. Would you…happen to know of any remedies for these dreams?”
“Well, herbal teas and meditation can help you relax before bed…but what you really need is a vacation.” Dorothea was getting excited.
“A vacation?”
“Yeah! Just picture it—you and Byleth, relaxing on the beach in Brigid, far away from all the pressure and stress, The Seven handling everything back in Enbarr…So?”
“The Seven does not presently exist. Even if it did, I couldn’t just leave them here all alone! And furthermore, I wouldn’t say that’s my kind of vacation…”
“Oh, humor me for a minute, would you? What would your ideal vacation be? You have friends all over Fódlan—and beyond! The sky’s the limit!”
Edelgard pondered for a moment, clearly beginning to warm up to the idea. “Perhaps…a nice cottage by the sea in Nuvelle. Or even…a cabin in the mountains in Galatea?”
“That sounds wonderful! See? A vacation would do you some good!”
“Maybe so…” Edelgard sighed.
Dorothea had now gotten herself enthusiastic about a hypothetical vacation for Edelgard. “Now, how many ministers do you still need, again?”
“I have my Prime Minister, my Ministers of the Imperial Household, Military Affairs, and my Regent for the Empire. So I just need Ministers of Religious, Foreign, and Domestic affairs.”
“Oh? Lin resigned, too?”
“Last week. Apparently they’re ‘on the verge of something big,’ and want to focus on their research. It’s probably for the best—no offense to Linhardt, but I agree that their talents are better suited to independent research than a bureaucratic council.”
Dorothea chuckled. “Are you feeling better?”
“I am. Thank you, again. I should be going—we both need at least a bit of sleep tonight, after all.”
“I’ll walk with you.” Dorothea said, standing up to put on her shoes.
“I worry about you having to walk home alone…”
“I’ll be fine. I can fight too, you know. Plus, I’m not the target of any assassination plots. Not that I know of, at least.”
“Very well, then.”
———————————————————
“Helene!? Professor!? Shez!? What are you three doing up at this hour!?” Ferdinand said, cup of tea in one hand, rubbing sleep out of his eyes with the other.
“I think the more appropriate question would be, what are you doing up at this hour, Ferdinand?” Helene replied.
“I’m up because you woke me up!” Ferdinand shouted.
“And now you’ve woken everybody else up.” Helene smirked.
Ferdinand growled. “What are you doing that’s important enough to make an amount of noise sufficient to wake me up in the middle of the night?”
“We were trying to be quiet, until someone knocked over a vase…”
“Sorry.” Shez looked sheepish.
“And anyway,” Helene continued, “our mission is top-secret. However, as long as you’re awake, I could put you in charge of informing Her Majesty of our whereabouts, once she returns…”
“Edelgard is gone? And, wait a moment, how can I tell her where you’re going if you won’t even tell me where you’re going? And—”
But the trio had already disappeared down the hallway.
———————————————————
After the war, Jeritza von Hrym had insisted on being arrested and incarcerated for her “crimes.” Even after convincing Edelgard to let her throw herself in jail, Jeritza encountered another problem—finding a suitable prison. Edelgard hated prisons, both due to there use by the Church of Seiros as a means of oppression, and her own experience in one. Therefore, most prisons in Adrestia had been destroyed by the Imperial and Church armies alike, and the remaining ones in what were formerly the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus and the Leicester Alliance were privately owned by people not much interested in housing Edelgard’s “prisoners.” And thus, Jeritza resided in the dim and dank dungeon beneath the Imperial Palace, alongside the few prisoners of war that hadn’t been released after Rhea’s death, such as the former Count Grégoire von Varley and the former Duke Ludwig von Aegir.
“Jeritza?” Helene called through the iron bars of the cell in a more sing-songy way than most would ever expect of her, magical torch in one hand and key in the other.
Jeritza was already awake. “Ah, is it finally time for my execution?”
Helene shook her head. “We’re here to extend an invitation. We’re having a little…party, if you will.”
“A revenge party.”
“Shut up, Shez. Anyway…”
“Count me in.” Jeritza grinned.
As soon as Jeritza stepped out the door, Helene warped the four of them away.
———————————————————
The walk from Dorothea’s house to the Palace went smoothly. Dorothea mentioned how the air reminded her own vacation to Brigid, which led to a conversation about Petra, and Dorothea’s plans for the future, and Edelgard’s plans for Adrestia’s relationship with Brigid. Dorothea had dropped Edelgard off at the doors, leaving Edelgard alone with her longing and excitement for Byleth’s company as she snuck through the hallways, careful not to make a sound. Slipping through the door to her chambers, she plopped down onto her side of the bed, leaning over to find…no Byleth.
It finally happened. Edelgard thought. I finally drove her away. Or worse, she’s been kidnapped by those people and she’s—
No. Deep breaths. She’s probably just gone to the bathroom, or to the kitchens for a midnight snack. That’s all.”
Edelgard found herself very attracted to the idea of a midnight snack. A slice of chocolate cake, and a cup of chamomile tea, like Dorothea suggested…However, Edelgard’s desire for cake was outweighed by her previously unnoticed exhaustion. She snuggled into the covers, trusting Byleth would bring her back something. She thought of Dorothea’s idea for a vacation, fantasizing until she reminded herself of how unfeasible it was without a proper council of The Seven. Her thoughts of who would and wouldn’t be suited for such roles carried her off to sleep.
———————————————————
“I recognize this place.” Byleth stated. She, Helene, Jeritza, and Shez had materialized in the middle of a forest clearing.
“We’re only a few miles outside of Enbarr. Just off the road to Garreg Mach, in fact.” Helene replied.
“How did this bunker go undetected for so long, if it’s so close?” Shez asked.
“It’s quite small, and hardly ever in use. The Agarthans likely built it to keep tabs on Enbarr before they gained direct influence. Now, it seems that some of those that escaped Shambhala are using it as a hideout.” Helene explained. “Anyway, the bunker itself is a short walk from here. I couldn’t warp us too close, lest we be caught off guard. I’ll lead the way.” With that, Helene was off, Jeritza beside her, with Byleth and Shez following.
The four of them ventured through the dark forest like that for a few minutes, Helene and Jeritza engaged in a whispered conversation.
“Hey, professor?” Shez asked.
Byleth looked in Shez’s direction, but took a second to respond. “What is it?” She responded, eyes suddenly focusing in on Shez’s.
“You’ve just seemed kinda distant this morning. But not in your usual, ‘no-thoughts-head-empty’ sort of way. More like, something’s on your mind? I guess I just wanted to check in and make sure you’re ok.”
Byleth put her hand on her heart. “All these emotions are making it hard to focus. My apologies, I will try to be more present.”
Shez put her hands up. “Woah, no need to apologize! I’m just…worried about you. What’s causing all these emotions all of a sudden?”
Byleth furrowed her brow. “I’m scared that El doesn’t like me.”
“What? Why?” Shez’s eyes were wide.
“She had a bad dream again this morning. She always tells me about her bad dreams, but this time…” Byleth sighed. “I just want to be there for her. But, when you think about it, she’s the Emperor, the savior of Fódlan, and an amazing person, and I’m just…me. Of course she doesn’t want—”
“Professor, I’m gonna be frank with you. I don’t know what world you’re living in, but to everyone else it’s incredibly obvious how in love Edelgard is with you. I know how imposter syndrome is, but you’re really just gonna have to trust me on this one.”
“Then why did she leave this morning?”
“Sometimes people need some space. Sometimes people need that one specific friend’s wisdom. It doesn’t mean she doesn’t want or need you.”
“Ok, I guess that makes sense…” Byleth had her hand on her chin, as if she was thinking hard.
Their conversation was interrupted by a burst of laughter from Helene and Jeritza. Byleth didn’t think she had ever heard Helene genuinely laugh outside of battle. She almost didn’t want to know what could be so funny to the two of them.
“It’s nice to see Helene making friends.” Byleth commented, changing the subject.
“Yeah, she’s really come out of her shell. Jeritza, too.”
“I don’t know Jeritza very well.” Byleth admitted.
“She kept training us students while you were gone, so a lot of us got to know her. She doesn’t socialize much so it’s hard to notice, but she’s crazy loyal to Edelgard. Really admires her, too. She’s really protective of her sister, and all of us, for that matter. Basically, she’s really cool.” Shez was beaming.
“Good to know.” Byleth said.
Shez nodded. “Someone just needs to convince her she’s not ‘a monster that deserves to be locked up.’ Actually, you’re pretty good at that kinda thing, right?”
“I…guess so?”
Suddenly, Helene held up her hand, stopping the party in their tracks. She glanced around before whispering, “Coast is clear,” and continuing to lead the group forward, slower now. She stopped at a patch of moss, bending down and running her hand over the ground. Once she found the spot she was looking for, she lifted up, revealing the underside of the disguised metal hatch and the stairway leading underground that it had been covering.
“After you.” Helene grinned, making eye contact with Byleth and gesturing to the stairs. Byleth drew her sword and started down into the abyss. Shez was next, followed by Jeritza and finally Helene. After five steps, the stairwell opened up to a small room, lit by glowing blue lights and lined with shelves. Four people in all black were sat around a table in the center, though they all drew their weapons as soon as they noticed the intruders.
The fight was over as quickly as it began—after a few slashes of swords and castings of spells, the four Agarthans were on the ground, dead. Byleth, Shez, and Jeritza sheathed there weapons in unison.
“Is anybody hurt?” Helene asked.
“No.”
“Nope!”
“I am uninjured.”
“Good. Everyone split up and search the room for anything significant. And stay on your guard—no telling what kinds of nasty surprises may await us.” With that, Helene turned to a bookshelf on the right wall of the bunker, cueing the others to split off as well.
Shez made her way to the shelves that flanked the door. Scanning over the shelves, she found mostly essentials—vulneraries, jugs of water, and rations in the form of that weird Agarthan style of preparation food—‘freeze-drying,’ was it?” Everything seemed to be in usable condition, which was nice.
Jeritza had been drawn to the weapons rack on the left side of the room. She weighed a few of the magical blades in her hands before setting them back on the rack, not noticing anything particularly interesting about any of them.
Byleth was at the far end of the room, where three bunk beds were lined up end to end. She lifted each hard mattress, checking if anything could be hidden under them, but found nothing.
Helene was still busy flipping through the books on the bookshelf. Records, logs, the odd magical tome…“Oh?” Helene said to herself as she opened the next book. She began to scan through it. “Fascinating…” She continued.
“Find something good, Helene?” Shez asked, swallowing her mouthful of freeze-dried something-or-other.
“Perhaps…” Helene teased. “It will require…further investigation. How about you? Have you found anything of interest?”
Byleth and Jeritza had joined Helene and Shez in front of the bookshelf.
“Useful, maybe, but not exactly interesting.” Shez said, and the others nodded in agreement.
“Very well then.” Helene said, tucking the book under her arm. “We can call this little field trip a success. I, for one, would like to use the remaining hours of darkness to sleep.”
“Yeah, good field trip! It was nice to get some energy out.” Shez said.
Byleth nodded. “I agree”
Jeritza drew her sword again, holding it in front of her and gazing into it.“It has been a long time since my blade has tasted flesh…”
Helene smirked, and warped the four of them away.
———————————————————
At long last, the Imperial Palace was asleep. The Emperor in her bed, Byleth’s arms around her. Helene at her desk, head rested on the pages of an ancient tome. Shez leaning against the wall, taking a break from her Royal Guard duty. And Jeritza in her cell, finally at peace, if only for a few hours. All bodies were rested, all tears were dried, and all heads were filled with hopes and dreams for the coming day.