Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was always so cold in her cell. Cold, damp, and dark. The monsters that kept her there, the ones that stole her uncle’s face, never left her with any light to see by. She couldn’t even tell if it was day or night, just that, as always, it was dark, and she was in pain.

Even when the rats were not upon her, she found little reprieve in the silence. It did nothing to hide the screams of her siblings that continued to reverberate in her mind. Even the swell of energy she would get from her new crest only served to remind her how powerless she truly was. There was no warmth from it, only a burning heat under her skin.

She couldn't even cry out. Her voice had long grown hoarse. The young princess couldn't remember when they had last given her something to drink. 

In the dark, Edelgard von Hresvelg wasn’t a princess. She was just a scared girl, hoping for something that would save her and knowing it would never come.

She felt her aching body go rigid as she heard the chitter of another rat. Her breathing quickened and she sunk back against the cold stone of the wall behind her. If they came for her again…It didn’t matter how tired she was. She wasn’t going to die in this hole.

Every part of her was tense, wound tight enough to break as she glared, defiant, into the darkness. Though she couldn’t help her flinch when she heard a crunch. 

There was a squeaking noise, the sound of panic, then another crunch, followed by the sickening squelch of…chewing?

Despite her fear, Edelgard felt herself leaning forward, trying to make out the shapes in the dark. She could see something, though she couldn’t make it out. Some kind of creature, one with horns, hunched as it ate.

Had the face-thieves put a monster in her cell? Did some kind of beast get inside? Was…Was she going to die?

She refused. She absolutely refused!

Despite how much it hurt, she tried to reach for whatever the monsters had done to her, tried to draw on its power, and a flame burst to life in her hand, revealing-…A girl?

Edelgard stared at the impossible sight in front of her. She felt herself leaning closer, trying to see, to make sure the sight in front of her was real. Then the girl looked at her and Edelgard jerked back.

The flame in her hand went out. And yet, she could still see the gleam of the girl’s emerald eyes.

Then the room lit up, illuminated by a small, green flame flickering at the tip of the girl’s raised index finger. Somehow, the tiny fire created so much more light than the fireball Edelgard had formed. Enough that she could see everything of the girl across from her as she stood up on bare feet.

The girl looked older than Edelgard. Perhaps two…no, three years older. She was much taller too, and she wore purple raiments decorated with golden lining and thin, gold chains. A golden tiara sat amid her long, green hair. She looked like some type of ancient princess.

Or she would, were it not for the blood around her mouth.

“So you’re what I’m looking for,” the girl said as she regarded Edelgard. She walked forward and the flame didn’t even flicker until she stood above the princess, showing how much taller she was.

“...w…w-whh…” Edelgard tried to form words, but her throat felt too dry and her voice came out hoarse and rough.

The girl crouched again, her eyes focused into Edelgard’s. “Speak.”

And in an instant, it was as though every ache had vanished. At the very least, her throat felt completely clear. “...Who are you?”

“That is a very interesting question to begin with. Not ‘how are you here’, ‘what do you mean’, nor even ‘why are you here’. ‘Who are you’...Who am I?” She tilted her head, still staring at Edelgard. “I am the Ashen Demon. I am here because a place like this is very open to one such as me. You are who I am here for. I am here because the fire in your blood called to me.”

Edelgard stared at the demon in front of her, answering questions she didn’t ask. Already, she could tell the girl was different from the monsters. She didn’t… feel like them, as much sense as that made. 

“...I called for you?” she asked, not sure if she would be that lucky.

“You did. Which raises the question.” The demon suddenly smiled, wide and bright, and Edelgard felt her face warm for a moment. “What do you wish of me, my summoner?”

“...” This was her chance. She couldn’t believe it. It seemed impossible, and she wasn’t sure if she could trust the strange girl in front of her, but she couldn’t stop the hope welling up in her that she had just been given a way out of this place. “Save me. Please, I need to get out of here, I need your help–!”

“Very well.” The girl’s smile didn’t look kind so much as eager, but it was reassuring all the same after so long. “You wish to escape from this place then. Is that your wish?”

Edelgard almost said yes. She almost agreed without hesitation. But then a thought entered her mind. One simple thought that she wouldn’t truly be free as long as the monsters in the dark still existed. “...And I want the monster that imprisoned me dead.”

The demon tilted her head the other way. “The monster?”

“He wears the face of my uncle. V-Volkhard von Arundel. That is his name–my uncle’s name, but there was a monster that took his face. I want him and everyone else that works with him gone, that is my wish.”

“That’s more than one wish,” the demon noted, tapping her chin thoughtfully as she regarded the princess.

“...I-It isn’t. My wish is to be free. I can’t be free as long as those monsters can put me back in here.”

The demon’s smile returned and her eyes brightened like emerald flames. “That is a very big wish then. One wish with many parts…but not impossible. Very well, I accept your wish, my summoner.”

Her smile widened, eager and hungry. “What will you offer me as payment?”

Edelgard felt her heart sink. Of course it wasn’t that easy. Of course she had to give something…and a thought came to her quicker than she expected. “My crest. I’ll give you the crest that drew you here, the one they put in me.”

The demon blinked, then lit up even brighter, her smile going wide and even her hair seeming to shine with that same unholy light. “Oh! Yes, I accept! Oh what a fascinating person you are, my summoner!”

She giggled, and Edelgard felt strangely warm at the sound. Then the demon leaned towards her, staring right into her eyes. “Your offer is accepted. Please, wait here. I will return soon.”

“W-Wait!” Edelgard sat up, a sudden panic seizing her. “D-Don’t–Don’t leave me here, please! I can’t–I want to be–”

“Shhhh.” The demon pressed a finger to her own lips as she shushed Edelgard, before winking at her. “I will not leave you in the dark.”

With a flick of her hand, a flickering green flame appeared at the demon’s fingertip. Edelgard took the offered flame and felt a strange warmth begin to fill her. Something…soothing, instead of harsh and painful.

“I swear I shall return soon.” And then the demon was gone, and all Edelgard had was the flickering flame in her hands.

The young girl sat back, staring into the emerald fire. It seemed to dance for her, glowing with an eager light. In it, she could almost see images…

A noise startled Edelgard out of her reverie and she looked up as the door to her cell opened. She nearly shrank back on reflex before she recognized the sight of the Ashen Demon, who smiled at her with bloodied teeth. Her hands and feet were drenched with blood and the smell of ash and burnt meat hung in the air around her before she suddenly flung a figure forward and Edelgard felt her eyes go wide at the sight of a beaten, broken, and bloodied Lord Arundel on the floor in front of her.

He barely managed to raise his head, blood soaking through the tangle of messy hair around his head, before the demon stepped on it, pressing his face into the floor of the cell. It was then, as he let out a pained grunt, that Edelgard noticed his arms were missing.

“I return!” the demon declared with that same bright, eager smile.

“...” Edelgard stared at the demon, then looked at the monster beneath her. A strange emotion began to fill her as she started to stand, staring down at the vile creature that destroyed her family. “...You did return. Why is he here?”

“For you, my summoner.”

“Grhhk–W-What?!” Arundel hissed, looking at Edelgard in a mix of anger and betrayal, which sent a pang of anger through the girl at his audacity to think she was ever on his side. “Y-You…h-h-how in the world did a mere beast–gnh!”

“Ah ah, no talking. That’s not what you’re here for,” the demon said, grinding her foot into the monster’s head.

“Graaaaaugh! Do you have any idea who you are dealing with!? I am Thales of Agartha! There were pacts made, I am protected!”

“I don’t care if you’ve made deals with other demons. That has no bearing on my contract.”

Arundel’s eyes widened in something like disbelief, before he tried to speak again. “I CALL UPON–”

Then the Ashen Demon stomped on his jaw and Edelgard couldn’t help her flinch at the sound of breaking teeth.

“Noisy,” the demon chided, “I wanted to get something out of you, but if you’re going to be like that…”

She glanced at Edelgard, who couldn’t help but stare at the bloodied wreck of what was once her uncle. “Here you are, my summoner. The last of those who would keep you prisoner.”

Edelgard blinked, then looked at the demon in growing shock. “You…You really killed all of them.”

“As the deal stipulated, so I did act. Though, I had a thought. You would be further satisfied if you could strike the final blow yourself, would you not?”

And with that, the demon presented her with an axe.

Edelgard stared at the weapon, its blade gleaming in the eerie light of the demon’s flames. It looked heavy…yet it felt almost light as she took it.

The demon stepped back and pulled Arundel–No, Thales–up to his knees. His face was a ruin of blood, bruises, and broken bones, yet the way he glared at Edelgard seemed to come from a belief he could cow her into submission anyway. It was a glare promising pain and retribution, a vitriol that would never die so long as Thales lived.

…So he simply had to stop living for it to cease to be a problem.

Edelgard’s grip tightened on the axe’s handle. Then in one swift motion, she brought it up and then down, smashing straight into the monster’s head and cleaving straight through. She saw the moment that hate broke, fractured by the realization that he truly was about to die mixed with absolute horror at that fact and the desperate desire to survive. 

Then that faded, and all that was left was the corpse of a monster that should have died long ago.

“Excellent work, my summoner,” the Ashen Demon praised as she let go of the cadaver and let it fall with a grotesque splatter. “Congratulations. You are free.”

Despite still standing in her cell, soaked in blood and dressed in rags, the princess truly did feel free. A laugh bubbled up in her chest, and she looked at her savior, who smiled back, bright and cheery as ever.

“And now, if I may be so presumptuous…may I take my pay?”

“...” Edelgard looked down at her own bloodsoaked hands. “...I asked that you kill all of my captors. Thales was one of my captors, and he died by my hands, so you didn’t kill all of them.” She looked up at the Ashen Demon, who was still smiling, same as ever. “I could say you didn’t keep your promise.”

“...” No change. It was as though the idea of being cheated didn’t bother her at all.

“...” She huffed, then extended one of her bloodied hands to the demon. “Fair is fair. Take it.”

The Ashen Demon took her hand, her smile wide and happy. “I knew I liked you.”

And then it went dark. Completely dark, aside from the warm glow of the demon’s emerald eyes, ever present.

Edelgard von Hresvelg blinked, slowly, into wakefulness. She felt…warm. But not hot. 

Light streamed in through the windows of her bedroom. Soft blankets covered her body. She felt cleaner than she had in…she had no idea how long.

Edelgard sat up and felt a sudden rush of fatigue and a strange weariness…yet, her blood no longer felt hot. She felt weaker…but no longer pained.

She looked down at herself, under the new nightgown she wore, and found the scars were still there. Proof of the torture she went through. Her hair was still white, but she was…She was free. And that thought brought the biggest smile to her face.

“Lady Edelgard!” And suddenly she realized wasn’t alone. A boy was at her bedside, dark-haired and taller than she last remembered.

“...Hello Hubert. How are you this morning?”

Her retainer stared at her as though she’d said the most absurd thing he’d ever heard, which, in fairness, her reply was a truly bizarre one in the context of her experiences…but she couldn’t find it in herself to care. She just giggled at her friend’s silly face and let herself feel happy for the first time in far too long.

She was free. And she had a demon to thank for it.

“...Hey, Hubert?”

“Yes, your highness?”

She smiled at him, brightly and eagerly. “What do you know about demons?”

Chapter Text

The cold air of the forest felt brisk and bracing to the young prince. His breath gently misted out into the air as he walked, spear in hand as the snow fell all around him.

The whispers of the dead were quieter than usual. Perhaps they truly had been mollified by the blood he had spilled. Once he saw the murderer in the midst of those rebels, they had roared so loudly, like blood pounding in his ears as they demanded his head. And Dimitri gave it to them.

Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, crown prince of Faerghus, did not shiver in the snow. The cold didn’t bother him. He didn’t think it could bother him anymore. 

He was aware he shouldn’t be alone. His uncle had impressed on him the dangers that still lurked out there, seeking the heads of the royal family, but he just…needed some time alone. There shouldn’t be any rebel forces out here. They were dead or scattered by this point. And no Felix to look at him with horror and call him a monster for taking his vengeance.

The Boar Prince. What a title to be given.

He was already a disgrace to the ghosts. What did it matter if the living felt the same?

…But, no. He couldn’t think like that. He had duties to uphold. He was the prince. He could not waver.

Then a sound caught his attention. The crackle of a fire.

He looked into the forest, a frown on his face, and followed the sound. In the midst of the woods, he found a fire. A campfire, crackling merrily, its orange flames illuminating the woods and licking up the sides of a boar roasting on a spit. 

Dimitri stared at the unexpected sight, then paused as the spit began to rotate and the fire burned brighter, all thanks to the girl who had just tossed another log onto the fire.

She looked older than Dimitri’s fourteen years of age. Not quite an adult yet, but closer to it than he was. She wore thick clothes; a furred tunic over a long-sleeved shirt, navy in color with white fur showing through the collar, and dark pants stuffed into her black boots. Her blue hair was braided and her blue eyes seemed to gleam as they stared into the fire. 

Then she looked up at him.

“…er, hello there!” Dimitri greeted. He put on a smile, trying his best to seem friendly. “I didn’t expect to find anyone in the woods here. Is this your camp?”

“…” She continued to regard him with those strangely cold eyes. Though, perhaps cold wasn’t the right word. They seemed more…bored. “Something like that.”

Her words were dull, spoken in a monotone. There was no inflection of emotion and no hint of interest in her tone. She really didn’t seem to care about his presence at all.

“...Well, ah, I assume it would have to be. Either that or you live near here,” Dimitri continued, trying to fill the silence, “You should be careful though. There was a rebellion recently–Ah, though I’m sure you already knew that.”

“...”

“...So, er…may I ask your name?”

She glanced at him again, still rotating the boar all the while. “...You can call me Bell, if you need to.”

“Bell? That is an interesting name. Is there some meaning behind it?”

“You ask a lot of questions.”

Dimitri blinked. “Oh, er, my apologies. I wasn’t expecting to run into anyone out here. I suppose I’m just curious.”

She didn’t reply. Dimitri wasn’t sure what he was doing, interrogating some poor commoner girl. She was likely just some hunter’s daughter, cooking a catch…out in the snow. Nowhere near a household.

In fact, as he looked, he didn’t see a tent either. No shelter the girl may have been residing in. All that was there was the campfire and the boar, roasting on a spit in the snow. 

Actually, now that he looked, it wasn’t snowing. He had just been walking through the falling snow, but, for some reason, there wasn’t any snow falling in this clearing. There was still snow on the ground, but there was a space between it and the campfire where the ground was barren. As though the snow had been warded off by the fire.

“…What are you doing out here?” he asked as tension started to fill his body.

“Cooking,” she answered.

“Why?”

“I’m hungry.” That wasn’t what he meant. He meant “why out here”, not– “Do you want some? You seem hungry.”

Dimitri blinked at the sudden offer. “Ah…no, thank you. I am not hungry.”

“Yes you are.” He blinked again at the immediate contradiction. “I can see it in your eyes. You’re starving.”

“…I promise you, Miss Bell, I am not hungry. I have eaten recently, and I am still quite full.” It was a lie, but he didn’t want to eat when he didn’t have to. Not when he knew it would taste like nothing.

“Liar.” She made the accusation without a change in tone, as though stating a fact.

“…very well, you caught me. However, I still must refuse your offer, Miss Bell.”

She shrugged, unbothered by his response. Which, well…he wasn’t quite sure how to take that. He should leave, but…something about this strange girl was keeping his attention.

“…May I ask who you are?”

“I gave you a name to use.”

“That is not…oh, ah, my apologies, I did not introduce myself. I am…” He considered if he should give his real name. The girl was strange, but…well, it wouldn’t do any harm. “Dimitri. My name is Dimitri.”

“Okay.”

…He felt somewhat disappointed by that response. It wasn’t as though he wanted to be recognized, but he hoped she would at least be a little interested.

“Looks like it’s done,” Bell suddenly said, stopping her rotation of the spit.

“Oh? Oh, well, ah, if you need some help carrying the meat back–” Dimitri was about to offer before Bell reached into the campfire. “Ah–!”

He moved on reflex, grabbing her wrist and yanking it away from the flames, which earned the first bit of emotion he had seen from the older girl as her eyes widened slightly. “…what are you doing?”

“I should be asking that of you! Why would you stick your hand into an open flame?!”

“…How else would I get my food?”

He blinked. “I…excuse me?”

“Let go of my wrist.”

“O-Oh, er, my apologies.” He did so and stepped back. “I sincerely apologize, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“I’m not hurt.” She regarded him with those bored eyes again. He wasn’t sure if she was searching for something or…well, he just wasn’t sure. “Watch.”

Dimitri paused, but stayed silent as Bell turned back to the boar. She reached for it again, and though he felt an instinct to grab her hand, he fought it down. He still felt a grimace come to his face as she directly grabbed the heated meat, her hand gripping one of the boar’s legs. Even with her gloves off, the flames were uncomfortably high and he couldn’t tell how she wasn’t at all bothered by it–And then she tore the leg off entirely in one swift tug.

Without hesitation, Bell brought the meat to her teeth and bit into it, tearing off a chunk and chewing as Dimitri stared. He wasn’t sure what to feel in the moment as she chewed, uncaring of the fat and grease that dripped down her chin and into the dirt. Her eyes flicked towards him and he almost jumped from the sudden motion.

“Want some?” she offered, before holding the leg right out to him while she still chewed. He could see where her teeth had torn into the meat. She’d ripped out a much bigger chunk that he thought she would be able to.

“...I…ah, must decline,” he replied, “It…It is, ah, your catch. Not mine.”

“Hm. You are hungry though. I can see it. The dead cling to you like a shroud, and you are starving because of them.”

“...” It took Dimitri a moment to realize his jaw was hanging open. “…y-you can see them?”

“I can see your torment. A father, a mother, and a brother are the loudest, but others fill your mind as well. Those who died on your behalf, indistinct from lessened attachments, yet present all the same.”

“...” Dimitri swallowed his first response. “...Glenn was not my brother.”

Bell tilted her head, regarding him with that same blank gaze. “If you say so.”

“We were friends. I thought of him as a brother but we weren’t…we weren’t related by blood.”

“A distinction without a difference. Family does not require blood, and blood does not form a family." Bell said, biting off another chunk from the boar. "If you don't wish to satiate your hunger, perhaps you wish to satiate them?" 

"O-Of course I do! They died because of me, and I want nothing more for them to have peace!" 

"Don't lie. You aren't doing this for them, you just want to be freed," Bell said, her tone as monotone as ever. Despite this, the dead clinging to Dimitri raged, incensed that he would dare not avenge them and was only thinking of himself. 

“I-I don’t! I want justice, I swear I do!” Dimitri wasn’t sure he was trying to convince more, the girl or the ghosts, but his head was throbbing–

Then she poked his forehead and the voices went silent.

Dimitri blinked, then stared at Bell in genuine disbelief. “...h-how did you…They’re quiet…”

“For now. Your torments reside in your heart and mind. I simply quieted them.” She tilted her head, staring at Dimitri. “Would you like them quieted for good?”

“...Y-Yes. Yes, please, I…I-I would give anything, please–”

She held up a finger. “Share a meal with me.”

Dimitri blinked, then looked at the now three-legged boar, roasting on the spit. The fire continued to crackle while they were talking and pieces of the meat were beginning to blacken.

“…” The prince swallowed his trepidation and reached forward. He grasped a piece of torn flesh and ripped it free before bringing it to his mouth and biting down.

The meat was hot. All he could taste was the heat as he chewed. Bell watched him the whole time, and the instant he swallowed, the flames of the campfire turned a strange azure.

He stared at the burning blue fire, casting the clearing in an eerie glow, then looked at the girl beside him. Her expression still hasn’t changed, though the dancing flames added a light to her otherwise dull eyes.

“Good. I wasn’t going to ask again,” Bell said, before tossing the boar’s leg into the flames. The fire surged, consuming the boar completely as it roared larger and brighter than before, casting the clearing in sapphire light.

Its bright light created dark shadows though, ones that surged upwards all around them, standing out amid the woods. Somehow, the sky had gone dark, as though night had fallen without warning.

Dimitri felt his mouth go dry. He still couldn’t hear the voices but his mind was racing, half-remembered stories from his childhood suddenly coming to the forefront of his mind as he drew the sword at his side.

“What are you?” he demanded, trying to keep his voice from wavering. His grip on the hilt shook despite his best efforts.

“Hm. You prefer a lance.”

“…I can use a sword just as well.” He held his sword in front of him, both hands on hilt, more using it to guard than attack as he saw the shadows on the trees darken.

“If you say so. It doesn’t matter. Use a lance or a sword, the result will be the same.”

Dimitri took a breath, trying to steady himself. “I will accept no bargains, demon. I am a prince of Faerghus, and the Goddess is at my side!”

“Okay.”

He blinked. “…’okay’? Is that really all you have to say?”

“It is. If you do not want an end to your torment, I will not offer one.”

“…Don’t try to trick me. You…what could you do?”

“I silenced the voices. Would you like them to leave you entirely?”

“…” His grip wavered. “…A knight of Faerghus does not bargain with the demonic. Our Holy Kingdom is no home to your kind, demon.”

“You know that is false, Dimitri, prince of Faerghus. Your holy kingdom has invited many a demon into its barren lands. And you would not be the first prince to accept a deal with one.”

Dimitri tried to muster up a response. Some type of rebuttal, but those same stories that came to his mind, tales of demon queens and the evils they unleashed, were filled with legends of unworthy nobility that had made ruinous deals. The tales of royalty doing the same were rarer, but not nonexistent.

And while he knew those that made deals with the demonic never met pleasant fates…the temptation was far too real.

“…W-What could you even do to stop them?” Dimitri asked, hating himself for the question.

“I could give you those whose heads you seek.”

“…” Despite himself, Dimitri could feel his sword beginning to lower. “What…do you mean?”

“You seek justice for the murders of your loved ones. I can give you such.” She tilted her head, regarding him with those same dull eyes. There was no emotion within them, and yet…perhaps it was wishful thinking, but she almost seemed interested.

“…and how would you do that?” he asked, not fully trusting his own response. He felt…not quite nauseous, but uncomfortable, particularly in the complete silence now in his head.

“…” Her own silence seemed to resonate with the quiet in his mind. Had it really been so long since he had started hearing the voices of the dead? “Three names. That is my offer.”

“…three names? The…The names of the perpetrators?”

“Three of the perpetrators. There are more than merely three. It is my opening offer.”

“…And what would you want in exchange for your offer?” This was the moment Dimitri knew was most important. This was where the demon in front of him would request something horrible to give. His heart, his soul, a sacrifice of innocent blood…

“I want food.”

…Or not. Though, wait– “I will not feed you the flesh of humans.”

“Okay.”

The prince watched her, a little warily. “...Have you ever eaten human flesh?”

“Not to my knowledge. I like ham.” She gestured towards the charred boar. “It’s good. Venison is good too. So’s beef, poultry, mutton, and game–Have you tried bear meat? I heard it’s good.”

“I…uh…I don’t particularly…Some meat is good, sure.”

“What do you like?”

“...” Well now he was very confused. “...er…jerky is good, I suppose.”

“...” She seemed oddly disappointed. “I also like fish. There are a lot of fish varieties though, so it will take a while if I were to go through all the things I like.”

“Er…I understand. Ah, then…very well. I will…give you food. I, ah, don’t have any–Wait, I might have some jerky–”

Bel held up a hand. “I don’t want pocket jerky.” She pointed at him. “You owe me a proper, fancy meal. In exchange, I will give you the names of three of the conspirators who have murdered your family. You may expect me on the first full moon night of the next month. Be prepared to host me.”

Dimitri opened, then closed his mouth, unsure of how to respond. Could it really be so simple? One meal, and he would know who murdered his family. “...Very well. One meal. I will provide it, and…Where should I meet you?”

“I will come to you. I will wear a blue rose so you may recognize me.”

“A rose–Wait, why would I not recognize–” He paused as she raised a hand.

“Remember, I will be there on the next full moon. I like many foods, so do your best.”

“...” What could he say to that? What could he do, other than nod his acceptance? And once he did, it was as though he’d opened his eyes.

He wasn’t in the woods. He was at the edge of them, closer to the camp.

“What are you staring at, boar?” Felix called out with audible derision, jolting Dimitri from whatever trance he had been in.

“...Nothing, Felix. I was just…” But Felix had already turned away, not interested in his response. 

Dimitri sighed, wondering, for a moment, if any of that had been real at all…Then he realized he couldn’t hear the voices. And he knew for a fact he really had made a bargain with a demon.

The weeks following Dimitri’s encounter with Bel were almost strange in how mundane they felt. Encountering a demon should have shaken his entire world. It should have fundamentally altered his understanding of reality. He should feel shame for daring to bargain with an unholy creature, he should have felt shaken from meeting something so fundamentally against the nature of the world as told by the scripture of the goddess, he should be dreading their future encounter…

Yet, instead, he felt…impatient, almost. Returning back to his uncle, being placed under his watch once more…Where before it had merely chafed, now the knowledge he was being spied upon outright ached. He felt a tension in his body he hadn’t noticed before, likely, in part, because the voices had returned. 

Not all at once, but gradually fading in as though they had discovered the demon was no longer in his presence and they could creep back in, attempting to sneak under what wall she had put up. After experiencing that silence, was it any wonder the noise grated all the more?

“...Dedue, what do you know of demons?” Dimitri asked one day on the training field, spear in hand as he faced a simple dummy before glancing towards the only real friend he was allowed to have under his uncle’s gaze. Out in the open, he could talk while his bored watchers chatted with one another, not expecting subterfuge.

The larger boy blinked, a look of concern crossing his face. “Your highness? You are asking about…demons?”

“Ah, right, you may not know–My apologies, I wasn’t thinking.”

“I know what demons are, your highness. May I ask what spurred that question?”

“...I…believe I met one while I was in the west.” Dimitri shifted, then cleared his throat. “It…I met a girl, in the forest, and she offered…she offered a way to…avenge those I lost.”

“I see.” Dedue nodded with a small frown on his face. “...I do not know what the people of Fodlan say in regards to ‘demons’. We have some stories of them, though not many. They are regarded as…tricksters, in essence. They will offer deals, yet there will always be a cost associated.”

Dimitri huffed. “‘Tricksters’ is one way to refer to them. They are the beings furthest from the Goddess’s light, creatures of pure darkness and malice that seek to ruin humanity. They were born from the blood of the King of Liberation and exist as his last curse on the world. Fodlan has suffered greatly because of them, and yet every tale told always has something in common. This idea that people…make deals with them. That these demons are not mere monsters seeking destruction, but thinking beings that aim to twist the wishes of mankind towards evil ends.”

“As you say, your highness.” There was an odd tone to Dedue’s voice. One that made Dimitri glance curiously at him.

“Do you have something to say, Dedue?”

“No, your highness. If I did, I would let you know.” His eyes seemed to flick for a moment. Towards the guards?

Dimitri nodded to show his understanding. “Well, in that case…oh, how is your sister doing? Has she settled in well?”

“Yes, Sesha is doing well. She still writes to me when she can and Duke Fraldarius has ensured she is being treated kindly,” Dedue replied with a faint smile that warmed Dimitri’s heart. It truly was fortunate that Dedue’s sister had survived the massacres enacted during the Tragedy. He had no idea how his friend would have fared had she perished along with his parents.

Still, Dimitri had other matters to consider as the date of the next full moon approached. He had to make some preparations for his…”guest’s” arrival, and that included requesting a somewhat larger meal than usual from the castle’s kitchens. 

Funnily enough, the response he received to that request was actually fairly positive. Apparently the cooks had taken notice of his change in palate and the request of a large spread of fish and various meats was met with genuine happiness for his return in appetite. A part of him couldn’t help but feel guilty for his deception, but it had to be done.

He needed to put the dead to rest.

Even with that resolve though, he could almost hear the voices getting louder as evening turned to night. The sun was down and there was no sign of his “guest”.

Dimitri’s fingers drummed on the dining room table. He hadn’t touched any of the food there. He wasn’t sure if eating anything would do something, if he would cause some kind of offense. Somehow, he felt more tense than he ever had while putting down the rebellion.

But then, he knew why that was. He enjoyed the violence. He didn’t enjoy this…anticipation.

A knock came at the door and he felt his heart leap. Was he happy? Or was he terrified?

He opened it himself. No one else was there. Even Dedue had left him alone at his request, once he explained what was going to happen. 

His friend had stared at him for a moment, then nodded, slowly, and wished him good luck. He said he would be nearby, and would help if something went wrong.

Curiously, Dedue didn’t sound like he thought anything would go wrong. In fact, he looked almost relieved.

The girl from the forest wasn’t there when he opened the door. Instead, there was a boy.

Dimitri blinked in some confusion, before he looked twice. The shape of the young man’s eyes and face were narrower, his blue hair was shorter, and his clothes were different: a black tunic and dark breeches lined with armor and covered in a traveler’s cloak. He looked like he could be the young woman’s brother. But the look in those narrow eyes was the exact same; bored and uninterested, as though Dimitri meant nothing to him at all.

And he wore a blue rose in his hair.

“You look alarmed.” His voice had the same monotone, though it was deeper.

“...N-No, I am not…alarmed. Merely surprised. I thought you would…I suppose a demon can take many forms.” There were more stories of female demons than male ones though.

“Did you prefer me as a woman?”

He blinked, then felt his face warm in a strange way. “I–Th-That is not what I meant.” He paused, then backed up and gestured into the room. “My apologies. Your meal is inside. You have my leave to enter.”

The man nodded and walked inside. A moment later, it occurred to Dimitri that the demon had entered the castle without anyone letting him in, and he probably didn’t need Dimitri’s permission to enter anywhere.

The thought was…discomforting.

Still, he sat down across from the demon, across from…Was his name even truly “Bel”? Perhaps it was short for something?

He was tempted to ask, but the demon had already started digging in and Dimitri found himself wondering if he really was meeting with the same person. Bel, back in the woods, had torn into meat with her hands and teeth, but this man used silverware like he had practiced his whole life. Each cut with the knife was precise and finely done before he brought it to his mouth with his fork, spearing every cut perfectly. Even his chewing seemed precise yet swift, and it wasn’t long before he had already cleared an entire platter and was moving onto the next one.

“Are you going to eat?”

It took Dimitri a moment to realize he had been addressed. “Ah…no, thank you, I am not hungry.”

“So? Eat.”

He blinked.

“We are sharing a meal. That means the both of us should eat,” the demon explained with a cold, yet simple logic. 

“...I…see. Very well then.” He nodded to the demon, then reached for one of the plates–

“Not that one, I like that fish.”

“...” He reached for a different plate.

The demon watched him, for some reason. There was no interest in his eyes, but he still watched Dimitri the whole time as the prince brought a piece of meat up to his mouth.

Boar meat again. Even if he couldn’t taste it, he could recognize the texture.

“Which name would you like to know first?”

Dimitri paused. He glanced up at the man across from him, who regarded him with that same disinterest. “I…what do you mean?”

“There are three categories of people involved in this tragedy that has defined you. The first are the rebellious lords, who struck down their king for the compensation it would bring them. The second are the manipulators in the shadows, who seek your nation’s destruction. The third are those with a personal investment, who committed this atrocity for motives they thought were just.” The demon tilted his head. “I suppose there is a fourth category consisting of those of lesser standing who were also involved, such as the soldiers who carried out the act and the spies who ensured its success, but I believe you are most interested in the ringleaders. Am I incorrect?”

“...N-No, you are…correct. I just…” Dimitri took a breath. The voices were quieter, as though the demon’s presence was drowning them out. “How many people were involved?”

“Many.”

“...Was my father truly that hated?”

“Yes.”

The blunt answer made Dimitri flinch despite himself. “...You said you could give me three names, right? Could I…Could I ask for one from each category?”

“You could. Not from all four, but from three of them.”

“...Could I ask how many there are in each category?”

“If you wish to. You may use one of the names to ask for the number, if you so wish.”

“So one of my answers would be used up…Then…tell me about the lords first. Give me the name of a lord who sold out my family.”

“Viscount Emeric Kleiman.”

The silverware cracked in Dimitri’s hands. “…Kleiman? Viscount Kleiman was…” 

Viscount Kleiman was not a viscount a few years ago. He had been a minor lord with barely a castle to his name. He had also been named the warden of Duscur for his loyalty to the crown. In one declaration, he had what was once an entire country under his authority.

And the dastard had sold out Dimitri’s family to get it.

It was almost horrifying how much sense the idea made.

“You have two names left,” Bel reminded, and Dimitri felt himself stiffen as he was broken free from his thoughts.

“…Please tell me another one then.”

“Cleobulus.”

Dimitri blinked. “Who?”

“I offered names. Not answers.”

“…Right, of course.” Dimitri shouldn’t have expected to know every name the demon gave him. He said there were ‘manipulators in the shadows’. Was Cleobulus one of them then? The name could be foreign, but from where?

“One more.”

Dimitri nodded, ignoring the creeping sensation of anxiety along his back. Something about this last name made him nervous. But, still. “Please, tell me.”

“Rufus Thierry Blaiddyd.”

“…” Dimitri had no response. He couldn’t. If he replied, it would be acknowledging the demon’s answer. It would mean admitting that the instant he heard that name, it made a truly terrible amount of sense. 

“Thank you for the meal,” the demon said as he stood from the table. Every plate was clear, aside from the one Dimitri had taken.

Then he was alone in the dining room. Left in complete silence.

Chapter Text

Claude couldn’t help but wonder just how many people were ever in the exact position he was in right now. He had to imagine it was a large amount, given how many stories of demons and monsters lingered in the lands of Fodlan, though he had noticed a fair few of those tales featured the demon itself going to the victim of the story, instead of being summoned.

Perhaps that was because the church wanted to keep that fact quiet? If the people of Fodlan knew they could call on a demon with just a painted circle and a few words…well, there’d be plenty of fools willing to risk it.

And Claude just so happened to be one of those fools.

The candles he’d set up suddenly flared, their flames burning a bright green shade that seemed to leap up. They were positioned far enough away from the tapestries and decorations that he couldn’t remove without raising questions, so he didn’t have to worry about the room suddenly catching fire as the crimson circle seemed to bleed a strange light of its own.

His mother’s book of fables felt heavy in his hand as he held it open. He wondered if she ever expected him to take this lesson from the tales inside. That a demon could be used for answers, instead of existing as a warning not to go into certain places. To be wary of strangers with strange gleams in their eyes.

The fact that there were specific instructions written inside the book, hidden on a page his mother had always skipped, made him wonder what she might have done, back in the day.

The circle filled with smoke. The words he spoke were simple enough, not too difficult to understand for someone who spoke the western language fluently, and really just amounted to an invitation. A part of him didn’t really like that, since an invitation could still be ignored, but it seemed the demon hadn’t as the smoke began to dissipate and Claude found himself staring at what looked like a young woman with long, bright green hair; the same shade as the flames in the candles.

“Huh. I thought you’d be taller,” he couldn’t help but say before he managed to clap a hand over his stupid mouth.

The woman blinked her emerald eyes at him, then snorted, giggling. “Now why would that be, oh summoner of mine?”

“…” He decided to roll with it. “Well I’m sure you know how it is. When someone says the word ‘demon’, you think of some huge, hulking fiend with big horns and sharp teeth. Not a pretty girl with eyes like emeralds.”

The demon giggled again, her smile still bright and cheery. “Ooo, you’re a flatterer~! My friend warned me about flatterers. Told me in great detail how men with kind words are the worst type~”

Claude blinked, not expecting a response like that. She seemed amused by him? Maybe? It was hard to tell, especially with how her appearance was throwing him off. With her purple clothes and golden chains, she looked like some type of royalty. Not a fierce demon from whatever hell Fodlan had.

“...Well, I’ll skip the flattery then,” he decided, trying for another grin, “My name is Claude von Riegan. Would you care to tell me yours?”

“Ooo, clever~ You’re a clever boy, giving me a full name but not a true one~” She didn’t seem to care how he stiffened. Her smile didn’t shift at all, still looking as cheery as ever as she placed a hand over her breast. “You may know me as Byleth, the Ashen Demon.”

…That name wasn’t in his mother’s book. Alright. Okay. He could work with that. It wasn’t like most of the stories printed names anyway, they mainly used titles. Sure, there were a few that were named, like Gusion the Corpsefeaster, but that didn’t mean anything. Maybe she just never did anything significant enough to show up in any stories?

He could figure that out later. “Byleth. Alright, it’s nice to meet you, Byleth. Have you ever heard the story of the mountain demon?”

Byleth blinked, then tilted her head, still staring at him with a faint smile. “I might have. Do you have a story to tell me?”

“That I do! I can’t say I’m much of a storyteller, but hey, I might as well give it a good try, right?” He grinned back at her, trying to match that eerie cheer of hers. “So the story goes that there was a wanderer, traveling through a mountain range, when he came across a woman. Now, the tellings vary on what she looked like, how big she was, how beautiful, all that, but they all agree that she felt otherworldly from the start. 

“Despite all that, the wanderer decided to sit with her and chat, see why she was up there. And the woman replied that she was hiding, far away from the lands below. But since this wanderer was so daring and managed to make it up to her, she felt like giving him a reward. Maybe it was a bribe to keep him silent, or maybe it was just a whim on her part, but she gave him three wishes, no more, no less, to use however he wanted.”

“And that’s what you want from me, right?” the demon chirped, amusement plain on her face.

Claude tried to keep his grin up. “Was it that obvious?” 

“Incredibly so! Though you didn’t find me, did you? You summoned me. Or, to be clear, you invited me and I accepted the invitation. That’s not an accomplishment, you’ve scaled no mountain, and I can’t even say you’re my first summoner. There’s no reason for me to treat you specially, Claude von Riegan.” She continued to smile. “I do appreciate that you invited me though. If you had used a more forceful calling, one I couldn’t ignore, then the only way I could have left was by killing you.”

Despite himself, Claude couldn’t help the shiver that hit him. For a second there, the demon’s smile had shown a flash of sharp teeth. “Well, it’s a good thing I didn’t do that then, huh?”

Byleth giggled. It was a light, cheerful, happy sound, like she was genuinely laughing at a joke he had told. 

Claude had seen fake smiles before. He was pretty practiced at them himself. If Byleth’s smile was fake, it was the best fake he’d ever seen. It reached her eyes like she was genuinely delighted, and the fact that he couldn’t tell scared the hell out of him.

So why was he matching that smile? 

“I have to admit, I’m curious now,” Byleth said, tapping at her chin in a thinking pose, “If I gave you three wishes, what would you wish for?”

“What would I wish for?” Claude shrugged, still keeping up his grin. “World peace, maybe? An end to war?”

“I can’t grant either of those, sorry, too much for me. I can’t change the will of the world nor the will of its people, though I can act in other ways.”

Well, that was good to know before he asked for anything too outrageous… “So what can you give me? I think traditionally it’s something like power, wealth, and wisdom, right?”

“Oh, you’re referring back to stories again? Cute~ And interesting choices too.” She smiled, before raising a hand and forming an emerald flame. “Power, a siren call for the proud and boastful.” She raised her other hand, then turned it as golden coins formed from her palm and clattered to the floor. “Wealth, useful for the avaricious.” Before she clapped those hands together and simply smirked. “Wisdom though…well it’s not unusual for the curious to seek knowledge, though I can’t say it’s as interesting for the giver~”

“Aw, so it’s off the table?” he asked, not letting her teasing nor her show of magic shake him, “And here I thought I could hear something nice.”

“You could still have wisdom, if you’re willing to pay. A demon doesn’t grant wishes for nothing, you know. You need to give if you want to get~”

“...And what would telling you what I want get me?”

He thought he might have missed it, but her eyes seemed to brighten for a moment with what seemed like interest. “It will make me more interested in hearing you out.”

“Alright then. In that case, for my first wish, I think I’d go for wisdom,” he said, holding up a finger, “I’d like to hear about your people, Miss Ashen Demon.”

“My people, hm? I don’t think you’re referring to the people of Fodlan. Could it be you consider demons people instead of monstrosities from the darkest corners of the world?” Her tone didn’t change at all with the question. She just sounded amused again.

Claude shrugged. “You seem like a person to me.”

“…heh. Well it’s not that interesting of a story. Or perhaps it is? Demons, true demons like myself, were born from a single source. A ritual designed to revive the progenitor god. The eldest of us was born from the heart of the goddess and the blood of apostles, and thus we exist as the natural opposite of those called her children.”

She giggled. “If it helps, you can think of us like mercenaries. There is no great hierarchy, merely scattered chaos and longing for what we lack. So deals are made, and we give so we can get. Simple, yes?”

“Extremely simple,” Claude replied, “So simple that you didn’t really tell me anything there.”

“I have no obligation to, remember?” She grinned. “If you want more, you’ll have to pay up~”

"Hm…and what if something were to be offered and not given?" 

"I suppose you'll find out~" 

"In that case, what would a demon want in exchange for wisdom…?" 

"Aw, come on, I'm sure you can think or something~!” she encouraged, “Though, don't bother offering your crest, I already have a second one and it's much more interesting than yours."

Claude paused because wow, that statement carried some concerning implications. Did demons naturally come with crests? Could they give away crests if they wanted? Did having two crests make someone a demon? “...You’re really tempting me with that offer of knowledge.”

“I’m doing my job very well then!”

He cracked a grin before holding up a finger. “But! I did have two more ideas on the table, if you want to hear about them.”

She returned his grin. “If you offer them freely, then I accept.”

“Alright then, second idea…I would ask that you show me your true form. You’re a demon, so it stands to reason that what I’m seeing right now is a disguise, right?”

“Hmm, yes and no~. I do have another shape you could see if you really, really want to, you perv~”

Getting called a pervert by a demon…That was a new one.

“You do know that counts for wisdom twice though, right?” Byleth pointed out, her voice radiating amusement, “Unless you think getting an eyeful counts as wealth~”

“Ah, well, you know what they say about…beauty and…how it’s a type of wealth.”

She raised an eyebrow as her smile widened. “No, I don’t, I’ve never heard that before. Would you care to enlighten me~?”

Claude had to admit, he had no idea what that line was supposed to be. Still… “Perhaps. If you’re willing to exchange that knowledge for something of equal value.”

“Oh, someone’s actually figuring out how this works. How marvelous~” She giggled, before tilting her head again, signaling her curiosity. “Why don’t you tell me what your third wish was meant to be?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Claude asked, his mind racing as he reconsidered and landed on a sudden idea. He placed one hand on his chest and held out the other, palm up, as he took a knee. “I would wish for you to marry me.”

To Claude’s immediate and immense satisfaction, Byleth stiffened, a look of genuine surprise flashing across her face for a moment before her usual smile returned with an additional skepticism to it. “Oh really now? You would wish for a demon bride?”

“Why not? It satisfies my desire for power, wealth, and wisdom, and it nets me a total cutie. I don’t see any downsides to that, do you?”

“Well aren’t you a flatterer~ But I also don’t see what’s in it for me,” she noted.

“Oh really? You don’t see any benefit to marrying the future head of House Riegan?”

“Nope, I don’t.”

…He wouldn’t admit it, but he wasn’t expecting that answer. “Really? None at all?”

“What do I get if I marry you? What would the ‘wife of Duke Riegan’ expect to receive? You would receive me, but would I receive you? I have individuals I am interested in, so I am curious what you could bring to the table to make yourself worth more than them.”

“Oh, and here I thought I could woo you with my roguish charms,” he replied with a carefree grin, all while his mind raced to figure out what the demon would want. Would she want something material? He doubted he could just buy a demon’s loyalty with gold and he was pretty sure she’d be insulted if he tried. Then a thought occurred. 

…Well, he had scored points with her already by being bold. So he put on a roguish grin and made his offer. “How about this? I’ll owe you one.”

The demon blinked again and he couldn’t help how his grin grew. Any time he surprised her was a good one. “You’ll owe me ‘one’?”

“I’ll owe you a favor,” he clarified, “Let’s ignore the marriage offer for now and keep it simple. You help me out, I’ll help you out. Grant my wish and you have my word I’ll grant yours.”

“Hm…but that is unequal, is it not?” She tilted her head in mock thought, tapping a finger against her pouting lips. “I can give more than you ever could.”

“Then I’ll ask for something in human limits,” Claude replied, “Something I want, but that I could get from you if you were human.”

“Oh? What an interesting offer…humans can still do a great many things, I suppose.” Her bright gaze actually looked interested and Claude fought down any hint of triumph he might have felt. He wasn’t in the clear yet. “Are there limits to this favor?”

“Sure, let’s say there’s limits for both of us.” He held up three fingers and ticked them off. “First, whatever the favor is has to be within human limits. Since I am who I am, let’s say the limit is the power of a king.” 

He knew he made the right decision to let that small detail slip as her eyes brightened, interest turning to fascination. It seemed demons liked secrets just as much as humans.

“Second, neither of us can ask the other to kill themselves. I can’t ask you to, you can’t ask me to.”

“You've seen your share of treachery,” Byleth noted, more amused by the suggestion.

“That I have, so on with the third. If ever we break the terms of the agreement, our favor is forfeit. So if I refuse to do my favor to you, you don’t owe me anything.”

“Hm…I suppose that is acceptable.” She smiled. “Three conditions for one wish. You certainly enjoy that number.”

“What can I say? It has some significance to me.” He grinned. “So is it a deal?”

“It is. Ask your favor and I shall grant it.”

Now, at the very moment he knew he’d won, Claude let the triumph show. “Easy. I wish you would be my loyal retainer.”

Byleth paused. She stared at him, the wheels in her head turning as she pieced together just what he was asking…and then she giggled. “Oh, I see~! Oh that’s delightful! I haven’t been tricked like this before!”

“Who says it’s a trick? I just asked for the favor you promised.” Claude smirked. “You didn’t say how long the favor has to take.”

“No, you’re right, you are very correct! And don’t think I didn’t notice that ‘loyal’ part, so I can’t even act against you!” She giggled again, looking strangely pleased despite getting the short end of the stick. “Not only that, but to think I allowed a condition where I get nothing for breaking the agreement! Not that I would, liars and cheats are the worst kinds of humans, so very unfair, but then I suppose there is something interesting about you , my lying lord~”

Claude blinked, a little weirded out by how…affectionate her title for him sounded, before shaking it off. “I’m surprised that lying is something that bothers you. Aren’t there all kinds of tales about the treachery of demons?”

“It’s not treachery if you’re betrayed first. Humans just have to give what they owe and they won’t have any problems. It’s in trying to escape the consequences that they face true trouble.” She smiled. “In that vein, I know what my favor is.”

Claude paused. “You know I only have to grant your favor once mine is done, right?”

“Certainly! So when you wish to declare my favor to you is finished, all you have to do is grant mine.” She showed her teeth with her smile, her eyes gleaming like flames. “All I wish is for you to tell me your true name. That’s all.”

She said it like it was a simple favor, but Claude felt a shiver go up his spine. Something about her request felt dangerous…but he kept up his grin anyway. “Alright, deal. You still have to fulfill your end of things first though.”

“I know! Then I suppose I should get to it, hm?” She giggled again, before her gold chains and decorations suddenly shifted. They pulled across her body and seemed to melt together, one at her neck, two at her wrists, and two at her ankles, looking somewhere between restraints and decorative bangles.

Then she stepped out of the circle with a cheerful pep in her step, the glow in her eyes fading to a more natural green as she looked around the room.

“Hm, kind of stuffy, don’t you think?” She glanced at him and he was struck by how much shorter she was than him. “Hmm? Seeing something you like, master?”

“…” He wasn’t as prepared as he thought to have a pretty girl calling him ‘master’. Not that he was about to show that. “Heh, sure I am. Most nobles aren’t lucky enough to get a demon for a retainer.”

“I am going to stick to human limits, remember? Though I suppose I’ll have to see just what those limits are.” She smirked. It was a very dangerous smirk. “Want to help me explore those limits~?”

“…Anyway, we should probably go, get you used to the castle and all.”

“True, we should. It might cause some rumors if people found out you were hanging around in a dark room with a young lady~” she teased while pressing up a lot closer to him than he thought was appropriate. Especially since her smirk was downright flirtatious. “You know, I wouldn’t have minded if you made the marriage offer your favor~”

Claude blinked, then tried his best to laugh off the comment. It sounded a lot more nervous than he intended. “Well I can always try to woo you later, right? Ah, for now, how about we figure out how to introduce you to everyone?” 

Not that he really had anybody to introduce her to, but his grandfather and the servants should probably know about his new retainer.

“Oh don’t worry, I can handle that,” she replied, before moving past him with another coy smile. “Well? Are you coming, master?”

“...Right behind you,” Claude replied, before shedding his cloak and following after his new retainer. His new loyal retainer; the loyalty part was very important.

Though, even with her loyalty guaranteed, he had a feeling his relationship with Byleth was going to be dangerous. To his heart, if nothing else.

Chapter Text

Yuri Leclerc had a feeling he was going to wind up in prison one day. With his lifestyle, it was almost inevitable.

Still, as far as prisons went, the monastery seemed to have a pretty decent one. He had a bed, there was a small window to let light in, and there weren’t any rats scurrying around. All things considered, he had it pretty good for a guy slated for execution.

He sighed, laying back with his arms behind his head. He’d had it too good for too long, really. Sure, Rowe was a piece of shit, but he really thought he’d finally struck gold, getting a noble backing him up and even getting to stay at the Officer’s Academy. But then that damn mission came his way and suddenly it was his people on the line. He knew the church hunted bandits, but somehow it never crossed his mind his old gang could be up on the mission board.

He was no stranger to killing; the knights he’d gone with had figured that out, unfortunately for both them and him. And now, here he was, waiting for his day at the end of the hangman’s noose.

“...Actually, thinking about it, I’m noble now, aren’t I?” he considered, “So I’ll get beheaded, not hanged. Hm, that’s kind of a shame too though, I don’t really want my hair to get cut…”

A change in the air caught his attention. A warmth that pierced through the cold, faint but growing closer. He heard the rustle of fabric…but no footsteps along with it. 

“Hey there, Byleth,” Yuri greeted, letting a hint of amusement show in his voice.

“Hello Remus,” greeted Yuri’s old ‘friend’ with her usual empty cheer, using the false name he’d given them all those years ago, “You seem troubled.”

“It’s Yuri now, remember? And I can’t say ‘troubled’ is the right word for how I’m feeling. Resigned, maybe?” He chuckled. “After all, you’re the one who only shows up when my situation is really bad.”

“That’s rude of you to say. And incorrect. Our first meeting wasn’t bad for either of us.”

“True enough, I suppose. You were even less expressive back then though.”

He could hear the pout in her voice as she moved into his cell, passing through the bars as the room warmed. “I’m perfectly expressive, thank you very much. I can smile just fine, see?”

He didn’t bother to look. He knew what her smiles looked like and it was almost cute that she couldn’t tell how unnatural they looked. Though maybe that was something special to him, considering he’d taught her.

Yuri couldn’t help but crack a smile of his own. Well, he said that, but showing the smile was very deliberate, since he knew it would ruffle the feathers of the demon that’d been following him around since he was a kid.

It was a bit after he’d gotten sick and the old man saved him; some time after the old man passed away, but before Yuri’s gang became anything more than a bunch of hoodlums picking pockets. 

At first glance, Byleth looked like a lost kid. Mostly because that's what they actually were, even if they happened to be a demon. Yuri had spotted them looking around with what he’d come to learn was their usual blank look and decided to help the kid out.

He had no idea they were actually two years older than him. They were tiny back then, or at least shorter than he’d been at the time.

If he’d been in a less charitable mood, he might’ve guessed that there was something off about the blue-haired kid. Not in the sense of some people he knew who were just odd; no, in the sense that he seemed to be the only one on the street who noticed them.

“You’re being quiet,” Byleth noted, drawing Yuri out of his memories and making him glance over at his “old friend”. She looked beautiful, he couldn’t deny that; the awkwardness of youth was completely absent at this point, replaced by a confidence and grace that looked gorgeous at first glance and disturbing at a second.

But again, he was a little biased.

“Is that so unusual for me?”

“Yes.”

“Careful now, you might make me think you don’t like my voice. You tried to trade for it once, remember?”

Byleth pouted, full lips pursing in a round face. He wondered if she wanted to look softer in general like this, in her purple regalia that he had argued before looked more indigo than royal, chained in gold, her hair braided with pink and white tassels. “I do remember that, yes. I recall you denied me then too, like you always do.”

“What can I say? You never found the right offer for me,” Yuri noted while idly checking her out, “So, what’s the offer this time? Are you going to break me out of prison?”

“Do you want me to?” was the immediate response.

“No, I think I’m good.”

“You’re not.”

Yuri let out a wry laugh at the petulant response. She was playing it cute today, which was fun. He’d seen her in other shapes before, never too far off the mark, but he knew there was a distinct difference when her hair was green rather than blue.

When he first met the lost little demon, their hair had been blue, and their appearance was more…androgynous. He felt fairly confident that the demon was a girl the first time they met, though the distinction hardly mattered. Yuri had been mistaken for a girl a few times before, it made him popular in certain circles, but there was a physical aspect to Byleth’s transformations that he couldn’t copy.

That had actually been one of Byleth’s offers at one point, the ability to change his form so he could be whatever he wanted. It was tempting, sure, but Yuri was comfortable with his appearance. He was beautiful, so why improve on perfection?

Besides, Byleth made the cutest face when he’d given them that reply. Demon though they might be, his old friend was fun to tease.

Speaking of. “So if you’re not here to rescue me, are you here to just hang out? Maybe help me pass the time while I wait for the headsman’s axe?”

“The Knights of Seiros use swords for executions,” Byleth remarked.

“Really? Huh, guess it’s different everywhere. I suppose it would be lances for the Kingdom if we’re going by traditional weapons…how about the Alliance? Do they shoot people full of arrows?”

“That would be wasteful. One arrow is enough to kill a bound prisoner.” The sound of a bowstring seemed to echo in the cell, much to Yuri’s amusement. As far as attempts at intimidating him went, it was pretty weak, even for Byleth.

"Yes but it's an execution, they have to make a spectacle of it. If they wanted something understated, they'd just let me rot in here," Yuri responded with a smirk. 

"Hmph. I don't understand you. Humans are full of desires, are they not? Then why do you not wish for anything?" she asked, some of the false amusement fading from her voice as she let her true feelings show through.

"I wish for plenty of things, but what I want, I get with my own hands. Is it not the same for you?" 

"Demons don't want for anything, except for the payment we are owed." 

“Really now? You always seemed like you wanted something from me." 

"Because you called out to me, ” she emphasized, “And, as such, isn’t it only natural that we make a contract?" 

Yuri chuckled. “You’ve always said that, but I could’ve sworn I was the one who helped you out that first time. You were the lost child in a scary new place, right?”

The air seemed to heat up. “Your memory is faulty. Human minds are very fallible and prone to fantasies.”

That made him laugh outright. “You really do feel like you owe me, huh? All because I helped you find your papa when you got lost.”

“...” 

The lack of response actually made him look over, amused. “I got it, didn’t I?”

“...I do not owe you anything.” The lack of expression was actually a much better sign of him managing to ruffle her than any pout could have been. Byleth didn’t know how to make faces properly, not until he taught her how to act on one of her little visits.

“Sure, sure…” He hummed. “So hey, I never asked before, but was what happened to Count Varley something you did?”

“Who?”

“Aw, shame, and here I thought you cared.” He pretended to pout. “Actually, unless my memory really is faulty, you showed up right after that bastard had me beaten to near death. You didn’t even know why I was broken and bruised like that?”

“You had a need. That is all that interested me.” Byleth frowned, trying to convey the displeasure she felt. “You refused my offer of healing, and my offer of vengeance, and I never understood why.”

“I healed fine on my own, and I don’t need revenge. Besides, I was there to kill his daughter. I can’t completely blame the bastard.”

“You should. You should blame him for your pain and hate him for his wrath.” She leaned close, her eyes gleaming with green flame. “Do you not desire to make those who have harmed you suffer as you have suffered?”

“Not especially.” The flames cut out as Yuri smirked. “It’s too late for me to want revenge on Count Varley, considering he’s already dead, and I brought my current situation on myself. I killed those knights, so I can’t say I don’t deserve to be here.”

“And what of Count Rowe and others like him?” Byleth’s voice was soft there, in a way that pretended to be concerned. Yuri had heard that tone from them before and knew it for the lie that it was. Byleth only spoke softly when they wanted to pull someone in, to catch and keep their listener’s attention like a crackling fire, dancing prettily to hide the all-consuming hunger underneath. “You have cause for vengeance against their ilk.”

“If I wanted revenge against all the unpleasant ‘clients’ I’ve had, I wouldn’t have any clients at all,” he replied. It was easier to respond like that now, with the passage of time to make things more palatable. When Byleth gave that same offer after his first ‘client’, well…it was more his own stubbornness that kept him from accepting then.

“You wouldn’t need clients if you accepted my offer. I could give you a life of wealth and leisure without any cares. For you, for your friends, for your mother…I could give you comfort, Yuri.”

“Call me a skeptic, but I don’t tend to accept offers of ‘comfort’.” He turned his gaze towards her, smirking again. “If you wanted to do all of those things for me, free of charge and with no obligation for me to repay you, I’d gladly accept. But you’re the type that wants payment first, right?”

“...only sometimes. I can accept payment after the fact. It depends.”

“On what?”

“Factors. Whether I am…’working’ or not, whether I like the client or not.”

He grinned. “Do you like me?”

“Yes,” she admitted without hesitation or shame. She crossed her arms over her chest though, aiming for a look of skepticism. “I’m not sure if I trust you to pay though.”

“Hey now, you’re the one trying to get something from me, remember? You’re trying to convince me to buy your service, so convince me. I have what you want. You don’t have what I want.” Yuri shifted slightly, getting more comfortable. It was a conversation they’d had before, but then Byleth always was stubborn, for all that she pretended she wasn’t. “I don’t have any reason to make a deal with you. So why stick around? Or do I need to make a deal to have a question answered?”

“I would prefer it if you did,” she said so shamelessly that Yuri couldn’t help but laugh. 

“Tell you what…why don’t you let down the fancy demon look? Show me that other side to you that I don’t get to see anymore. The one I first saw, all those years ago.”

Byleth blinked. Another act of confusion, one that came more naturally than any other, probably because it was so simple. “And what will you give me in turn?”

“I’ll hear you out.”

“You were already doing that.”

“I don’t think I was, since you still haven’t told me why you’re here.”

“...” Her feet touched the floor, bare for a moment before black boots covered them. Her gaze dulled, the eerie green bleeding to a cobalt blue as hair similarly darkened to a more bluish shade, closer to teal than the sort of pale green it had been. The purple raiments turned black and gray, forming a tunic and pants under a furred cloak. Clothes made for the cold, interestingly enough.

“Hm. Were you wandering around Faerghus, friend?”

“A while ago. I have a different job at the moment. Something more long term,” she explained, her voice flat, no attempt at an extra inflection or any effort to hold an expression. If her green-haired form was a beautiful fire, crackling and dancing to draw onlookers in, then her blue-haired look was like ash. Quieter, colder, nowhere near as vibrant…An echo of fire.

Strangely, Yuri liked this look more. He wondered what that said about him.

“Any chance I can hear the details? Without paying, I mean.”

“Then no.”

He chuckled. “Worth a try. So…what’s your real offer? I noticed you didn’t offer to save me from execution until I prompted it, so I have to imagine you had something else in mind.”

“I did. I wanted to ask if you would consider serving me.”

“Well that’s very forward of you. What would I get out of it?”

“Any blessing you wish. I would require your devotion and obedience, but I would aid you in any goal you sought and lend my power as you desire. You would swear your soul, to be mine at your death, and I would give you everything I am willing to give.”

“…that’s a much bigger offer than usual. I can’t say it’s all that fair though.”

“You would never want a fair deal, Yuri,” Byleth bluntly stated, “This is the most advantageous deal I am willing to give you. Do you accept it?”

“Hm…sorry, friend, but I’m more likely to put my trust in the goddess than a demon. You understand.”

“She isn’t here. I am. Are you willing to accept my offer?”

That was different. He glanced at her. “I said no, didn’t I?”

“You did. I suppose I should count that as your second refusal.” She regarded him with a faint frown, which was different. He didn’t think she would pretend to have emotions when she wasn’t putting on an act. “You have one more chance.”

“Three tries, huh? Sorry to say it, friend, but I’m not the type to change my mind easily. Not interested.”

She sighed, an open expression of annoyance that made him sit up. “Fine then. I’ll give you a free piece of information then, Yuri. Once upon a time, there was a child born to a human father and a demon mother. The world was gray for them until they met an interesting boy whose hand offered in kindness woke the devil in their blood. Ever since, they have wanted to repay that awakening. You are welcome for your mother’s health, by the way.”

His eyes went wide. “What? She was never…”

She nodded. “As I said, you are welcome.”

“...” His eyes narrowed. “Why wouldn’t you tell me that sooner? If you had really helped, you could have held that over my head.”

“Why would I do that? You’re my friend.”

He blinked, and then she abruptly smiled. It was easily the most genuine smile he had ever seen on her face to the point that he felt himself believing, despite all prior evidence, that it could actually be real.

And it was quite the mischievous smile. “You look very cute when you’re surprised.”

Her laugh sounded remarkably genuine too, and Yuri found himself at a loss for words.

Then Byleth pouted again, this time plainly faking it. “Alas, I suppose we were not meant to be. How sad. I do hope I’ll see you again, but you never know how things may turn out. Still, thank you for being my friend, Yuri. Say hi to Mama for me.”

Yuri stood, but the demon vanished, gone in an instant. And then he noticed a man outside his cell.

“Oh, you’re up already! Well, I suppose that’s a good thing, I wouldn’t want to force you to stand for me, Mister Leclerc,” the brown-haired man in black and red vestments said. He was a plain man with a friendly face, though that just put Yuri on edge after everything that just happened.

Not that he let it show. “Hello. You seem to have me at a disadvantage.”

“Ah, I’m sorry, that was rude of me, Yuri. May I call you Yuri?”

“I can’t exactly stop you, can I?”

The man chuckled, his friendly smile never leaving his face. There was something off about his eyes though. They were a strangely murky shade of green. “Now now, you can tell me if I’m making you uncomfortable. Though where are my manners?

“My name is Aelfric, and I have an offer for you.”

Chapter Text

Everything was ready.

Under the light of the midday sun, standing at its peak in the sky above, the sole remaining Saint of Fodlan gathered with her four apostles within the newly built cathedral of what would become Garreg Mach. She stood in white regalia, the picture of the warrior saint who slew the King of Liberation, her hands braced upon the sword that bore her name.

Saint Seiros watched as the apostles added their blood to the Chalice of Beginnings. A new beginning for her people, starting with a resurrection.

The taboo she sought to violate did not even once grace her thoughts, so set was she to see her mother brought back to her. Every component has been gathered with care; the Sword of the Creator laid in a place of honor on the dais, its crest stone gleaming in the light. 

Curiously, with the sun directly overhead, the cathedral was a mix of dark and bright. The sunlight wasn’t directly streaming through the windows, since it stood above the ceiling’s peak, yet its warmth could be felt all the same.

It was a reassuring warmth. One that steadied the Saint’s convictions.

Her mother had created life as easily as she breathed. Seiros did not have that same skill, but she studied and learned. She could craft an entire human body, if needed. As it was though, what she gathered were simple materials, paired with the sword that bore her mother’s heart and spine.

It would be difficult, building a body to house a god, but she couldn’t leave things as they were. Not when the world needed her mother.

None would ever speak of what ritual was performed on that day. It was a violation. A breaking of taboo ordained by the very god they sought to revive.

Was it any wonder it failed so miserably?

It didn’t seem to, at first. White light gleamed with the power of Faith and the chalice glowed crimson, letting loose its gathered essence in a torrent of life-giving liquid. The gathered materials, set in bowls around the heart and spine, shifted and roiled before gathering together. 

Bones formed first, a framework for the body, before organs began to fill its hollow cavities. Tendons and muscles grew to bind the bones, glistening red as lungs inflated and the body jolted with its first breath. Flesh the color of peaches spread until every vulnerable inch of twitching nerves were covered and concealed, the rush of life sending spasms through the newly made skin.

Green eyes twitched and turned, absorbing light, processing existence without understanding anything she saw. The body lurched up, gasping as viridian hair cascaded from her head and down her back, curling and spilling to curtain the form of a fully grown woman, human in appearance but not in nature. The points of her ears betrayed that fact.

She breathed, in and out, panting as she shivered, not from cold but from simply experiencing touch for the very first time.

And Seiros felt true joy for the first time in a long time. She had succeeded. “Mother…”

The woman on the ground peeked up through the curtain of hair now concealing her eyes and met Seiros’s gaze. And the saint, initially so joyful, felt her heart fall as she saw only confusion in those eyes. Not even a hint of recognition dwelled within their gaze. “...m…m-m-mother?”

The vessel started to move then, pushing up, standing more on instinct than an understanding of what she was doing, and stared at her creator, her mother, with no true sense of comprehension. Just the knowledge that the being in front of her was responsible for her existence.

And then she lurched.

Her next breath came out as a choked gasp as her hand went to her chest. Pain surged through her, sending an already unsteady gait into a stumble before she fell to her knees entirely. Tears began to gather in her eyes as she wheezed, clutching at the source of the pain in her breast, trying to understand what this agony was after just being born.

What went wrong, specifically, was hard to understand. Perhaps the formula had failed in some way. Perhaps the mix of blood entangling the progenitor’s heart, the essences of ice, snow, darkness, and blooming flowers, caused it all to boil over. Or perhaps the mere act of breaking the taboo guaranteed a failure.

Regardless of reason, the vessel lurched, black bile spilling from her mouth in a pained wheeze as her hands and feet began to blacken. Dark veins pulsed beneath her skin as her tears turned bloody and the color leached from her hair. She clutched at her chest, at her throat, trying to understand why she was hurting, what the pain she felt even was.

The apostles stayed in their places. They didn’t understand what was happening, what was going wrong, so they did as they often did and placed their trust in the Saint that had given them all a second chance to right the wrong committed by their species.

And Saint Seiros picked up her sword.

There were many ways she could justify what she was about to do. She could frame it as a necessity; she had seen demonic beasts before, she knew what horrors the misuse of crests could wrought, and a monster like that could kill an uncountable number of people if it wasn’t dealt with immediately. She could regard it as a redemption; she had broken the taboo, and now she was setting things right. She could call it a mercy; the being she had made was in agony, and she would be saving it from that pain.

When she lay awake in the middle of the night, unable to sleep peacefully even centuries later, she wondered if perhaps, in the moment, she was angry at the being she had given life to for not being her mother.

Whatever the reason, she had raised her sword, and reaped the consequences.

“M-Mother–” The vessel tried to speak at that moment. To beg for aid without understanding what it was asking. And, perhaps, she could have been helped. Faith magic was known to heal, and it was possible she wasn’t beyond saving. That even the slightest effort could have averted everything that would happen.

But Saint Seiros swung her sword.

It was a clean slice. Hair that had bled from green to white fell loosely around the body as her head left her neck, cut free in an instant.

There was silence. And then the screaming started.

Not from the apostles, not from the saint, but from the air itself as a geyser of blood erupted from the body’s neck.

Seiros stumbled back, eyes wide as the crimson liquid stained the floors, the walls, the ceiling–It was relentless and unceasing, a torrent of endless blood that began to darken as she stared, stunned and horrified. For the first time, her sword trembled in her grip, before she tightened it and stepped forward, ready to pierce the creature through the heart– But that’s mother’s heart!

She hesitated. Now she hesitated. And the wails in the air grew furious instead of pained and afraid as the reason was understood.

Seiros flinched. She could see eyes in the geyser, glaring eyes gleaming red, something deep in the depths–And the body stood now, its skin dyed a bloody scarlet, its limbs blackened from the corruption within. The very air snarled , rage burning all around them as the apostles stumbled back, torn from their stunned states as their robes began to catch aflame from the anger of the demon they created.

Something cracked, and suddenly the cathedral was ripped apart, the walls splintering and ceiling exploding from the force of pure, seething fury.

The apostles were flung away, scattered as they crashed to the ground. They would live, their destinies did not end here, though all of them would bear the scars of this day until their last breath.

Saint Seiros stabbed her sword into the ground, managing to catch herself before she could be sent flying. She held firm even as the heat burned her skin and tore scraps and pieces from her regalia, before it finally subsided. Her hair fell loosely around her head, almost in the same way as…

She brushed it out of her eyes and stood straight again, looking for the monster she had created. 

The geyser had subsided, though there was still a crimson haze stretching above the stump of the demon’s neck. She was bent, not looking at Seiros, though the saint didn’t move. She would have, she would have gone right over and tried to cut down the creature again if she didn’t see the demon carefully picking up its own head.

There were still tear stains on the demon’s cheeks. The head was still pale, not altered in the same way the body was. Just stained with blood. 

She moved slowly, carefully placing her head back on her neck as the haze receded. It was a shaky, clumsy movement. An attempt to fix what had gone wrong.

It didn’t work. The head fell loose a moment later.

“...” Seiros couldn’t say why that moment convinced her she had done something wrong. She just felt the strangest rush of pity at how…lost the demon–the being she made–looked. “...”

She stepped forward. That was a mistake.

The demon went rigid, the haze bursting forth from her neck again as her hate-filled eyes returned, making Seiros flinch. In a sudden movement, crimson wings burst from her back and spread wide, unmistakably draconic in origin, a sight that made the saint gasp as she realized just what she created. That, even if she hadn’t brought her mother back, she could have had one of her own kind with her again.

“W-Wait!” she called out, her hand raised, trying to find the words quickly enough to say she didn’t realize–that she was sorry –

But her daughter didn’t listen. How could she?

The first demon born in Fodlan grabbed her lost head in her hands and flew away, lost in the sky before Seiros could even take another step.

In the moment, the saint was tempted to pursue. To cast away her raiments, become the dragon she was, and go after the child she had harmed so cruelly and beg her to stay.

But then her followers arrived, drawn by the explosion, and she was crowded by humanity desperate for an explanation for what had happened.

She was so very tempted…but she denied herself, and stayed to explain to those who worshipped her as a saint that the cathedral had been attacked during the rite she was performing. That she would investigate the cause and seek to understand what sort of being had struck at their newly made foundation.

In time, the cathedral would be rebuilt. In time, an explanation would be decided on. In time, the tale of the first demon, named Baal by the saint herself, would spread throughout Fodlan.

In time…more demons would appear. But that was a tale for another time.

Chapter Text

“Log date one-one, year eleven sixty-three of the era of the beasts,” muttered a woman as she trudged up a mountain path with a deep frown on her pale face. Though to call her simply pale was an understatement; the woman’s skin was bone white and marked by black ink in a small spike beneath her right eye, marking her role in society. “I have successfully retrieved the vessel of the divine sage and escaped the immediate opposition to my current project. I am officially a traitor to the Agarthan people.”

Despite her white skin and black markings, highlighted even further by the black robes she wore that stood out so starkly against the greenery along the stony path, the woman was not monochrome. Her braided, violet hair lent color to her figure, and a close look would show her eyes were a similar amethyst shade, though it was still a darker shade than that of the baby swaddled in her arms. “Note, attempting to record my thoughts is difficult without a recording device. Marking it priority one to retrieve paper and ink with which to record–“

Periander paused as the vessel let out a faint, sleepy whine. “…Note, priority one should be, at all times, the protection of the vessel. Getting recording materials can be priority…hm. Shelter from the elements should probably take higher priority.”

She paused again, considering the fair skin of the vessel, which wasn’t nearly as pale as her own. “…Vessel may also require actual sustenance. So, priority one, safety; priority two, shelter; priority three…hm. Maybe I should mark those as sub-priorities…what do you think, vessel?”

The vessel gurgled at her, which was not much of a response. Still, Periander could humor her inability to respond properly. “Understood. I will prioritize appropriately.”

She continued walking, continuing to channel heat through her hands so the vessel would remain warm in the cold. She understood that would be a sub-priority for the vessel, given her altered nature from the standard Agarthan infant, which was designed to be far more robust. But then, that robustness actively prevented the spirit of the divine sage from taking root, so perhaps the Agarthan method was flawed.

Granted, if she believed the methods of her people were not flawed, then she would not have abandoned the Divine Sage project in its entirety in favor of wandering the mountains of ‘Fodlan’, as the land was now called.

The vessel shifted her arms, making a noise of distress– No, the child, not the vessel. Periander needed to think of her properly. If she were to hide among the beasts–among the people of Fodlan, she could not make it obvious she was not one of them. To that end…she should probably come up with a name for the vessel–for her child.

Well, once she stopped crying, because she had started crying.

“There there, there there,” Periander repeated as best she could while trudging up the path, the wails of her child echoing out through the mountains around her, “I understand the noise you are making is meant to convey distress in a request for aid, however you are more likely going to attract predators in a situation like this.”

Her logic went unacknowledged by the infant, who could not really reason for herself at the moment. Unfortunate, but ultimately a simple consequence of infancy.

“You will be fine,” she assured, rocking the baby with a small, soft smile, “I promise you, you will be fine."

“Log date one-thirteen, year eleven sixty-one of the era…of the common era,” Periander corrected. It wouldn’t do to call it the year of the beasts where she might be overheard, after all. It wasn’t too likely that the locals would attempt to listen in on a single woman living alone with an infant, but it would be better to keep up the practice in order to avoid potential slips in a more public setting. “I have succeeded in achieving priority two of my current priorities and acquired a domicile for myself and the vessel.”

She adjusted her grip on the vessel, who babbled against her chest while Periander wrote down her notes. “To elaborate, I have recently arrived at a village in the mountains called Dorn Village. The people were more welcoming than I expected given my unknown origin, though I believe the tithe I paid to the village headman contributed to a positive response. At the current moment, I appear to be perceived as either a minor noblewoman who was disowned for conduct that would result in an infant, or as a servant of nobility who was paid a sum for secrecy relating to similar conduct.

“Either is a sufficient cover story, though I will endeavor to keep to myself regardless to avoid speculation. I have already taken steps to disguise the aspects of myself that would draw attention, such as my Agarthan pallor and the markings of my station, as well as looked into bodily modifications if necessary. I do have some concerns as to the long term suitability of this residence, however, as I was informed taxation was based on the residents within a household. While I will see some leniency due to the vessel’s status as a newborn, I am bound to have to pay for them, as well as myself, to keep this residence.

“While the funds I have at the moment will be sufficient to last for quite some time, there will inevitably be drain over the course of years. As such, I will have to look into either employment, which runs the risk of discovery; other money-making ventures, which can carry various risks; or eventual migration from this domicile, which may be the best option at the moment until a more stable lodging can be found. I am aware that the primary operations of the Agarthan leadership are planned to take place in the Empire of Adrestia and the Kingdom of Faerghus, so avoiding those locations appears reasonable. Traveling further within the territory of the Leicester Alliance appears to be my best option, though if needed, I should consider migration to foreign lands instead.”

The vessel made a noise at that statement, prompting a glance from Periander. “Oh? Do you have an opinion on our future plans, vessel? Or do you require appeasement in some form?”

The vessel made another noise, one vaguely more impatient or perhaps concerned. It was difficult to discern specifics from infants given their own lack of articulation. Though that did bring another thought to Periander’s mind as she ran down the standard checklist of infant priorities, such as a need for sustenance, waste management, or general maintenance while standing up to check on the crib she had built with her superior Agarthan engineering skills. 

Namely, she should probably name the vessel.

“Hm. What would be a good name for an infant?” Periander considered, “…Infant? No, that would be foolish. I would have to change your name with each stage of life to be accurate and that would create confusion. 

“One does not appear to be an appropriate name either. Hm…Alpha, perhaps? Though that denotes a hierarchy and superiority or inferiority…” She hummed in thought, then lifted the vessel up, which prompted a happy noise from the infant at the sensation of being lifted. Periander stared into the infant’s eyes, which stared right back at her as the baby made a fascinated noise.

“...” Periander allowed herself a slight smile as she considered names, running down a mental list before nodding to herself. “Shez. You will be Shez. It is an appropriate name, not too difficult to remember, and gender neutral, which will be helpful.”

She paused, then returned to her notes and made a quick extra note. “Further note, the vessel has apparently become male, at least physically. I should look into why this is because shifts in gender are not exactly common among standard humans.”

Then again, the vessel wasn’t exactly a standard human. They weren’t even a standard Agarthan. They were not merely a core nestled among artificial flesh and organs, but a full, living being with a heart that beat instead of hummed and pulsed.

Not something human, certainly, but something better. Something more.

“My little angel…” Periander murmured, before she returned to the comfortable chair she had purchased and simply sat with her child, rocking them steadily.

Preparations would have to be made. There were things that could come for Shez, in the dark or in the light. She had to be careful and smart about how she handled things.

To that end…it would be best if she had some assistance.

Periander had been born into what the Agarthan people termed the “Oratores” caste. Her primary functions were as an arcanist, alchemist, and scientist, though she was allowed further knowledge on the subject of the infernal powers due to her position within the “Divine Sage” project.

Demons were a hazard on the surface. Most were little more than animals, albeit monstrous ones. The most commonly known were the altered reptilians/once-humans known as “demonic beasts”, though there were many other forms of monsters, some more common than others. 

The true threat, however, were those termed as “Archdemons”, otherwise called “devils”, “demon queens”, or simple “true demons”. These entities were considered a genuine threat on the level of the abominations that had stolen the surface.

And Periander was about to summon one.

It wasn’t especially difficult. What the majority of mortals failed to understand was that summoning a demon merely involved catching their attention, at its simplest. What mattered was if the demon chose to appear; certainly, there were rituals to compel an appearance, but they were, put simply, exceptionally rude. 

From what Periander knew, demons were particular about rudeness. The “tear the summoner apart at the first opportunity” type of particular. So she was being smart, and more importantly polite, with her chosen course of action.

Words were spoken in the middle of the night, echoing despite the small space in her domicile. Her words sounded out as an invitation, not an order, for a being from beyond the physical world to appear before her. 

The circle filled with smoke and Periander felt her eyes widen at the sight of what stood before her.

“…Is that a child?” she audibly wondered, because yes, there appeared to be a child standing in the center of her circle. A small child at that, one that looked like they could scarcely be older than three years old at most. Maybe closer to two, on a second glance…

The child was standing, at least, and staring at Periander with dull blue eyes, matching the teal-ish hair that fell loosely around their head and shoulders. The little one wore a simple gray dress, the sleeves loose while a ribbon kept it bound around their waist.

The child stared at Periander. Periander stared back, before attempting a smile. “Hello, little one. I…hm. I’m not sure how this actually happened…”

The child had no response for her beyond staring.

Periander wasn’t sure what to do in this situation. She’d been prepared for a demon, not a toddler. Unless the toddler was a demon, which raised further concerns, such as why a demon would take the form of a toddler, how was she supposed to make a deal with a demon child, and if this meant she now had two children to take care of.

She was not prepared at all to take care of two children. She didn’t even have enough room in the crib for a second child…wait, no, she would have to construct an actual bed. She thought she would have more time for that…

Wait. Periander paused, realizing something very important. Mainly that if this were an actual demon child rather than a demon in child form, or alternatively a completely human child that she somehow abducted by accident, then she may have just kidnapped a child, presumably from demonic parents. Hm.

“...ah, hello again, little one,” she began, raising her hand to catch the child’s attention, “I apologize for abruptly bringing you here. My name is Periander. May I ask–Ah, wait…Could you please allow me the knowledge of your name?”

The child blinked. That was…potentially a good thing, considering they had just been quietly staring at her this whole time. They did not, however, respond verbally.

“...Er…may I know of your…title?”

No response.

“...Hm…” She decided to press her hands together, before opening them up again, forming an ice crystal between her palms. She glanced at the child again, then felt a small smile come to her face when she saw the little one staring at the crystal now. Their eyes were still dull and they had no real expression, but the change in focus was at least something of a response.

She changed the crystal into a different shape, something which kept the child's attention, which was good–

"I do hope you didn't summon my child just to show off to her." Only for the crystal to shatter as she heard someone speak. Looking up, she saw a woman with surprisingly soft and gentle features standing behind the child. There was a resemblance between them, though where the child’s hair and eyes were shades of blue, the woman’s were green. A grassy green, like verdant fields.

It was strange how utterly normal she appeared. She wasn’t especially tall; in fact she appeared to be slightly less than average height for a woman, and the green dress she wore was remarkably simple. Were it not for the band of thorns wrapped around her head like a crown, she would seem like any ordinary woman across the lands of Fodlan.

Regardless, her presence caught the attention of the child in the circle, who turned around and walked towards the woman, before hugging her leg. 

"....O-Of course not," Periander said, keeping low as she tried to meet the demon’s gaze without standing. "I was unaware that this would summon your child. I had no intention of kidnapping." 

"Hm…and what of the baby that resides in this house? They are not yours, correct?" she asked, glancing to a door where Shez was sleeping in their crib. 

“...They are mine in all ways that matter. I may not have given birth to them, but I contributed to their creation, and…and I could not leave them in the ‘care’ of those who would use them as a weapon.” Periander kept her gaze on the woman, who still had a kind smile on her face. It felt strange seeing friendliness from a demon, of all beings, but her smile was unmistakably genuine. “It is on behalf of my child that I wished to speak to you.”

"And what do you wish to ask for?" 

"I want my child to be protected from the Agarthan people and other Demons. I cannot be there for them forever, at all times, so I want them to stay safe from anything that can hurt them." 

"Hm…I can see why you're making such a request. Your child…feels antithetical to me. You're quite lucky that Byleth and I were the ones to answer you," the demon said, crouching down to lift up her child. The child, apparently named Byleth, snuggled into her mother’s grasp, appearing more content now that she was present.

"Then will you accept my request?" 

"Should you offer something as well, perhaps. I'm sure you Agarthans know how we make our deals. To give and to take." She extended her hand out, "So what shall you give?" 

“I would like to offer a trade then. Protection for information. I will tell you every secret I know of Shambhala and the history told to those who dwell in its depths. I can tell you of what my people claim is the truth of the world, and I can tell you the truths of our existences. Including how we are made, not born.”

“My, that is quite the offer…you truly do desire your child to be protected then.”

“You are a mother. I am certain you can understand.”

The demon smiled, holding her own child close, before giving her a little look. “Hm…what do you think, Byleth? Does that deal sound good to you?”

Byleth stared blankly at her mother for a few seconds, before turning her dull gaze towards Periander, who met the blank stare with a small smile. The child stared at her, then simply laid her head against her mother with a small *fwump*. 

“It seems your deal has been approved of, Periander of Shambhala.” Sitri smiled, before she sat in the center of the circle, her grass-green eyes focused entirely on her summoner. “Please, regale me with the tales of your people. Byleth could use a bed-time story.”

Periander stared for a moment, before sitting down properly as she began to tell her people's history. 

A part of her found it odd to tell such a tale as a bedtime story, but…if it was for Shez she would do anything. Telling a story was easy enough. It took time, certainly, she was telling much, but they took breaks. Periander did need to check on Shez, and the mothers did have their kids meet up, in a sense. It mainly took the form of showing the infant Shez to the toddler Byleth, who stared at the younger child with the same amount of dull-eyed apathy as she did everything. They seemed to get along, so that was a good thing. 

Regardless, her story of the nations of Agartha, the fell goddess they battled, and the vengeance they still sought soon came to an end. And with it, the contract was made. 

"It seems that Byleth and I have to get going," Sitri said, standing up, and getting Byleth to stir in her sleep. "It has been a pleasure." 

"That it has…thank you." 

"There's no need to thank me. All I did was make sure my child wasn't stuck here," Sitri replied, before smiling at Periander. "I'm sure she'll do her best in helping out your child." 

"Any bit of help is appreciated." 

"In that case…should you ever find yourself feeling ill, make sure to summon me," Sitri said with a knowing smile on her face, "And do make sure to call for the Demon of Thorns specifically when you do." 

Before she could ask what she meant, Sitri vanished, leaving Periander with questions that she wouldn't have the answers for just yet. Shaking her head, she gently held Shez and took her child back to their crib. 

Their life together had just begun, so she had to make sure they slept well. 

Chapter Text

Once upon a time, Edelgard had looked up to the Knights of Seiros. When she was little and still had faith, she heard stories of the knights sworn to the goddess, clad in pure white armor and wielding silver blades. They traveled the lands of Fodlan, righting wrongs and saving lives. That was what she had been told, that was what she once believed.

Hubert, in contrast, never particularly liked the Knights of Seiros. To him, the great demon hunters of Fodlan, clad in their shining white armor, were the picture of piety, chivalry, and complete uselessness to everyone that wasn’t being specifically menaced by demons. And as someone who didn’t value piety or chivalry, that made them entirely worthless.

Though that was perhaps too uncharitable. Certainly, the knights did do more than merely hunt demonic beasts; they would also smite any that attempted to raise arms against the church or showed disloyalty to the archbishop.

Still, he had known of his lady’s fondness for tales of heroic knights, which is why he couldn’t help but hate them all the more. How dare they give her such hope and then be so cruel as to arrive far too late to help?

He made sure to stay by his lady’s side as the knights in white practically ransacked the palace. They could call it “investigating” all they wanted; if he found even a single earring missing from a jewelry box, he would gladly ensure the whole company present perished in an “unexpected demonic incursion”.

As her retainer kept a careful watch, murderous thoughts churning in his mind, Edelgard herself sat in a large chair in the lounge they were being kept in. For their own safety, as the knights described it.

At least it was far more comfortable than the last prison she was kept in. She even had some tea that one of the Imperial knights brought her. Tested for poison, because of course, though she thought it unlikely anyone would try to kill the last living princess of the imperial family. Still, it was better to be careful.

The thought did send a pulse of pain through her heart, the loss of her siblings still fresh in her mind, but she was calm and steady outwardly. As the imperial princess, she needed to maintain a calm, dignified air at all times. It’d been the same for her eldest sister and now that responsibility had fallen to her to uphold the dignity of the imperial family.

She had heard her father, upon being presented with the bodies of her siblings and the remains of what had been their mothers, let out a wail of pure pain and grief that had brought him to his knees. He had faltered, though it was understandable. She remembered how tightly he’d hugged her, forgoing all propriety as he sobbed apologies. He had broken, not quite in the same way that her siblings had, but his composure was shattered nonetheless.

That was fine. She would step up for him. He wouldn’t have to fear any longer.

“Hello, your highness! Has anyone been by to talk with you yet?”

Her attention was grabbed by a knight who wasn’t wearing a helmet. He looked to be in his late thirties or early forties with swept back brown hair and a mustache. His white armor marked him as one of the church’s, and one of a decently high rank at that,

“Do you have a reason for disturbing Lady Edelgard?” Hubert practically growled, stepping in front of her protectively as he glared up at the knight.

“Oh, my sincere apologies, young Master Vestra! I completely forgot the protocol there, didn’t I?” The knight smiled apologetically before giving the both a bow. “I am Sir Alois Rangeld of the Church of Seiros. I was hoping to speak with Lady Edelgard, Master Hubert, if it could be allowed.”

Hubert’s instinct was to refuse. Honestly, his very first instinct was to have the pair of imperial knights standing guard by the room’s door pitch the church knight through a window. Though that would be a waste of glass.

He was his lady’s retainer though, and the fact that the knight was even here meant he had to have been vetted. He still looked to Edelgard first, of course, and if she had said no then Hubert would’ve put the knight through that window himself.

She didn’t, instead giving him a small nod.

Hubert grimaced, but stepped back into place at his lady’s side while still glowering at the knight.

Alois appeared unfazed by the teenage boy’s ire though and instead smiled at Edelgard as he kneeled in front of her. “Hello, young lady. I heard you went through a very rough experience recently. I don’t want to cause you any distress or discomfort, but we knights need to know what happened if we have any chance of helping. Do you think you can tell me what you remember?”

“I can, yes,” Edelgard responded promptly and primly, acting as the princess she was meant to be, “Though I will note, I did not have a complete view of the events as they were occurring.”

“That’s perfectly fine! Anything you can tell us will help,” he assured, keeping up his smile.

And so, Edelgard told the tale she had rehearsed with Hubert in the time leading up to the Church Knights’ arrival. She kept her tone even and reported with only the occasional waver in her voice, enough to sound natural. She was strong, but it was more important that she appeared like she was acting strong. Too steady, and the knights might think she was unnaturally composed. Too weak, and the lurking vultures called nobility would seize on the assumed vulnerability.

Her story was a painful one, in reality and by design. She didn’t elaborate on everything, she left out some of her hazy memories of Faerghus, only explaining that her uncle had taken her to a place she hadn’t recognized before bringing her back to the dungeons of the palace. She elaborated that her uncle had acted differently, that she thought he might have been someone else, though she acted as though she couldn’t understand how that might be.

Then she explained her circumstances in the dungeon. The wounds she’d received were bandaged, yet raw. She couldn’t recall it all with perfect clarity; truthfully, she couldn’t, her mind had been…hazy, at times. But it still gave her an excuse to avoid answering completely accurately.

Then came her salvation. Here, she lied quite readily. She stated she was awoken by screams, ones she had never truthfully heard, and felt a strange heat in the air. She pretended the warmth was stifling, not comforting, and claimed to see scarlet flames.

The Queen of Demonkind, the First, was associated with the color red, just as she was associated with blood and fire. Edelgard didn’t state anything outright, but made it reasonable enough to assume that the conspirators might have tried to invoke the worst demon of them all for their own selfish gain.

She also mentioned a soothing warmth and a green light that protected her. The glow kept her safe from whatever monster was out there until she found herself drifting off to sleep again, until she awoke once more, back in her bed, or so she stated.

The vagueness of the light and warmth was deliberate. It wouldn’t be smart to actively suggest she had divine favor, but implying it in such a way that a religious individual could make the presumption was perfectly fine. She needed every benefit she could get, so pretending the goddess helped when she hadn’t was acceptable.

Really, the goddess should thank Edelgard for giving her the unearned credit…

Her story came to an end there. She survived the closest thing to Hell that could exist in the living world, scarred but alive.

And judging by the fact that Alois was full on weeping, she was pretty sure she’d conveyed her experience well enough. 

“…” She glanced at Hubert, confirming that there was indeed a grown man, a Knight of Seiros, weeping in front of her. Then she cleared her throat. “Ah…Sir Alois? Are you…feeling well?”

“H-Hhh, hhhuuu…y-yes, yes o-of course! I-I am perfectly…p-perfectly…hhhhhaaauuuggh–“

Edelgard stared at him for a few seconds, then held out a hand to Hubert, who gave her a handkerchief, which she then handed to Alois.

It took him another minute to compose himself enough to actually use the handkerchief, then another five minutes for him to get some kind of emotional equilibrium established, though he still had tears rolling down his cheeks.

“L-Lady Edelgard, I cannot express anything but admiration for your courage and strength of spirit in this trying time,” Alois finally managed to say, “You have done magnificently, above and beyond what any would consider in your situation. I cannot apologize enough for what you have gone through! And I promise you, as the apprentice of Jeralt the Demonbane himself, the Knights of Seiros shall bring justice to the monsters who perpetrated such vile cruelty upon you and your siblings!”

Saying this, he reached his hand over to give back the handkerchief. Edelgard stared at the soaked cloth for a moment, before Hubert stepped forward to take it. 

“...Your sympathies are appreciated, Sir Alois,” Edelgard replied as Hubert carefully burned the cloth out of view.

She hadn’t expected him to react that strongly, but a benefit was a benefit, no matter how unexpected. 

The knights left her alone after Alois made his report to their captain. As Hubert later reported, the mustachioed knight had been quite emphatic that Edelgard was a victim of the dark rituals that the cultists working for Duke Aegir had conducted.

“She is just a child!” Alois had said to his captain and fellow knights, “One who, by all evidence, survived because of divine protection! Taking her from her home would be cruel, especially after she already had to deal with being taken away before!”

Edelgard had to admit, she could appreciate Alois’s presence. It was nice to see a knight that actually upheld the ideals he professed. If he had arrived earlier, she might have some kinder words to say about the Church.

He didn’t though.

What was interesting was his claim of being the apprentice of the Demonbane. Even Edelgard had heard that name, a legendary knight sent by the goddess to fight demons in her name. A man who was hundreds of years old yet did not age. Even Edelgard had believed in the legend.

It was more likely it was just a title passed down throughout the ages. Far more likely, as Hubert readily pointed out, and yet…while Edelgard had lost faith in the church entirely, she had quite recently met a demon, so the idea of an immortal knight wasn’t impossible. Just unlikely.

She would look into it, in between her studies of the other forbidden texts House Vestra had hidden away from the eyes of the church. Knowledge was power, as it was said, and House Vestra made it a point to keep records of every “Archdemon”, as they termed the rulers of demonkind.

If she could, she would have spent all her time reading up on these strange beings so very hated by the church. She couldn’t though, in large part because of the upheaval that had struck the Empire once the “full story” of what occurred in the palace became known.

After all, it wasn’t every day that the regent, the Prime Minister, and the head of House Vestra were found murdered by a demon.

Oh, and Count Varley. He’d died too.

The Imperial Year 1175 was one characterized by perhaps the largest upheaval the Empire of Adrestia had ever experienced as a nation. While most would agree that the preceding Insurrection of the Seven was the starting point of the turmoil that would seize Fodlan’s oldest nation, the Infernal Massacre, as it came to be known, almost entirely overshadowed it.

Not only had ten of Emperor Ionius’s children died in what appeared to be demonic experiments carried out beneath the palace of Enbarr itself, but whatever fell entities the conspirators had called upon broke loose and slaughtered every mage involved with what could only be described as vicious, bestial brutality. And yet, the deaths of a supposed demon-worshiping cult was not what captured the attention of Adrestia’s populace.

The true subject of fascination for all the people of Fodlan’s oldest country was the revelation of just how a dark cult had infiltrated the palace to begin with: Namely, the Prime Minister had allowed them in.

Ludwig von Aegir had been found at the palace of Enbarr in a prominent meeting room used by the emperor when conducting politics with his ministers. Presumably he was hosting a meeting alongside Marquis Vestra and Count Varley, given that the pair’s corpses had been found alongside his own.

Duke Aegir’s head had been removed and placed in his own hands, much like Marquis Vestra was found with his heart in his. Count Varley, curiously enough, was discovered to be significantly more bruised, as though brutalized before his death. As for what he held, well…to sum things up, the tableau happened to be derisively entitled by an anonymous knight as: “Brainless, Heartless, and Gutless”.

This malicious naming was not mentioned in reports for obvious reasons.

The following months were ones of turmoil for the Empire. A demonic incursion, particularly one with such a high fatality rate, required intense investigation from the Church of Seiros. The noble houses of the Empire’s Ministers in particular fell under intense scrutiny during this time due to the seeming conspiracy among the “Seven”. While the heads of Houses Hevring, Bergliez, and Gerth were still alive following the Massacre, they were subject to thorough investigation by the Church and its officials for their potential involvement.

Similarly, Houses Aegir, Vestra, and Varley were subjected to a full inquisition for their former lords’ obvious involvement. Members of the households were interrogated and their estates were practically raided by both Imperial and Church Knights seeking information on who knew of the demonic conspiracy.

House Arundel, meanwhile, had its territory confiscated by the Imperial Family, who allowed the Church of Seiros to conduct what investigations they desired within its borders. Unfortunately, however, the estate had been set aflame before the knights arrived. Whatever secrets Castle Arundel held burned with it.

Still, the Knight’s Inquisition presented what could have easily been a massive, major upheaval that would completely shatter the political structure of Adrestia…were it not for the Dagda and Brigid Invasion.

The attack came entirely unexpectedly to the Empire, yet with a far greater speed than many would expect, the major noble houses quickly called for their forces to fight off the invaders. While the major houses may have avoided calling their banners before because none of them truly wanted a war with the Church, a foreign invasion was plenty of excuse to bring what forces they had together to join with the Imperial Army as they set off to aid their western brethren and fight off the invaders.

The war was bloody, though it ended quickly and favorably for the Empire. The heads of Houses Ochs and Nuvelle had perished in the fighting, though the houses themselves still stood thanks to the quick response and the aid of the nearby Knights of Seiros. Dagda was routed, Brigid was conquered, and peace of a type returned to Adrestia.

The main question, as always, was if that peace would last.

It had been several months since the end of the war, yet tensions were still high among the nobles of Adrestia. With the deaths of several ministers in the wake of a demon attack, and then the deaths of two noble heads in the subsequent war, it was to be expected. Even so, appearances must be kept, and for the sake of those still in charge to keep their power, they had to present a united front. 

So a gala was called for. Festivities to celebrate victory, and mourn those who were lost. Even the most minor of noble with no land to their name was invited, to which they were more than happy to curry favor. 

For when a war of blades ends, a war of words commences. 

Edelgard let out a small sigh, kept quiet and near imperceptible as she stood and watched her father greeting guests and chatting with the upper echelons of Adrestian society, as much as he was able to. Hubert right stood alongside her, keeping a watchful eye on any who might try to approach her instead of her father, like a hound on guard. She would have preferred to be anywhere else at the moment, but the imperial princess, heir to the throne, needed to be close and visible in times like these, where nearly every single noble wanted to offer their sympathies

“Do you know how much longer this farce is meant to go on for?” she murmured beneath her breath, subtly glancing at Hubert.

“Likely late into the night, your highness,” he replied, “Any attendee of importance has property in Enbarr that they can retire to when the night comes to an end, so I doubt they will leave until the very last second propriety allows.”

She didn’t sigh openly because that would be too obvious, and instead turned her gaze towards the nobility gathering in the ballroom. Duke Aegir was the one who usually hosted events like these, from what she knew, so his absence was as keenly felt as his widow’s unexpected presence.

Duchess Ilsa von Aegir, formerly of House Fenja, seemed to be hosting her own gathering among the guests at the ball. Despite her recent loss, the older golden-blonde woman in a scarlet ball gown was the picture of a gracious, cheerful host, which did fit with what Edelgard knew of her as the one who typically handled social events for her husband in between managing their city. Which did make it very likely she had knowledge of his corruption, though if she did, she had covered her tracks well enough for the Church to leave her alone.

House Aegir had still been stripped of its Prime Minister position though. While there was a chance Ferdinand, as the heir, could one day regain the title, the position was being held in the interim by Duke Gerth, under the reasoning that his house was the only other ducal house in Adrestia, therefore making it more qualified. The fact that Gerth had admitted to joining the Insurrection under duress and swore his loyalty to the Emperor again also contributed. 

As for his position of Minister of the Exterior, the title was instead passed to House Nuvelle, which was raised from a Viscount house to a full Count for “meritorious conduct” and “stalwart loyalty to House Hresvelg”. So it wasn’t a surprise to see the newly established Countess Nuvelle at the gala as well, though unlike the Duchess Aegir, Countess Nuvelle seemed less inclined to friendly chatter and more interested in giving cutting remarks to those who hadn’t supported the Imperial Family in their time of need, or who had failed to arrive soon enough to prevent her husband and son’s deaths.

Curiously enough though, she seemed to be standing closest to Marchioness Vestra and Countess Varley, who were also unexpected sights to be seen at a gala. 

“Hm. There seem to be a great deal of widows in the Imperial court now,” Edelgard noted, prompting a noise of acknowledgement from Hubert.

“The heirs are too young to take over, or at least considered so, so it is only natural,” he remarked, “I imagine my mother will attempt to pass the title to me as soon as she is able to. It is better for our household to stay out of the public view.”

“And the others?”

“Duchess Aegir is aiming to keep her house afloat through this storm by whatever means needed. If that requires displaying subservience to the imperial household, she will, though I have heard rumors that she’s looking for a potential match for her son already.”

“Truly? Hm, I suppose she’s looking for an alliance that can bolster their standing.”

“Indeed. She was speaking to Countess Varley earlier, likely regarding that exact subject.”

“Right, House Varley does have a daughter at Ferdinand’s age…I haven’t seen her around though.”

“She is apparently a very shy and demure young woman, unable to handle the stresses of the outside world. Apparently her father’s death hit her hard and she elected to stay home rather than attend the gala.”

“Hm…I suppose everyone has loved ones.” Edelgard frowned in thought. “Is Ferdinand here?”

“He is. Do you plan to meet with him? Because I would prefer you avoid giving Duchess Aegir any ideas of a ‘reconciliation’.”

“...Don’t suggest something so unpleasant,” she muttered, keeping her voice low to avoid any attention, “Hm…I think I should go mingle with someone my own age though.”

Hubert raised an eyebrow before following behind Edelgard as she strode through the ballroom, the picture of imperial poise while she approached a pair of lesser nobles standing towards the side, both a year older than her.

“Good evening Lady Ochs, Lady Nuvelle,” Edelgard greeted, inclining her head towards the pair as Monica von Ochs went stiff and Constance von Nuvelle paused, her eyes widening.

“A-Ah, g-greetings, your majesty!” Monica, her red hair done up in a pair of buns to complement the maroon gown she wore, replied, curtseying along with Constance, whose own gown was a mix of pink and black much like how her hair, falling in curled ringlets around her face, was a mix of blonde and violet.

“Good evening to you as well, your highness,” the blonde said, making Monica blanch as she realized her faux pas.

“Y-Your highness, yes, um, g-greeting and good tidings to you, your highness!”

“It’s fine. You would be Monica and Constance, correct? I give my thanks to your houses for your defense of our fair empire.”

“I deeply appreciate your gratitude, your highness,” Constance replied, bowing her head again, “It is good to hear my house’s loyalty to the imperial family is appreciated.”

“It is quite appreciated, and I must express my condolences as well for your losses. I heard your father and brother fought valiantly in defense of the empire.”

“Yes, they did. They fought boldly as proud members of the magnificent House Nuvelle, defending our homeland from foreign invaders!” she declared with a growing smile, burying down whatever pain she felt at their loss with pride in her family.

Edelgard decided to share her smile, aware of the hurt the older girl was likely feeling. “And they deserve all the honors they are granted for their sacrifice.”

“...Thank you very much for that, your highness. Though perhaps we should discuss lighter subjects for now? This is a day for celebration, is it not? So we shall celebrate!”

“That does sound lovely, Constance. Though, given how busy things are here, perhaps we should go have tea in the gardens?” she offered, before glancing to the young Lady Ochs, “Would you like to come along as well, Monica?”

“Oh, of course, your highness! I would love to! I would never say no to the imperial princess!”

Constance raised an eyebrow at the young noble's exuberance, before focusing on the princess. "Of course your highness, I've heard the imperial gardens are quite lovely." 

"In that case, I shall lead the way," Edelgard said, happy to have an excuse to leave the gala. Glancing off to the side, she gave Hubert a slight nod, who responded in kind as he went to prepare some tea. 

As if a spell was cast on her, the evening air did wonders for Edelgard’s nerves as she was once again reminded of the fact that she was free of the monsters. 

"Here are the gardens. Please, feel free to enjoy the flowers," Edelgard said, gesturing to the various flowers around her, most of which were some shade of red. 

"U-Um, if you do not mind my impertinence, which is your favorite flower?" Monica asked, getting Edelgard to pause.

"...I am fond of carnations. My younger siblings and I actually tried to grow some here, though we weren't that successful." 

“Oh, truly? Ah, well, perhaps I might be able to aid you with such an endeavor in the future? I-If you would allow me, of course.”

Edelgard paused, then smiled slightly. “I think I would like that. Do you like gardening, Monica?”

“Oh, well…not especially, but, er…I-I can certainly read up on the subject! I-I am fond of reading and, ah…a-actually, if you need seeds for flowers, I’m sure I can get some for you! My father has some merchant connections and I would be able to procure something like that very easily.”

Constance cleared her throat. “While I am sure her highness appreciates your generous offer, Monica, I should point out that most nobility look down upon mercantile pursuits. You would do well to remember that when it comes to suggesting such things.”

“O-Oh, ah…I-I apologize for my mistake then…”

“There is no need to,” Edelgard said, smiling at the pair of them, “Constance was merely offering some advice for dealing with other nobles, Monica. You do not need to worry about either of us regarding you poorly, especially for such useful connections.”

“Of course,” Constance agreed while nodding along, happy that Edelgard had understood how she was trying to help Monica, “In fact, your father only recently became the baron of Ochs, correct? I imagine that means while you do have an education as a noble, you were not fully informed of how to act as a heiress?”

Monica blinked, surprised by the change in subject. “Oh, well…yes, that is the case.”

“Then perhaps an exchange is in order? If your father were perhaps interested in sharing his connections with House Nuvelle, I would be more than happy to sponsor you when it came to any noble gatherings.”

"O-Oh th-that is very generous!" Monica exclaimed as she nodded in return. "I'll need to speak with my father, but I'm sure he'll say yes!" 

"In that case, your first lesson is as such, in most noble company, you would do well not to speak too loudly. It is far too improper." 

Edelgard was starting to get the feeling that if someone were to see this from the outside, they might assume they were bullying the Ochs heiress. 

"Of course, I'll make sure not to yell," Monica responded, nodding primly.

"Don't worry if you can't remember every lesson right away, Monica," Edelgard encouraged, mostly because she really didn’t want to look like a bully. 

"Oh, it's okay, Lady Edelgard. I actually have a perfect memory so I only need to hear things once to remember them," Monica said, before pausing at their curious stares. "N-Not that I'm bragging, it's nothing that impressive."

“Monica von Ochs!” Constance exclaimed, looking affronted, “It is not bragging to be proud of a natural talent such as yours! Your ability is remarkable and impressive, and therefore you are as well! So treat yourself as such!”

Edelgard was pretty sure she could see stars in Monica’s eyes as she stared at Constance. “O-Of course, Lady Constance! I will–Ah, mm…I will do my utmost.”

"Make sure to do so, I would hate for my friend to speak badly of herself," Edelgard said, getting Monica to gasp. 

"You consider me your friend, Lady Edelgard?" 

"Of course." A part of her felt bad, but the princess knew she needed as many allies as she could get. Just because the monsters who hid in the shadows were gone doesn't mean there weren't more out there. "We're all friends here. Right, Constance?" 

"...of course," Constance said after a moment's pause. "I would never say no to more friends." 

A knowing glance was shared between the two nobles, both knowing they might try to use one another in the future. 

"O-Oh this is wonderful! I look forward to our friendship!" Monica exclaimed, a wide smile on her face. 

Edelgard smiled in response. Perhaps one day, she would be happy to call them true friends. For now though, merely having an arrangement would work.

And it was indeed a fruitful arrangement. Monica and Constance proved to be good “friends” for Edelgard to have, as their meeting at the gala made it particularly easy to arrange the pair to take up roles as her ladies-in-waiting. It was only natural, after all, that a princess have attendants besides her personal aide, though Hubert was a little annoyed that two new people would be taking up Edelgard’s time. 

Still, it wasn’t like anyone, besides Hubert, had any objections. Or could object, as the case may be, since House Nuvelle had already been established as a new ministerial house and Constance, despite her family’s tendency to stay away from courtly affairs, had the kind of confidence that could completely browbeat any idiot that tried to object to Monica’s presence.

Suffice to say, Edelgard had managed to form her own little coterie amidst the politics of court. One that was useful, even if she didn’t fully trust them yet. Though that did finally change, one fateful day…

“Lady Monica, Princess Edelgard, may I present to you her highness, Princess Petra of Brigid,” Constance began one sunny afternoon in the Spring of 1176. 

Edelgard and Monica stared for a moment at the tanned young girl in a purple dress that faintly matched her reddish-purple hair, tied back at the moment in a long braid, before Edelgard nodded to the foreign royal. “Good afternoon to you, Princess Petra.” 

“...Good, ah…after-noon,” Petra repeated, returning Edelgard’s nod as Constance smiled proudly.

“Very good! Remember, you are a royal, so you need to return a proper greeting to someone of equal station.”

“...” Petra, who couldn’t be more than eleven, looked fairly bewildered by that encouragement, before trying to return that smile. “Thank you, Lady Constance.”

“Hm. So I see this is who you’ve been busy hosting when you returned home,” Edelgard noted, faintly amused, before she glanced at Monica, who quickly realized she should also be saying something.

“Ah, good afternoon to you as well, your highness! Ah, your highness,” she corrected, trying to tamp down on her enthusiasm.

“Good after-noon to you as…azvil?” Petra glanced at Constance, who kept up that encouraging smile.

“Close, but it is ‘as well’, Petra. Two words, you see? And yes, my apologies for not being here these past few weeks, your highness, but, well, Duke Gerth was apparently hosting this young lady in his role as Minister of the Exterior, but he couldn’t exactly keep that up with his Prime Minister duties, so young Petra was turned over to my mother to help foster her.”

“I see. I must say, I’m impressed you’ve comported yourself so well around the crown princess of Brigid. Not that I would expect anything different.”

Constance smiled at the praise before holding her fan in front of her mouth as she pretended to clear her throat. “Yes, well, the sins of the father are not the sins of the child…that and she is admittedly quite tiny and adorable so it really is not possible for me to bear any grudge against her.”

"Then I suppose she is quite lucky to be your ward," Edelgard praised again. 

"Yes, you have nothing to worry about, Princess Petra," Monica added in, smiling at the Brigid girl. "Lady Constance is an excellent teacher." 

"Ah, yes, Lady Constance is…good at the teaching," she agreed, nodding. 

"I am only doing what anyone should do. Though she may not be here willingly, Princess Petra is still my guest," Constance stated, even if she did preen slightly. 

"Speaking of, since you just returned, why don't we have tea and catch up?" Edelgard suggested. "In the garden, of course." 

"Oh of course, why don't-" 

"I already have the tea prepared," Hubert stated, making Monica scream, Constance stiffen, and Petra get into a defensive position as he made his presence known. 

“Ugh…could you stand to act less like a ghoul on the prowl for flesh and more like a proper retainer?” Constance complained, irritated, while Hubert simply smirked.

“I have no idea what you are talking about, Constance. Now then, please, have a seat,” he requested before heading off, earning an annoyed huff from the blonde.

“I swear, one of these days he’s going to be mistaken as a demon by the Knights of Seiros…” she muttered, before pausing and glancing at Edelgard, “No offense intended to you, Lady Edelgard. I…well, I can imagine you would prefer not to hear talk of demons.”

“Hm…not exactly. The people who…committed atrocities were, at the end of the day, simply people, and they were the ones who harmed my siblings,” Edelgard replied, deciding to let a little honesty show, “Really, some days I feel as though I would thank the demon they angered for killing the lot of them…”

“...hm. Well, I would prefer you avoid saying that around people who owe their loyalty to the church. Feelings are feelings, however, and we cannot truly control them.”

“Indeed we cannot,” she agreed, before walking with her friends to their usual tea table in the gardens, where Constance made a point of bringing over a chair for Petra and helping her sit before the three friends found their own seats. 

And while they did, Edelgard felt her gaze drift towards Monica, who looked somewhat…anxious. “Hm…So, Monica, do you have a topic of conversation for today?”

“Oh, er…well, Lady Edelgard, I…If I may…”

Edelgard watched her stammer for a moment, before giving her a smile. “You can share anything here, Monica. You’re among friends.”

"Ah well…you remember how I returned to my family's territory recently, yes?" At Edelgard’s nod, she continued. "Well…my father was in the middle of negotiations with a merchant and I happened to peruse some of the books the man had in his wares…" 

That made sense to Edelgard. Even if the deal should fall through, they'd be able to copy anything she read.

"Was there something wrong with the books you read?" Constance asked.

"Ah…one in particular…" Monica muttered as she glanced around before leaning forward. "...it was a book of demonic rituals." 

Edelgard felt her eyes shoot wide open at what Monica said. Demonic books had already been difficult to find, but after the knights went through the empire it was next to impossible to find anywhere in Adrestia. And now Monica held all the knowledge in her head… 

"I've been trying not to think about it, but…your comment made the memories resurface. N-Not that I'm blaming you!" 

"...Monica, if word gets out that you hold that knowledge, the knights may come after you," Constance noted in an even tone. 

"I-I know…" Monica looked around anxiously, before staring at Edelgard. "Lady Edelgard, if you think it best, I will turn myself in." 

"...you would do that just because I say so?" 

"Y-Yes," Monica said, even if she was clearly nervous, "You and Lady Constance have done so much for me, and I don't want to burden my friends." 

“Then please, completely forgo any thoughts of turning yourself in at all,” Edelgard stated.

Monica stared at her for a moment, then leaned forward, looking confused. “L-Lady Edelgard? Um…what do you mean?”

“I mean that we are simply not going to tell anyone. I do not believe you should be harmed for the crime of knowledge, Monica. Not least when that knowledge you have could help me understand just what happened that fateful night.”

“...o-oh! Oh, I didn’t even think of…I-I see, that does make sense. I…I am sorry, Lady Edelgard, I wasn’t thinking, I just…” 

Edelgard gave her a reassuring smile. “It is frightening having that knowledge, isn’t it? Especially with how it could affect your friends and family. It is why…why I was not entirely honest, when I spoke to the knights.”

She blinked. “Ah…what do you mean, Lady Edelgard?”

“I was saved back then, by a girl with brilliant green eyes and hair that shone like flames. I expect you know what that means.”

“What you are implying should not be said out loud,” Constance reminded them, frowning faintly, “Though I will say, anyone who rescued you, Lady Edelgard, is likely a far better person than most would expect.”

That earned a genuine smile from the princess. “She is, yes. Though let’s not get into that right now. Monica, what do you think now? Do you still believe you should be turned over to the church?”

Monica was only half-paying attention, unfortunately, visibly mouthing the word ‘she’ with a slight frown before she registered Edelgard’s statement. “...No, you are right, Lady Edelgard. I would just be putting myself in danger if I did that.”

“Yes, well, I do not think the Church of Seiros is quite as zealous as you are implying–” Constance paused at the raised eyebrow Edelgard directed her way before she used her fan to hide her faint blush. “They did save my mother and I, if you’ll recall, though I do have to note that House Nuvelle has…taken liberties with the ban on writing referring to demonkind. Indeed, from the very first founder of House Nuvelle, my family has been meticulous in documenting the creatures known as demons, from demonic beasts to true devils. Why, I daresay we are experts on the subject!”

“And your house never thought to share that knowledge with the church?” Hubert asked, making Constance and Monica yelp at his sudden appearance.

“DO NOT DO THAT!” the blonde snapped while Hubert set down the trays with a tea set and some snacks he had brought. 

“Hubert,” Edelgard warned, annoyed with her retainer as he began to pour tea for each of them, starting with her first before moving onto Petra, who had understood less than half of what anyone at the table was saying.

“It is a legitimate question, Lady Edelgard. I am merely curious why this information was never shared.”

“...hmph.” Constance flicked her fan open in front of her face again, hiding most of her expression aside from the irritated glare she was giving Hubert. “House Nuvelle’s founder allowed the study of demonkind because of how she herself had broken away from the Church in her time. While I understand the Church of Seiros serves its purpose and does so as well as it can, something…forbidden occurred over a millennia ago, something that our founder adamantly refused to document. Whatever occurred is never to be known, lest the knowledge damn the world as we know it.

She paused, then huffed in annoyance. “Ah, I shouldn’t have sworn in front of Princess Petra…”

“...Constance, she’s not five years old,” Edelgard pointed out, earning another huff from the blonde.

“I am well aware of that, but I don’t want to set a bad example for her! I am imparting our language upon this young girl, and it is paramount that I do not corrupt her sensibilities!”

Edelgard raised an eyebrow, before glancing over at Petra, who had taken one of the macarons and made a face when she bit into it before taking a sip of her tea. “I feel like she’ll be fine.”

"Ah, there is…no needing to worried of me," Petra said once she noticed the attention. "Though…you are speaking of daemons, yes?" 

"...That we are. If you don't mind me asking, what does Brigid think of demons?" 

"..." Petra seemed to think as she tried to figure out how to respond. "Daemons are not in Brigid, the spirits protect us. The daemon of the sea does not touch us." 

“Oh, I know this story!” Constance exclaimed, smiling, “Yes, it was printed in the writings of Constantine von Nuvelle, who penned of how the people of Brigid were able to stave off attacks from the Sea Demon by painting their ships with boar blood and tossing at least one fish from their catches as an offering! Unfortunately the practice was treated as superstition by most Adrestian sailors, who refused to believe the people of Brigid knew the seas better than them. Really, my own ancestor even set out to prove it and he was ridiculed as a crackpot! Even though he successfully sailed the length to Dagda and back without once encountering the Shipbreaker!

Constance frowned as she snapped her fan shut. "Really, things like that are likely why my family does not share most of its findings." 

"Hm…perhaps the next time we meet, we could share any information we might have? For the sake of transparency and to ensure none of us know anything dangerous," Edelgard suggested. 

"Hm…well, I shall see what I can do," Constance responded, well aware of why Edelgard was likely interested. There was no reason to antagonize her patron though.

"I'm good to go whenever, Lady Edelgard," Monica answered, smiling. 

"I'm glad to hear," Edelgard said with a smile of her own, before she noticed a servant speaking to Hubert in a hushed voice. Her aide frowned deeply at whatever the servant said, then walked over. "Hubert? Is something wrong?" 

"...it appears an incident has occurred in Faerghus," her childhood friend said as he focused on the princess, "King Lambert had been assassinated." 

In the coming week, more and more details arrived over what would be later dubbed “The Tragedy of Duscur”, which began with the deaths of not only the king of Faerghus, but also the queen, as well as several loyal knights. The “Tragedy” did not end there though, as it was not long before the news spread of knights being sent to kill the people of Duscur in response. However, while the tragedy in a foreign land went on, Edelgard herself wound up having a much more personally relevant experience that week. 

After all, it was the week she regained her mother. 

Chapter Text

In times of stress, when the reality of living in a nation that hated him on sight burdened him overmuch, Dedue remembered that one sunny day out at the field of flowers his sister loved.

He’d gone out to look for her. At two years younger than him, she had always been livelier, more spirited. Her soul was “airy” while his was more “earthy”, as his grandfather once described. He was content with that, with being the responsible one.

It was likely why he settled so well into his role as his highness’s attendant. In many ways, Dedue was a stabilizing presence for his highness, someone who supported him in the den of wolves that was the capital called Fhirdiad. It helped him to think of it like that, the idea that he was his highness’s supporter, aiding the young prince just as the prince once aided him.

That logic was what carried his own current course of action, standing at the door to the lounge that the regent Rufus, his highness’s uncle, was being beaten to death inside.

On that sunny day, years ago now, Dedue had met what the people of Fodlan call a demon. He hadn’t realized that was what she was initially, because at first, all he had seen was a girl playing with his sister.

The fact that she was foreign was obvious at a glance. Her bluish hair and light skin marked her as someone from the south, likely Faerghus because it was so close, but if she had been from another nation of Fodlan, Dedue wouldn’t have been able to tell. He didn’t really know what marked them as different at the time.

Foreign travelers weren’t impossible. It was somewhat rare to see people come from Faerghus, since their goddess was said to be a jealous god, but the people of Albinea were even darker than those of Duscur, so it was unlikely she came from the isle. None of that really mattered though.

What mattered was that she was making his sister smile as she placed a crown of flowers around the foreign girl’s head, matching the crown Sesha was already wearing.

“There, now you look beautiful!” Sesha declared, proud and happy.

The foreign girl didn’t seem to react at first. She had an even, neutral expression, as though Sesha hadn’t spoken…then she smiled, brightly and happily before giggling as her hair suddenly brightened to an otherworldly green. Small motes of light, like flickering green flames, filled the air for a moment before subsiding as her hair faded back to blue.

“You look very beautiful too.”

There were things Dedue would never mention while in Faerghus. Not even to those he trusted, not while those he didn’t were around. One of those things was that the people of Duscur had a different idea of what demons were, when compared to the people of Fodlan.

In Fodlan, demons were monstrosities. Purely evil and wickedly cunning, they were the source of all monsters within the borders of their nations and they existed solely to destroy all that their goddess had built.

In Duscur, demons were called demigods, more often than not, and considered more akin to the unruly children of Fodlan’s goddess. They were more akin to tricksters than true monsters, as he explained to his highness, and though they were often capricious and cruel, they were just as likely to be mischievously helpful.

Dedue was more awed than scared when he realized what his sister’s playmate was. He still recalled how her expression faded back to that dull gaze when she noticed him, only to brighten again when Sesha happily introduced him as her brother.

When he’d heard what demon his highness had met, Dedue felt only relief. He knew who Byleth was, after all. She had readily introduced herself back then, explaining her position as the youngest demon, the Ashen Demon, the Thirteenth. Sesha asked if that meant she’d ever met the Earth God; Byleth replied that she hadn’t yet, but wanted to, especially after hearing the tale of the demon that stole from his hall.

The two shared stories while Dedue watched over them, happy to let the pair chat until it was time to head back home. They needed to be back before dark, though Sesha huffed at the idea of leaving and insisted they bring their guest along for a meal at least, an offer that earned her another smile from Byleth, though the demon had to decline. She was visiting with her father and needed to get back to him.

Dedue recalled catching a glimpse of Byleth’s father as she left; assuming the tall, light-skinned man in armor and furs was her father. He didn’t look much like her, but he smiled warmly as she hugged him around the waist before taking his hand, her hair shining that same green shade as she walked off with him.

If things hadn’t gone the way they did, perhaps he could have convinced himself that she had simply been an unusual foreign girl. That the change in her hair was some quirk of the crest magic Fodlaners had and she was simply just strange but friendly.

The thing is, one recurring element that frequently appeared in tales of demons in Duscur was that they were remarkably fair beings. Some might take that to mean they were pretty, and yes, they were, but they were also intent on maintaining fairness. Any deal they made, they would uphold; any debt they had, they would repay.

It was what saved Sesha’s life. Dedue knew that without a doubt. Sesha still lived because she had been kind to Byleth. Because she had called her beautiful.

That had been enough for the Ashen Demon to rip the knights that tried to harm Sesha limb from bloodied limb.

The blame had fallen on demonic beasts, fortunately. During their pogrom, the knights of Faerghus found themselves beset by giant wolves and vultures, creatures that were never found in Duscur before that point.

When the Knights of Seiros became involved, investigating the demonic incursion, they blamed the blood thirst of the Faerghans for drawing the eyes of the Wolf Queen and the Carrion-Eater.

Not long after, the Bishop of the Western Church officially declared it a sign of Duscur’s evil, that their polluted blood would call such monsters. Such were the ways of Faerghus.

He found himself wondering how the church regarded the situation between his highness and the regent Rufus. Rufus was, after all, a kin slayer who had murdered his own brother and countless more through his actions. 

Yes, by crushing his uncle’s skull with his fists, Dimitri too was engaging in the act of kin slaying, but would Fodlan’s goddess appreciate the nuance? That his highness was acting for a righteous vengeance, and not a petty desire for gain?

Dimitri had been stunned, at first, when he heard the truth from the demon calling himself Bel. He’d sat at the table until the voices of the dead began to echo again. Then he stirred and stood. He needed to speak to his uncle.

Dimitri had saved Dedue’s life. His soul wasn’t “airy”. If Dedue had to compare his highness to anything, it would be clouds.

White clouds looked calm. They floated in the sky, amid the blue up above, peaceful and serene as those below presumed to see shapes in their surface. Yet clouds could gather. 

They would gather, deepen and darken, and then roar with thunder. 

Clouds were not peaceful. They looked it, they pretended it, but then came the rain, the sleet, the hail–And then, at their most powerful and fierce, they brought lightning.

Rufus hadn’t responded well to Dimitri’s question. The look of horror on his face as he realized his nephew knew proved everything. Dimitri demanded to know why. What could justify his father’s death? What could justify massacring friends and family? What could justify–

Rufus had justifications. That Lambert was pushing the more traditional lords into rebelling. That his reforms were too radical, too dangerous. That Faerghus needed stability, not change.

That it wasn’t fair Lambert had gotten everything, just by dint of bearing a crest when Rufus had been born first.

Dimitri’s first punch knocked out teeth. His second crushed his uncle’s nose. The voices were loud, screaming in his ears, shrieking for vengeance.

When Dedue entered the lounge, Rufus could not be considered to have a face. It was too crushed. Too caved in.

Dimitri’s breathing was heavy. He wore gloves, thankfully, hiding the bruising on the knuckles of his right hand, though the cloth was stained with blood. His left hand was still clutching the front of Rufus’s shirt, though the cloth was almost fully torn away. 

“…it’s quiet,” Dimitri murmured as a way of acknowledging his friend’s presence.

“As you say, your highness,” Dedue replied, before he moved over to him and crouched down. “Your highness, we need to stage the scene.”

“…what?” He looked confused.

“We cannot allow you to be seen as a murderer, your highness. Rufus deserved this death. You do not deserve to be convicted of it.”

“…This was hardly a lawful execution,” Dimitri muttered, sitting back on the floor.

“It was a righteous one. That is all that matters.” Dedue placed a hand on Dimitri’s shoulder. “You will be a good king, your highness. I know this. But those who killed your father will kill you in turn if given the chance. We will not give them that chance.”

He stood and searched the room. It wasn’t difficult to find a knife laying out, set near a small block of cheese. Rufus had a snack, it seemed.

Dedue wiped the small knife clean, then returned to his highness. “We need to make it look like there was a struggle.”

“…I see.” Dimitri held still as Dedue cut a thin line across his cheek, then huffed. “I understand you don’t want to hurt me, but it would need to be worse than that to seem real.”

Dedue frowned as Dimitri took the knife from him, then grimaced as his highness plunged the blade into his own shoulder.

“Don’t worry, it’s small and the wound is shallow,” Dimitri assured, though Dedue wasn’t particularly enthused by that response, particularly when Dimitri stabbed himself twice more in the torso. “Mngh–I-It’s fine. He fought back, he wounded me, I had to…no, it doesn’t look right. If I tried to hide it like this–”

Dedue nodded, then stood and moved over to the nearby fireplace. As he did, the flickering embers within seemed to flare for a moment, glowing green, then fading to blue and finally turning to a natural orange. 

The man of Duscur smiled and whispered his thanks, before he reached in and grasped a handful of embers. They were hot against his glove, but he held firm as he spread them around, letting the carpets, the drapes, the table, and the couches’ cushions begin to smolder.

“You confronted your uncle. He grew violent. You were stabbed. You shoved him away and he hit his head,” Dedue stated, simply and calmly as he poured the remains of Rufus’s wine bottle over his corpse, “Then you ran and came to get me to try to help, unaware that the room was burning because of his own foolishness.”

“...I see," Dimitri said, staring at the growing flames as they slowly encroached upon Rufus's corpse. "...I killed him." 

"You did what was right," Dedue cut in as he removed Dimitri’s blood soaked gloves, and tossed them towards the fire. "That man caused the deaths of hundreds if not thousands of innocent people." 

“...Yes. Yes, he did. His actions killed my parents and Glenn, and destroyed Duscur. He…I should have waited, I should have done things properly–”

“He deserved worse, your highness,” Dedue stated, before he helped Dimitri to his feet, “Now come along. We need to get your injuries checked.”

“...Of course, Dedue. Of course.”

There were, of course, some complications following Rufus’s death. The regent of Faerghus dying in his own home drew attention, particularly with the scandalous rumors that rapidly spread of how he had attempted to murder his own nephew in a drunken rage. There were some who did attempt to take the regent’s side, to claim that he had been in a state of sorrow and grief following his brother’s death.

Such arguments faded rather quickly when the accusation that he had been behind the Tragedy of Duscur began to circulate though. Then there was a great deal less sympathy for the regent’s demise.

There were still those who tried to raise questions into what truly occurred that fateful night, which was why Dedue had a strange and unexpected sense of gratitude for just how protective the nobility of Faerghus were of their royalty. He couldn’t say he particularly liked most of them, but there were benefits to having people such as Duke Fraldarius looking out for his highness, chief of which being that none were willing to levy the accusation of outright murder against the crown prince.

Many were willing to whisper though, and there was still some danger in those whispers. Dedue felt more eyes on him than usual as Fhirdiad filled with nobles from all corners of Faerghus, most of whom paid little heed to him. The true danger came from the knights in their retinues, who kept their suspicious gazes on him and wondered if, perhaps, the prince was merely covering for his retainer.

Nothing too overt or anything more than whispers where only those they intended to would overhear, but they were still there amidst the noise of rumor and suspicion. If an accusation were ever made, then there would be trouble; until then though, Dedue simply kept to his duties of taking care of his highness as a funeral was prepared.

It was a quiet event, held more out of tradition than anything else. 

Dimitri was excused from the funeral given what had occurred, so he stayed in a lounge room, his only company being Dedue. That is until there was a knock on the door. 

"Come in," Dimitri responded, not looking up from the table in front of him. 

Immediately the door opened and the familiar sight of his three friends poured in. Well two willingly came in; Felix was dragged in by Sylvain. Dimitri wondered if he should have told them what he had learned. Would they have told him to do what he did, or made him go down a different path? He knew he should have waited, but…in the moment, he couldn’t.

"Your highness!" Ingrid called out, immediately rushing to his side. "I'm sorry we weren't able to be here sooner."

"Yeah, this, uh…certainly was surprising to hear," Sylvain said, letting out an awkward chuckle. 

Felix just scoffed as he looked away from the prince. 

"Felix, come on!" Ingrid complained, frowning at her friend.

"What? Do you want me to offer empty condolences?" 

Sylvain sighed. "Felix, buddy, come on, have some tact…" 

"What for? The boar probably killed him." 

"Felix-!" 

"I did," Dimitri cut in with no emotion in his voice. 

The three nobles went stiff, before Felix glowered at him again. “Is that supposed to be a joke?”

“It isn’t. I killed my uncle. I beat him to death with my own two hands.”

“Th-That…Y-Your highness…” Ingrid stammered, staring at Dimitri in disbelief, “You…I-I’m sure it wasn’t intent–”

“Are you being serious?!” Felix snapped, turning his glare towards the blonde, “You can’t just brush that off! He just admitted to murdering his uncle and we’re supposed to stand around and pretend like he didn’t say anything!?”

“...Why did you do it?” Sylvain asked, his tone uncharacteristically serious.

"He confessed to being behind the Tragedy of Duscur," Dimitri said, not looking up at them. "He tried to spout excuses, but it was all because my father was king, even though he was the second born. He might not have done it personally, but he might as well have swung the blade himself. My family, friends, all those knights, and all the people of Duscur are dead because of a reason like that. 

Dimitri balled his hands into fists. "So I killed him, for everyone he killed."

“...” Felix moved first, turning to the door and shoving his way through with a deep scowl, his back tense and his fists shaking as he kept them clenched.

“Let him go,” Dimitri requested, looking at Ingrid as she moved towards the door, her hand raised as though she could just pull Felix back.

"...so, what now then?" Sylvain asked, staring at the prince. 

"There's more. More conspirators. I don't know how many, but I know of two," Dimitri said. "Viscount Kleiman, and someone named Cleobulus."

"...your highness, you're not…you’re telling us the truth when you say this, right?" Ingrid asked, to which Dimitri nodded his head. 

"How do you know all this?" Sylvain asked, almost afraid to do so.

"I made a contract with a demon," 

"What!?" Ingrid exclaimed, taking a step back from Dimitri. "Your highness you can't be serious! Everyone knows demons lie!" 

"Not this one," Dedue said, getting their attention. "The Ashen Demon protected my sister because she was kind to her." 

“That–So your people do consort with demons!” She glared at him for a moment before looking at Dimitri again. “Your highness, you can’t believe these lies!”

“Hang on a second, Ingrid,” Sylvain cut in, “You have to admit, Rufus was someone who benefited a lot from his majesty’s death. The same for Kleiman. He has all of Duscur as his territory now and all he had to do was make sure they were blamed for King Lambert’s death.”

“S-Sylvain! You can’t really–”

“Yeah, I can. Because I trust Dimitri. Even if I don’t trust whatever demon he might’ve talked to, I don’t think Dimitri’s the type to beat his own uncle to death without knowing he’s done something to deserve it.”

“I–But, Sylvain–”

“And hey, either we believe him and accept that he had a good reason, or we assume our prince got suckered by a demon and murdered the regent. And that’s a pretty bad option, isn’t it?”

"S-Still! We need to be careful going forward! I mean, we don't even know what the demon asked for!" 

"A meal," Dimitri answered, "She…He wanted to share a meal with me." 

“Ah…what?” Ingrid asked while Sylvain whistled.

“Wow, Dimitri. I didn’t think you’d be able to land a date with a demon.”

"Sylvain, this is serious!" 

"Hey it's not like everyone gets the chance to do something like that. Still, it's a good sign that the demon didn't ask for something major like his life or something." Sylvain sighed as he sat down. "Trust me…they're not all bad." 

"...Sylvain, you better be careful about what you say next." 

"Hey, don't worry I didn't summon one," Sylvain said, slightly exasperated, "Miklan did." 

Ingrid’s eyes widened and even Dimitri glanced up with a small frown. “…what did he do?”

"He tried to sacrifice me to get himself a crest," Sylvain easily answered before smirking, "Thankfully my good looks must have charmed the demon because she said that she would only accept a price that came from Miklan himself, not stolen from someone else." 

"Is that why he was disowned?" 

"Yeah. It's almost funny to think. If he had just stuck to punching me when he felt angry, he probably would have been fine. Yet the one time he didn't hit me ended up costing him what he had left.” He sighed. “It’s crazy how life can be sometimes. But yeah, I don’t think demons are all bad. At the very least, they keep to standards that some humans don’t.”

"...do you remember anything about this demon?" Dimitri asked, curious if it was the same one who he met. 

"Oh, it was this lady. She looked like she was maybe…thirty or forty. Though I can't say for sure since they can supposedly change forms." He thought for a moment. "...huh, I wonder if that's why I like mature older women." 

"Ugh, Sylvain…” Ingrid sighed, more exasperated at this point.

"Hey, I'm just saying I appreciate her looks. Heck, she even said if Miklan didn't offer anything up, she'd leave because she had a daughter to look after." 

“...Is that something you find appealing?” Dimitri couldn’t help but ask.

“Would you two please stop focusing on this topic?” Ingrid requested, frowning, “I…you do understand that what you two are telling me goes against over a thousand years of tradition and teachings, don’t you?”

“Of course I do,” Dimitri answered, growing serious again, “What I did…if it ever gets out, I won't be able to make any excuse. So once I discover everyone who was behind the Tragedy of Duscur, I plan on turning myself in." 

“Dimitri…”

“Hm…what’s the plan for Faerghus then?” Sylvain asked, raising an eyebrow, “You’re the last member of the Blaiddyd family, Dimitri. If you go, the kingdom goes.”

“...I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. For now, the people of Duscur and those lost in the massacre deserve justice for what happened to them,” he stated firmly.

"And what do you think, big guy?" Sylvain asked as he glanced at Dedue. 

"I will help his highness accomplish his goals, whatever they may be." 

"..." Ingrid sighed. "I don't think you should be doing any of this…but you're my king Dimitri. Even if all I do is make sure you don't make any deals with a devil again, I'll stand by your side." 

"Yeah, if nothing else we have to make sure you don't end up getting yourself killed," Sylvain joked, before glancing at the door. "...I'll try talking with Felix later." 

"Make sure to tell him to be careful. I….I don't know who Cleobulus is, other than that they were apparently manipulating things in the shadows," Dimitri said, deciding to inform them of what he knew. "I don't know how many there are, but I need to investigate everyone Kleiman and Rufus knew, even if it was just a merchant they met once." 

“Oof, that’s going to be tricky…especially since a name like that is going to stand out.”

“Huh? How would it be trickier if the name is recognizable?” Ingrid asked.

“Because whoever Cleo is, they’re probably smart enough to take a fake name so nobody comments on their weird name,” Sylvain explained.

“Oh, I see…well, maybe we should look at foreigners then? An unusual name probably means they’re not from Faerghus to begin with.”

“See, I can understand that logic, but let’s try to avoid starting a devil hunt of every foreigner in Faerghus, okay?”

“I wasn’t suggesting–Ugh, never mind…”

Dedue kept his expression even and stoic. It wasn’t his place to show amusement at the pair of nobles, nor happiness at how his highness was clearly beginning to relax in his friends’ presence.

There would be time for smiling later.

Chapter Text

Claude had to admit, it was somewhat easier than he expected to excuse the new retainer he suddenly had. Nobody seemed to mind her presence, nor even question where she came from, which made a part of him wonder if demon deals were far more of an open secret than he expected. Not that he could ask, hence the secret part of the open secret. 

Still, things were going normally, he had a cute girl hanging around him who thankfully wasn't doing anything absurd like demanding blood or daily sacrifices, so that was good. Though he did find himself wondering what a demon could do even while restricted.

The smirk she sent his way whenever he had such thoughts kept him from asking. 

Regardless, he was the heir of House Riegan, and he still needed an official retainer rather than just a maid, as Byleth had been called. Which led to today, where another duke came to visit with an interesting person in tow. 

"Hi there, my name is Hilda~!" the cheerful, pink-haired girl greeted with a large smile on her face, "I hope we can get along, even if I'm too delicate to do any proper retainer work." 

“...heh, that’s quite the introduction there, Lady Goneril,” Claude replied, audibly amused, “Or do I get to call you Hilda?”

“Well as long as I get to call you Claude, I don’t see why you can’t.” She grinned, before leaning towards him with a stage whisper. “By the way, you’re supposed to give your name too, remember?”

He returned her grin before placing a hand on his chest and bowing slightly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Hilda. I’m Claude von Riegan, though you can call me Claude as long as I can call you Hilda.”

She raised an eyebrow at him basically repeating her words, before letting out an amused huff. “Okay, now that fancy introductions are out of the way, is there some place less stuffy that I can relax in around here?”

He wouldn’t normally consider the round table’s meeting room an especially stuffy spot, but hey, he might as well make sure his new retainer was comfortable. “Sure, follow me. Hey grandpa, we’re going to one of the tea rooms!”

Duke Riegan paused in the middle of his conversation with Duke Goneril, a faintly annoyed look crossing his weathered face at the interruption, before he waved a hand dismissively. “Go on then, have fun. Make sure to bring Byleth with you.”

“Pretty sure she was planning to come along either way,” Claude replied, faintly amused at how quickly his “maid” had endeared herself to his grandfather. But, then again, she was weirdly good at endearing herself to just about anyone; he was pretty sure half the staff adored her for helping out with whatever chores needed doing in her free time, and the other half at least appreciated how she’d defer to them.

It helped that she looked cute in the maid outfit. 

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Goneril," Byleth said, bowing to the young noble lady.

"Oh please just call me Hilda," she responded with another smile before they exited the meeting room together.

"Very well, Lady Hilda. Though I may just be a maid, if there is anything you need, you need only ask.” 

"Wow, if I had known being your retainer would mean having a cute maid help me out, I would have signed on earlier," Hilda commented to Claude. 

"So long as you remain his trusted retainer, I shall be at your service." 

"Pft–Yeah, sure. Like I said, if it means I get a cute maid out of it, I'm up for following Claude around," she said, earning a smile from Byleth

"Hey, don't forget she's still my maid," Claude mock-complained as they entered a tea room. 

"Yeah yeah, just let me reap the benefits, okay?" Hilda huffed in response before turning to the second man in the room. "Actually, do you mind getting us some Rose Petal Blend?" 

"Of course, Lady Hilda," the man in the maid outfit responded before moving to get a tea set. 

"Thank you~" She graced the admittedly handsome man with a smile before her brain caught up to what her eyes were seeing and she blinked. “...hang on, what?”

“Is there a problem, Lady Hilda?” the man asked as she and Claude stared at him, before Claude let out an exasperated noise.

“Seriously? Why are you a guy now?”

“Should I not be?”

“Considering how that dress doesn’t suit you at all now, yeah, you probably should’ve stayed a girl.”

“Really?” Byleth glanced down at himself, before idly swishing the skirts of his maid dress. “I don’t know, I think I can still make this work. Now then, I’ll be right there with your tea, Lady Hilda.”

“...yeah, uh…thanks…?” Hilda stared at the guy that had, somehow, replaced the cute girl working for Claude, then started making some very confused mental connections as she took in the exact same shade of green in his hair and eyes. “...Claude…how can your maid turn into a guy?”

“Because I’m a demon,” Byleth readily supplied, placing the prepared tea set on the table, the tea pot already steaming with the hot water inside.

“Why would you tell her that?” Claude asked, honestly more bewildered and exasperated by the situation than actually upset, in large part because he was pretty sure Byleth could do some kind of magic thing to make Hilda forget this whole situation if need be.

“Because she is meant to be your retainer, master. It is only natural then that she be informed of our situation so she may utilize the benefits to the fullest.”

“...wait, hang on. You’re a demon?” Hilda asked, prompting a nod from Byleth. “...An actual demon?” Another nod. “Like…from the story books and stuff?”

“No, I’m not popular enough to be in any of those yet. Too new, you know?” he replied while pouring tea for Hilda and Claude, “I haven’t done anything too impressive yet, not compared to my mother or my aunts.”

“...heh. Yeah, I know how that feels,” Hilda admitted while deciding to take a seat and a sip, “Oh wow, this is really good!”

“Thank you. If nothing else, I pride myself on my service to others.”

"You know, I could take you telling her without my permission as you not being loyal to me," Claude pointed out, sitting down to have admittedly tasty tea. 

"You could, yet the contract still remains, no?" Byleth asked, a smile on his face. "I may have been testing the limits, but it seems that as long as I believe it to be something that is loyal, then I have some freedom." 

"And if I say you can't do anything without my permission?" 

"Then I shall stand here motionless until you tell me to do something. Whether it be walking, talking, even breathing. At least, that's how I would take such a command." 

“Hey c’mon Claude, don’t do something like that,” Hilda complained, “I don’t mind if your cool demon maid wants to show off for me.”

“You could’ve phrased that better,” Claude commented, not really sure how this turned into him being the bad guy here.

“Yeah, maybe, but I’m not gonna take it back.” She glanced up at Byleth. “Hey, so, from one retainer to another, do I get to borrow you whenever I want?”

“That would be up to Claude. I’m loyal to him, so I would prefer to stay by his side.”

“Aw, lame…”

“I have to say, you’re taking this much better than I would’ve expected,” Claude commented, looking at Hilda again in an attempt to see if she was in any way uncomfortable. He would’ve thought a Fodlan noble would react a little worse to a demon in their presence, but she was taking this really well.

"I mean, from my point of view you have a servant who is both a hot guy and a hot girl, and they don't seem scary so…" She shrugged. "Hm, actually if you don't mind me asking, you said you haven't done anything impressive. Does that mean Claude is the first person you made a contract with?" 

"Nope, I've had a few contracts here and there," 

"Ooo, can you tell us about them?" 

"My apologies but no. A contract is what a demon holds sacred above all else. The people I've made them with have given me something they can never take back. To expose such an intimate thing with someone who is uninvolved…well, that would be rather rude of me, would it not?" 

“Hmm…I guess. Though when you phrase it like that, it sounds almost romantic,” she remarked, glancing over at Claude with an amused grin.

"So long as it is upheld, I suppose it is." Byleth smiled at Claude. "You are planning on upholding your end, correct?" 

"...of course," Claude responded, a bit unnerved by that smile. 

"I don't suppose I can ask what that is, can I?" Hilda asked, her curiosity piqued by Claude’s reaction.

"Sorry, Lady Hilda, but no." Claude let out a small sigh of relief at Byleth’s answer, since any talk of true names would open up to many questions. "All I can say is that my contract means I shall be loyal to Claude von Riegan." 

"Glad to hear," Claude muttered, before stopping as something clicked into place. He made the contract as 'Claude', which meant Byleth was loyal to 'Claude'. Which meant even if he never told the demon his true name, the moment he went back to living as 'Khalid' the contract would be over because 'Claude' would be gone. 

He glanced at his retainer, who returned his look with a playful smile. “Yes, master? Do you require something from your faithful servant?”

“...It’s really weird hearing you say that as a guy,” he replied in lieu of voicing his suspicions.

“I don’t know, I’m into it,” Hilda commented, amused.

“Well thank you, Lady Hilda. I’m glad someone appreciates all the hard work I put into looking good~” Byleth said with another teasing grin.

“...Anyway,” Claude spoke up, searching for a topic to switch to, “So, Hilda, do you have any thoughts on this whole retainer thing?”

“Hm? Eh, it makes sense, I guess. We’re the same age, our families are allies, and there’s probably at least a couple people on both sides hoping we’ll fall for each other and get hitched, considering you’re the heir of House Riegan and I’m the spare of House Goneril.”

“...huh. I have to admit, I didn’t expect you to sum it up so bluntly.”

“What can I say? I might not have too many brains rattling around up here, but I can still piece some things together. Just don’t expect too much of me, okay? I’m not some kind of super servant like your hottie here.”

"Just to make sure, Hilda will be taking the Riegan name, and not the other way around, correct?" Byleth asked, prompting a blink from Hilda.

“Woah, someone’s planning ahead. And here I thought you and Claude might’ve had a thing.”

“Well he did propose to me, but I can accept being a mistress.”

“...” Hilda turned her disbelieving gaze from Byleth to Claude.

"That was just an option," Claude muttered, looking away from them. 

"I dunno Claude, having a hot demon as a mistress sounds like a plus to me," Hilda noted, clearly looking at Byleth again. 

"Thank you," Byleth said, smiling at her, before pausing, "Though, I imagine you'd have to meet my parents if I did become your mistress, Claude." 

"Huh. Wait, you have a mom and dad?" Hilda asked. 

"Yup. I did mention my mother earlier, didn’t I?”

“Oh, right, you did. Sorry about that.” 

“It’s no trouble. Sadly, I haven't been able to speak with them since becoming Claude's retainer. I do need to stay by his side, after all." 

Claude paused there, frowning. “Hm…hey, Byleth, do you want to visit your parents?”

“Oh, I’m fine where I am. My parents understand how important a contract is. Though I do regret being so cruelly forced to abandon them.” He pretended to dab at his eye with a handkerchief. “Alas, my poor elderly father will have such a hard time all on his own, with none to care for him." 

Claude did his best to ignore Hilda's pointed stare. "Well you should probably go see him then." 

"Thank you for your charity, but until the contract ends I am bound to you. Besides, you'd be lonely without me, wouldn't you, Master?" 

“Maybe I would,” he replied, leaning on the table as he gave Byleth his best playboy smirk, “I want you by my side at all times, after all. So how about you forget all your worries and just continue being my cute servant, hm~?”

“Oh my…to think you want me that badly…” Byleth lowered his head, pressing a finger to his lips in a faintly flustered way, before looking at Claude again. “Please be gentle, master~. It’s my first time with a man, after all…”

“...This feels dangerous,” Hilda commented, staring between the two boys with a very interested expression that made Claude stiffen, remembering their audience. “Oh, don’t mind me, keep going.”

“...Ah, well…” Claude cleared his throat, then suddenly stood, moving like it was perfectly natural and casual. "I actually think I heard my grandpa calling me. Byleth, feel free to do whatever you want, I'm sure I'll be busy for an hour or so." With that, he rushed–very casually walked out of the room. 

A moment passed, before Hilda abruptly started laughing. "Wow, you got him wrapped around your finger." 

“Why, whatever do you mean, Lady Hilda? I am merely acting as the proper servant for my master.” Byleth chuckled. “I can’t help it if that master is much easier to fluster than he likes to pretend.”

"That he is. Man, here I thought this was going to be a pain in my rear, but it's actually fun." Hilda giggled to herself. "So hey, can you take other contracts while working for Claude?" 

"Hm? Are you interested in making one?"

"Nope. I mean, all I have are my looks going for me, and I'm not sure that'd be a good trade." 

"Hm…you are rather pretty." He smiled. “I can imagine you would be able to make quite the deal if you put up even one of these adorable features of yours up for trade.”

“Yeah, no, I’m not about to do something like that. I like being cute, so no trading away anything like that. And I’m not interested in being big and impressive like my brother, so offers like that aren’t going to interest me.”

“And what type of offers would interest you, Lady Hilda~?" 

"You're barking up the wrong tree," Hilda replied, leaning back in her chair. "I can already charm people into getting what I want, so I don’t need to make a deal for something else." 

"Hm…very well, but the offer is on the table. If you ever find yourself wanting something you cannot have, you know who to ask." 

“Sure, sure. So hey, what would you have done next if Claude didn’t run away?”

“Oh I would have kept going. I figure the next move would have been sitting in his lap while making comments about how interesting my lacy undergarments feel with this kind of figure.”

“Ooo, wow, that’s bold.”

“You have to be bold if you want to win,” he replied, amused.

Shame that Hilda didn't want to make a deal, but he was sure he could find someone else to make a deal with. His master truly was silly; why would he ever seek to end the contract early when being the retainer of a duke guaranteed he would meet plenty of desperate people?

So as it turns out, being the retainer of the future Duke wasn't as much of a guarantee that she’d meet desperate people as Byleth thought. For starters, commoners looking to petition House Riegan went to the Duke of Riegan, not his heir, while anyone of a higher status who had business in Riegan territory usually sent someone in their stead. Unless it was important, in which case they tended to seal themselves away in the Roundtable room. 

Byleth could practically feel the monotony radiating from that room with how nobles would be in there for hours only to leave with nothing resolved. So, okay, that was one avenue she couldn't take, which wouldn't be that bad if Claude actually left Derdriu to meet other nobles. 

From how he explained it, it was too early for him to venture out; he still needed to learn more about Leicester and Fodlan as a whole, and that there was no telling how anyone would react to him being the heir who appeared out of nowhere. From Byleth’s point of view, he was being overly cautious. Sure, he might have seen his fair share of treachery in the past, that much was obvious, but he wasn't going to get anywhere without taking any risks. 

Sighing as she leaned against a mop, Byleth wondered if Garreg Mach would be more exciting. Her mama and papa told her to avoid the monastery, but if her master was going there, she really didn't have a choice. Maybe she would find someone more interesting at the Academy?

"Hey now, I don't think maids are supposed to sigh on the job," a voice warned, making Byleth smirk. 

"Greetings Lady Judith, how do you fare this day?" Byleth asked, bowing before the minor noble. 

"Doing good, I suppose." 

"I'm glad to hear! Have you considered my off–"

"I'm not making a deal," she said, cutting her off with a frown. 

Byleth pouted. “Aw, why not? Your house could be returned to prominence super easily.”

“By what means? Stealing a relic weapon? No thanks, I’m not about to start a war.”

“It doesn’t have to be the weapon. I could just get the crests for you…”

“Still not interested.” Judith sighed. “Look, don’t push your luck, alright? I’m still not happy Claude had the bright idea of binding a demon into his service.”

“I know, I know, just as I know that the only reason you haven’t ratted me out is because it would go badly for my master.” She pouted. “How did you figure out I was a demon so quickly anyway?” 

It was a valid question, considering the first thing Judith had done upon meeting Byleth was ask Claude why he had the bright idea of summoning a demon. The expression on her master’s face had made the reveal worth it, though it was still a little awkward that she was found out so easily…

“Met your mom before.”

“Oh, I see, that would–” Byleth blinked. “You met mama?”

“Judith, there you are!” Claude called out, catching the demon and the noble’s attention, “I thought you were coming by the–Ah…”

“I was just talking with your pet first. Alright kid, let’s chat. I want to make sure you haven’t done anything stupid, again, because I let you out of my sight for a month.”

“You could just send me a letter instead of checking up on me in person.”

“Eh, I have other business in Derdriu anyway. I might as well make it all one trip.” Judith said with a shrug. "Besides this way I can make sure you don't summon another demon." 

Byleth let out a mock gasp. "How cruel of you to think Claude would need another…" 

"...I mean, you did say the other demons were more impressive," Claude commented, before feeling a bizarre sense of heat, like the whole room just warmed up.

“...I see. So it’s like that then, huh…” Byleth mumbled, before turning on her heel and walking away.

“Uh–Wait, what? Hang on, why’d she…?”

Judith sighed. “Claude, there are some things you just don’t say to a woman. Even if she is a demon.”

“...what??”

“...uh, Byleth?”

Byleth did not respond, and instead continued to dust the same spot on the wall she’d already gone over. Considering she’d already dusted the entire bedroom twice, he was pretty sure it didn’t need that much dusting. Either that, or that one spot really needed it.

“You, uh…are you doing okay?”

Byleth glanced over at him, before hmphing and turning back to the wall. 

"...so you know, I talked to Judith a bit, apparently she met your mom because my mom summoned her. Crazy coincidence, huh?" 

"So you are interested in mama." 

“...” Claude suddenly came to a truly bizarre realization that he might’ve just done the equivalent of telling a girl her mom is prettier than her. Which, one, he had no idea how Byleth got that impression, and two, he really didn’t expect the powerful demon he summoned to be his servant to be this…petty. “I haven’t even met your mom.”

That was the wrong thing to say.

Silence followed the sharp crack of the duster Byleth had in hand as she slowly turned towards Claude, a dull look in her eyes. 

"Master, though I may be your ever loyal retainer for either as long as the contract holds or as long as you may live, I ask that you refrain from talking about my mama." 

"..." Claude had no idea how someone could make the word 'mama' threatening. “Okay. Uh, sure, talking about moms is off-limits. Though, uh…so, hey, you said your dad was elderly, right?”

Byleth raised an eyebrow. “Is that the sort of thing you’re into?”

“...Anyways, so is your dad human?”

“You didn’t answer the question, and yes, papa is human. Well, mostly, there is the factor of whether anyone with a crest can be considered fully human considering the draconic blood in them.”

“...what.”

“Crests were given to humanity by the imbibing of dragon blood.”

“...I feel like you should explain that more than not at all.”

“I feel like you should pay me if you want earth-shattering information.”

He frowned, thinking. “What counts as ‘earth-shattering’ information?”

“The origin of crests, the origin of demons, and the nature of the goddess. Things that would shatter the foundation of Fodlan society as it is known require additional payment.”

“Hm…can’t you just tell me as my loyal retainer?”

“That’s an interesting point, master. I could also state that it is because of my loyalty that I am not telling you, because you would more than likely be killed for ever letting this knowledge slip.”

“Sure, I can see that, but I think I’m good at gauging risk all on my own.” He grinned. “So why not tell me anyway?”

“...Oh master, I cannot believe you would force your will upon me in such a way…you truly are a rough and cruel master…” She sighed, turning away from him and starting to undo the buttons on her–

“What are you doing?”

“I understand, master, that you desire such deep, important secrets from me without being willing to pay properly…so it is only right that I, as your loyal retainer, bare it all to you, all at once, and let it be known just how eagerly you have taken advantage–”

“Stop,” he requested, holding up a hand and letting out a sigh. “You made it weird.”

“I know, I was doing it intentionally. Stop asking questions.” Byleth smirked. "Even if I were to ignore the danger such knowledge would put you in, you don't think it would stop with just you right? Such news could cause a war that hasn't been seen since Nemesis himself traveled these lands." 

“Hm…so, hey, on that subject, actually–”

She raised an eyebrow. “You want to start a war?”

“No–Well…maybe. We’ll see how things go. I meant more on the subject of Nemesis.”

Her other eyebrow raised. “You want to kill a god??”

“What?”

“...Ah, no, never mind that part. No god killing, also. What exactly did you want to ask?" 

"...Well, I have a book of demonic fables, which is where I got the ritual to summon you. And in it, it talks about how after the Queen of Blood was defeated, the Shipbreaker and Earthshaker appeared to steal her spine and heart respectively. Now while I've told you the legend of the Earthshaker, also called the Mountain Demon, legends say that the Shipbreaker stayed in the Fodlan seas until a Knight of Seiros ventured down into her lair. 

"Down there, he found several riches, all of which he claimed for the goddess. Once he defeated the Shipbreaker, that is, and those treasures included a relic sword that had not been seen since the time of Nemesis. So, what I want to ask is this: Is the information from that book of fables accurate?" 

"My my, quite greedy, asking not just for the clarification of one piece, but the entire book…very well, I shall tell you one bit of information for free. If you wish for more, a payment will be necessary." 

"..." Claude took a deep breath. "Does the church have the sword of the creator?" 

"Yes. I cannot confirm its exact location, but they do indeed have it. Ah, and please don't ask me to retrieve it. I wouldn't be able to complete such a request since I would likely end up dead before I could even find the sword." 

“Don’t worry about that. I plan to do some investigating of my own once we get to the monastery.” He paused. “Hey, speaking of, can you actually walk around Garreg Mach to begin with? It’s a holy place, isn’t it?”

“Oh don’t be silly, master. Demons are not warded away from ‘holy’ places as though their very presence repels us. We simply have no cause to go where we are not wanted. I may be somewhat more restricted though.” Her usual smile faded into a small, neutral expression as her usually vibrant green hair dulled to a more teal shade. “I will need to hide my presence, lest we risk discovery.”

"Well, that's good to know. So chances are, you'll be able to stay as a student while I'm there." 

"If that will let me be at your side, very well, master," Byleth replied, a small smile on her face. "I'm sure our time at the monastery will be quite intriguing."

Chapter Text

Shez was strong, that she knew. Ever since she was a small kid, she could do far more than any kid her age should be able to! Whether it be carrying supplies, helping her mom cook and clean, or even chopping up wood, she could handle it, no problem! 

So when her mom told her she shouldn't go out hunting on her own, she made the decision that she was totally able to handle it on her own! 

Which led to her hiding behind a tree, a broken bow in hand as a boar sniffed around looking for her. Grimacing, she tied a torn piece of cloth around her scraped arm. 

"Stupid boar…" She huffed, grabbing a dagger she had, and began to climb the tree, though she moved a bit too quickly since the boar immediately charged and rammed into the tree. "AH!" 

Screaming, Shez clung onto a branch, trying to steady herself as the boar circled around. Taking a deep breath, she stared down, trying to time when she would jump down and stab. Though as soon as she tried to climb onto the branch, the boar rammed again, making her scream again as she fell. 

Crashing onto the ground, she gasped in pain. She had to moment to see the boar rushing at her. Closing her eyes, she thrust her dagger forward, hitting something and hearing the boar squeal. 

"Ow," came a voice Shez didn't recognize. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw a blue-haired girl standing in front of her. Her dagger dug into the girl’s back while the corpse of a boar laid on the ground in front of her, its head split in half. The girl frowned at her, apparently not really pained by a knife in her back. “Rude.”

Then the girl vanished, and Shez was left staring in confusion at the dead boar on the ground. “Huh...that was weird.”

She stood up, brushed herself off with a confused frown, and moved over to the boar to try to see if she could lift it before a thought occurred. “Hey, wait, that girl stole my knife!”

Shez was weird. He knew he wasn't the most normal kid around. His mom never told him much about where she found him, but even he could tell that not everyone could suddenly shapeshift like he did. Mom told him that was natural for him, but that he should be careful not to do something like that in front of other people. 

He was still young, so it's not like it was really that noticeable when he changed. To most people, it just looked like he got a haircut, since his hair was shorter when he was a boy. He still knew he was weird, but he was okay with that. 

What he wasn't okay with is people calling his mom weird. 

"Shut up!" he shouted, tackling a village kid who had run his mouth off one too many times. He didn't care if it was different that his mom lived alone with a foundling that she found in the woods. It would never matter that he didn't know anything about his birth parents. His mom was his mom, it was that simple. 

Pushing the kid into the dirt, he tried to get the brat to stop talking bad about his mom by shutting his stupid mouth with his fist, until another kid kicked him from the side, knocking him over. Growling, Shez was about to push himself up, until a third kid kicked him too, hitting his ribs and making him gasp as the three of them closed down on him. 

Yet as soon as the pain started, it stopped when one of the kids was suddenly thrown off him, before the other two fell too, clutching their noses and jaws. 

Staring up in surprise, he saw a familiar blue-haired girl staring down at him, to which he only had one response. 

"Hey, you stole my knife!" She tilted her head slightly, before vanishing. "Ah–HEY! Get back here!" 

Pushing himself up, he frowned as he looked at the unconscious bullies around him. Who did she think he was, coming here like he needed help?! He'd show her!

Shez loved her mom. Really, she was the only constant in her life, so of course she would. They never really talked with any of the villagers, aside from the village head when it was tax time. They were even able to grow their own food, so it's not like they needed to go buy from others often. Still, whenever she needed something, Shez always got it for her mom. 

Even when her mom was getting sick, she made sure to put on a big smile. So when her mom asked her to get some firewood, she went to get some, even if there was already a pile of logs by the fireplace. It was getting close to winter and it was cold in the mountains even during the summer. 

Even if it was just the two of them, they'd be okay. 

So it was a surprise to see her mom drinking tea with a green-haired woman when she came back. The two were chatting, a small smile on both their faces before they noticed Shez. 

"Oh, Shez, thank you for getting some more firewood," Periander said, about to get up before she started coughing. 

"No need to get up mom, I know where to put the logs!" Shez replied, putting on her best smile while she walked over where they kept the wood, before side-eying the new woman. 

"Periander, please, make sure to take it easy for now," the woman requested, before looking at Shez with a small, friendly smile, "Hello, my name is Sitri. I'm happy to meet you." 

"Ah…yeah, nice to meet you too,” she responded, still eyeing the weird woman a little warily. Most people didn’t wear weird bramble crowns, after all.

"There is no need to worry, Shez," Periander said as she cleared her throat, "Sitri and I are old friends." 

"Okay…" She was still suspicious, but if her mom was vouching for her, she was probably okay. "How do you know mom?" 

"I met her when she moved here," Sitri explained before she sipped her tea, "I actually met you back then as well, but you were far too young to remember me." 

"Oh…well, nice to meet you again?" 

"My, but you are so polite." Sitri sighed. "I wish Byleth would pick up the same manners." 

"How is Byleth doing?" Periander asked.

"Oh, you know, still working hard on contracts. They’re still young, so there’s nothing too significant yet. Ah, they should be coming by later with Jeralt if you want to see them." 

"I see. Should I prepare some more tea?" 

"No need. Jeralt isn't a fan of it, and Byleth is still too young to appreciate the flavor." 

Standing off to the side, Shez stood awkwardly, not sure if she should be joining in or not. They seemed to be getting along, so it felt weird to just walk up and sit down. Thankfully, there was a distraction as someone knocked in the door. "I got it!" 

Rushing to the door, she opened it, only to blink as she saw a massive mountain of a man standing on the other side. A big, orange mountain, cause of the tunic he was wearing, though his hair was more…tannish? Light brown? Or…whatever that color was.

"Hey, is this where Periander lives?"

"Uh…"

"Papa, you need to be nicer when introducing yourself," spoke a green-haired boy, making Shez blink again as she glanced at him. Something about him seemed…familiar. 

"Oh, Jeralt there you are. Did you bring the medicine?" Sitri called out.

"I did," Jeralt said, before staring down at Shez, "Sorry for intruding. Do you mind if I come in?" 

“...sure,” Shez muttered, keeping an eye on the two as she stepped to the side, frowning a bit as the boy kept smiling at her. 

"Here you go," Jeralt said, placing a pouch on the table. 

"Thank you," Periander replied, taking the offered medicine, before turning her gaze to Sitri again. "Are you certain you do not need payment for this boon?" 

"Your company is good enough. I haven't had many contracts since Byleth was born, so I haven't had too many people to talk to." 

Frowning as she tried to understand what they were talking about, Shez stiffened when she felt someone tap her shoulder. Looking over, she saw who she presumed was Byleth standing beside her. 

"Hello," he said, a smile still on his face. 

"What do you want?" she asked, frowning at the green-haired boy.

"I just wanted to check in on you. This is our first proper conversation, is it not?" he asked with a smile that was rubbing her the wrong way. 

"...yeah, I guess." 

"Oh, and this is yours, right?" Byleth asked as he pulled out a dagger from his pocket. 

"Huh?" Staring at the knife, she took it after a moment, frowning as it looked familiar… "Wait, this is the knife that girl stole. Not only did she take it, she just gave it away! That's rude!" 

Byleth blinked in surprise, before laughing. "Is that so? Quite rude indeed." 

"Isn't it?!" Shez shouted, getting him to laugh again. 

"Byleth, we're leaving!" Sitri called out, getting the boy's attention. 

"Coming, mama," he replied, before nodding to Shez and walking off to join his parents. Which…well he was a bit strange, but he was nicer than that blue-haired girl she met. Who knows, maybe they'd become friends? 

Shez didn’t really have any of those, so…it might be nice.

Shez needed money. It was clear whatever money his mom had wasn't much, so he wanted to help out. Granted, it's not like there was much to do around town, since everyone there would rather hire someone who lived in the village instead of giving money to someone who lived in the woods nearby. Still, he got lucky and found work that would pay! That being mercenary work. 

Now, Shez knew he certainly wasn't the strongest person around; his mom was a way better mage than him, and he was still getting used to wielding swords, but what could go wrong if he just signed up with the first crew he found? 

Seeing half of the crew he signed up with get killed in an ambush certainly showed how wrong it could go. 

Almost yelping as he saw the team leader go down with an arrow to the neck, Shez quickly pulled out his sword to defend himself. The pounding of hoofbeats echoed loudly all around him as he tried to figure out what was going on through all the dust and screaming, the peaceful trail they’d been traveling down turning into a brutal battlefield in seconds.

Still, he kept his grip on the blade in his hands and waited, watching for anyone that might try to come at him–And a body dropped right in front of him, an axe driven deep into the mercenary’s chest. It was pulled free in a spray of blood by a large, bearded man, who turned his gaze towards Shez with just the barest glint of contempt before he swung for Shez’s head.

He never got close, since his arm went soaring off into the distance, and while Shez would love to be able to take credit for that awesome feat, he found himself instead staring at a familiar head of green hair. Though, wait, that wasn’t right…

Shez blinked in some confusion at the sight of the blue-haired girl now having green hair, strangely in the exact same shade as Byleth’s, before she suddenly vanished again. 

“...uh, what?” Shez asked, still confused, before an arrow thunked into the carriage beside him and he ducked with a yelp. That…okay, right, combat. He knew how to fight, for the most part, he had some training…sort of. Mostly he’d developed his own style by reading books and practicing. He was ready to fight though!

So forward he rushed with a war cry on his lips! One that petered out fairly quickly when he noticed the “battlefield” was currently empty of noise. “...eh?”

Shez frowned, before walking forward, glancing around the trail. While things had sounded loud and chaotic moments ago, it was a bit easier to notice, now that things were quiet, that there were barely a dozen fighters on either side. It seemed like a lot more in the chaos of battle…or maybe it was just hard to tell how many there were with how scattered the body parts were?

“...is that guy a cube?” he wondered, before glancing away from the meat cube and towards the sound of idle chewing, which let him spot the girl sitting on his group’s overturned supply carriage. “...Are you eating a horse?”

The girl kept chewing, ignoring the question despite the haunch she had in hand–No, wait, she held up her free hand, clearly asking him to wait before she answered. Well that was a bit better than ignoring him completely…

“Mm. Yeah, I was, because you brought me over here at lunchtime,” the girl complained, pouting over at them with a bloodied mouth, “I don’t even like horse meat.”

She said that like it was Shez’s fault. He frowned, puffing up in indignation. “Yeah, well, you didn’t have to show up again!”

“Yes, I do. Why are you out here anyways? Did you get kidnapped by mercenaries?”

“No! I joined up with these guys!” Shez declared proudly.

“Which ones? The guys that died first or the guys that died second?”

“Uh…” Shez glanced around. “I…think the first one? Wait, did you kill the guys on my side?”

“Which ones were on your side?”

“Ah…did you!?”

“I killed everyone with hostile intentions towards you, so if I did, they probably sucked.” She paused. “Don’t tell my mama I said ‘sucked’. I’m not supposed to curse.”

Shez scoffed. “That’s not a curse. Shit is a curse.”

“...Okay, I’m definitely telling your mama that you cursed.”

“Wha–No, don’t!” Shez paused. “Wait, you know my mom?”

“Yeah? I met her when I was…three, I think. I turned four that year, but I was three when I met her, I’m pretty sure.” She regarded Shez with a raised eyebrow, a familiar smile in place on her bloody face. “How old are you anyways?”

“I have no idea, and it doesn’t matter! I’m probably older than you anyways!”

“...Nope, you were definitely a tiny baby when I met you. Like super small.”

Shez stiffened, affronted, before glowering at the girl. “Yeah, well…you stole my knife and then gave it away to Byleth! And then stole his hair color!”

“...Are you dumb?”

“I am not! I can read and write! Bet that’s better than you can do!” he retorted, grinning at the skill that did give him a good amount of superiority over many other commoners.

“I can read and write too.” And her response immediately deflated that pride. 

“...Y-Yeah, well, I can do it better.”

The girl hopped down from the carriage and let the horse leg drop, before she put her arms behind her back and just… sauntered closer to Shez, amusement plain on her bloodied face. “Really? How fascinating. But you don’t seem that smart to me, especially because you already met me many times and have no idea who I am~.”

Shez frowned. “You never told me your name!”

“Yes I did~! Though, I think it’s more my mama mentioned? Or your mama did, one or the other.” As she spoke, walking around Shez like she was circling prey, her voice seemed to shift, going slightly lower, while her hair shortened and her build altered. Before long, Shez felt himself blink when he saw Byleth standing in front of him. “Though I suppose I should take this moment to introduce myself properly. My name is Byleth. And yours is Shez, isn’t it?”

“...”

“Hm~? What? Cat has your tongue?” he asked, raising a hand and giving Shez an amused pat on the cheek, leaving some blood there, though that was less important than the slight jolt both children felt as their skin made contact. 

Byleth paused, staring at his hand for a moment while Shez stumbled back, staring at the older boy in a strange mix of feelings. “...You’re…like me?”

“...” Byleth tilted his head, his gaze back on Shez. “...huh. No, I think we’re both something different.”

“Oh.” For some reason, that felt like a rejection, and Shez could feel a faint sting in their chest. “...S-So what, you were just pretending this whole time? Being some…weird girl and not telling me anything when I actually met you?”

Byleth blinked. “What?”

“We met before–Y-You were in my house and you didn’t even tell me anything! You’re just…just some liar!” Shez snapped, feeling surprisingly angry and upset at this ‘betrayal’. They didn’t even fully understand the emotions swirling around in them, their childish mind overwhelmed by the revelation, and all they really wanted at the moment was their mom–And in a sudden flash, they were back home.

“Shez?” Periander looked up from the books she had strewn across the table, where she’d been searching for some method of tracking her lost child, and immediately pushed herself up as she saw her child standing there, sword in hand and blood on their face. “Shez, where–”

The question would have to wait since Shez immediately dropped their sword and wrapped their arms as tight as they could around their mother, tears leaking from their eyes as they tried not to sob.

“...ah. My little angel…” Periander murmured, before she crouched down and properly wrapped her arms around her wayward child. “Silly little one…I told you, you are not ready yet.”

“...’m sorry…”

“It is fine. You are fine. We will simply need to make sure you are ready when the time does come,” she reassured.

Shez clung onto his mom, unable to let the feeling of betrayal leave. He wasn't sure when he'd see Byleth next, but he hoped next time would be the last.

Shez was ready. Two years after her previous excursion out with an ill-fated mercenary band, she was ready to face the demon bound to her by fate!

Well, by contract, technically. Her mom had explained all of that, with how she’d made a contract with some demon named Sitri to keep her safe, which did explain why Shez did have faint memories of some lady with green hair doing things like pulling her away from a snake she found. Of course, as Shez got older, and by extension the nice lady’s far less nice and definitely completely mean kid also got older, said kid took over on the “protect Shez” duty. 

And that kid’s name? Byleth. Otherwise known as Shez’s mortal enemy…

Which is what brought Shez to where they were today. Two years of training, strengthening their body and learning better magic, brought them here, to the edge of a very high cliff. A cliff they were going to jump off of! The most foolproof way of getting Byleth to show up!

“Wow, this is a high cliff.”

“Yeah, it is!” Shez responded, grinning.

“You gonna jump off it?”

“Yup! Don’t worry though, I’m gonna survive it!”

“Really? That’s impressive. How are you going to do that?”

“Well see, there’s this demon that’s protecting me, right? So I’m going to jump off and he’s going to save me. Or she, if she’s a she right now.”

“Ah, I see…I usually prefer being a she, personally.”

“Eh…I think either one fits me, you know? I don’t really mind the difference.”

“That’s fair. What happens if I don’t catch you?”

“Pff, please, I know you’re gonna–” Shez paused. She turned her head to see Byleth standing right beside her, who was smiling cheerfully at her with her green hair again.

She yelped, surprised by the other girl’s presence, and very quickly realized that the edge of a cliff was not a good place to be surprised at when she went tumbling over the side.

“Whoops,” Byleth commented as Shez felt herself immediately jerk to a stop, caught by the demon’s outstretched hand, which was around her wrist. “You should be more careful.”

“Gh–Y-You surprised me!” Shez complained as she dangled, her feet trying to catch the edge of the cliff so she wouldn’t drop further, “Nh–L-Let go!”

“...Really?”

“Ah–...okay, maybe not right now, but, um…no, wait, yeah! Let go! You’re gonna catch me anyway, right? You got that dumb contract.”

“It’s not dumb.” That actually made Byleth frown, to Shez’s surprise.

Her very brief surprise, which quickly turned to vindictiveness. “It’s super dumb! I don’t want it! I don’t need protection and I don’t want you around me!”

“Just because I decided not to tell you I wasn’t a girl when you met me as a boy?”

“N-Not just that! You also stole my knife!”

“You stabbed me. And I gave it back.” Her eyes narrowed. “You never apologized for stabbing me.”

“Ah–...well, I…um…y-you stabbed me! In the back! With your betrayal!”

“...You. Stabbed. Me. I gave your knife back. I’m nicer than you are.”

Shez blinked at that very blunt summation. And she couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable at the suggestion that she was being the mean one between the two of them. “I-I…I wasn’t…”

She felt a vague lump in her throat as her face started to warm, the past few years of grudge holding suddenly seeming very stupid as she realized Byleth hadn’t actually done anything mean to her, but she’d been consistently mean and rude to the demon. “...I-I’m sorry.”

“...” Byleth huffed. “Don’t start crying again.”

“I-I’m not!” Shez immediately denied, her face heating up–And both girls flinched as a sudden jolt hit them again, the same as on that day two years ago. The thing is, Byleth hadn’t been holding Shez over a sheer drop at that time.

Shez felt her eyes go wide as she started to drop. The wind whistled past as she tumbled down the sheer mountainside, the ground far below yet approaching faster than she would have expected. She tried to think, tried to twist around and wound up facing upwards again, where she saw Byleth right behind her, a look of determination on her face as she fell straight towards Shez.

She’d leapt off without hesitation, and Shez felt a strange soaring in her heart at that realization, a genuine smile coming to her face as she felt something push at her back. And right when Byleth caught up to her, her hand grabbing Shez’s again, the jolt that went through Shez burst out her back in the form of massive black wings, the color of the deep, dark void.

Shez had the dumbest smile on her face at the sight of Byleth’s stunned stare as the pair of them touched down on the ground below, her wings flapping on instinct to bring their descent to a slow halt. Said smile refused to fade away as Shez flapped her wings, going into the air as they flew, somehow instinctively knowing how to fly. She didn't know how long she flew, but when she touched back down, Byleth was waiting for her, an odd look on her face. 

"...I guess we really are different," Byleth muttered, making Shez’s smile disappear. 

"...why do you say that? I mean…we're both different but we can be the same in that difference, right?" 

"I don't mean it like that. You've seen my parents. I'm not a full demon, so I lack a demonic form. Wings like yours are something I don't have."

Shez paused. “...Why did you jump off after me then? If you don’t have wings, you couldn’t have flown like I did.”

“You’re my client. I’m going to protect you. Even if you’re being dumb about it.”

“...You’re the dumb one.”

“You wanted to jump off a cliff to get my attention.”

"And you jumped off after me!" 

"I would have been fine." Byleth paused and tilted her head. "It would have hurt but I would have been fine. Eventually." 

“That–No! Not allowed! No getting hurt!”

“I’m going to have to if I need to. LIke if I need to protect you from yourself.”

“No! No, you’re not getting hurt to protect me! I…I’ll protect you !”

“...That’s not how it works.”

Shez shook her head. “It is now! Just you watch, I’m going to get stronger! So strong that you’ll be begging me to keep you safe!”

"..." Byleth couldn't help but laugh at that. 

"Hey! Don't laugh!" Shez shouted before feeling Byleth pat her on the head, getting her to blush. 

"Fine. I'm looking forward to you getting strong," she said, before vanishing and leaving a flustered Shez to stare at where she had been, before the young angel felt an urge to scream. 

Shez was an angel, and with that acknowledgement of his nature came a great many revelations. Firstly, he could manifest eyes across his body, which was perfect since he could have eyes on his back and no one could sneak up on him! Secondly, his magic had somehow grown more potent, even if he still couldn't use faith magic. He could use a kind of light magic, but it was different from the faith magic other people used. He didn’t quite get the difference, he just knew there was one.

His mom had been worried for some reason, yet she quickly removed that worry as she helped him get used to his new powers. Though it's not like she had anything to worry about. He was going to get strong and would never need anyone to protect him! 

Which led to the third thing. Apparently being an angel meant he attracted demonic beasts whenever he wasn't home. 

Grumbling in the air as he stared down at a demonic beast that was roaring at him, Shez briefly wondered if he should try leading it away before sweeping back down for the supplies he dropped. 

"...or maybe I could just take it out? I mean, I could just launch attacks from the air until it died," Shez mused before steadying himself. Aiming his hand, he took in a breath as he charged a spell. Which immediately dissipated as he heard a screech of a flying demonic beast swooping down at him. 

Said screech promptly cut short when a familiar green-haired demon appeared, slashing the flying monster through its throat! Right before immediately falling to the ground. 

“Ah, hey!” Shez yelped, flying down–Before halting when he saw Byleth turn her fall into a stab straight into the spine of the landbound demonic beast. “...okay, sure, show off, I guess.”

"Just because I can't fly doesn't mean I'm not a better fighter!" 

"Shut up! I'm totally going to be a better fighter than you!" Shez shouted, landing by Byleth and grabbing his supplies from the ground. 

"Sure sure," Byleth said, with a smile that was far more giddy than her usual one. 

"Are you good there?" 

"I'm going wonderfully~! Why, I had the most exciting summoner recently." 

"...you did?" 

"Yup, I saved a young girl from her captors, by killing them as she asked~" Byleth explained while she reminisced about the massacre, "I technically broke the contract by letting her kill the last one, but she still gave me her crest as payment!" 

"...hm. You, uh, seem real interested in this summoner," 

"Well she was quite fascinating. I'm sure if you ever meet her you'd say the same," Byleth said, a grin on her face as she leaned against a tree, before forming the both crests of flames, one crimson and the other a deep purple. "Aah, even though she no longer holds it, I still feel connected to her because of this crest~." 

“...” Shez moved over to Byleth and pulled on her sleeve, prompting a blink from the demon.

“Hm? What is it?”

“...You’re here for me. Stop talking about other people.”

"You're the one who asked." 

“Yeah, well…shut up.”

“Mm, if you insist. I will no longer speak to you at all, my client–”

“N-No! No, you can still talk! Just…about other stuff!”

“Hmm…well I suppose there is this friend of mine who I like to pester. He’s quite the beautiful boy, with long, lavender hair and lovely, delicate features–” Byleth paused as Shez put a hand directly on her mouth, his face plainly red as he glared up at her.

“...m-my hair’s violet, not lavender…I think.” He frowned, glancing at his own hair. “...do you like it when it’s longer?”

“...” Byleth couldn’t tell Shez she was talking about someone else. That reaction was too cute for her to disappoint them. "...you do look good with long hair." 

"H-Hm." And Byleth saw Shez’s hair lengthen slightly, reaching his neck now. "A-Anyways, I have things to take back home." 

"Oh, I'll go with you, I haven't seen Miss Periander in awhile." 

"N-No! I, uh, have something to talk about with her, so you can't come!" 

"Oh? Well okay then. In that case, until we meet again," Byleth said, bowing to him before they vanished, leaving the angel flustered again as he quickly made his way home. 

Shez had gotten used to Byleth. Anytime she was in real, genuine danger, they'd show up, so there were usually a few moments for her to prepare herself to see her long-time friend. Even if said moments could be used to defend herself. Regardless, in the years she had become a mercenary, she usually ended up seeing the demon at least every few months. 

So it came as quite a surprise that one time when she was visiting her mom, she opened the door to see a blue-haired boy standing there on their front step.

"B-Byleth!?" 

"Hi." He raised his hand in response. "Jeralt was busy so I came to deliver the medicine."

“O-Oh, uh…” She needed a moment. She hadn’t realized Byleth was taller than her in his male form and that coupled with the fact that he was all done up in black traveling clothes while she was in the gray and orange dress she wore at home was putting her off balance–Oh no she was still wearing her apron– “A-Ah, c-come in!”

“Thanks.” He stepped inside as she stepped aside, brushing his shoes off on the mat before he looked around. “Is your mother up?”

"She, um, is taking a nap," Shez said, feeling strangely nervous as Byleth set a pouch down on the table. 

"Hm…" Byleth tilted his head and sniffed for a moment. "Are you cooking something?" 

"Oh, yeah! I, uh, like doing it when I'm back home." 

"I see," Byleth responded, staring at her expectantly. 

"...do you want to stay for dinner?" Shez asked, to which Byleth immediately nodded. 

"If you're offering." As quiet as he was being right now, Shez couldn't help but find it cute how quickly he sat down. It was odd to think, but…yeah, Byleth used to have blue hair in the past too, right?

"Hey…if you don't mind me asking, why is your hair blue now?" 

"I'm not here on a contract," Byleth responded, "This is how I usually am." 

"...huh." So…is this a side to them that only I get to see? Shez couldn’t quite stop the silly smile that spread across her face as she moved back towards the stove. She didn’t really know any good songs, but she kind of felt like humming for some reason. “So, hey, what have you been up to lately?”

“Nothing too big. This blond guy came across me while I was having a meal, so I asked him to treat me to dinner in exchange for some information.”

Shez no longer felt like humming. “...Oh yeah? Ah, so what was this guy like?”

“He acted kind, but his desires weren’t.” 

“Huh?”

“He was haunted by ghosts that don’t exist.”

“...Wait, what? How does that even work?”

“I didn’t ask. I got my meal, and I told him what he wanted to know.”

“Huh. That sounds like you were on the job, not off it.”

“I suppose. I was off the job when I met him so I didn’t bother putting on my ‘work’ looks. He didn’t get my name either since he didn’t summon me properly. It was more of a whim than a proper job, but at least I received food from the venture.”

“Hm, why were you even there?”

“A request from a different client of mine. I didn’t expect to run into him but, well, things worked out,” Byleth responded, getting Shez to frown as she immediately thought of the only other summoner Byleth had mentioned. Shaking her head, she served the two bowls of stew that she had made. 

“Right, well, hope you enjoy it.” 

Not saying a word in response, Byleth grabbed his spoon and dug in, pausing for a moment before practically shoveling the rest of the bowl into his mouth. He then held the bowl up, “Seconds, please.” 

“...Heh, enjoyed it that much, huh?”

“Yes. Seconds, please.”

Shez felt a big grin come to her face as she took Byleth’s bowl and went back to the pot, spooning out some more for him while she let hers cool a bit on the table. It was funny, she could picture a domestic scene like this from some of the books she’d read. The traveler returning home from a great journey and getting served a meal by his cute wife–

“Oh hello Byleth,” Periander greeted as she walked into the dining room, before pausing at the startled noise Shez let out. “Shez? Be careful by the stove, please. You do not want to burn yourself again.”

“I-I’m being careful! Ah, mom, there’s stew on the table if you want to eat, alright?” she called out, deciding she’ll just get herself a different bowl as she brought Byleth’s second helping over to him. 

"Oh, thank you Shez," Periander said, sitting down in front of the cooling bowl while Byleth took his second helping, "I hope you're enjoying the food, Byleth." 

"Shez is a great cook," Byleth praised, digging into his bowl again. Shez was thankful her back was to the two of them so neither could see her blushing face. 

"That she is. She certainly takes to it better than I did." 

"That's because you're always focusing more on nutrients and stuff over taste!" Shez called out.

"That is merely because I want to make sure you are healthy," Periander replied, speaking very logically instead of grumbling like her child tended to. Huffing, Shez sat down after finally getting her own bowl of food. 

It wasn't quite like she imagined in that little mental fantasy she had, but having food with people she cared about was nice.

Shez was in danger. He didn't know how and he didn't know why. All he knew was that he was fighting against a surprisingly large group of bandits calling themselves the Iron Kings and for some reason, Byleth wasn't showing up. A brief part of him wondered if they were in danger too, before he shook that off and ducked an axe swing from someone attacking him from behind. Eyes on the back were always handy for problems like that.

Stabbing them, Shez casted a miasma around himself to give himself some breathing room, as he looked at the remaining bandits and his own wounds. Less than half remained, which was good, and he'd only gotten stabbed twice, which was also good! 

Still, he needed to figure something out quickly…

In retrospect, it probably would have been a good idea to do this with a group rather than on his own, but this way he didn't need to split the reward money, even if Byleth did show up. Not to mention his mom has told him to keep his angel abilities a secret, so it's not like he usually worked with others. Especially since he had a habit of attracting demonic beasts–Oh hey lucky timing. 

Not something most people would think when they saw a giant, monstrous lizard thing charge out of the woods, but Shez wasn’t most people and it was entirely to his benefit that the creature smashed through the startled bandits, killing several with just the charge. Shez didn’t stay still during the sudden attack either, quickly charging in and cutting through as many distracted bandits as he could before he had to leap over the beast’s attempt to bite him in half.

“Are you serious?!” yelled the leader of the band of bandits, “Fuck this, everyone retreat!”

“Hey, no–“ Shez tried to call out to his escaping payday, only for the beast to catch him in the chest with its tail. He always forgot they had those…though he definitely remembered now as he was sent flying across the field. Crashing against a tree, he let out a strangled wheeze before sliding down it. 

Staring up at the demonic beast that roared at him, he weakly raised his weapons as it charged at him. Though before it could reach him, the Beast fell to the ground, as a sword pierced its head. 

"You're late…" Shez managed to say as he stared up at his savior…who was wearing a maid outfit. 

What?

"Sorry, a long running contract is getting in the way," Byleth said, kneeling down by him as she checked on his wounds. 

"...why are you wearing a maid outfit?" 

"Because my new client is having me pretend to be a maid. And because of the details of the contract, I couldn't leave the area until he fell asleep." Byleth let out an annoyed huff. "Do you know how irritating it is having a warning going off in my head that I can't stop because I have to stay where I am?" 

“Oh, uh…sorry,” Shez apologized, because what other response was he supposed to have? “...So…you’re a maid?”

“I did just say I was pretending to be one.” She gave him an amused glance. “Do you like my outfit?”

"...I mean. You look good in it." 

"Really?" She spun around, shifting into their male form. "Even like this?" 

"...The skirt could be a bit longer to fit this form, but yeah." 

"I knew it!" He grinned to himself, looking oddly satisfied. “Claude has no idea what he’s talking about.”

“Oh, is this Claude guy your, uh…client?”

“Yeah, he’s my master for now.”

“Your master? Your master. Your master…”

“Is there a reason why you’re repeating yourself?”

"Just, you know, you've never called any other clients master." 

"That's because none of my other contracts had such a clause that would require me to." 

"...he's making you call him master?" 

“Hm…pretty much. Why? Are you getting jealous?” Byleth teased, grinning down at Shez.

“...It’s very unfair to do that in your male form,” Shez muttered, slightly flustered by the demon being taller than him.

“Oh? Oh alright.” And Byleth promptly switched back to female form before pressing up against him with a big grin. “Is this better~?”

“...soft–I-I mean, uh–So! W-What do you do for this guy anyway?”

"Oh you know, make tea for him, help around his home, serve him as he needs." 

"..." Shez was starting to really not like this Claude guy. 

"Do you have anything to say–" Another jolt went through them, making Byleth jerk back. "Geh, haven't felt that in a while." 

"...Y-Yeah," Shez muttered, feeling a bit thankful for the space. "So…you're going to be busy?" 

"Until the contract ends, which will depend on when Claude thinks it's ready to end." 

"Huh…just so I know, what's his last name?" 

"...I have a feeling I'd be breaking the contract if I told you." 

"What? No, come on, you can tell me." 

"Hm…Nope," Byleth said, grinning as Shez let out a frustrated noise. 

"Seriously? I've known you longer so you can–..." Shez felt his face begin to burn as he felt a pair of lips against his cheek. 

"Thanks for worrying about me." Was all Byleth said before she vanished. 

That night, in the forests of Adrestia, a loud scream was heard echoing into the distance. One of embarrassment and frustration from an angel who just realized they had an enormous crush on their best friend.

Chapter Text

Patricia was a monster. She had no doubt in her mind about that fact. No one other than a monster would consign an innocent boy to death for her own benefit. No good person would allow a massacre to take place purely for her own selfish want.

But Patricia wanted to see her daughter. And she was willing to do anything to make that happen.

“A deal with a devil” was a common colloquialism in many parts of Fodlan. Perhaps that is what made it so darkly ironic that Patricia hadn’t yet made a deal with a true demon. Though, given what she had slowly discovered of Cornelia Arnim, perhaps she had come as close as she could without outright summoning one of those fell beings.

She wasn’t going to dwell on the decisions that led her here, trudging through the wilderness of Duscur while the screams of dying men and crackling flames echoed in her ears. Her resolve had only hardened when she heard of her brother’s death. The idea of Edelgard alone in the capital, with half of those damned ministers that had taken everything from them still escaping justice…

What mother wouldn’t do everything she could for her child? Even if it meant damning her soul in every way imaginable.

Cornelia seemed like a friend, once upon a time. Her only friend in a frozen land she barely understood, who helped keep her safe and even assured her position as the king’s new wife. Who told her how Lambert hid her daughter’s presence in Faerghus from her so he could control her. Who practically guided Patricia’s hand as she became a willing conspirator and signed her second husband’s death sentence.

Patricia couldn’t bring herself to feel bad about that, which made things worse in a way. She should feel guilty for it, but she hadn’t loved Lambert. In a way, she resented his attention, his attempt to replace her family with his own. 

She was still a monster. She knew that. 

Cornelia was one too. Patricia should have realized that the moment she met Hapi and learned of that poor girl’s shabby treatment, but it was still so easy to believe those honeyed words, the excuses she gave. The crack appeared after Volkhard died. 

Cornelia had been…agitated. She hid it behind that smile of hers, with cheerful chatter, but there was agitation underneath it all. Especially because Patricia had heard about the massacre at Enbarr without Cornelia putting forth her own interpretation of events, thanks to a gossiping maid of all things. She had known the ministers were all callous bastards, but hearing that, of the Imperial children, only her daughter survived…and without her uncle, Edelgard was completely alone.

Knowing Volkhard was dead…it changed things. Her daughter was no longer in her brother’s care, she was alone in a den of vipers. Patricia couldn’t allow that. 

She had already committed to a massacre of her own. She could not stop the wheels that were already in motion. She could, however, do her best to escape once the violence started.

Which was what brought her here, traveling through the woods of Duscur in hopes of avoiding whatever pursuers may follow her and finding her was back to Fodlan. 

It was, in many ways, a fairly terrible plan. She had no idea how she was going to get back to Adrestia, much less with the entire damned Kingdom in the way, but Patricia preferred to be optimistic. Maybe she could make her way to the coast and charter a ship to the Empire…

Or maybe she would run into someone before then.

Patricia paused at the sight of a young woman tending to a campfire in the middle of the woods. That, in and of itself, was strange, but it was made stranger by the girl’s hair and skin being blue and fair, an unusual coloration in Duscur, where most were known for dark skin and light hair. She briefly wondered if the girl had gotten lost, stepping closer until she glanced at her. 

"...ah, hello?" she called out, the first words she had said that day seemingly falling flat as the girl looked back at the campfire. "Are you lost?" 

"...no, I'm waiting for my friend." 

"Oh…" She wondered why someone would wait in the woods for a friend, before stiffening as she heard shouting. Moving over quickly, she crouched by the girl. "You need to go, both you and your friend can't be here." 

"Why?" A hint of annoyance entered the girl’s voice at the thought of being told to leave. 

"There are men chasing after me, if they find you or your friend they might hurt them," Patricia explained in a hushed tone as she heard the shouting getting louder. 

"...They'll hurt my friend?" 

Patricia paused at the hint of unexpected aggression in the girl’s voice, cutting through the dull tone she’d been speaking with. “I…yes, they would, but you cannot try to fight them. They are armed knights, and they would–”

“Lady Patricia, there you are!”

Patricia went rigid at the voice that echoed through the clearing, turning to see a trio of knights step through the trees. 

“Now why in the world did you run off like that?” the apparent leader of the group asked as his cohorts noticeably fanned out, moving to either side of Patricia and the girl. “You know we were just trying to bring you back to Lady Cornelia. We weren’t about to hurt you.”

“...I have a difficult time believing that,” Patricia replied, stepping in front of the girl in an attempt to shield her, “I do not wish to see Lady Cornelia again either, so I have no reason to go with you.”

“Oh? And why is that?” There was audible amusement in the man’s voice. “I thought you wanted to see your daughter again. That’s the whole reason you chose to participate in this tragedy we’re putting on.”

“...Cornelia was never going to let me see Edelgard again, was she?” Patricia asked, already knowing the answer.

“Heh. You couldn’t have believed the lie for just a little while longer?” He chuckled. “Well, I suppose that does make this easier. There will be less questions if your body turns up alongside all the rest.”

“...” She took a breath that misted out into the cold air. “Can I make a final request then?”

“Oh? And what would that be?”

“Do not harm this girl,” she requested, keeping her gaze fixed on the lead knight. “She has nothing to do with this.”

“Hm…denied. A witness would just cause trouble.” 

She had a feeling, but she still wanted to try. And, despite it all, she didn’t want to go down without a fight either. She may be a noble lady of Adrestia, but she had still attended the Officer’s Academy and some half-remembered lessons of how to fight still in the back of her mind brought a pair of flames to her palms, prompting a laugh from the knight.

“Oh that’s cute. Alright, give it a try. Just know that if you do, I’m gonna take my time–...what the fuck.”

Patricia paused at the stunned tone in the knight’s voice, before she heard a strange gurgling noise that made her glance to the side. The flames at her palms fizzled into smoke as she stared at the knight clutching at his torn out throat, rivulets of blood running down the blue steel of his armor before he choked again and collapsed into the dirt.

She stumbled back, stunned for a moment, before she heard the screaming of the second knight. Screaming that turned horribly distorted and high-pitched as the young girl Patricia tried to protect pulled upwards with the hand she’d plunged into the knight’s neck, slowly tearing the knight’s head off entirely.

The girl licked the blood from her fingers, before standing again and directing that cold, blue gaze towards the remaining knight, who had his sword drawn and was clutching it tight like it was a lifeline.

“Hm…You smell different. Agarthan?”

“...what the hell are you?” the knight murmured, stepping backwards, his gaze still locked on the young woman.

“A demon.” Her tone made it sound like that should have been obvious, and Patricia almost found herself laughing, though that might have been hysteria.

“...L-Look, we can make a deal–” The knight gagged as the girl plunged her hand through his breastplate and tore out…something strange. Patricia would have assumed it was the man’s heart, but it looked more like some type of distorted crest stone.

“No,” the girl replied, before brushing some strange, black blood off the stone and simply putting it in her pocket. Then she turned to Patricia, who went rigid. “Thank you for trying to defend me.”

“...oh, well…I don’t think you needed any help,” Patricia noted, as though it were perfectly normal to see a teenage girl kill three grown men in full armor within barely a minute. Even back at the academy she hadn't seen anything like this… 

"Mama said I should still thank someone for trying," the girl said as she went to sit back down by the fire. 

For a brief moment, Patricia wondered if what she had seen was real, before she shook her head, trying to focus. "Are you actually a demon?" 

"Yes." The flicking of the flames casted a shadow that seemed far larger than the girl it came from. 

"..." Patricia took in a deep breath, before getting down on her knees before her. "Please, make a contract with me." 

The flame disappeared. 

"...you want a contract?" the girl said, her face hidden in the shadows of the forest. 

“Yes, please. I…” She took a breath to steady herself. “I need to return home to Enbarr. My daughter is all alone there and I need to get back to her. Please.”

“...Okay.” The darkness didn’t disappear with her acceptance. If anything, the shadows seemed to grow thicker. “What is your offer?”

“Ah…yes, of course, you would need payment…What would be acceptable?”

The girl tilted her head, a flash of green showing in her eyes before they faded back to blue. “Many things. A price like this can be cruel though. You could give your eyes, so you’ll never truly see your daughter again. You could give your ears so you’ll never hear her voice. You could give your hands so you cannot hold her.” She tilted her head. “You could give your heart, so you cannot love her.”

“...Not that one. I…that is too far.”

“What if it were your only option?”

“...” She took another breath. It was too warm now for the air to mist. “Then I would love her regardless, even if I had no heart to love with.”

The green returned as the girl smiled. “I like that answer. But I have a better suggestion. You have two names, don’t you?”

Patricia paused. “...yes, I do. I…my name is Anselma, but while I lived in Faerghus, I used the name Patricia.”

“Then I will be kind in turn for your kindness and accept the second name as your price.”

“...you can accept the name as payment? What would that do then?”

“You would no longer be Patricia in any sense. Only your original name will be left. And with it, every experience that Patricia had will be gone.”

“I see…I…before I accept, I…” She didn’t want to push too far, but… “I…while I was Patricia, I had a step-son named Dimitri. If…If possible, if he still lives, I would ask that you help him. A-And there was also a girl, her name was Hapi, she lived with Cornelia but I believe she may have been her prisoner, so if you could help her–”

“Would you like to ask for a third request?” There was amusement in the girl’s tone now. “Traditionally, such things do come in threes, so if there is anyone else you might wish for me to aid…?”

“...” She took a breath. “No. No, I think that’s enough. Besides, would I not count as one of the people you are helping?”

“Not at all. You’re making a deal. That is very different from making a request.” The girl held out her hand with another smile. “Do you accept the deal as offered? Your second name, in exchange for travel to Enbarr.”

“...Yes. I do accept,” she replied, before taking the demon’s hand.

The flame burst to life again, nearly becoming a bonfire to burn the life that had been forced upon Patricia. Little by little, the memories she had began to burn away, until she only had the image of a small blond-haired boy and a redheaded girl in her mind. For a brief moment, she wondered who they were. 

Until they burned away. 

“Make sure to stay on the path,” the girl holding Anselma’s hand warned again, prompting a small huff from the older woman.

“Could I even divert from it with the grip you’re keeping on me?” she teased, smiling faintly at the girl whose name she didn’t know. She didn’t think the girl had told her her name, so that made some sense, though she was just sort of going with the flow right now in general.

“I’m just being careful. There are things out here who aren’t as nice as me,” the girl explained as she led Anselma through the forest of massive trees, large enough to blot out the sky entirely while the girl led the way with a lantern in hand, its green flame flickering in the dark.

“Well then, I would hope you’ll keep me safe,” Anselma replied, glancing curiously around the strange place she’d found herself in. She wasn’t sure how she’d gotten here, nor what she was really doing; she just had a vague sense that she was going to see Edelgard, and that this girl was a friend of her daughter.

She could also just be dreaming. That would make sense too.

“Here, we’re almost there.”

Anselma paused, then looked curiously at the light at the end of the path. It felt…warm. Warm and bright, like a fireplace or hearth. It felt like home.

And then Anselma stepped forward and blinked, holding up a hand to shield her eyes from the sun overhead. It was bright enough to be painful, though her eyes adjusted soon enough and she let her hand drop…before realizing the girl wasn’t there anymore.

“Huh? Wait, where…did I fall asleep in the gardens?” she murmured, looking around with a small frown. She wasn't sure how she got here, the last thing she remembered was leaving the opera with Volkhard and Edelgard… "Oh I hope I didn't drink when I got back, I really don't need to be a bad influence on Edelgard…" 

Speaking of, where was her daughter? It seemed close to midday so she should be having a break from her lessons around now.

Though before she could begin her search, the crashing of a plate and the subsequent breaking of cups caught her attention. 

"Oh!" Turning around, she saw a familiar boy standing nearby. "Oh Hubert, are you okay? You didn't hurt yourself, right?" 

"A…ah…" The gaunt young man, who looked even paler than usual, stared at her. 

"Come now Hubert, it's not nice to stare," Anselma chided as she got closer to him. "Hm, did you have a growth spurt? I could have sworn you were much shorter the last time I saw you." 

“...L-Lady Anselma?”

“Yes? Who else would it be?” she asked with a faint smile, though she was getting a little worried at how startled he looked. “Are you feeling alright?”

“...Yes, I…I am feeling fine, I just…what are you wearing?”

“Hm?” Anselma glanced down at herself, before making a faintly confused noise at the thick, dark blue, fur-lined gown she was wearing. “Oh, where in the world did I get these? How peculiar…I can’t say it’s really my color either, this shade of blue looks far too dour when you have hair as dark as mine. Ah, never mind that though, is Edelgard with you?”

"Lady Edelgard…" Hubert trailed off, before his eyes sharpened as if studying Anselma. "When did you last see her?" 

"Hubert?" Anselma would have flinched if not for her years in court getting her used to such stares. "Honestly, what is your father teaching you…I saw her last night. We saw a play last night, you know, the one that's been all the rage lately, about the moon pearl. Edelgard loved the Divine Songstress’s performance." 

"..." Hubert’s eyes hardened. "The Divine Songstress retired two years ago." 

“What? No, she didn’t. I saw her just last night. Unless you presume to tell me Mittlefrank is in the habit of lying about who their performers are.”

“They are not. You may be though.”

She sighed, rolling her eyes. “Hubert, I can appreciate you being cautious for Edelgard’s sake, but you cannot honestly tell me you think I’m some type of spy. Now if you’re truly feeling so very unhelpful–”

“What year is it, Lady Anselma?”

Anselma paused, looking confused, before letting out a huff. “This really is getting absurd…the year is eleven seventy-one, Hubert. Are you satisfied, or do I need to go over the entirety of my personal history?”

"...Lady Anselma, it's the year eleven seventy-six." 

A beat passed between the two. 

"...Hubert, if this is a joke it's not funny," Anselma said as she stood up straight before looking around. "Where is El?" 

"I don't think–Wait!" Hubert called out as she marched off, having enough of whatever game he was playing. She didn't know why she was feeling irritated, but a bigger part of her really wanted to see her daughter right now. Ignoring Hubert, she continued to walk until she turned a corner in the gardens, and felt her eyes widen. 

Sitting at a table with some girls she didn't recognize, was her daughter, her El. Who didn’t look the same as the last time Anselma saw her. She looked older, her hair wasn’t the same, she had changed –With a rush of emotion she didn't understand, Anselma felt her throat grow tight.

"Edelgard!" she shouted as she ran up to her daughter, immediately taking her by the shoulders and holding onto her. "Are you okay? Why is your hair white, what happened to you?" 

"M-Mother?!" Edelgard responded, taken aback by her sudden appearance. "I-I'm okay, you don't need to wor…ry…" 

Edelgard trailed off, before staring up at Anselma, her reflexive response trailing off as she felt her eyes begin to sting.

"...Mom?" Her voice cracked before tears began to spill down her cheeks.

“Oh sweetheart…” Anselma wrapped her arms around her sobbing daughter, pulling her in close and letting her cry. “Everything is going to be okay. I’m here.”

Gently rubbing her back, Anselma swore to herself that she would never leave her daughter again.

It took time for Anselma to be told everything that had happened. Of all the things Edelgard had to endure. How a monster wearing her brother's face had killed all of Edelgard’s siblings. 

She…she was never close to any of them; noble politics and personal feuds with the other consorts had made things difficult, but…they were children. Even the oldest among them was barely a man. To think they had been ripped from this world for some vague notion of a perfect emperor…

And now her Edelgard, her baby girl, was completely changed. She wasn't a naive child who hadn't even seen her tenth year. She was a young girl who had lost all innocence in her eyes. It hurt to see that.

She did feel a little happy to see Edelgard with more friends though. The young ladies Constance and Monica seemed like good companions for her, and the little princess Petra seemed to be a very bright child. She wished she could have met them sooner though. That she hadn’t lost entire years of her life thanks to whatever happened in Faerghus.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Anselma asked, holding her daughter’s hands. 

"I'm fine, you don't need to keep asking me," Edelgard huffed, trying to appear strong even with how her eyes were red from crying. 

The pair were alone in a tea room, having some much needed privacy as Hubert attended Edelgard’s friends. Anselma made a note that she needed to apologize to Hubert for getting irate with him, since she could understand his wariness now. 

"I know, but you can't blame me for worrying, I mean…for me, I just saw you, but it's been so long…" Anselma felt her throat tighten again, before she cleared it. "Ah, where is your friend? I need to thank her." 

"They're with Hubert…which one did you want to thank?" 

"Not them, your other friend," Anselma said as she tried to remember who she was thinking of, "I…never heard her name, but…I think she helped me. It felt like she was bringing me to you." She frowned. "I think she…had green hair?" 

"..." Edelgard’s eyes opened wide, her mouth opening as she tried to form a response. "...I think I know who you're talking about." 

"Oh, wonderful. Can I meet her?" 

"Maybe sometime soon, if we can," Edelgard replied with a warm smile on her face, one that made Anselma smile in turn.

“Then I look forward to–” Before she paused when the door to the lounge opened again. She let out a little huff and glanced over, annoyed at the interruption. “Whatever it is, could it please wait for–”

“Selma…?” 

Anselma blinked, surprised to hear that nickname come from the gaunt, weathered looking man standing in the… “Ionius?”

“Goddess, is it really…is it truly you?” the emperor wondered as he stepped into the room, half-supported by a cane. He stared at Anselma in genuine disbelief as she stood, her own gaze a mix of confusion and growing horror as she realized she was staring at her husband.

“Ionius…what happened to you?” she asked, moving close and placing a hand on his cheek. He looked almost twenty years older…and she found herself sighing. “No, I know what happened. I…I am sorry. I am sorry I wasn’t here for you, for either of you–”

“No, that was not your fault!” Edelgard interrupted, looking upset, “You…You did not do anything wrong, mother…”

“...heh. My little eagle…” Anselma murmured, before taking Ionius by the hand and leading him over to where Edelgard sat, taking care to be slow as she supported him. She opened her arm, beckoning to Edelgard, who hesitated only for a moment before getting up and embracing her again.

It took Ionius a moment to do the same, moving hesitantly as though worried the two of them would disappear if he held them. Yet soon enough, they were all embracing; a family once more.

And Anselma would be damned before she ever let them come to harm again.

Chapter Text

“I started hearing them again,” Dimitri murmured, only just loud enough for Dedue to hear him.

“...I see,” Dedue replied, nodding slowly and solemnly as he stood by his liege’s side.

“It couldn’t be that easy, could it? They still want vengeance.” He had felt better, telling Dedue about the torments he’d been plagued with. He knew his friend would understand, after everything he’d shared. Now that they had returned though…it felt as though he’d erred. That by speaking of the dead voices that echoed in his head, he had brought them back.

“You still intended to seek it, your highness. That never changed. The spirits could afford to be more patient with you.”

“...ha. They could. They’re not going to though.” His lips twitched with a bitter humor as he kept his arms held behind his back, standing with a “kingly” regalness. He was awaiting a meeting with Lady Cornelia. He didn’t imagine he would enjoy it, but a king had to do many things he didn’t particularly enjoy.

Not that he was a true king just yet. Leaving aside his uncle’s sudden death–his murder at Dimitri’s bloodied hands–marring the succession, he was still young. Sixteen, not fourteen, funnily enough. He wasn’t sure how he’d forgotten that, the Tragedy had been two years ago, it hadn’t just happened…had it?

He shook the thought off and refocused. Duke Fraldarius and Duke Ifan would handle matters of regency until he was king, sharing the duties between them until he was of age. Was it strange he felt almost impatient?

Was it because Cornelia wasn't here yet, or because he wasn't king yet? He couldn't tell…if it was the latter, there were already those who clamored for him to take the throne. Dimitri denied those requests, he wasn't ready yet, he was still technically a child even if he had been killing for months now. 

His mouth twitched as he wondered what the difference between a killer and a murderer were… 

Such thoughts were dispelled as the door opened, letting Cornelia Armin walk in. The court mage was dressed the same as ever, and with the same knowing smile. 

"Your highness, it is a pleasure to see you again," Cornelia said, bowing deeply to him, "And my condolences for what occurred to you. Though I may not know the specific details, whatever happened must have been quite traumatic." 

"Thank you, Lady Cornelia," Dimitri replied, a stiffness to his voice as he studied the woman before him. He didn't know much about her, other than that she was close to his stepmother and uncle. "I hope everything has been well for you." 

"As well as they can. Regardless of the crimes Rufus might have committed, he was my friend. Though I suppose that sentiment might fall flat, given that he was your uncle." 

“And his crime was regicide and fratricide.” Dimitri let out a breath. “Please, forgive me. I am…his culpability came as a deep shock to me.”

“You have no need to apologize, your highness, I take no offense! This is a trying time for us all, and I imagine everything that happened weighs on your heart far more heavily than it does on mine.”

“Certainly.” Really, he’d been sleeping easier since he killed the bastard, but he wasn’t about to say that out loud. “May I ask how close you were to my uncle, Cornelia?”

“We were friends, just as I was friends with your step-mother.”

“Of course.” His step-mother, Patricia. The last he’d seen of her, she’d been trying to flee from the carnage, running from her carriage. He hadn’t seen where she went, nor what happened to her afterward, though he couldn’t imagine she survived what had happened. Not when she hung over him, demanding revenge.

There was a small sting there at the thought she had abandoned him though. A thought that made her voice all the louder, pointing out that she had been one woman against numerous knights. What could she have done? She had no ability to fight back.

“...What do you remember of my step-mother?” he asked with a small frown.

“Well she was a lovely woman. Beautiful, though you know that. Lonely too, I suppose. She was originally from the empire, as was I, so I can imagine she felt distant from her family.”

“Ah, yes, I…recall something about that. She was originally from House, ah…”

“Arundel, your majesty.”

“Yes, of course. I remember hearing about Lord Arundel’s death a few years ago. That was a tragedy all on its own…” A massacre at Enbarr, caused by a cult of demon worshippers…and here he was, having made a deal with a demon for his own vengeance. He couldn’t help but wonder what Edelgard would think of him now…

"That it was, though it seems the Empire is building itself back up. Why I heard that the Emperor took a new consort soon after the entire ordeal." 

"...what?" Dimitri felt a slight twinge of anger there. He knew that as the Emperor, Edelgard's father, had his duties, but to move on so quickly… 

"Yes, someone from a branch family of the Nuvelles, if word is to be believed. I believe Selma von Nuvelle is her name."

“...hm. Well…I hope for their happiness,” he muttered, still faintly annoyed. He wondered how Edelgard was taking everything, especially with a new step-mother…before he shook that thought off again, putting aside the awkward feelings that nagged at the back of his mind. “Regardless, thank you for your service to the crown of Faerghus thus far, Lady Cornelia. I hope you will continue to serve us loyally.”

"Of course, your highness," Cornelia replied, bowing to him, "If my knowledge can ease the burden for you, then you need only ask.' 

"...In that case, do you know of someone named Cleobulus?" Whatever she thought he was going to ask, it clearly wasn’t that give how she twitched, her mouth deepening into a frown long enough for Dimitri to notice. 

"...May I ask where you heard such a name? I'm afraid I am not familiar with it." 

“When I confronted my uncle before his untimely death, he claimed that a woman named Cleobulus colluded with him,” Dimitri carefully lied, choosing his words while watching Cornelia’s reactions. There was a slight twitch of her lips, but the rest of her face remained even. 

"I am aware that your uncle had…less than savory acquaintances. I imagine it was how he was able to set up the tragedy to begin with….if I am being honest, I remember seeing, on occasion, individuals in black robes leave your uncle's office when he would request time alone. It may seem a bit crass to say, but I had always thought he had…been having 'secret meetings' as it were." 

“And you never thought to mention these ‘secret meetings’ to anyone?” Dimitri demanded, frowning at her.

“...I meant that the meetings were…of a nature that would be embarrassing to speak of for the regent.”

“So? It doesn’t matter if it would’ve embarrassed him, you should’ve let someone know! He deserved to be embarrassed if he was plotting against the kingdom!”

“...” Cornelia glanced at Dedue, as though asking the large boy to intercede.

“His highness is correct. You should have mentioned something.” Dedue wasn’t about to help her at all though, even if he did get what she was implying.

"...I understand what you mean, but I feel that if I were to expose the possibility that your uncle was inviting people into his office to sleep with them, I would be exiled, if not executed," Cornelia stated, deciding to be blunt with the beast. 

“...” That actually got through to Dimitri. “...I see. That…my apologies, you said he was meeting with people in black robes? And your first thought was that he was…a-ahem, ah…indulging in lurid activities?”

“Yes, your highness, that is precisely what I believed,” she answered, beginning to realize that Dimitri was somehow more dense than Rufus himself, "I understand that you may still be young but…a man of Rufus’s station can't be easily found in such a position. The main reason I had assumed it was something lurid is because I had often noticed him staring at my…bosom when he thought I wasn't looking." 

Cornelia did her best to look away and appear embarrassed. Under most circumstances, she would likely be called out for such an obvious ploy. But if she had her guess right…

“Oh, my apologies, Lady Cornelia. I hadn’t known Rufus was being so…ahem. Regardless, thank you again for your service. I hope you will have no cause to feel uncomfortable while working within Faerghus from this point onward,” Dimitri replied, earnestly and honestly, which actually made Cornelia relax somewhat. If he really was this easily led, then she didn’t have much to worry about.

It did still raise the question of how in the world he knew a name that even Rufus didn’t, but that would be something to look into later, when she wasn’t under immediate suspicion.

"Of course, your majesty. I just pray you shall lead Faerghus to greatness." 

"...yes, I shall do my best." If nothing else, he shall make sure those involved in the Tragedy face judgment. "Thank you for your continued assistance." 

Cornelia bowed to him as he left, Dimitri doing his best to remain even faced. He knew how horrible his uncle was, but he didn't think he was a lecher as well. Still, he couldn’t ignore Cornelia's reactions either. She knew more than she was letting on. 

Even if the ghosts hanging over him demanded him to act, he knew he had to be careful. Rufus had been guilty, but there was nothing to say Cornelia was. At least, not yet anyways. And he still had to look into Kleiman, which would have to come later.

He had something else to attend to first.

The people of Duscur were not often seen in Fhirdiad, much less in the castle. So it was always a surprise to the populace when they saw the prince with his retainer. Even after the accusation that Rufus had been behind the Tragedy came to light, there was still a great deal of tension between those of the two nations.

Mostly because the people of Faerghus had it spelled out to them that they were wrong to attempt genocide and it was an awkward thing to acknowledge.

So to see the prince walk with not only Dedue, but to see a Duscur girl with him too was quite the surprise. Especially given how cheerful the girl in a brown and gray commoner’s dress was compared to the dour looking men she walked with. While clearly younger, the girl stood nearly as tall as Dimitri and had silver hair that reached her neck in a tight braid. 

Mutterings could be heard as the trio walked together, the nearby staff wondering just what exactly the prince wanted with two people of Duscur. Whatever it was would remain a secret since the trio soon entered a room where a certain duo were waiting for them. 

"Hey Dimitri, Dedue! I was wondering when you guys would show up. I was starting to think the food was going to grow cold and Ingrid would have to suffer the indignity of eating it all herself," Sylvain greeted with a wave. 

"Hey! I told you not to say anything! I just don't want the food to go to waste!" Ingrid shouted as her face turned a bit pink. 

"Yeah yeah," Sylvain replied, before noticing the third member of the party. "Oh hey, who's the cutie?" 

"Sesha, my sister," Dedue stated, getting Sylvain to immediately refrain from making further comments. 

"It's good to see you two again," Dimitri said, trying to ignore the sting of Felix's absence.

“It’s good to see you too, your highness,” Ingrid replied, smiling, before she gave Sesha a glance, “And, um…so…”

“Good evening, Lady Ingrid and Lord Sylvain,” Sesha replied with a smile of her own, curtseying to the two young nobles in a practiced motion, “I apologize, but Lord Felix will not be joining us this evening.”

“O-Oh, er…you know Felix?” 

“I do, Lady Ingrid. I was in service to his household until recently.”

Dimitri paused, a frown coming to his face. “Hold on, did Felix dismiss you?”

“Lord Felix expressed discomfort with my continued presence at Castle Fraldarius. I was only really there as a favor to my brother, so it is fine if I leave his service.”

“...what did he say, exactly?”

“I would prefer not to say, your highness. Rest assured, I heard worse." 

"...Did he say such things often?" 

"No, up until recently he and I have rarely spoken. It wasn't until he returned from the former regent’s funeral that he spoke harshly to me." She shrugged, seeming unbothered. “All he really called me was a ‘dog’s sister’, which really is not much of an insult compared to what else I have heard. I simply think it prudent to avoid serving someone who expresses distaste before they wind up taking things further.”

“I don’t think you need to worry about that,” Sylvain spoke up, “I know Felix can be harsh, but he’s a decent person at heart.”

Sesha shrugged again. “I am sure he is a nice person to his friends, I just have bad experiences with angry men from Faerghus. I am sure you understand.”

“Sesha…” Dedue murmured, frowning at his sister, who bowed her head to the assembled nobles.

“I mean no offense, of course. I hope I have not caused any of you undue discomfort.” She straightened, smiling at the group. “So, perhaps we can dispense with the pleasantries and move onto what you invited me here for?”

“If that is what you wish,” Dimitri agreed, a frown on his face even if he was the one who had called for this. “Just to make sure, this is not going to involve a large, magic ritual, correct?” 

“No, not at all. Just give me one moment.” Sesha undid a button at the high collar of her dress and fished a small necklace out from under it. The necklace was a simple trinket, merely three beads of varying size on a cord, marked with what seemed to be crests. The crest of Seiros and the crest of Blaiddyd, specifically, though both seemed to be upside-down, along with a strange crest that none of the assembled nobles recognized.

“Uh…should we ask what’s with the necklace?” Sylvain asked, glancing at his friends, though Sesha didn’t respond to him, instead holding up the bead with the strange symbol on it. She spoke quietly to it, in a language only Dedue understood, and the nobles in the room felt themselves stiffen as the bead glowed with a faint green light.

“Oh, it’s you again,” Dimitri stiffened as he heard a familiar voice directed at him, before turning to see a familiar blue-haired demon sitting at the table, who had already looked toward her summoner. “Hello Sesha, it’s good to see you well.” 

“Heh, it’s nice to see you too. How’s everything going?” she asked, ignoring the blinks from the nobles at her sudden change in speech.

“About the same,” the demon replied, before glancing around the room at the other occupants, “Hello Dedue, and two other people I have not met before.” 

Ingrid remained on guard while Sylvain stared, very sure this was not a guy like Dimiti said. Maybe. He wasn’t sure how demons worked, really. “So are all demons cute? Because this is two for two.” 

The silence that fell upon them was cold enough to make one wonder if they had left a window open in the middle of Winter. 

“...I mean he’s not wrong,” Sesha agreed.

Dedue let out a deep, exasperated sigh, before nodding towards Byleth. “Hello again, Ashen One.”

“As I said, hello Dedue. So, are we having a dinner party? Or are you intending to match me with the redhead over there?” She paused. “Or both? Those are not actually mutually exclusive.”

“I wanted to speak with you, Bel,” Dimitri cut in, “I was hoping you could tell me more about those behind the Tragedy of Duscur.”

“And so you offer me food and company again. How quaint. I approve.” Her gaze turned towards each person in the room. “If this is acceptable to everyone else present, then we shall all sit and enjoy a meal together.”

"Of course," Dimitri said, nodding to his friends as he sat down opposite Bel. Sylvain took a moment to blink, as he saw Sesha and Dedue sit as well, the former right next to the demon. Realizing what was going on, he moved to sit down as well, leaving only Ingrid standing. 

"Hm?" Bel glanced at her. "Are you not going to sit?" 

"I'm not sharing a meal with a demon," she stated, not keeping her eyes off Bel and ignoring everyone else's looks. 

"Where are your manners?" asked the demon, surprising Ingrid. "If you're just going to stand then you're being rude. A meal is to be shared by everyone in the room." 

"Ingrid, please sit down." Dimitri said, making the heiress frown, before she sat down as well. 

"Good." The demon reached forward to grab a plate. "Now then–..."

Bel stared at the empty place where the plate she was reaching for once was, before turning to see Ingrid already eating the fish. 

"What?” the blonde noble questioned, mouth full of fish, “We're sharing a meal, aren't we?" 

"..." Bel’s lips twitched into a smirk for a moment at seeing someone being so brazen towards her, before she shrugged and grabbed another plate. "Now, as I was saying, since we are doing the same arrangement, you get three questions yet again. However, since I am feeling generous, given that you are taking care of my friend, your friends get to ask one question each." 

That came as a surprise to Dimitri, before he glanced at Sylvain and Ingrid. 

"...uh, in that case, I'll start us off," Sylvain spoke up, trying not to stare as Bel finished off a plate and started on her second. There was enough food here to feed a squad for an entire day and it felt like that wouldn't be enough for her… "What is with the necklace that Sesha had? Ah, I mean why does it have several upside down crests on it?" 

"They're the sigils of demons," she answered, moving onto her next plate. She said no more as she ate. "I gave it to her so she can call upon me." 

"...guess I can't ask for more details," he muttered, even if he was curious. Why those three crests specifically?

"Not unless you pay a price as well," Bel responded, before glancing at Ingrid. 

"I'm not asking anything," she said, before focusing back on eating. 

“Very well then.” And her eyes slid right over to Dimitri, the slight raising of her eyebrow asking a question without speaking.

“...” Dimitri took a small breath, before focusing on the demon. “Is Cornelia Arnim one of the people involved in the Tragedy of Duscur?”

Ingrid and Sylvain both stiffened, looking at their prince with wide eyes, while Bel took another bite of fish. “No.”

That made him blink. “No? No…I have to admit, I…I don’t know if I expected that or not. I suppose it’s a good thing to hear…I still get three questions.” He phrased it like a statement, not a question, just in case.

“You do. You used one of them on the Cornelia thing.”

“Right, of course…” A thought hit him. “...Is the person currently calling themself ‘Cornelia Arnim’ the real Cornelia Arnim?”

“No. The ‘real’ Cornelia has been dead for thirteen years.”

“What?”

“You’re kidding…”

Bel ignored Sylvain and Ingrid, keeping her eyes on Dimitri. “Does that answer your question sufficiently?”

“...It does.” It explained a great deal too. Now he knew who Cleobulus had to be…or, well, he had his best guess possible. If he was wrong…He would cross that bridge when he came to it. Either way, the woman calling herself Cornelia Arnim needed investigating. Now what to ask next? Asking about those in the shadows would lead nowhere since he had no idea who they could be disguised as, if any more were. Should he ask about another personal one? No, he had to be careful, if there was someone close by like Rufus and he saw them….he needed to make sure the kingdom stayed stable so he couldn't go charging off to beat someone to death. Another one of the minor lords would do- 

"What do you want from Prince Dimitri?" Ingrid suddenly asked, cutting into his thoughts and getting Bel to glance at her. "It's no secret that Dimitri is next in line, and with Rufus dead there's no contenders besides him. Are you trying to get into the graces of a king?" 

Bel, who had been chewing a piece of meat, grabbed a cup to take a slow drink of, before responding. 

"Which of those two is your question?" 

Ingrid glared. “Both of them.”

“Mm…my agreement was that each of you can have one question. Prince Dimitri gets three because of our prior arrangement. If you want two…you’ll have to give me something extra.”

“How much is a question worth?” Dedue asked, earning a blink from Ingrid and a glance from Byleth.

“That…is an interesting question. A meal with a prince is worth three, sharing a meal in general is worth one…so something that would satisfy me as much as a meal with good company.” She glanced towards Ingrid again. “So then…what do you think would satisfy me?”

“...I’m not giving you my soul.”

“Wow. You have a dirty mind.”

Ingrid stiffened, before scowling in annoyance, especially when Sylvain raised an eyebrow in her direction. “Well what do you want then!?”

“I would like…an apology.”

“...What?”

“I would like an apology,” the demon repeated, “Apologize for stealing my fish.”

“...Really?”

“I wanted that fish, you stole it. Apologize.”

Ingrid sighed. “...I am sorry for taking the fish you wanted.”

“Thank you. You have two questions now. And since you asked both, I will answer. I do not want anything in particular from Prince Dimitri. I will willingly accept anything he offers, but I only encountered him because I was prompted to on another’s behalf. I am uninterested in having the good graces of a king. There is nothing his favor can give me that I would care about.”

"I find that hard to believe." 

Rolling her eyes, Bel glanced at Dimitri. "If I asked you to denounce the church, would you?" 

"What!? No!" he responded, eyes widening at such a request. 

She glanced back at Ingrid. "See?" 

“That can’t be all you would want!”

“Yes it can. The largest benefit Prince Dimitri could provide to me would be going to war against the Church of Seiros due to the chaos it would cause. That isn’t something he is willing to provide though, so I am uninterested in pursuing that line of requests. I would much rather have something be willingly given to me than to try to extort it out of my client.”

“Ah, I see. I’m starting to get a better idea of how you work,” Sylvain spoke up, grinning, “So instead of some big, grand offering of our heart’s desire, you just want to see what we’re willing to give, and then you trade something you think is worth what we’re giving.”

“No, that’s incorrect.”

Sylvain blinked. “...Hm. I gotta admit, I am curious, but I’m guessing you want something in exchange if I want to ask another question.”

“Certainly.”

“Well hey, I’m a generous kind of guy~. Why not make a request, and I’ll do my best to fulfill it,” he suggested in an openly flirtatious tone, earning a grimace from Ingrid and a frown from Dimitri. Neither Dedue nor Sesha reacted, aside from the latter giving Byleth a slightly curious glance.

“Alright. Kiss me on the lips then.”

Sylvain paused. “...Really? Huh. Guess a lady’s a lady, even if she is a demon.”

He stood from the table and walked over to her with a roguish grin, before taking her by the chin and tilting her head up. Dimitri and Ingrid both frowned at the sight of their friend locking lips with a demon, while Dedue simply placed a hand in front of Sesha’s eyes to block the view while averting his own gaze.

A moment later, Sylvain broke the kiss with a smirk down at Bel. “Well? Was it everything you hoped for?”

“Yes, it was. You hated every second of that, so I am quite happy.” She smiled at him, a sight that made the nobles at the table stiffen while Sylvain frowned. The dull look in her eyes hadn’t changed at all. “You are welcome.”

“...For what?”

“For two things. First, I have proven your belief correct. No one will ever want you for anything more than your body. Second, I have now answered two questions for you. Three, if you count this one.”

His frown deepened. “That’s not fair.”

“Isn’t it? I am giving you what you wanted. I could give you what you want on your surface, or I could give you what you want on a deeper level. I could treat you as a lecher and Lady Ingrid as a glutton, and act accordingly. A harem for you, a feast for her, simple pleasures. Or I could treat you as a cynic and her an idealist. I could prove your every dark thought correct and let you drag down those who only desire your crest into the depth of depravity as you indulge those sadistic thoughts you pretend have no place in your mind. Similarly, I can give her everything she could ever want. A happy people, a placated father, a lord to serve who would give her both a family and a knighthood…I could even give her wings if she wished to fly on her own.

“I can give you what you want, what you desire, and what you yearn for. All you have to ask is what you are willing to give to get…and if you would be happy to receive.” She placed a hand on his chest, smiling that same dull-eyed smile as her fingers traced the fabric. “That is what I offer. So if you want something from me…you had best be willing to give in turn, you who wishes to be known as a disgraceful lecher.”

“...” Sylvain swallowed, then pushed her hand away from his chest. She was unfazed. He stared for a few more seconds into her dull, disinterested eyes, before letting out a shaky breath and trying to grin. “You, ah…you’re really something, huh? What makes you think you know anything about what I want though?”

“You can’t hide the hate beneath your lust as easily as you think.” She smiled. “I do hope you never mistake one for the other. For your own sake.”

Sylvain said nothing else as he moved to sit back down. 

"...I think it would be best if I ask my last question so we can end this," Dimitri stated, looking at his friends, both who were shaken. 

"Very well, what will you ask?" Bel asked, as if the past few minutes hadn't happened. 

"..." Dimitri swallowed, about to ask about a minor lord, before he remembered Ingrid's question. He couldn't help but wonder on whose behalf he and the demon met. "...who asked you to look after me?" 

"Patricia Blaiddyd." 

“...What?” Dimitri sat up straighter, his mind awhirl at that simple answer. “What do you mean? Is she alive?”

She couldn’t be, he could hear her ghost, he could see her just out of the corner of his eyes–

“You already asked your questions,” Bel said, grabbing her last plate. 

"Wait, you have time, tell me!" Dimitri demanded as Bel silently finished her meal. 

"Til we meet again." And like that, she was gone.

"..." Sylvain let out an empty laugh. "Guess I really got lucky with the one Miklan summoned." 

"My apologies, Lord Sylvain. She can certainly be difficult at times. If a demon is not fond of someone, they can take any disrespect as an attack," Sesha explained, back to her way of speaking before Byleth showed up. 

“Is that what happened?” He sighed, before pausing. “Hang on, shouldn’t you have gotten a question too?”

“No, I do not think so. She said, specifically, that his highness’s friends would each get a question. I think I am an acquaintance of his highness at best, so I would not count.”

“Huh…so if Dimitri says you’re his friend, could you get a question?”

“Maybe if you thought of that before my friend left. As it is, I doubt she will be interested in coming back.”

“...Could she be?” Dimitri asked, “Is there a way to get her to come back?”

“I can ask, but I think you would be better off giving it some time. Your meetings with her so far have been informal get-togethers, not a proper summoning, so she is likely operating off of a different rule than if you did directly summon her.”

“I see…" 

"One thing to know, in the event you do attempt to summon her. Demons should be invited, they do not take kindly to being forced," Sesha advised, "Depending on how poor of a mood they're in, punishing the summoner will not satiate their negative feelings."

“Your highness…” Ingrid took a small breath, before looking at Dimitri with a frown. “Your highness, you cannot summon a demon. Politely or otherwise. Doing something like this is already pushing it, but you cannot taint your soul by actively summoning a demon into Castle Fhirdiad." 

"I know…" Even if he wanted to know what exactly happened. He couldn't endanger the people living in the castle. "For now, we have things to do. I need to launch an investigation on Cornelia's manor." 

"That sounds like a good idea," Sylvain muttered as they got up. Her frown still evident, Ingrid followed the two as they left. 

"...So guess we gotta clean all this up?" Sesha asked, frowning at all the plates. 

Dedue nodded, already getting to work. “You know how nobles are.”

“Yeah yeah…”

Frowning, Dimitri stared at the report before him. A report detailing the investigation into Cornelia Armin's manor. An investigation ultimately cut short as the manor had been overrun by demonic beasts. 

Along with it was a second report, regarding Viscount Kleiman. The late Viscount Kleiman. 

Apparently, the man had died in an accident, falling from his horse and breaking his neck on the ground beneath him. Officially, he was out on a morning ride.

Unofficially, Dimitri had his suspicions. The timing of the death, with Cornelia’s disappearance…had Kleiman seen the writing on the wall and tried to flee? Had he truly died in an accident? Or had he been murdered to cover the tracks of a woman who already knew Dimitri was onto her?

He wondered if it could just be a stroke of misfortune, before shaking his head. No, it has to be something she caused on purpose. The timing can't be a coincidence.

Leaning back, he let out a sigh. So much has occurred, and he still had so little information…he needed evidence no matter what. His people needed him, both the living and the dead, to make those at fault atone. 

He stared at the ghosts around him, "I'll make them pay." 

He received no praise in response. Just condemnation for not acting sooner.

Chapter Text

Garreg Mach Monastery, a grand sight centered in the middle of Fodlan. Reaching high in the mountains above the three nations, the enormous monastery acted as a watchful guardian over the lands below, protecting everyone beneath its heights. For generations past and those to come, Garreg Mach was the first and last line of defense against any demonic invasion. 

And the Ashen Demon, dressed in a silver-lined school uniform, was casually strolling into its hallowed halls as she followed behind her master.

Claude didn’t really believe in gods, though he was willing to admit there were definitely some powerful beings out there. At the very least, he hoped the goddess of Fodlan wasn’t as real as people thought. Otherwise, he’d definitely be damned for bringing his ‘maid’ here.

"You know, I'm not used to you being so quiet," Claude noted, glancing back at the demon in question. 

"My apologies, master, I'm simply ensuring that I don't blow my cover," Byleth replied, “Tragically, doing so means I must resist my natural urge to mess with you.”

He huffed. “Right. Well, no need to say sorry, I'm not–"

"There you are!" came a pompous sounding voice, making the pair pause as they looked over to see a purple-haired noble approaching. "Claude von Riegan, I presume?" 

"Nope, got the wrong guy," he immediately lied. Which seemed to be the wrong thing to say since the noble frowned deeply, glaring at the very obvious heir of House Riegan.

"I would ask that you don't lie so blatantly. I can see from the cape on your shoulder that you're the house leader of the Golden Deer. As it is not on my, Lorenz Hellman Gloucester’s, shoulder then the only other candidate is the heir apparent of House Riegan," the scion of the Gloucester family stated. 

"Or he might have just given it to me," Claude responded, a small smirk on his face as he continued his lie. 

"Do you mean to tell me that the heir of House Riegan is someone who'll just shirk his duties? Is that truly the reputation you wish to uphold on your first day?" 

"My apologies, Lord Gloucester." Byleth stepped in, bowing to him. "Lord Riegan is simply feeling nervous being in a new area." 

Claude bit back his instinctive response in favor of raising an eyebrow as Lorenz looked at her, the purple ponce very obviously giving a glance towards an admittedly distracting part of Byleth’s figure. "Oh, my apologies, I didn't realize you were there. Truly my mistake to not notice a beauty such as you, Lady…?"

"Byleth," She responded, straightening up, "A maid in service to Lord Riegan." 

"Ah." And with an almost casual dismissal, whatever interest he had in his eyes faded away. "To think you would need a commoner to defend you, Claude!" 

Wow. He’d heard the Gloucesters were an arrogant breed even among the Leicester nobility, but that was some stunning classism. Kind of funny though. “What can I say? Byleth’s protective of me. It’s honestly cute.”

He heard his maid huff beside him, probably pouting again, while Lorenz looked even more irritated. “So you have that sort of relationship? Do you understand what you–”

Thankfully for the duo from Derdriu, any further argument was staved off by the ringing of a bell, which signaled they were going to be late if they didn't hurry. 

"Oh would you look at that, time to go!" Claude noted, before taking Byleth by the hand and pulling her along as they ran to class. 

“Wh–Do not just ignore me! Ugh, what a ridiculous farce that a fool like him would be the new house leader,” Lorenz grumbled just loudly enough for Claude to hear before he followed them. Not quite chasing after them, but definitely following with ill-feelings.

“Heh.” As for Byleth, she had a very big smile on her face as she ran with her master. After all, even from here, she felt the intense desires emanating from some of the students, including some very familiar desires. Grand ambition, a lust for revenge, petty and powerful desires all around…

This year was going to be so fun~!

The first day of 'classes' following the introductory speech made by some stuffy guy named Seteth weren't really a proper class, since it appeared part of how things were run at the Academy was that the students only had basic drills and studies for the first few weeks. Once that period was over, the trio of professors would then decide on which class they wanted to take over. A weird way to run things, but Claude could see the benefit of the professors working with the classes they preferred. At least it would probably make things interesting.

For now though, the first thing on the Academy’s agenda for the students would be getting to know their classmates. 

“Good tidings, everyone! I am Lorenz Hellman Gloucester, the eldest son and heir of House Gloucester!” And as expected, the most pompous guy present spoke up first. “I thought it best that I begin introductions, given my status as heir to one of Leicester’s greatest noble houses, if not the greatest, though I am sorry to say I am unfortunately not the leader of the Golden Deers. That honor equally unfortunately belongs to Claude von Riegan, despite his own lack of initiative in introducing himself.”

Wow. Just, again, wow. How did a guy live with a head that swelled up with pure ego?

“Eesh, what a prick,” an orange-haired girl muttered from nearby, “Glad he isn’t the house leader…”

Well, good to know he had support already. And with that segue, Claude grinned over at his newfound ‘rival’. “You stood up at the front of the class first, oh great and amazing heir to Gloucester, so I was just assuming you were that eager to go for it. That, or you want to be the professor.”

Lorenz stiffened, frowning. “I am not intending to be–”

“Yeah, yeah, I wasn’t serious. Anyways, hey everybody, I’m Claude von Riegan, and this is Byleth,” he introduced, gesturing towards his maid as she smiled and curtsied, “As you heard from Lorenz there, I’m the house leader, so I guess that means I’m technically in charge of the class. I’ll try not to be too tyrannical with my new power. As for Byleth, she’s my personal servant who insisted on coming along with me, so just treat her like any other student, alright? Unless you want something from me, in which case feel free to chat with her first so I don’t need to deal with it.”

“It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintances,” Byleth added with a polite smile. Kind of looked off though. Her eyes were weirdly dull when they were blue, for some reason.

"Well hey there, it’s nice to meet you both, my name's Raphael Kirsten!" a surprisingly large and happy big guy introduced himself next, "I hope we can all be friends! Isn't that right, Ignatz?" 

"O-Oh, right, hi there everyone," a smaller, meeker kid with glasses said, “I’m Ignatz Victor, and I’m hoping to become a knight here.”

"Nice to meet you all too! Name’s Leonie Pinelli! I might just be a commoner but I'm planning on becoming the best mercenary in Fodlan! After my mentor, of course!" the orange-haired girl from earlier declared, loud and proud. And apparently catching Byleth’s attention.

"Oh, so you’re the girl Papa trained?" the demon spoke up, getting the girl's attention. 

“Papa? Wait, hang on…are you Master Jeralt’s kid?” Claude raised an eyebrow, glancing curiously at the demon. She’d mentioned a father before, though from how she told it, he was old and wizened…

"If you're speaking about Jeralt the Blade Breaker, then yes. My full name is Byleth Eisner," the demon in disguise said, curtseying slightly to her. "It is a pleasure to meet my father’s apprentice. Papa told me about you.”

“He did? I mean, of course he did!” Leonie looked like she was frowning for a second there, but now the smile came back full force. “Heh, so you’re the quiet kid he mentioned, huh? You really don’t look much like him.”

“I take after my mother.” From what he knew, she definitely did.

“Oh, yeah, that makes sense. I’m more a mix of my mom and dad,” Leonie continued, grinning, “I get my hair from her and my tan from him, or at least that’s how they tell it.” 

“Ah, you’re lucky then. I’ve had people mistake Papa and me for complete strangers since we don’t look anything alike. One time, someone even assumed he was a kidnapper.”

Claude blinked. Well. That’s an unexpected detail to learn. How rough does her dad look?

“What, really? How in the world could anyone think Master Jeralt’s a kidnapper!?” Leonie exclaimed, scandalized.

“I’m not sure myself, though it may have had something to do with him carrying me under his arm at the time.” Okay, yeah, that would do it.

“Truly?” Lorenz spoke up, an eyebrow raised, “Well then it’s obvious to see why people assumed him to be a kidnapper if he was carrying you like a brute. Now then, if you two are quite done with your discussion–”

“I dunno, I’ve carried my little sister around like that before,” Raphael added, looking thoughtful, “She didn’t seem to mind much. Oh hey, Byleth, is your dad big and beefy too?”

“I would not describe him as ‘beefy’, but he is broad.” Hm, more details to take note of.

“Yeah, Master Jeralt’s huge and strong!” Leonie agreed, before frowning at Lorenz, “And he’s definitely not a brute!”

“I was not calling him a brute, I was merely saying–”

“Nah, don’t try to weasel out of this, I heard you.”

“Wh–Weasel!? I am not–!”

"Must you all be so loud?" the white-haired girl who’d been sitting quietly for a while interrupted, a frown evident on her face as she looked up from her book. "I understand classes haven't officially started, but some of us are trying to get a head start." 

"I can tell. I mean, you're getting such a head start you're attending while you're still a kid," Claude commented, letting some amusement show.

"I am not a child! My name is Lysithea von Ordelia and you best remember it!" the noble shouted, pushing up from the table as her frown turned into a scowl.

“Okay, okay, I’ll keep it memorized. No need to hiss at me.”

“Wha–Are you comparing me to a cat!?”

“I dunno, your hair does look pretty fluffy,” Hilda noted as she entered the conversation. And the classroom.

“Late on your first day, Hilda?” Claude commented, amused, “What’s Holst going to think?”

“Eh, he’ll understand I need my beauty sleep. Anyways, so this is our class, huh? Nice to meet all of you, I’m Hilda Goneril! Don’t expect too much from me, okay? I’m pretty frail~”

Claude openly grinned at his “retainer’s” antics, especially at how visibly they annoyed Lysithea and Lorenz, before he noticed his maid had moved right on over to the last important member of their class, who’d been standing away from the group and making pains to avoid being noticed.

“Good afternoon, my lady,” he heard her greet with a smile, ignoring the instinctive flinch that the girl with poorly braided blue hair gave in return, “My name is Byleth Eisner, in service to Lord Riegan. If it is not an imposition, may I ask your name?”

“...H-Hello. I am…Marianne von Edmund,” she replied, her voice quiet and nervous, which made Claude wonder just why Byleth would be interested in her to begin with.

Something to ask later, maybe. For now, he decided to keep going with the meet and greet, chatting up his new classmates and making some mental notes of how they acted.

And if he kept an ear out to hear what was going on when Hilda decided to head over to the blue-haired pair, well it was just prudent to know what his demon maid was getting up to.

Hey Byleth! Who's your friend?" Hilda asked, smiling as she looked up at Marianne. 

"O-Oh, n-no–"

"This is Lady Marianne," Byleth introduced, smiling at the pink-haired girl. "Though it may be a bit presumptuous for me to call her friend, I hope we can be friends in the future." 

“Ah…m-maybe. I…s-sorry.”

“Hey, there’s no need to apologize!” Hilda cut in, “I know I’d be happy to be friends with you too. You look like a very capable lady!”

“I-I’m not.”

"If you need any assistance, Lady Hilda, you need only ask,” Byleth offered, “You and Lady Marianne can talk while I handle any tasks." 

“Hm…you know, I want to take you up on that, but do you mean it as a favor or as a service?” Hilda asked, earning a small smile from Byleth.

“A favor.”

"Then I'll make sure to take you up on that sometime~!" Hilda said, smiling in return.

"Alright, I think that's enough of getting to know everyone, why don't we go look around some?" He didn't exactly know what drew Byleth to Marianne, but Claude had a feeling he should make sure the demon didn't go around making contracts with everyone. 

"Aw, come on Claude, I was about to ask for some tea," Hilda complained. 

"My apologies Lady Hilda. Perhaps I can serve you and Lady Marianne tomorrow?" Byleth offered before Claude dragged her away. "Ooo, so rough master." 

"I thought you didn't give anything for free," Claude pointed out as they left the classroom. 

"Hm? But I'm merely performing my duties as a maid," Byleth responded. 

"Yeah, well, just remember whose maid you are," he reminded, before the banging of the Blue Lion doors caught his attention. He spotted a dark-haired student marching out of the class, his hands balled into fists and a scowl set on his face. "Huh, I wonder what crawled into his pants?

“Do you wish to know, master?”

“...Not sure if I do if you’re offering the information.” Claude paused. “Did something actually crawl in his pants?”

“Only a sense of betrayal.”

“...Anyways, let’s go see what the lion’s pride is like,” he decided, walking to the classroom and peeking in to spy on the tension-filled classroom. His eyes were immediately drawn to the house leader of the class, marked by his blue cape, and easily saw the frown evident on the prince of Faerghus' face. 

Claude had to admit, he didn’t know what to expect of Fodlan royalty, but he didn't expect to see a tall blond, haired young man who looked like he was in desperate need of a nap with how deep the bags under his eyes were. Admittedly, he did kind of expect the tall and blond part, not so much the completely exhausted part.

He also didn't expect for Byleth to seem so amused as she looked into the class. Well best to make a move before she did. 

“Hey there, Lions!” Claude as he put on a smile on his face as he approached them. “I have to say, I thought there’d be more chatter in this class. Isn’t it a thing that lions roar?”

"What are you doing here!?" Well that wasn't a response Claude expected as he turned to look at a scowling blonde girl. 

"Woah, what's all the hostility? Come on, isn't it better to smile?" Claude asked, briefly wondering what was wrong with her. 

"Not as long as she's here!" the girl retorted, pointing at Byleth, which immediately answered his question.

As for his maid, she tilted her head curiously, like she had no idea what the blonde was talking about. “I’m attending to my master, Claude. Is there an issue?”

“Yes, there’s a problem! How are you even–” And her complaints were cut off as a redheaded guy promptly put a hand over her mouth and tried to smile at the pair of them.

“Sorry about that. Ingrid’s, ah…you know, new place, new people, she’s a little on edge.”

“Oh, it’s no trouble. I hope I didn’t offend her. I thought that dinner party went well, but my apologies if I did cause either of you any problems,” Byleth replied, nodding respectfully to the pair, which raised a whole bunch of questions for Claude. "If you wish, we can always have another one to make up for the last one?" 

"Sorry, as much as I dislike saying no to a cute girl, I'm going to have to say no," the redhead replied, smiling in a way that he probably thought was charming.

"A true shame. Well, the offer shall remain should you wish," Byleth stated, a small smile on her face as Claude saw her regard the rest of the class. "My apologies, master, but it seems my presence isn't wanted here. I'll wait outside for you." 

With a small wave, she left the room without another word. 

Claude watched her leave, though he only turned back to the Lions once he saw that she really was just waiting outside the door for him instead of, say, wandering off to do her own thing. “Well, can’t say that was the warmest welcome we got today. I know our classes are supposed to compete, but I figured it would be a fun rivalry thing instead of full on enemies.”

“Ah, hey, don’t say that, we’re not enemies!” a younger redheaded girl, her hair more of an orange shade when compared to the guy’s genuinely red hair, tried to deny, doing her best to smile in the face of all the tension, “It’s just, uh…well, some things happened before you got here–Uh, personal things! That I…probably shouldn’t talk about?”

She glanced at the blonde girl–who was presumably ‘Ingrid’ based on what her friend said–and the red guy, who shared a look before Ingrid sighed. “Yeah, it’s just a bad time to visit…though, could I ask what your relationship is to…Byleth?”

“She’s my maid,” Claude replied, before holding up a hand, “Though, hang on, I’m being rude. The name’s Claude von Riegan, house leader of the Golden Deer. And I heard your name was Ingrid, but I don’t think I know any of the rest of you.”

His bit of deflection worked, and soon enough he had a bunch of new people introducing themselves, though Ingrid and her pal Sylvain seemed wary of him now. Which, if they knew who Byleth really was, made a lot of sense. Anyways, the redheaded girl was Annette, the second, taller blonde was Mercedes, and the short guy was Ashe. Probably not very important people, but good to know their names.

"And that just leaves you, your princeliness," Claude said, smiling up at the blond prince. "Though if I'm correct, you should be Dimitri, right?" 

"...I am," Dimitri greeted, though his eyes were focused on Byleth while she remained outside. 

"Aw don't tell me the prince has fallen for my maid," Claude teased as he studied the royal. Though he felt a brief flash of concern when the big blond outright glared at him.

A moment later, Dimitri let out a breath. "I don't care about what relationship you have with her. Just be prepared for whatever she does. You might get what you want, but you might end up regretting it." 

“Oh? So she gave you something and you regret it?” he asked with a raised eyebrow, “Careful there, you might hurt her feelings if she heard that.”

“I don’t care. I’m not here for her, I…never mind,” Dimitri grunted, before moving over to his group of friends. The even bigger guy there, Dedue, inclined his head towards Claude, which made him faintly curious again. But oh well, he could always satisfy his curiosity later. For now, he’d better make sure his demon didn’t get herself into trouble.

He probably shouldn’t have worried though, considering she was just waiting outside. “Were you standing completely still this whole time?”

“Hm? Should I have? I was just watching the cats,” she replied, before turning her gaze back to a cat that was sleeping on the other side of the courtyard.

“Huh. I kind of figured you wouldn’t like animals. Isn't it a thing that they get agitated when demons are around?”

“Is that so? Hm…I could see it happening with most of my aunts. I imagine most animals would regard them as a predator in their midst. Though they also tend to have animals that they favor, so…” She trailed off, distracted by the cat starting to stretch as it woke from its nap.

“...heh. Guess I know what your ‘favored animal’ would be.” Hm. Wonder if that means we might see giant demon cats at some point? “Oh yeah, speaking of cats, what has all those lions so spooked by you?”

“I met them for a meal before. They weren’t clients,” she replied, answering his second question before he could ask it. Though…

“Really? Because the prince there implied he got something from you before. Something he regretted trading for.”

For some reason, that actually made Byleth blink. “Truly? He just gave me some food though, I didn’t take anything beyond that…hm, maybe Faerghus really is the land of famine if he can’t handle hosting someone for a meal…”

"Really? You only ate together?" 

"Ate and chatted together. Hm, perhaps he found it rude that I invited myself the first time…" That got Claude’s notice since it implied they had multiple meetings. 

"Hmm. Should a loyal servant be keeping so many secrets?" 

"Everyone keeps secrets, master, as I'm sure you are quite aware of. Unless you're saying you aren't withholding information from me." 

“What would I have to hide?” he replied, fully aware she knew he was lying. He didn’t expect her to giggle though.

“You’re very cute sometimes, you know that master?” She grinned, before it faded back to a neutral, professional expression. “Now that, do you wish to continue your investigation of our rival classes?”

"Might as well. I'm sure the eagles’ roost will be better than the lions’ den," Claude decided, ignoring the chills running down his neck. Walking to the last class, Claude peeked in and found his eyes immediately focused on the house leader. A girl with curiously white hair, much like Lysithea, but with chestnut brown streaks. Despite being one of the shorter students there, she carried herself with confidence. "Well, she certainly seems interesting." 

Not hearing a response, he glanced to the side, and paused when he saw Byleth staring at her as well, her hair and eyes fully alight with demonic glee. It was easily the most excited he’d ever seen her look, her smile wide enough to show her teeth before she bit her lip, maybe trying to calm herself down…though it looked more like she was trying to hold herself back.

So Claude did the only thing he could think of and grabbed her by the back of her jacket’s collar, pulling her away from the doorframe. “Eh? Ah, yes master?”

“Your hair’s green,” he pointed out.

Byleth blinked at him, before she actually, and seemingly genuinely, blushed, her cheeks turning pink with apparent embarrassment while her hair and eyes faded back to their more “human” blue shade. “My apologies, master. I seem to have…ah…I spotted someone interesting.”

“Yeah, I’ll say. You didn’t react like that to anyone earlier,” Claude commented. Really, he’d never seen her act like that at all before.

“Yes, well…I suppose I simply haven’t seen anyone who’s quite my type before now.”

“Your type?” he echoed, a slight frown coming to his face, “What do you mean ‘your type’?”

“Hm? Oh, is that jealousy I hear in your voice, master~?” And the instant she got her composure back, Byleth was right back to teasing. “Don’t worry, you’re my type too~ Though I would like it if you were a little more proactive.”

"Is that so? Then how about I go introduce myself while you wait here? In fact, let’s do that. Stay here, I’m going to introduce myself," Claude ordered, deciding to be direct with the demon. 

"Aw, Master, that's not fair," Byleth complained with a small pout.

"You want me to be more proactive, right? Well, you'd be my type if you were less proactive." With that, Claude walked in, leaving Byleth behind. "Hey there my Adrestian friends, how is it going?" 

"Hm? You're Claude von Riegan, correct?" the house leader asked, regarding him with a calculating stare. She definitely looked smart, though he wasn’t sure just what got Byleth so interested.

“That I am. And if we’re both guessing each other’s names instead of introducing ourselves, I’ll guess that you’re the crown princess, Edelgard von Hresvelg.” He grinned. “Am I right?”

"Congratulations, it seems you aren't as dimwitted as you appear," a gaunt-looking man remarked, making Claude wonder what the age limit of the academy was. 

“Hubert, could you try to avoid being a ghoul for one second?” a redhead requested, frowning at him. Another girl this time, with very red hair, which made Claude wonder if red hair was more common in Fodlan than he thought.

“Both of you, please, we have a guest,” a blonde interrupted both of them, before nodding to Claude, “Good day to you, Claude. I am Constance von Nuvelle, and these are my compatriots in service to Lady Edelgard, Monica von Ochs and Hubert von Vestra. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“I am quite capable of introducing myself,” Hubert drawled while Monica smiled at Constance, before frowning at Hubert again.

“You should thank Lady Constance for introducing you properly! We all know you were bound to say something ridiculous that would give everyone the wrong impression again.”

So we have tall and spooky, short and catty, and prim and proper. Edelgard’s got quite the coterie here. “Yeah, it’s nice to meet you two. Gotta say, even with the tall guy’s hostility, this is going a whole lot better than my meeting with the Lions." 

"Hm? Did you have trouble with them?" Edelgard asked. 

"Not so much me, but someone I know." 

"Um, is it that girl that's standing outside?" a tall girl with an abundant amount of accessories and a hat perched over her brown hair asked as she pointed at Byleth. 

"Hello there," Byleth greeting, peeking through the door and waving at the Eagles. "My apologies for standing out here and staring at you all like some kind pervert, but my master forbade me from entering your classroom." 

"What?" the same girl asked, as several of the Eagles now stared at Claude, who let out a sigh. 

"Don't say it like that…" 

"Hm? But that was your order, wasn't it master? And per our contract I must follow your orders, even those of a perverse nature." 

“Huh. I was unknowing that Fodlaners were practicing slavery,” a plainly foreign girl with tan skin and magenta-ish hair commented.

“Ah, no Petra,” Constance contradicted, “Slavery is not practiced within the lands of Fodlan.”

“Well, Adrestia doesn’t practice it, House Goneril of the Alliance arguably does,” Monica commented, “It’s a topic of some argument in certain circles, but it’s generally accepted since they mainly take in war orphans from Almyra as ‘servants’.”

“Oh, I have understanding! So it is those of Leicester who are the slavers,” Petra figured out, nodding while Constance let out a sigh and Monica looked sheepish.

Claude had a feeling his reputation with the Eagles had hit rock bottom. And he should probably speak up before he screwed up Leicester’s reputation too…He could never let Lorenz know about this.

Though before he could say anything, he felt someone brush past him. Blinking, he looked at Edelgard marching up to Byleth. 

"Hello there Byleth, it has been some time," Edelgard said, a smile on her face, and for a brief moment Claude saw a flash of green in the demon’s eyes. 

“Yes it has, your highness. It is a pleasure to see you again,” the demon replied, not at all bothering to hide her smile.

“Oh, is she…” Constance murmured, a thoughtful look crossing her face before she paused at the sound of someone very loudly clearing his throat.

“Is this really how nobles should be conducting themselves?" an orange-haired man questioned with an annoyed frown evident on his face. "Arguing amongst themselves and ordering servants to do perverse acts? This is not how nobility should act! Much less on our first day here!" 

"A-Ah, Ferdinand, isn't it okay? I mean, we're supposed to get along, right?" an antsy purple-haired girl asked, putting a hand on his arm. 

The angry noble paused, his features softening. “Ah, yes, of course Bernadetta. I just…never mind. Right then, you are Claude von Riegan, correct? I am Ferdinand von Aegir, and I find your conduct unacceptable as a noble. You should never treat a commoner like that, much less your own servant and especially not your own classmate! We are meant to be equals at the Academy, so–”

He paused as the busty brunette from earlier snorted, visibly bristling before he calmed down again. “Just…do better.”

“Hey, I’m always doing my best, Lord von Aegir,” Claude retorted, earning another glower from Ferdindand, “But alright, I can tell when I'm not wanted. Come on Byleth, we should probably head out." 

The future Duke wrapped an arm around Byleth’s shoulder, earning some more grumbles from Ferdinand before his pal Bernadetta pulled him away from the group to calm him down–And then he noticed the calculating stare from Edelgard turn into a glare. So, yeah, he definitely wasn’t winning popularity points there…

"It was nice to meet you all," Byleth said, waving goodbye as she and her master left, "Well that turned out well. You're certainly making an impression on everyone, master." 

"Sure I am. And you didn’t help with that.”

“Oh, did you wish to request my aid in becoming popular, master? You do seem to need the help.”

“...” Claude wasn’t going to dignify that. “So what do you think of our classmates?" 

"Oh? You wish to know what I think?" 

"Of course I do. Obviously some of them caught your eye, since you were hanging around Marianne earlier and Edelgard definitely knows you…speaking of, why those two in particular? I don’t see any point in common between them, so what makes them interesting to someone like you?”

“Aside from the fact that they’re both cute? Well, master, allow me to meet your question with a question. Have you heard of Bishop Cleve?”

He raised an eyebrow, not sure where she was going with this. "Can't say I have, no." 

"He was a bishop of the Western Church from some seven hundred years ago who posited the idea that certain acts and emotions are inherently evil and thus associated with demons. Specifically, anything negative that goes against the teachings of the Church, to which he coined the term 'Sin’. He particularly enjoyed categorizing them into a group of seven, and you are likely familiar with a few of them, such as Sloth, which Lady Hilda shows a fair amount of, or Pride, which you have in spades." 

"Heh, if you say so. So, what, Marianne and Edelgard have the same type of sin?" 

"Not at all. Now while Bishop Cleve wasn't entirely correct, there is some merit to what he said. Namely that certain demons prefer certain vices. The Corpse Feaster, for example, is quite fond of Gluttony." Grinning, Byleth placed a hand to her chest as she pulled away from Claude. "Unlike my aunts, however, what matters to me isn't the sin, it's the intensity~." 

"Oh? Care to tell me what they were feeling then?"

"Sorry master, but I'm not one to spill someone's intimate secrets like that," Byleth said, pressing a finger against her lips.

“Hm…well, what would happen if I made it an order instead of a request?”

“Aw, that’s no fun.” She pouted, before shrugging. “Very well, Marianne was feeling something like a dark blue, while Edelgard’s a beautiful, vivid mix of crimson and violet~”

“...And what does that mean?”

“It means what it means, master. You should be smart enough to figure it out, right?” She giggled, before moving a little closer, her arms behind her back as she grinned wide, showing teeth. He stayed steady, not backing up even when she nearly pressed right up against him. “I could tell you more, if you want. Like what Ferdinand, Bernadetta, and Hubert all have in common, or why, exactly, Dimitri is here at the academy despite some personal misgivings he has, but…well, if you want the whole color-coded presentation on everyone’s thoughts and feelings as I understand them, I would expect at least some kind of payment.”

“Really? And why would that cost me?”

“Because it does.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Is that what a loyal retainer would do?”

“According to the books I’ve read on the subject, yes, it is. I am merely operating off of my understanding of what a loyal retainer is, and you will find that it is a curious subject with a great deal of interpretations.” She smiled. As always, it looked off with those dull eyes of hers. “How would you like me to interpret my loyalty, master?”

“...Heh. Alright, I get it.” He returned her smile. “So if I get too close to something you don’t like, you play around with the limits of what you can do. But at the end of the day, you’re still mine, right? You’ll stay by my side, it’s just up to me to decide how comfortable I’ll be while you’re there.”

“...” There was a flicker of green in her eyes, and he felt his smile widen at it. “I’m yours, huh? Mm…I don’t dislike that. Just be careful, master~ I might be willing, maybe even happy to belong to someone…but people like me have our pride. And the prouder of us might take exception to your claim~.”

“Oh really? Then I guess I’ll just have to work my boyish charms on them too.” Claude wrapped an arm around Byleth’s shoulders again. “So how about it? You want to tour the monastery with me?”

“Of course. Though I have a feeling you’ll be more interested in the monastery than me,” she noted, like she fully expected that to be the case.

“Oh I don’t know. I think it’s hard to look away from you.” He’d definitely be keeping one eye on her the whole time they explored.

He might be willing to play along with Byleth’s teasing, but at the end of the day, he didn’t really want to test just how far her definition of loyalty could stretch. Even more so as he watched her lips curl up into another facsimile of a smile. 

Letting out a small sigh, Edelgard von Hresvelg leaned back in her chair as she tried to think things through. She thought she had been prepared for anything, yet she didn't expect her savior to be at the monastery of all places. She certainly didn't think she would see her working as a maid under some other noble, even if he was the heir of House Riega.

She couldn't help but wonder just what kind of deal he made…and whether she could make a similar deal with the demon now that she was occupied. 

Though before she could continue those thoughts, a knocking at her window made her jolt. Glancing behind her, she felt her breath still for a moment when she saw a pair of glowing eyes peering at her through the window, before she relaxed once she recognized the green color. 

Walking over, she opened the window. “Is there any reason why you didn’t just knock on the door?” Edelgard asked with a raised eyebrow. 

“This was more fun~” Byleth replied, entering the room before brushing past Edelgard. She glanced around the bedroom for a moment, taking in the princess’s new abode, before she casually sat on her bed with a smile. "That and my master might forbid me from talking to you again if he saw me entering your room." 

"And so you thought it best to sneak in."

"Yup! Ah, now that I think about it, it's like we're having a secret affair~" She giggled, looking cheerful before pretending to be bashful. “Ah, so scandalous~! Please be gentle with me, your highness~”

“...Right.” It was probably a good thing she was friends with Monica. It made her very used to this type of nonsense. 

“Aw, no reaction? Ah well, I suppose that wasn’t some of my best acting…” Byleth shrugged, before smiling again. “Now then, I think it would be nice to catch up, considering how long it has been since we last saw each other.”

“I suppose it would be.” The princess took a seat in the chair near her desk, looking at the demon in her room with a raised eyebrow. “Is there a reason why your hair is blue now?”

“Do you prefer it green? Because I could switch back. It’s just that I’m trying to avoid being noticed and that hair tends to draw attention.” That made some sense. Getting outed as a demon would certainly draw attention. “I suppose I’m just too beautiful for people to keep their eyes off me.”

“On that, we can agree.” Edelgard felt a small smile come to her face as the demon paused, before looking pleased at the compliment. She let it fade though because there were more important things to discuss.

“Did you bring my mother back to me?”

“I did return Lady Anselma to her home at her request, yes.”

Edelgard nodded. “Then that is two favors you have done for me.”

“Oh, no, it’s not like I did those out of the kindness of my heart,” Byleth dismissed, waving a hand, “Both were deals. You traded me your crest and your mother traded me a name she was using. I was paid, so my actions were not born out of charity.”

“Then I am all the happier, because it means you can be trusted to hold to the bargains I make with you.” She leaned back in her seat, the picture of imperial authority. “Speaking of, are you interested in making a deal with me?”

“Heh. I most certainly am, your highness…though there is a slight complication. You might have noticed earlier that I have a master I am beholden to.”

“I did, yes. Could I ask for the story behind that?”

“Oh, it’s nothing complicated. My master summoned me, we made a deal, and now I serve him.”

So that’s all it took. That was…annoying. Edelgard had planned to wait until she assumed the throne to summon Byleth. To ask for her partnership. That someone else got her on their side just because they acted sooner…That was very annoying. 

Though she couldn't help but notice Byleth’s hair flashing green as she smiled again. 

"Ah, to think you would get that jealous. I wish my master was as honest as you~." 

"..." Edelgard let out a huff. "I heard that demons can allegedly tell a person's true feelings, so I see no reason to try and lie right now." 

"I'm glad to hear that, your highness." 

"Now then, if you can't make a deal with me, why did you come here?" 

"Because I can tell what you're planning~ I don't know all the details but…well, when I see something so intoxicating before me, how can I resist?" 

"...I suppose I can enjoy the fact that you approve. However I can't let it slip that you apparently know what I'm planning," Edelgard said, thinking for a moment. "Perhaps we can make a deal? Namely one where you promise not to tell anyone my plans without my express permission, and I won't mention this meeting to Claude." 

“Ooo, using my own master to threaten me?” Byleth giggled, looking genuinely delighted. “Oh I adore that~ Very well, Lady Edelgard. A secret for a secret."

With a grin, she extended her hand and Edelgard took it. 

"Now then, I don't suppose you can tell me about your contract with Claude?" 

"Only that I am loyal to him," Byleth said, crossing her fingers into an X. "I'm afraid I can't speak of the details quite freely." 

"...Just to make sure, are you loyal to him, or are you only loyal to him?" Edelgard asked. 

Byleth let her grin spread, but remained silent. 

"I see. In that case, would a partnership be possible?" Edelgard asked, raising an eyebrow. "One that will by no means harm anyone you are loyal to." 

“It could be possible, depending on how I decide to interpret being loyal. I can let you know if it becomes a problem though. Demons have a sense for that sort of thing.”

“A sense for things that will violate their contracts?”

“Exactly. It’s sort of like having a stomachache. Or a headache. One or the other, sometimes both. There’s a reason we don’t break contracts. Well, multiple reasons, but pain is a good reason, right?”

"Yes, I would hate to cause you pain." 

"Heh, now then, what is it you want?" 

"As I said, I wish to enter a partnership. I had planned on doing so when I had become emperor but…well, surely you can see the benefits of joining the Emperor who will drag Fodlan into a new dawn." 

“Oh I can, I definitely can. And believe me, I would happily stay by the side of someone who intends to upend the entire order of this continent.” Her smile went wide as her eyes gleamed brightly. “So isn’t it lucky that I found you again~?”

“Hm. I prefer to make my own luck,” Edelgard replied, meeting Byleth’s eyes without hesitation. They looked as bright as they’d been back in the dungeons. “You’ve given me a great deal already. I expect I will want more from you before my time here is done.”

“Heh. I would be upset if you didn’t.”

Chapter Text

“So did you get laid recently, or…?” Claude had to ask, raising an eyebrow at his demonic servant, who had been eerily happy the past few days. Her being cheerful and giggly for one day could’ve been written off as her usual weirdness, but the fact that she’d been keeping it up for a while now warranted comment.

Byleth paused at the question, a hint of pink coming to her cheeks, which was definitely different. “Do you think I should have? I didn’t think I should push that hard, but I can’t deny the idea appeals…”

"You know, I was joking, but now I wanna know what happened." 

"Sorry master, but the details are far too intimate to speak about. Though worry not, nothing that occurred involves you, or will endanger you," Byleth assured, smiling as she bowed to her master. 

"...you do know that just makes me all the more curious, right?" 

"My, to think my master would want to know about my lurid meetings. Perhaps you really do want me to bare it all to you…" Byleth remarked, looking away as she did her best to look flustered. 

He sighed. "Well I can tell you're not taking this seriously." 

"Hmph, I take everything seriously, master. It's not my fault you're not interested in this subject or…perhaps you are and I'm just not your type?" 

"Well I do prefer someone who doesn't cause me any problems," Claude said, before smirking, "That and I'm smart enough to know getting too involved with a demon is a bad idea." 

"...hmph. But aren’t you involved with me already? You and I do have that important promise between us…”

“Are you calling our contract a promise to make it sound more romantic?”

“Maybe. What, am I not allowed to have fun now?” She pouted. “You truly are such a controlling master. And yet, here I am, without a collar around my neck…”

“...Yeah, I’m not going to comment on that. You’ll make it weird.”

"It's only weird if you don't play along."

"Whatever you say," Claude brushed her off, "Now come on, we need to focus on the upcoming drills." 

"What are we drilling?" 

"Weren't you paying attention? The knights are going to be taking us on some training drills in the forests nearby. Apparently we're going to be camping there for a bit and the professors are going to decide on their classes afterwards," Claude explained before placing a hand on his chin, "Personally I'm hoping for Hanneman, the man might seem stuffy, but I could probably learn a thing or two from him." 

"I hope it's Professor Manuela." 

"...is it because she has a huge chest?" Claude asked, getting her to gasp. 

"How dare you imply such a thing about me, Master! Surely even you have heard of Manuela Casagranda? The legendary divine songstress who took Adrestria by storm, who's a skilled mage in her own right and who's been a professor at the monastery longer than you've been in Fodlan," Byleth explained, before smiling in her usual dull-eyed way, "But yes, her breasts are a positive." 

“Yeah, thought so."

Letting out a sigh as she sat on a fallen tree, Dorothea couldn't help but feel exhausted. She had to admit, a part of her felt a slight sting to her pride when she realized how different 'roughing it' in the woods was compared to the streets of Enbarr. Sure, she hadn't been roughing it in the city in nearly nine years, but she thought she was still capable of surviving on her own. Turns out though, living in the city really had nothing in common with trying to camp in the woods. 

It really didn't help that the mud wasn't kind to her heels. 

Well, it could have been worse. At least she didn't end up buried under a tent that wasn't secured properly like Monica or Ferdinand. And then there was the incident with all the logs of wood they’d gathered spilling into a nearby river. She wasn't sure who exactly caused that, but the dour-looking girl from the Deer was quick to take the blame. 

Speaking of…

Glancing to the side, Dorothea frowned when she spotted Byleth standing by Claude, the house leader talking with Lysithea and seemingly annoying her in the process. Now, Dorothea wasn't going to be a hypocrite and try to talk Byleth out of her obvious plan to seduce a future duke, but trying to go for Claude specifically still sat wrong with her. Sure, the Riegan heir was good looking, and was certainly loaded, but he set off way too many of her ‘scumbag noble’ instincts for her to be okay with. 

Once she saw Claude walk away, while seemingly telling Byleth to stay behind, Dorothea saw her chance and approached the duo. And it seemed her guess was correct because Lysithea was very much fuming. 

"What does he even know? He always shows up late!" 

"Is everything okay?" Dorothea asked. 

"Oh, hello Lady Dorothea," Byleth greeted, "Everything is okay, but Lady Lysithea did not take kindly to my master's advice on going to sleep because 'kids should sleep early to wake up early'." 

"I'm not a kid!" 

“Ah, my apologies, I was quoting him,” Byleth explained, attempting to mollify the younger girl, “I am aware you are not a child, Lady Lysithea.”

“Hmph. Well tell that to Claude! And tell him to stop acting so smug all the time while you’re at it!”

Yeah, Dorothea didn’t think she’d be reevaluating her first impression of the Golden Deer’s house leader anytime soon. “Is he like that all the time, Bylie?”

“My master? I suppose–Oh, that’s cute, you called me by a nickname,” she seemed to realize, brightening up for a moment, “Well I wouldn’t want to bad mouth him…but also yes, he is like that all the time.”

“It is not ‘bad mouthing’ if it’s true,” Lysithea grumbled.

"Hm, are you okay Bylie?" Dorothea asked, before noticing the girl was deep in thought. "Bylie?" 

"Hm? Oh my apologies, I was trying to think up a nickname for you. I was considering Thea but that could be confusing with Lady Lysithea around," Byleth said, before shrugging. "As for your question, I'm fine, I've dealt with worse. He hasn't tried to kill me, at least." 

“What?!” Lysithea exclaimed, her eyes wide, “Why would–Why is that even a concern!?”

Dorothea, meanwhile, winced, but didn’t have nearly as strong a reaction otherwise. “Ah. Did you have some bad luck with that before?”

"A few times. Clients who weren't satisfied with my services or thought they didn't have to pay for them. Why once a trio of knights tried to kill me just because they stumbled upon where I was camping." 

“Ah, I see.” Well, now she had a decent idea of what work Byleth did before she was a maid. She didn’t look that much older than Dorothea, but the songstress knew plenty of people wound up working in that profession at an unfortunately young age. 

“...” Lysithea, meanwhile, had the kind of frown on her face that Dorothea expected to see from a noble girl. The kind of look of ‘why would someone do that?’, not fully understanding just how bad people could be…though Dorothea found herself reevaluating that impression when she saw the bemused distaste fade into a sort of resigned acceptance. “I…You should not have had to go through experiences like that.”

“Mm, it happens. Mercenary work can be dangerous.”

Dorothea raised an eyebrow, noting a curious emphasis Byleth put on the word ‘mercenary’, and when the maid gave her a little wink, she nodded along, willing to accept the obvious deflection for Lysithea’s sake.

"That's no excuse!" Lysithea said, before huffing. "If you ever need help, just ask." 

"Thank you for your generosity, Lady Lysithea. The same offer extends to you, though I feel like I may pale in comparison to your aptitude in magic." 

"Oh? Is Lysithea that skilled?"

"Quite. Why, I wouldn't be surprised if she ends up stronger than–"

"GET THEM!" A sudden scream rang out, before a hoard of bandits rushed the camp. Panic fell upon the camp as the bandits rushed the students, some quickly moving to defend alongside the knights. 

Eyes widening, Dorothea fell backwards, trying to get away from the bandits. Seeing one rushing her, she tried to blast them with a thunder spell, only to wince as it caught their off hand, destroying his hand and charring the stump. This did little to quell his rage as he roared, swinging his sword at her. 

Closing her eyes, she brought her arms up in a feeble attempt to defend herself. A moment passed and no blade fell, so she opened her eyes to see Byleth standing before her, stabbing a dagger into the bandit's throat while his remaining arm was now a bloody stump. 

“Hm. Dorothea, will you be alright?” Byleth asked, glancing back at her with blood on her face.

“Ah…I-I, uh–”

“Right, stupid question. Okay, you’re going to be fine. Remember your magic and take the first opportunity to run,” Byleth ordered, kneeling down to help Dorothea up.

“I–W-Wait, what about you?”

“Well my father was an actual mercenary, so I’m pretty well-trained in defending myself,” she replied, actually letting a small smile show. It felt oddly reassuring, seeing that complete confidence. “Besides, I’ve always wanted to rescue a pretty lady.”

That made her blink, but Byleth was moving before she could respond, heading into the fray with a deadly swiftness and accuracy to her strikes. It was…striking, if somewhat morbid.

“Ugh, was she really flirting in a situation like this?” Well, at least Lysithea was holding it together better as she cast a Miasma between them and the bandits to give them some cover.

"Well, at least we're all alive?" Dorothea said, idly aware of some of the bandits screaming 'get the blonde'. She couldn't really focus on that as Lysithea and her went for cover. The songstress had to admit, she was jealous that the younger girl was holding herself together so well. 

Though as she glanced over, Dorothea couldn't help but notice some scars on Lysithea’s arms as her sleeve moved in the wind. Guess not every noble has it easy.

As they made it to the center of camp where everyone was being rounded up, the two finally caught their breaths. 

"Is this everyone?" a mustached knight asked as he looked around. 

"Alois, sir, there are still some students assisting the knights, but the house leaders are nowhere to be seen!” another knight reported, saluting his apparent superior, “In addition, a large number of bandits split off from this group and ran into the forest!"

"WHAT?!" Sir Alois shouted, eyes wide in an almost comical expression of shock. Grabbing his axe, the knight hefted it onto his shoulder. "Gather up the rest of the students, don't let them leave the center of the camp! Once they're safe, we have to chase after the rest of the bandits!" 

Dorothea let out a little huff as the knights started scrambling. While she was glad that the knights had finally arrived to keep them safe, she still felt a frown come to her face at the news that the house leaders were still out there.

She really hoped Edelgard was okay… 

Claude had made a mistake, and he wasn’t sure if he should blame Byleth for it.

Part of him wanted to, because she had definitely been deliberately playing up her clinginess the whole day in order to annoy him, but he was pretty sure that was her way of showing she really wasn’t going to put up with orders she didn’t like. That, or she really did want to lay her claim on him…

Either way, he figured heading out with the other house leaders would be a good way to get away for a bit, enjoy the wilderness, chat with his future rivals and maybe even learn about what kind of deals they happened to make with his maid. There were plenty of reasons to chat them up and a decent reason to leave Byleth behind, so the logic held up at the time!

How was he supposed to know they were going to get attacked by bandits? What kind of bandits were even bold enough to attack a camp full of Academy students??

Apparently the ones currently chasing him and the pair of…well not princes, since Edelgard was a princess. Couldn’t really call them princesses either, considering Dimitri was firmly established to be male…

“Hey, you two, what’s a gender neutral term for prince?”

“What??” Dimitri looked at him like he was crazy, despite the valid question. “What in the world are you thinking about right now?”

“Well you see, my first thought was ‘wow, I wonder what Dimitri did to piss off all these bandits’, but then I–”

“Why are you blaming me!?”

"Well you're the one with blond hair, and they're yelling about grabbing the blond so…hm, well maybe they mean Edelgard?" 

“My hair isn’t blonde,” the princess pointed out, “Also prince can be used as a gender neutral term. There’s historical precedent for it being used as a term for a sovereign ruler of a lesser territory, though the only real successful instance in Fodlan was the ‘Demon Prince’ of–”

“Is now really the time?” Dimitri interrupted, earning a frown from Claude.

“Hey come on now, I was getting invested in that story.”

“I’ll tell it to you afterwards,” Edelgard decided, “As for your previous comment, again, my hair isn’t blonde. Portions of it are white, but a significant part is brown too, so I fail to see how they could make that mistake.”

“Eh, bad eyesight, maybe? All I know is that they’re not after me.”

"It's not like we're the only ones with light hair," Dimitri argued. "Mercedes and Ingrid in my class also have blonde hair, as does Constance, and Raphael!" 

"Ah yes, cause they're totally after Raphael," Claude said before taking on a slightly mocking tone. "Quick, grab the one with all the debt!" 

“Raphael has a lot of debt?”

“Yeah, he–No, wait, I think I’m getting him confused with Leonie,” he admitted, frowning, “I don’t actually know what Raphael’s financial situation is–”

“Is now really the time?” Edelgard complained, shooting an annoyed look at both boys and earning a baffled look back from Dimitri at the sheer hypocrisy.

"Look, all I'm saying is maybe if we know what they're after we can throw them off our trail?" Claude suggested, as they continued running. 

"I don't think they're going to be willing to explain," Dimitri said, glancing back where they could hear the bandits, "Edelgard, please tell me you know the area around here." 

"I've never been to Barnabas territory, but…there should be a village nearby. At least according to a map I read." 

"Do you do that in your free time?" Claude couldn't help but ask. 

"Well excuse me for wanting to be prepared in case we got lost in the woods!" Edelgard said, a scowl on her face. "Regardless, the village should be around here, I believe it's another twenty minutes to the south?" 

“Oh sure, twenty minutes, I can definitely keep running for twenty minutes,” Claude complained, ignoring her frown as he sniffed the air for a moment. "Oh hey, I think I can actually smell some food, we have to be close!" 

"Wait, that doesn't make sense!" Edelgard called out when Claude began to run with Dimitri following close behind as they rushed towards safety! 

"BWUGH!" 

Only to accidentally step on someone sleeping as they ran into a campsite. 

"Oh, my apologies!" Dimitri said, stepping away from the girl clutching her stomach and wheezing out some profanities.

"Wh-Who the fuck?!" the violet-haired girl questioned, pushing herself up with a pained wheeze, still clutching her stomach. "Can't a guy get some sleep in peace?!" 

"My apologies for how my companions rudely disturbed your rest," Edelgard interrupted before the other two house leaders could speak, "But it would be best if you get ready to move. We're being chased by bandits." 

"Huh?" That got the girl’s attention as she looked at the three, her upset gaze turning more confused as she took in their fancy clothes. "What, are you three nobles or something?"

"In a sense," Claude admitted with a shrug. Which wasn’t wrong; technically they were all royals of one stripe or another.

"Oh, cool. Well good news then. You can make up for stepping on me by paying me extra," the girl said, getting up and moving to grab her bag. 

"Excuse me?" Dimitri asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You're excused," she responded, before smiling. "Name's Shez, the second strongest merc in the business!" 

"...second strongest isn't exactly a ringing endorsement," Claude muttered. 

"Yeah, well, you're lucky I'm not ditching you three. I might not be the strongest, but I'm definitely the fastest." 

"...are you really going to leave us if we don't pay you?" Dimitri asked, a bit astounded at her brazen attitude. 

"If it helps, I could say I'm leaving because you stepped on me," she replied, picking a sword out of her pack and setting the rest of her gear beside her extinguished campfire and empty cooking pot, “So let’s stow that kind of talk and get to part where I rescue a bunch of helpless nobles from scary bandits!”

That earned frowns from the prince and princess, and an amused huff from Claude.

“We are not helpless,” Edelgard stated, though Shez waved a hand dismissively.

“Sure sure, I bet you’re really scary compared to all the other tiny noble girls. You three can feel free to hang out, I’ll handle everything.”

“I assure you, Shez, we are perfectly capable of fighting–” Dimitri tried to reason, only to be caught off guard by a bandit charging into the clearing.

“HEY BOSS, I FOUND ‘EM! THEY’RE OVER–” And then that bandit’s head was flying free from his body and Shez was casually swiping her sword down to clear it of blood.

“Hey, if you want to fight, go ahead. You’re still paying me to protect you though,” the mercenary emphasized, before a second sword formed in her off hand, catching the three nobles by surprise, and she rushed in as more bandits showed up. 

“...hm. And she claims to be ‘second best’,” Edelgard noted, faintly intrigued at the whirlwind of death that began carving her way through the attacking bandits, who very quickly realized they were going up against someone much more dangerous than they’d been expecting.

“Come on, we need to help!” Dimitri declared, drawing his spear and charging in after the mercenary, which earned a sigh from Claude.

“Seriously? She said to hang back–”

“Feel free to do so then,” Edelgard remarked before launching a fireball into the fray, catching one of the bandits and sending him to the ground with a scream of pain. 

"Great." Claude muttered as he pulled out his bow, aiming at a bandit as the princess charged forward with her axe. 

At the front of the group, Shez cut through bandits with ease, keeping an eye out on the ones she cut down to see if any of them had bounties she remembered. They didn't but they did look awfully familiar… 

"What are you assholes doing!? They're just some brats, kill everyone who isn't blond!" the leader yelled, getting Shez to blink, before she squinted her eyes as she looked at him. 

"Wait a minute! You're the Iron King bandits, aren't you!" A smile spread on Shez’s face. "Nice! I finally get to grab the bounty off you assholes now!" 

"What?" Kostas blinked, confused as he stared at Shez for a moment, "Shit! It's that merc from before!”

A nearby bandit blinked. “Wait, really? But that guy was a guy–”

“It doesn’t matter! Quick, kill them!" 

Cutting through more bandits, Shez began to close in on Kostas, before pausing when she heard some screaming from behind her. Glancing behind her, she frowned as she saw Edelgard clutching her arm, blood leaking from a wound. Off to the side, Dimitri wasn't fairing much better since he was surrounded, blood trailing down from a wound on his head. Finally, Claude was doing his best to stay out of reach after his bow had been broken. 

Hm, shit, can't get paid if they die. 

Pausing in her rush, Shez lowered her swords, completely dropping her guard while she let a bandit rush her with an axe. And sure enough, there was a very familiar demon right in front of her, swinging her sword up through the attacking bandit before she turned to face Shez.

"Please tell me you didn't let him almost kill you just so you can see me," Byleth complained, the bisected bandit falling to the ground in two halves.

"Nope! I need your help, those three are about to bite it!" Shez said, pointing at the three nobles. 

"...huh, lucky coincidence."

"You go save them, I'll take out the boss!" Shez shouted, before rushing Kostas as Byleth let out an amused huff.

“You’re lucky I was far enough away from camp to disappear easily!” she called out to Shez, before bringing her hand up and unleashing a swathe of thunder, shocking the bandits attempting to swarm Claude and Dimitri. Once they looked dead enough, she moved forward and stabbed another bandit in the side before he could cut down the dagger-wielding Edelgard. “Come on now, don’t tell me you’re planning to die here.”

Edelgard huffed, straightening from her crouched position. “No, I am not. Nor does it seem I will be with my knight in shining armor here to protect me.”

Byleth felt her smile get wider at her reply, before she turned back to the battle. She spotted the bandit leader stumbling back, clearly wavering under Shez’s assault, before he shoved one of his subordinates in front of him.

“Fuck this, I’m not getting paid enough to die here so you do it for me!”

“Wha–Boss, the fuck–” And Shez promptly skewered the bandit put in front of her, before blinking. 

“Hey, wait a sec, you’re not–HEY! DON’T RUN AGAIN, YOU DICK!”

And yet Kostas did not listen, instead sprinting off into the woods because he had a decent sense of self-preservation and he was not about to deal with two dangerous ladies with swords! That was an excellent way to get killed in his experience!

It seemed at least some of his men agreed with him as they ran off as well, leaving the stragglers to rally themselves! 

"Never fear, the Knights of Seiros are here!" Only to immediately crumble when the students got back up. 

"About time they showed up," Claude huffed, watching as the knights quickly dealt with the remaining bandits. 

"Well, it sucks that the leader got away again, but at least no one important died," Shez muttered, before smiling at Byleth, a light blush coming to her face as she checked out her best friend. "Soooo, how's everything been?" 

"About the same, working my contracts and the like. I'm surprised to see you out here." 

"Ah well, I was looking for a village or a town to stay at, but I got lost, and figured it would be nice to camp out. Course then I got stepped on and rudely awakened," Shez complained with a frown, before noticing Byleth’s outfit. "Hey, why are you wearing the same clothes as those weirdos?"

“Because it’s the uniform for the Officer’s Academy.” Byleth grinned, deliberately swishing her skirt. “Does it look good on me~?”

“...Y-Yeah, um…o-oh, yeah, ah, so…what’s that thing you said?”

“The Officer’s Academy?”

“Yeah, that! Isn’t that some fancy noble school? Why would you be going there?”

“Because my master’s attending and he wants me at his side. He gets lonely without me, you see~.”

"Alright that's enough talking about me," Claude huffed, "Mind telling me how you two know each other?" 

"Simple, this is my childhood friend, Shez," Byleth explained, gesturing at the smiling angel. 

"Hah, if I knew you guys knew Byleth, I probably wouldn't have charged you." 

Byleth put a hand on Shez’s shoulder, shaking her head. “No, charge him more.”

Claude raised an eyebrow. “Really? Shouldn’t I get some kind of friendly discount?”

“No. You’re noble, you can afford it, and it would be disloyal of me to downplay your financial might, master.”

"Exactly!" Shez said, before a thought crossed her mind. "Hey wait a minute! You're the Claude that's been keeping Byleth from me!" 

“Oh? I’m keeping her from you?” he asked, amused.

“Yeah, you are! So that means you owe me double!”

“...seriously?”

“Yes, you specifically owe me double the rate for an awesome rescue.” She paused. “Actually, you owe me double double!”

“Quadruple,” Byleth supplied, prompting a nod from Shez.

“Yeah, you owe me double quadruple!”

“You heard her, master. You’d better pay up, otherwise everyone will consider you an oath breaking scoundrel, and as your loyal retainer, I obviously want to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

“...” Claude wasn’t surprised that a demon would gouge him, but he was kind of surprised it was happening in this specific way. “So what’s the price for our safety anyways?”

“Oh, uh…It’s…one hun…” Shez glanced at Byleth, who held up a hand that she shaped to look like a zero. “Oh! Yeah, it’s one thou–” Byleth held up her other hand, adding another zero. “Ten thousand for a rescue! And since it’s double quadruple, that means it’s, uh…”

“Eighty thousand.”

“Eighty thousand!”

Claude gave Byleth a very unimpressed look.

“Very well, ten thousand it is,” Edelgard readily agreed, nodding to the pair as she walked over, while Dimitri looked a little awkward.

“Ah…perhaps I could give you a scrip to signify the debt owed? I'm afraid I don't have ten thousand on me." 

“Yeah, I don’t think she expects it right now,” Claude commented, before pausing when he turned his gaze back to Shez and saw her holding her hand out expectantly. “...yeah, I don’t have that much money on me.”

“...” Shez gave him a very unimpressed look as she lowered her hand.

"There you kids are!" a mustached knight called out, getting their attention. "I'm glad to see you're all well!" 

"As it is seeing you. Alois, correct?" Edelgard said, greeting the smiling knight.

"That I am, I'm glad to hear you remember me, Princess Edelgard!" Alois replied, bowing before the students, before looking at Shez. "My apologies, but you don't seem like a student." 

"That's cause I'm not! My name's Shez and I'm a mercenary who saved them!" the violet-haired girl declared with a big grin. 

"Well in that case, why don't you come with us? It would be quite rude of us to leave you behind after you helped save some of our students." 

"Oh, uh." Shez glanced at Byleth. "Sure thing! I was expecting to get paid anyway, so might as well come along." 

"Glad to hear, ah, but you, Byleth I believe your name is? We will need to talk when we return to the camp. I understand that you may have been worried about your friends, but I do believe students were ordered to stay at the camp." 

"...Very well, my apologies for defying your command," Byleth said, bowing slightly to him. "I'll accept whatever punishment you decide on."

"Excellent, now let's get going! It's Barnabest we get going from Barnabas territory!" 

"...Are you sure I can't just get my pay now?" 

"You're being very pouty right now," Byleth commented after she and Shez returned to the camp. 

"Apparently the nobles can't pay me cause Alois says the church will handle it. I wanted my double quadruple pay…" she explained, continuing to pout until she felt Byleth pat her on the head. 

"There there. Come on, let's go talk with some of the other students. Who knows, you might make some friends." 

"...okay," Shez muttered, leaning into the pat. She might not have gotten paid, and didn't get to sleep properly, but it still felt nice being with Byleth. "Huh…I just realized I have tits right now."

“Yes, you do! Very good Shez,” Byleth replied, patting her on the head again.

“Hey, no, I mean I went to sleep as a dude and woke up as a lady. Again.”

“Oh? This has happened more than once?”

“Yeah, it happened a few times…it’s kinda part of why I’ve been doing solo merc work for a while. It’s awkward to explain why you’re suddenly not the gender of the person they hired and saying ‘oh I’m hiding it’ gets kind of tiring after a while. Heck, I just started sleeping in my clothes instead of using sleepwear because this one time I woke up as a guy in a nightie and it got really awkward.” She huffed. “The thing is, it wasn’t even like the boss minded, the problem was that she was weirdly into it, which is why I stopped working with those Berling guys.”

“I see…Berling, you said?”

“Yeah, I think so–Are you gonna do something weird?”

“No, just keeping the name in mind. Anyways, we should introduce you–”

"Bylie, there you are!" Dorothea called out as she and Lysithea came up to them. "I was worried something happened when you disappeared." 

"No need to worry, I just wanted to ensure the house leaders were okay. Thankfully, it seems they were lucky enough to run into Shez." 

"Hm? Are you the mercenary who saved them?" Lysithea asked, studying the violet-haired girl. 

"That I am! I just wish I got properly paid for it," Shez complained again before smiling. "Ah well, at least I got to meet Byleth again." 

"Oh? You two know one another?" 

"We're childhood friends," Byleth explained, to which Shez nodded. 

“The best of friends! And she totally came for me, not the house leaders.” 

“How would she even know you were here?” Lysithea asked, frowning. 

“Cause that’s how great she is,” Shez prasied, as if that answered everything. 

“Well she is certainly impressive,” Dorothea complimented with a bright smile, “Thanks again for saving me, Bylie.” 

“Of course. We are friends, after all,” Byleth replied, returning the smile, “And I’d hate for anything bad to happen to you before I came up with a nickname for you.” 

“Ha, in that case feel free to keep calling me Dorothea. Either way, I definitely owe you.” 

It was subtle, but Shez saw Byleth’s lips twitch at that. “I’ll keep that in mind.” 

"Oh there you are Byleth, I was wondering where you went," Hilda called out, getting their attention. "You just kinda disappeared there." 

“Well you know how I am, I just had to go help the house leaders.” 

“Pft, yeah I bet. Another one of Claude’s orders?” 

“Nope. Master has actually refrained from ordering me around of late. I imagine he wishes to change his reputation after the first day here.” 

“Hm? Wait, what orders?” Shez asked. 

“Depends on if you want to listen to what people actually say happened and what the rumors say,” Hilda answered, grinning, “According to the Eagles, there was this whole big misunderstanding where Petra thought Byleth is Claude’s slave because he told her to wait outside the classroom. If you listen to what some random students say though, it could be anything from making her wait out in the rain in her underwear to demanding she walk on all fours while accompanying him.”

“...”

Hilda tilted her head curiously when Shez didn’t respond, wondering if the girl might be too furious to speak…before she noticed Byleth stifle a laugh while Shez started to blush.

“Lucky dastard…” the violet-haired mercenary mumbled, before pausing. “I mean, uh, how dare he! Yeah that’s what I meant.”

“You’re not supposed to say that last part out loud,” Byleth commented.

“Huh? Oh, right, internal thoughts. Those stay in the brain.”

“...I have to say, the two of you seem quite different. I find it a bit hard to believe you two are childhood friends.” Lysithea muttered. 

“Well, we met when I was a baby, and to be fair we did start off as more of childhood enemies. Even if it was all on my side.” Shez said, having the decency to look sheepish. “I kinda thought she stole my knife after I accidently stabbed her.”

“That’s…how, exactly?” Dorothea asked while the two nobles stared at Shez with a new wariness.

“Well I was stabbing a boar and she got in front of me, and then left with my dagger still in her.” 

“Ohh, you’re rural girls,” Dorothea realized, nodding as a lot of things fell into place.

“Hm? Oh I guess? My hometown is this one mountain village and Byleth usually travels around a lot,” Shez readily explained, “So I guess that means we’re rural?”

“I suppose so. And here we are now, amongst the city girls and noble girls. Quite the leap, isn’t it?” Byleth remarked, amused. “Oh, speaking of, I should introduce you to Leonie, Shez. She also trained with papa.”

“Wait, really?”

“I heard my name,” the orange-haired commoner in question spoke up as she wandered over, “What’s up?”

“Oh so you’re Leonie!” Shez exclaimed, “Byleth was just telling me how you got trained by Mister Jeralt too!”

Leonie blinked, before frowning as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Yeah, I was trained by Master Jeralt. In fact, I’m his official apprentice!”

“Oh really? Cool! How do you become an official apprentice?”

“Ah…well, obviously you have to be trained by him.”

“Right, I did that.”

“...And, ah, you have to be verbally acknowledged as his apprentice!" She gestured at a wooden charm around her neck. "You also need one of these!"

"Oh…well damn, I guess he never actually did that," Shez noted, before shrugging. "Oh well, I guess I can always ask him later." 

"Wh– You can't just ask!" 

"I can't?" Shez turned to Byleth. "Is that true?" 

"Well he is a very big name, so it's not something just anyone can do." 

"Exactly!" 

“Someone’s jealous,” Hilda murmured to Dorothea, earning a little giggle from the songstress that she tried to cover.

"Pardon me," Edelgard called out, approaching the group.

“Oh, hello Edie!” Dorothea greeted, smiling.

"Ah, good evening Dorothea, it’s good to see you are well. One moment please though,” she requested, before looking at Shez and Leonie, “You mentioned Jeralt? As in the former captain of the Knights of Seiros? Jeralt the Demonbane?" 

Leonie paused. “Uh, no? Master Jeralt’s called ‘The Blade Breaker’, and he never mentioned being part of the knights.”

"Yeah, I don't remember Mister Jeralt ever saying anything about that," Shez added, not noticing the frown Leonie gave her. 

Glancing at Byleth, Edelgard saw the demon raise a finger to her lips as she winked. "My apologies, but you must be mistaking my father for someone else. I suppose it's a more common name than I thought." 

“...hm, well, I suppose it isn’t unusual for someone to be named after a famous hero,” the princess allowed. 

“Really? Huh, I guess I never thought about that. Hey, does that mean that there’s a bunch of people in the Kingdom named Loog?” Shez asked.

“...I suppose I never looked into that possibility,” Edelgard remarked, before glancing over at Dimitri. “Hm…no, that would be silly to ask about.”

“It would be? Wait, does the blond guy know?” Shez wondered, before immediately heading towards Dimitri, “Hey Blondie, how many people in the Kingdom are named Loog?”

“...what?” Dimitri asked in return, a confused look on his face. "...I am unaware of the answer to that question, though I know some people give their children middle names that are from heroes of the past." 

“Oh so that’s why you guys have three names! I always thought that was a weird, noble thing. Neat.”

“It is a weird noble thing,” Byleth commented, with Leonie nodding along with her.

"Huh…so wait, does me having only one name mean I'm less weird than people with two names?" 

Both Byleth and Leonie paused there, before looking at each other. “...No.”

“Yeah, no, having a second name just means you have a family name.”

“No, no, if three names are weird, then one name makes the most sense,” Shez decided, nodding to her own logic.

"...right. Well, I should help Shez settle in,” Byleth decided, “Have a good night, everyone.”

“I hope you have a good night as well," Edelgard replied, before she moved close to the demon to whisper in her ear, "And it would be a much better night if we can have another private discussion when we get back." 

“Heh. I look forward to it.”

"Huh…so, are you two close?" Shez asked, watching Edelgard head off as the group went their separate ways for the night. 

"Well I have fallen in love with her, so yes~" Byleth replied.

“...So she’s also competition…” Shez murmured, starting to frown.

“No, I have plenty of room in my heart for both of you.”

“...h-hang on, what?”

Byleth didn’t answer though, instead heading over to check in with her other classmates, leaving Shez to stare after her with a very warm face…before she grinned a little giddily and decided to join in with talking to all these new people. Who knows, maybe she might make some more friends?

Chapter Text

Rhea had known this year would be a difficult one at best. She had hoped otherwise, but every instinct she had told her that the presences of the Imperial Princess of Adrestia, the Crown Prince of Faerghus, and the heir of House Riegan all at the monastery at once was likely to cause problems. It wasn’t anything against the group of young, future sovereigns, just a matter that individuals of such importance tended to attract trouble.

And sure enough, scarcely a month into the year, all three major heirs had nearly been killed by a truly blatant assassination attempt. A remarkably poorly done one, thankfully, given that the bandits that had attacked were a miserable rabble of little skill and even less cunning, but still, it reflected poorly on the Academy that their students had been attacked, and it was even worse that one of their professors had actually abandoned his post entirely.

Now not only did she need to find a new professor on short notice, but she had to deal with a random mercenary who knew of the Academy’s shame. She really had hoped the year would be easier than this…

“Well this is a fine mess,” Seteth muttered, voicing a great deal of her thoughts, “Hm. Do we have any instructors we could spare to take over for our missing professor?”

Rhea hummed, thinking. “We could have Jeritza take over the position.”

“The new combat instructor? Hm…I suppose that position doesn’t necessarily need to be filled, while we do need a new professor…though perhaps we could have one of the knights take over as the combat instructor then. Yes, that might work…”

“Good. Look through the ranks of the knights and see who would be most willing to take up the position.” 

“Of course, Lady Rhea. Hm…perhaps someone like Gilbert would be a good option?”

As Seteth mused over their future decisions, Rhea settled back into her desk, looking over the report in front of her regarding the students involved in the altercation. It still bothered her that bandits would be so audacious as to attack students of her academy, but the interference of a random mercenary was questionable too, especially given that she was apparently friends with one of the students who had also been involved. One Byleth…Eisner?

Rhea paused, then looked closer at the sheet. Clear as day, there was the name “Byleth Eisner”. That…was an eerie coincidence. The name “Eisner” wasn’t completely unique, but it brought back memories regardless, particularly when associated with a mysterious young mercenary. 

Granted, “Shez” wasn’t the one with that surname, so the connection was tenuous at best. Still…maybe it was something to look into.

"Hm…is the mercenary ready to speak with us?" 

"Yes, as is one Byleth Eisner. I had asked her to leave with the rest of the students, however she claims to be friends with Shez and wishes to vouch for her." 

"...I see. I had wanted to speak with her, so I suppose that is fortuitous," Rhea said, standing up, and heading to the door leading to the audience chamber, Seteth opening the door for her. She put on a serene smile as she walked out to the two waiting for her. "Good tidings to you two. I thank you for waiting." 

"Oh, no problem!" Shez replied, bringing a hand up to wave. 

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Rhea." Byleth on the other hand bowed to her. It was clear which one of them had a better grasp of etiquette.

"Now then, while I would like to thank you properly for all your work, I do wish to know exactly what happened." 

"Well, not much really? I was kinda camping out and then those house leaders woke me up so I saved them, before Byleth showed up to help fight," Shez explained. 

"Yes, I had heard as such…now, while I would like to thank you in aiding the house leaders, Byleth, I do wish to point out that according to reports from the knights, you left the camp even after you were instructed to stay while they searched for the house leaders." 

"My apologies, Lady Rhea.” The girl bowed again in a show of contrition. “However I am in the service of Claude von Riegan, so I could not remain still." 

“I see. I should note though that the other house leaders have retainers as well, and neither Hubert nor Dedue chose to break away from the group in order to search for their leaders.”

“I am duty bound to protect my master, Lady Rhea. I cannot allow him to be in danger. However, I will still apologize if that is what you wish." 

"I don't require that. All I ask is that you listen to the knights next time." 

"Of course, Lady Rhea," Byleth agreed, nodding to her request, "Though I would like to note one thing. I heard the knights claiming this was an assassination attempt or a random attack. However, from what I heard while the bandits were attacking, they were specifically targeting a 'blonde' student to capture. While I cannot say who exactly, it is important to note that three nobles in the Academy have blonde hair." 

"I see. That is troubling news, but at least we know what they were after." Rhea shook her head, before regarding Shez again. "Now then, Shez, I believe we also need to discuss your payment?" 

"Oh, right, well if we're adding up the payment of the three nobles that's…a hundred thousand, right Byleth?" 

"If you still go with your double quadruple, yes," Byleth amusedly noted. 

"I would advise you not to extort the church," Seteth warned, glaring at the mercenary. 

"What? Hey I'm not extorting anyone! Well okay I'm specifically extorting Claude but you guys didn't let him pay." 

"...I ask that you not extort anyone," Rhea requested, trying not to sigh, "Regardless, I actually wished to offer you a different form of payment. The Officer’s Academy is always looking for bright young minds to help grow, and given that you don't seem to be working on any contracts at the moment, it seems now would be the perfect time for you to join." 

"..." Shez felt a small frown appear on her face, starting to become aware that this wasn't really much of an option for her. "Are you sure about that? I mean, I am just a random mercenary." 

"Even so, we need to properly repay you, and what better way than to let you thrive in a location with people your age? I'm sure you can make many connections here." 

"Well…okay I guess." 

"Excellent, now this may be sudden, but as you've already met the house leaders, I wanted to ask which class you wish to join." 

"Oh, uh…" Shez glanced over at Byleth, as she considered joining the Golden Deer, before thinking better of it. "I wanna join the Black Eagles!" 

"Oh? That is a surprise to hear, I would have assumed you would join the Golden Deer because of your friend." 

"Yeah, well, Edelgard and I are allies, you know?" 

"...I'm afraid I don't." What in the world does that mean? Is she actually employed by Edel–

“Eh, that’s fine. You seem old, so it makes sense you wouldn’t get it.”

Rhea blinked. 

"Need I remind you that you're speaking to the archbishop?" Seteth warned, plainly annoyed.

"Oh, right, sorry." 

"...Well, for now I think you can be dismissed,” Rhea decided, “We'll have someone show you the dorms, and a uniform will be provided for you later." 

"Oh thanks!" 

"Of course. Ah, but before you go, I wanted to speak with you, Byleth." 

The girl paused, seeming oddly cautious now as she regarded Rhea. "...What exactly did you wish to speak about?" 

"Seteth, can you give us some privacy, for a moment?" the archbishop asked of her aide, who frowned for a moment, before nodding. 

"Very well. Come along Shez," Seteth said, guiding the new student out and leaving the demon alone with the dragon. 

Rhea couldn't help the frown that appeared on her face as she looked at the tense young woman before her. “You need not worry, child. You are not in trouble.”

“...That’s good to hear,” she responded, keeping her voice level. 

Rhea attempted to smile, hoping the young woman would feel more at ease. “I simply wished to ask…your name is Byleth Eisner, correct?”

"That I am. My name is not forged." 

"That is not…" Rhea let out a small sigh. "I wished to ask if you had some form of relationship with Jeralt Eisner?" 

"...That is the name of my father, yes. May I ask why you wish to know?" 

Rhea tried to keep her smile small, even as she felt a surge of joy. "I believe I may know your father. He was under my employ for some time." 

"Is that so? My apologies, my father doesn't talk much about his past so I'm unaware of such a thing," Byleth responded, turning her gaze to the floor, "I don't think he's fond of the past."

Rhea couldn't help the pang she felt in her chest at that. She had a feeling she had begun to drive him away, but to know he didn't speak of her at all… "I see…is he in good health?" 

"Yes, he's gotten on in his years, but he's still healthy. He's made a name for himself as a mercenary." 

Rhea smiled, taking comfort in knowing he was still helping people. "And your mother?" 

"Ah…" Byleth frowned, appearing unwilling to meet her gaze. "She passed away when I was young." 

"Oh…oh, I'm sorry to hear. Has it just been you two?" 

“Not all the time. We would stay with Shez and her mother every so often, so it wasn’t as though I lacked a maternal figure. I was on my own every so often, given my father’s profession, but I handled things well enough.” Byleth slightly smiled. "I suppose if it wasn't for my current profession, I would have ended up as mercenary like him." 

"I see. Well, this might be presumptuous, but I believe Jeralt would prefer you stay as a maid, as it seems less dangerous than mercenary work."

"I suppose I can see why you think that," Byleth allowed, before inclining her head slightly. "Is there anything else you need?" 

"No, but…if it is okay with you, may we speak again at a later date?" 

"...I have no reason to say no." 

"I'm glad to hear. And don't worry, we do not need to speak about anything personal if you wish. If nothing I'm sure you'd enjoy hearing stories of your father. He might seem impressive in your eyes, but I remember him when he was barely a young man who couldn't even grow a proper beard." 

"..." Rhea smiled again as she saw Byleth restrain her surprised laughter, holding her hand in front of her mouth to stifle her giggles. “I-I see. My apologies, Lady Rhea, I was just…that is an interesting image to think of. Especially since I don’t think I’ve ever seen Papa without his beard.” She adopted a somewhat thoughtful look. “Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve even seen his chin before.” 

Rhea laughed. "I would recommend not shaving his beard. A few of his old friends did that as a prank back when he first managed to properly grow it and he was quite upset." 

“Not to worry, I wouldn’t be so mean. Ah, pardon me though, could I please be excused? I would like to make sure Shez is acclimating well enough and I really should check on my master.”

"Of course. And please remember that my door is always open to you." 

Byleth bowed to her once more before she headed out, bringing a small smile to Rhea’s face. It was nice to not only have confirmation that Jeralt was still alive, but, given Byleth’s apparent age and that he’d gone off twenty years ago, he’d presumably found someone to love, even if it may not have lasted long. At the very least, it was a better thought to consider than the idea she really had driven him away…

Best not to think about that. It was nice to see Jeralt’s child was doing well for herself, and that was all that mattered.

…Maybe it was possible they could reconnect at some point? Something to consider.

Leaning against a wall, Claude idly read a book as he waited for his maid to show up. He didn't particularly need to talk to her, but he was worried about how things would go between her and Rhea. So it was a bit surprising to see her walk downstairs with a large smile on her face. 

"...Huh. You certainly seem cheery." 

"Why wouldn't I be, master?" 

"Well, last I checked you just talked to the archbishop and you're…well, you." 

"Hmph, I'm going to assume you didn't mean that as an insult master," Byleth said with a pout. "As for why I'm smiling…well, what would you do if the thing you desire most of all is right in front of you?" 

"...most people would try to grab it, I imagine." 

"Even if there was a blade hanging above your neck?" Byleth asked, as she smiled. "Even metaphorically, it was rather exhilarating." 

"...right." It was obvious Byleth wanted him to ask. He wasn't, since she'd probably ask for something in return, but…well she was a demon and Rhea was the archbishop. In Claude’s eyes, it was clear that the demon wanted to kill Rhea. 

That was certainly a dangerous thing to do, but...well something to keep in mind. It definitely didn’t go against his own goals. Really, getting rid of Rhea would make things easier in a lot of ways. A snake can’t survive without its head and even a group as big as the church of Fodlan would falter if their leader was gone.

“Hm…hey master?” Byleth spoke up, catching his attention.

“What’s up?”

“Remind me to explain the concept of martyrdom to you at some point, alright?”

“...” Well that was a confusing statement. “Uh, sure?

Shez had to admit, he never thought he would get into a fancy noble academy. Sure, his mom always made sure he was educated, but he never thought he would get anything like this. 

He also had to admit that he was a bit annoyed he had to stick to his girl form because of how they found him. It's not that he disliked being a girl, but it was annoying being limited to one form. Especially since the uniform he was given didn't fit him when he was a guy… 

"I'm not even taller, so why doesn't this fit?" he grumbled, looking at himself in a mirror. 

Though before he could complain for long, someone knocked on his door, getting his attention as he shifted forms. Quirking an eyebrow, she walked over and opened the door to find the imperial princess standing there. 

"Good afternoon, Shez. I hope I'm not bothering you." 

"Oh, uh, no, you’re not. Did you need something?" 

"Well I will be your house leader going forward, so I felt it would be appropriate if we got to know one another. If that's okay with you?" 

"Oh, sure no problem!" Shez agreed, beaming at the princess as she stepped aside to let Edelgard in. 

Letting out an amused huff, the princess walked in and sat down at the desk in Shez’s room. "I hope you don't mind if I make myself comfortable." 

"Nah it's no problem for me. So what did you want to talk about?" 

"About you, if I'm being honest. I am curious about the 'second strongest mercenary' around." 

“Oh, well–” Shez paused. Wait. There’s a cute girl in my bedroom asking about me. Is this…is she flirting? She might be flirting. Is that why Byleth said she has room for both of us? Is Edelgard into that??

“...well?” Edelgard asked, raising an eyebrow. She didn’t expect Shez to redden at that simple gesture, and found herself wondering why exactly she seemed to attract easily flustered women.

“Uh…y-yeah, so, what were you asking? About me, right? Uh, well, I’m a mercenary, I’m from Leicester, specifically this little village in the mountains that my mom still lives at–Oh, wait, I need to write to my mom, she should know I’m going to school now.”

“She probably should, yes.” Edelgard kept her gaze on the strange mercenary, looking at her for signs of…well, of anything, really. The fact that this girl was “childhood friends” with Byleth raised a great deal of questions. Such as ‘Is she a demon too?’. “So…when did you meet Byleth?”

“Hm? Oh, officially I think I met him when we were, uh…see, his mom was visiting, then he and his dad showed up, but I actually met her before that when I was, like…how old was I? Maybe five? I know I tried hunting a boar and that didn’t go great, so she showed up to save me and I stabbed her by accident. Oh! But also my mom says we actually met when I was a baby. Byleth is a couple years older than me so she was…three? I think? But yeah! We’ve known each other forever!”

“...” Edelgard wasn’t sure what to make of that rambling nonsense. “So…you met her when you were a baby?”

“Yeah, that’s right! I don’t remember it at all, but that’s the first time we met, I think. And then there was the boar thing.”

“In which you stabbed her.”

“Yup. I got kind of upset about that because I thought she stole my knife.”

“...After you stabbed her?”

“Yeah, since she left with it in her.”

“I see. And then you met her again when her mother visited?”

“Yep! I kind of count that as an official meeting since it’s the first time he told me his name, but I didn’t actually know he was the same girl I stabbed until later.”

“...’He’?”

Shez paused. “Oh yeah, I guess I didn’t explain that. Byleth can turn into a guy like I can.”

“...” Well, that wasn’t how she expected to confirm Shez was a demon. “I see. Then that is an ability you two share?”

“Yup! I think all demons can do it, though I’m not sure since I’ve only ever met Byleth’s mom and she was always a lady. Not that I’m a demon though.”

Edelgard paused. “...You’re not?”

“Nope! Mom says I’m an angel! Which is kind of the opposite, I think? It lets me do stuff like this,” she explained, turning around and letting her wings form…before pausing as they tore straight through the back of her uniform. “...Oh. Whoops.”

"..." Edelgard took a moment to think, wondering just how exactly she got here. She expected a bit of back and forth as she and Shez probed one another for information, seeing what the other knew. She didn't expect the mercenary to just spill everything. "...Angel? What exactly does that mean?"

"Oh, mom explained it as if I'm supposed to be the opposite of demons, and I'm supposed to fight them, but I don't have to. And like sure, Byleth and I have a rivalry going on, but that's just cause I wanna be stronger than her so I can protect her." 

"..." Edelgard looked at the wings on Shez’s back. A pair of wings that seemed far too similar to the ones the goddess had in murals depicting her likeness. "So…you claim to be divine in nature?"

"Huh? I guess? I mean, all mom said was that I might be different, but that's okay." Shez gave Edelgard a sheepish grin. "It took a bit for that to set in, but being friends with Byleth really helped." 

“I see…So, would that place you on the side of the goddess then?”

“Hm? Nah, I’m not religious.”

“...” Yet again, Edelgard found herself confused by the truly bizarre woman in front of her. “You are an ‘angel’, correct?”

“Hm? Yeah?”

“And you claim that is the natural opposite of a demon, correct?”

“Yup! Pretty sure it is, I think.”

“Further, demons are held to be the opposite of the goddess’s divine nature, correct?”

“Yeah, I think so. That sounds like something I’ve heard before.”

“Therefore, you would be on the side of the goddess as a divine being. Does that make sense?”

“Uh…I guess so?” Shez scratched her head, looking confused. “...Hang on, does that mean I have to kill Byleth? Because I don’t want to do that.”

“It is a reasonable conclusion, isn’t it?”

“Mmm…nope, no it isn’t.”

Edelgard felt like sighing. “And why not?”

“Because there’s no way I’m going to kill my crush. I make my own choices, and I choose not to do that.”

“...” Edelgard felt a slight smile come to her face. “Well, I can appreciate that attitude, if nothing else. And, if I might ask, what was that about a crush?”

“Oh, well, uh…A-Anyways, you got any other questions?” Shez deflected in the most obvious way possible.

"Hm, so, do you take on contracts like Byleth?" 

"Um…I don't think so? I mean, I never really thought about doing that, so, you know." She shrugged. "I guess I could ask Byleth how it's done? Or well, could you tell me? You have a contract with her, right?" 

“I have made a contract with her in the past, yes, though I do not have an active one between us.”

“Oh really? Oh, because of Claude, right?” Shez nodded. “Yeah, he definitely feels like competition…I kinda doubt Byleth would ever let him control her for real, but I think a part of her does like having someone to follow, you know? It’s like…why do demons keep making contracts with people if they’re so much stronger than humans? At least part of them has to enjoy the idea of serving someone.”

“...That’s an interesting suggestion,” Edelgard noted, “I imagine a majority of demons do not tend to enter into a person’s service though. Most of them, from what I’ve read, either preferred solitary lives or actively conflicted with humanity.”

“No, not with humanity, I’m pretty sure,” Shez contradicted, “I think it’s more a rivalry with the Church? And the nations, I think. Missus Sitri could probably explain more, though it’s been a while–Oh wait!” The angel straightened, a thought coming to her. “I actually do take on contracts! See, I’ve worked with a few different mercenary groups before, plus the work I do as an independent–”

“I meant more metaphysical contracts, Shez,” Edelgard interrupted, mildly annoyed that the angel changed the subject, “The type where you can trade your soul or a crest.”

“Ohh. Yeah okay…Well, hey, I can do some stuff that Byleth can’t, like growing my big wings or sprouting extra eyes.”

Edelgard raised an eyebrow. “You can grow eyes?”

“Yup! Ah, here, lemme just…” And Shez promptly started taking off her torn up jacket and undershirt, earning a considering look from Edelgard at the sight of her firm muscles, before she held her arm out and started forming a series of eyeballs from her shoulder down. “See? And I can do it basically everywhere!”

She turned, showing more eyes sprouting all across her flesh as Edelgard noticed white markings appearing across her skin while her hair turned orange towards the tips. A similar shade of orange to the irises of her extra eyes, curiously enough. “And you can see out of those eyes?”

“That I can! It makes scouting super easy!” Shez responded, as the eyes looked around. "It gave me some headaches at first, but I can pretty much see everything around me. Oh and I can also teleport!" 

"Like Byleth?" 

"No–Well, yes but better. See, Byleth needs someone to summon her, like when I'm in danger and she shows up cause of my contract, or cause someone summons her. I, on the other hand, can just go where I want as long as I can see if in my mind! Well that and as long as it's not that far away. Like I can't go to Fhirdiad from Enbarr. Or at least I don’t think I can? I haven’t been to either so I’m not sure." 

"Hm…well that certainly sounds useful.” Edelgard let a small smile appear on her face. "I have a feeling we'll be getting along quite well, Shez." 

"Oh, good! That's good to know, cause I mean, it would have been awkward if we didn't get along after Byleth said she was in love with you." 

“...Yes, that would be awkward. If you wouldn’t mind, could you tell me what Byleth said exactly?”

“Huh? Uh…I’m not too good at quoting people, but it was definitely her saying she was in love with you and how she thinks you’re super hot."

"...I see." Edelgard wasn't sure if she should be flattered that she was able to make a demon fall in love with her. Though…she could certainly use that to her advantage. “And what do you think of her intentions towards me?”

“Huh? Oh, uh…well I guess you’re cute? Yeah, definitely cute, I just don’t know you that well yet. But, uh…if you want, I guess we could get to know each other more? Maybe?” Shez shrugged. "I mean, you're probably pretty impressive if Byleth fell for you that fast. The only other time she was like this was the one person she got a crest from." 

“Ah, I see…hm, she’s been infatuated with me for a while then.”

“Eh? No, she got all happy because of the person that gave her a…ohhhh. Oh wow, the heck did she do for you to give her your crest?”

“She saved me,” Edelgard stated simply, before pausing as Shez gave her a big smile.

“Heh. Yeah, that explains it. She’s great, huh?”

"...I suppose she is." Edelgard let out a small sigh, a smile evident on her face. "I don't know anything about loving her, but I won't turn her away at least. At the very least, I don't plan to steal her away from you." 

"Oh, I don't have to worry about that. Byleth says her heart is big enough for the both of us." 

"...My, but she is quite greedy." 

“Yeah, isn’t it great?” Shez replied, beaming happily.

Edelgard rolled her eyes, finding it hard to be annoyed with the cheerful angel. 

Dimitri stared at the demon wandering the monastery, humming carelessly as she walked aimlessly. Or so it would seem at first glance. He didn’t know what destination the demon had in mind, but the fact that she’d split off from Claude implied she wanted something…

He watched her head into the training ground and felt a frown come to his face as he followed her. Maybe she wanted to speak with Jeritza? Or maybe she was seeking someone else out…Felix tended to spend his time at the training grounds.

Dimitri increased his pace, though when he arrived, he found the grounds were empty. Aside, of course, from the demon standing there and smiling at him.

"There's no one here, if you want to talk," she called out, smiling that same dull-eyed smile.

“...We do need to talk,” Dimitri agreed, stepping forward to face the demon he’d made a deal with.

"About?" Byleth asked, tilting her head slightly. "Did you want to have another dinner party–"

"Stay away from Edelgard." 

Byleth paused at the unexpected demand, before tilting her head as she looked up at him. “What will you give me?”

“...Is that all you care about?”

“Your highness, you know who I am. You know how I work. If you want to demand anything of me, you need to give me something in return.”

Dimitri glared at her, though she showed no fear at his aggressive gaze. If anything, she seemed mildly interested at best. “What would it take for you to leave her alone then?”

“Your kingdom.”

He stiffened. “That–You would require the whole of Faerghus to stay away from Edelgard?”

“Certainly. She represents the Empire. If you want me to give that up, you have to offer something of equal value.” She tilted her head the other way, like some kind of swaying chime. “Did you think all I would need would be another meal? No, don’t be stupid. You know what I am.”

“...What do you want from her?”

“What will you give me to tell you?”

He glowered. “So that’s it then? You’re not willing to leave her alone.”

“Of course I am not. Especially when it’s entirely likely that she will approach me next instead of the other way around.”

"She won't, not after what happened to her family," Dimitri stated. He knew Edelgard, he knew she wouldn’t–

“You don’t know her,” Byleth retorted, “If you ever did know anything of her, you knew the girl before the terror she experienced. The horrors of having her family ripped away by human hands. Or inhuman, I suppose. It depends on your definition of humanity.”

“...What the hell does that mean?”

“It means what it means. It’s not my story to tell–”

“I’m not about to just drop this!” He frowned. “Were you the demon that killed her family–”

“No. As I said, her family wasn’t killed by demons, it was killed by humans. The same humans involved in your personal tragedy, if you must know.”

"...what?" He could feel himself pale, but he shook it off. "...How do I know you're telling the truth? You gave that freely without any deal." 

"Ah, you're getting smarter," Byleth said, a smile on her face, "I gave it freely because I didn't want to argue about this anymore. If you wish to make sure, we can always make a deal." 

“What would it take for you to answer me honestly?”

“You get three questions for a meal, as already established. If you want something more than that…I suppose you could take me out on a date and see what happens~”

He frowned. “Don’t taunt me. I just want to know if you’re telling the truth.”

“Mm…if you insist. A meal works then.” She grinned, her eyes still as dull as ever. He could feel something in him crawl uncomfortably at that ever empty gaze. “But you really should start getting more creative if you want anything more than a few questions answered." 

He moved more on instinct than any decision. His hand went to her throat, lifting her against a pillar, holding her up against it. His grip was tight and his voice came out as a furious growl. "Or I could force the answers out of you!"

“...h-hh…h-harder~” Byleth teased, her hair and eyes going green as a mad grin spread across her face. Dimitri felt his body tense as he came face to face with the demon beneath the girl, her eyes burning with an unholy light–

And then his eyes went wide as a crack echoed out. Dimitri let go, backing up quickly as Byleth dropped bonelessly to the ground, her head lolling at an angle that it never should. 

He stared at his hand, horror creeping up his spine after his crest did as it was wont to do and activated at the worst possible time, set off by the brief flash of fear that went through him. The prince looked up, staring at the demon’s body…before she pushed herself up and placed her hands on her head. Then a second, all the more sickening snap echoed out as she forced her head back into position.

“Wooooo…wow…that was intense~” She giggled, all hints of the dullness he was used to gone entirely in favor of genuine mirth that sparkled in her eyes. “My, what strength you have, your highness~! It’s no wonder your uncle couldn’t even begin to fight back. If I was human, you really would have killed me there~”

“...” Dimitri took a shaky breath, flexing his hand before he looked at her again. It was…disturbing to see how much enjoyment she seemed to be getting out of…what, exactly? The situation? His horror? The feeling of having her neck broken? Any of them was a disturbing possibility. “...What is wrong with you?”

“Nothing? I’m feeling pretty good right now. You’re the one murdering young women for no reason.”

“I DIDN’T–...you…I shouldn’t be talking to you,” he realized–

“You are though. So, how about it? This time, I’ll answer your questions, and for each question you answer, you owe me a meal that we’ll share together,” she offered, her eyes bright with delight, “You can invite your friends if you want, or maybe I’ll invite some of mine, but this time around, you’re racking up a debt, understand?”

Dimitri should leave. He should leave the training ground. Really, he should leave the monastery entirely and focus on searching for those behind the Tragedy. 

But he didn’t. 

Cornelia had vanished. Kleiman was dead. Who knew what could happen next if he didn’t get the information to act in time?

“...fine." 

"Good, and for the sake of generosity, I'll give you your first one free, in exchange for the experience you just gave me." 

"...Is Patricia Blaiddyd still alive?" He knew there were better questions to ask, but he had to know. 

"No, she died that day in the forest." 

"..." Dimitri let out a shuddering breath. So she was gone…did she meet a demon in her final moments and ask for her to help him, rather than herself? He wanted to ask, but…no, he had important things to focus on. "Who else of the western lords, besides Kleiman, was involved in the Tragedy of Duscur?" 

"Elidure, Mateus, and Gideon," Byleth answered, making Dimitri ball his hands into a fist. 

"Four lords…they could have made a formal protest! If there were so many, surely my father might have listened!" 

The demon remained silent, cocking an eyebrow as if wondering if he would ask about that possibility, that his father would have relented if they protested. He almost asked, before the ghosts screamed at him that it did not matter. The important part was he knew which of the lords was involved. 

He shook his head. “Do you know where Cornelia–Where Cleobulus went?”

“Hm…” Byleth tilted her head, then shook it. “No, her presence is occluded from my senses. In other words, she’s using magic to hide herself.”

He grimaced at the wasted question.

"...Give me another name of someone involved." 

"Duarte Gallo." Dimitri blinked. That was a Duscur name. 

So there was at least one person from Duscur involved. He grimaced, shaking her head as he ignored the ghosts screaming at him to take a blade to the people of Duscur. He knew the majority of them were innocent; it had been cruel, what the Knights of Faerghus did. Yet he could hear the voices yelling–

Then they were silent as Byleth tapped his head.

Dimitri stared at her for a moment, then frowned. “Why would you do that for me?”

“Because it’s beneficial to keep your mind quiet,” she replied, “Those voices in your head are annoying to watch.”

“...” He was just going to ignore that part. "Who else was involved?" 

"All the other major players have already died. Unless you want the names of every foot soldier?" Byleth asked in return. 

"...The western lords, one man of Duscur, and Cleobulus." Dimitri muttered to himself. "To think, I would be this close." 

"I'm happy to assist~." 

"Don't play around. You're just doing this to toy with me." 

"Well, you're not wrong there, but I really am happy to assist." Byleth gave him an eerie smile. "Though your desire may be simple, the intensity of it is quite exhilarating. I can't wait to see you succeed." 

“Simple? You think–I am seeking justice for my family’s murder–!”

“Do not mistake me, your highness. Vengeance is indeed a very simple desire. ‘I have been wronged, therefore I must harm those who wronged me’. It is a basic instinct. A base desire. And I enjoy it just the same.” She kept her grin as she sauntered closer, her hands behind her back. “Is a steak bad because it is simple? No, not at all. It’s delicious…just as I imagine you will be, once you’re seasoned properly.”

He did not back away. He stood strong, frowning down at her. “...whatever it is you want from me, you won’t get it.”

“Truly? That’s a shame, considering all I want is for you to achieve your vengeance.” The gleam in her eyes burned all the brighter. “I sincerely hope you will have exactly as you desire, your highness. I hope with all my heart that you will gorge yourself on your sense of satisfaction until your stomach bursts. Then, I imagine, we will both be happy.”

He pushed her away, stumbling back despite himself. 

"...you'll never be happy, or satisfied," Dimitri retorted, before walking away and leaving Byleth alone. 

"Perhaps, once in the past, that may have been true," Byleth murmured, speaking to herself, before she pressed a hand against her chest where a familiar warmth lay. "Yet all I desire is to help fulfill others’ desires. So long as this fire burns, it shall be all I want." 

Such was her life as a human who never felt alive until she became a demon.

Chapter Text

"Alright everyone, I hope you're all ready for today," Manuela Casagranda, newly chosen teacher of the Golder Deer said, clapping her hands to get her class’s attention as they stood in the fields outside the monastery. "Today is the first of many that you’ll get to prove yourselves against the other classes, especially Hanneman's class." 

Lysithea let out a little huff under her breath as their professor talked about the grand ‘mock battle’ that was supposed to be the official start to their school year. She was sure plenty of her idiot classmates were ecstatic to get to show off in front of everyone, but the sole remaining daughter of House Ordelia had already written off the event as a waste of time that she could better spend improving herself.

"Now then, the battle will consist of me, and four of you lucky students. Well, I say four, but two of those slots are already filled up by Claude and Hilda." 

"What? Oh come on professor, surely you can choose someone better than someone as delicate as me!" Hilda complained, putting on her best pout. So at least one annoying person didn’t want to participate.

"Sorry to say Hilda, but it's a bit of a tradition for the house leader and their retainer to be part of the mock battle. And last I checked, you're Claude’s official retainer." 

"Aw…" 

"Professor Casagranda, for the sake of our house I believe it would be best for you to choose I, Lorenz Hellman Gloucester, as another member of the mock battle,” the pompous windbag interrupted, drawing all eyes to him like he obviously wanted, “Surely once you see my skills on the battlefield, I will prove myself to be the most capable." 

"...Could have just volunteered," Manuela muttered. 

"Hey professor, if you need help picking someone out, then you should choose Byleth, she's pretty strong," that annoying jerk Claude suggested, gesturing towards his maid. 

"Well, as much as I would like to, I can't," Manuela replied, a frown on her face, "Apparently because she left the camp, even though the knights told all the students to stay, she's getting punished by not being allowed to join in." 

"Hm, that's a shame." 

Byleth shrugged. “I’ll just have to cheer you all on then. Hm, maybe I should get a special outfit for it…”

“Yeah, maybe don’t,” Claude cut in, “I’m pretty sure your ideas for ‘special outfits’ would get you in trouble for indecency.”

Lysithea raised an eyebrow while Byleth pouted, before the maid tilted her head. “Hm…hey Professor Manuela? Could I check in with you for any fun outfit ideas? You’re clearly able to dress how you want.”

"Heh, well if you ever need any tips for fashion, my door is always open, but students are expected to dress in their uniforms when they're not participating in combat missions." 

"Hmph.” And that earned another pout. What happened to the fierce warrior cutting down bandits like they were nothing?

"Well if there's still a space open, I want in!" Leonie said, raising her hand. 

"Heh, well I won't say no to someone so eager," Manuela allowed, smiling at the students. "As for the rest of you, make sure to cheer us on, okay?" 

"Will do!" Raphael cheered, as loud as ever. 

Lysithea sighed to herself before hoisting her book bag over her shoulder, filled with the tomes she’d brought. If she had to self-study to keep up, then obviously she would. The question was, should she focus on Faith or Reason today? Reason came to her a bit easier, but–

“Hello Lady Lysithea.”

The young noble stiffened, but most definitely did not yelp at Byleth’s sudden appearance while she was walking. She kept full control of herself, calming her racing heart, before she frowned up at the taller student. “What do you want?”

“Oh, my apologies, I didn’t mean to startle you. I suppose I should have realized you were lost in thought,” the maid apologized.

“...Hmph. It’s not a problem. I was not thinking of much anyway, aside from trying to decide how I should spend my time during the battle." 

"Not going to cheer everyone on?" 

"Please, Raphael can cheer for all of us." 

"I suppose he can," Byleth said with a light giggle as she sat down next to her. "I hope you don't mind if I sit with you." 

"...I guess you're my least annoying classmate," Lysithea muttered, making Byleth smile in response. "Though I have to say, you are acting quite differently than when we fought those bandits." 

"Hm? Why would I not? It's not like we're in a life-threatening situation. I see no reason not to enjoy myself." 

"Hmph, I suppose you have that luxury." 

"For now, anyways." 

"...and what does that mean?" 

"Whatever you think it means," Byleth said, her lips curling into a smile. 

Lysithea frowned. “You’re not being clever when you act mysterious. All you’re really doing is telling me you don’t want to explain what you’re talking about.”

“Ah, my apologies then, I was simply trying to have a bit of fun. If I had to offer an answer though, I suppose my implication is that I won’t always have the luxury of taking it easy. The sudden bandit attack on our last outing was proof enough of that–”

Before their conversation could continue, they heard screaming from the battlefield. Turning their heads, they watched as Shez, who had somehow stumbled upon the battlefield, had started to decimate members from all three houses. 

"...how did she even wander onto the field?" 

"A poor sense of direction and a remarkable amount of speed means Shez tends to pop up in odd places. She's almost like a ghost."

"W-What!?" Lysithea squeaked. 

"...Lady Lysithea–"

"N-No, I am certainly not afraid of ghosts and demons!" Lysithea said, trying to calm herself down. 

"..." Byleth remained still and silent for a moment with an emotion on her face Lysithea didn't quite understand. "...I see. Very well Lady Lysithea, I'll refrain from talking about such things." 

“Gh–D-Don’t think I’m some kid who can’t handle ghost stories! I-I just…I-It’s a very real, valid danger, so it’s understandable to be wary.”

“Ah, I see. So you can handle ‘demon stories’ then?” 

Lysithea flinched. “...I-Is there a difference?”

“Hm, well, ghost stories tend to involve haunted locations, correct? Whereas tales about demons are more about the demons themselves as specific entities doing bad things, wouldn’t you say?”

She didn’t like horror stories in general, so no, she couldn’t really say. “Y-Yes, that sounds about right to me…Regardless, it is not an issue to be concerned with. It’s not as though there are stories about the monastery being haunted or anything like that…right?”

“I haven’t heard any of those stories myself, so I doubt there are ghosts here, Lady Lysithea.”

“Right, exactly…” Lysithea paused, then frowned. “And you don’t need to keep calling me ‘Lady Lysithea’ every time you speak to me.”

"I'm only addressing you as proper. After all, your magical prowess is rather impressive. Of the Deer, you are undoubtedly the best mage," Byleth praised while she watched Shez making her way through the students. "Why, I think in terms of skill, you are only outclassed Lady Constance. For now anyways." 

"...hm, well, I certainly put in the effort," Lysithea said, sitting up a bit straighter. "Thank you for recognizing that. Only my mother and father have done the same." 

"Heh, you certainly sound happy there. Though I can understand that, I certainly want to make my mama and papa proud." 

Lysithea blinked, before glancing at Byleth. “...Papa? Mama?”

“Yes? I do have a father and mother.”

“Well, yes, I just…I did not think you would refer to them so childishly.”

“It’s not childish to love my parents.”

“...No, of course it is not. I love my parents as well." 

"I'm glad to hear that," Byleth said, smiling in response. 

Lysithea paused, then somewhat cautiously returned the smile, before returning to her books. She had things to learn, and she could ill afford distractions. Even if Byleth was surprisingly tolerable.

A thought that, unbeknownst to the young mage, earned a very bright smile from the demon beside her.

Edelgard von Hresvelg was annoyed, though not for the reason most would expect.

Yes, she was somewhat irritated by how her newest classmate had wandered onto the field of the mock battle and promptly turned it into a complete mess by battling everyone, but that was a small annoyance at best. The situation had already been resolved, so there was little point in dwelling on it. 

The thing that really bothered her though was the fact that she had been beaten so easily. 

She knew she wasn't as strong as she could have been without the Crest of Flames. Even so, she had trained as much as she could while back at the palace, utilizing the best combat instructors of the empire and studying magic alongside her entourage. Even if she was being stubborn in using an axe alongside her magic instead of using a less heavy sword, she had thought could make up for her faults. 

Only to be the first one bested of the house leaders. 

She knew she could have just sat back, and let her classmate win the battle for her. Yet she wanted to test her might. In the long run, she knew it would be to her benefit; if Byleth was on her side, so too would Shez be. 

Yet what kind of Emperor would she be to hide behind an angel and a demon?

She had to get stronger. If she wanted any chance in beating the church, she couldn't be complacent. 

"You know if you wanted to talk you could have just called me over rather than having your desires spike up so much~" Blinking, Edelgard turned to see Byleth sitting in her bed, a slightly ajar window showing from where she had entered. 

"...You could have waited for me to allow you in." 

"I could have. Yet with something so very tempting in front of me, how could I not come in?" 

"You say that as if I would give myself over to you so freely." 

"I would never ask such a thing. It's only fair I give you something in return~" Byleth teased, leaning forward. "And I can tell you want something back~" 

"...and what would the price for it be?" 

"Well it would have to be an equivalent of what I gave you, I suppose." 

"I fail to see how I could save you." 

"Save?" Byleth tilted her head. "I don't recall doing that." 

"If it wasn't for you, I still would have been under Thales's thumb." 

"All I did was kill those you asked me to kill. You're the one who made it here. You could have lived in fear wondering if any of his allies would come for you, but you didn't. You grew into the Emperor I see before me, one who won't stray from the path she wishes to make. Whether it be a proud walk down the glorious path of victory, or dragging yourself through a field of blood and bones, I want nothing more than to see what you shall do." 

"...I am not the Emperor just yet." 

“You will be. We both know it. Your ambitions demand nothing less.”

“Hm. You have a great deal of faith in me.”

“I suppose. I don’t think it’s faith though. I can just tell that you have the ability and the will to see it done.”

“...Do I have the ability though?” she asked, “Shez beat me in a direct fight.”

“Shez does have advantages that you do not,” Byleth pointed out, “She has also been training and fighting since she was young. You could catch up to her though. You have the potential, the drive, and the determination to seize an eventual victory.”

“But Shez will be improving too. Every step I take, she’ll be taking as well, and as you said, she already has advantages.”

“Which is why you want your crest back,” she acknowledged.

“...” Edelgard huffed. “It…It feels petty when you lay it out like that. I met one obstacle I couldn’t overcome immediately and I want to seize the power that I hate. That I gave away readily before."

"Does that matter? You're already prepared to die. To become known as a tyrant. Why should it matter if you're petty, take what you hate and make it yours, struggle, fight, and never give in no matter what lies in your way." Byleth smiled as she tilted her head. "And besides, it will still come with a price, an obstacle in and of itself. One that you'll find yourself wishing you paid if you end up facing a demon." 

"...I don't have any intention of fighting you." 

"Thank you. Though we might not have an option should my master and you end up facing off against one another. And if nothing else, you still might fight against one of my aunts." 

"Even if you were to aid me?" 

"It is an undeniable fact that there are twelve other demons. And well…we all have our own way of going about things. If we weren't willing to go against one another, then you would have still been stuck down in that dungeon despite your offer. You do remember Thales mentioned having made a pact with someone else?" 

“Yes, I do. He claimed he was protected.”

“Mm hm. His people have been around for quite some time and they’ve had clashes and encounters with my kind often enough, given their propensity for causing chaos across Fodlan. The Age of Three Kings in particular was a very hectic time for everyone, so I imagine he probably made a few sacrifices to get some of my aunts to protect him.”

Edelgard frowned. “That was…around three hundred years ago. Thales was that old?”

“Oh Thales predates demonkind. Well, predated. Though if you want specifics on that, you’ll need to give me something.” She grinned. “You need to give to get, remember?”

"Hmph. He's dead, so why should it matter?" 

"Fair enough. Ah, but here's one free bit of advice. Never compare one demon to another."

She raised an eyebrow. “In what terms? Power? Influence? Accomplishments?”

“Looks, mainly.” Byleth grinned at Edelgard’s frown. “Though yes, all of the above. We demons are often envious and jealous, so poking at family is an easy way to get us irritated." 

"...So you all don't work together?" 

"We do, to a certain extent." Byleth said nothing else as she tilted her head in the other direction. 

Edelgard frowned again, thinking, before she glanced at Byleth. “I will give you a kiss.”

“...ah?”

The confusion on the demon’s face brought a smile to the princess’s. “I will give you a kiss in exchange for learning the source of your information. Does that sound like a fair deal to you, Byleth?”

“...hm. I see you’re attempting to seduce me. A foolish notion–”

"You love me don't you? Then this is obviously something you desire." 

Byleth stiffened, and Edelgard felt a slight thrill as she saw the demon genuinely blush. “...I…suppose that is an acceptable deal. It isn’t that much of a secret…You see, I have a natural connection to all demons born of the Crest of Flames and its offshoots…so all of them. Essentially, I can simply ask my aunts for information, and they themselves can observe the world through the demonic beasts that roam these lands.”

“I see…and I presume that your aunts have connections through the demonic beasts they are specifically associated with. So the Wolf Queen would see through wolves, the Vulture Queen through vultures…”

“Very clever, your highness~ Now, my payment?”

“Of course.” And Edelgard quite casually leaned up to give Byleth a kiss on the cheek.

“...ah. I wasn’t specific enough…” the demon muttered, pouting.

“No, you were not,” Edelgard replied, amused.

"Hm…" Edelgard had to admit, she was surprised to see the demon smile. "You really are quite bold, being amused at tricking a demon. It's like you're trying to claim my heart." 

“Perhaps I am. It would suit my ambitions well to bind you to my side,” she stated, quite matter-of-factly. Curiously enough though, that just made Byleth’s face redden all the more.

“T-To think, you want to exploit me so blatantly…you really are trying to capture my heart~” she ‘complained’, acting bashful.

"You say that as if you haven't already fallen for me." 

“...” A shiver visibly went through Byleth’s body. She leaned forward, only to pause as she felt Edelgard’s finger on her lips. 

“You’ll need to give if you want to get, remember?”

"...I can't hand over a crest for just that, but…I could train you." 

“Hm…that is acceptable to me. You’ll train me until I can fight on even footing with Shez.”

“Oh good, you set the condition yourself. You would be surprised how many people don’t think to do that–” Byleth commented right before Edelgard took her by the chin and pulled her into a kiss on the lips.

"A down-payment, for your services," the princess said, after breaking the kiss. With a smile, she pushed the demon away. "Now you really should return to your room."

“...r-right, of course. Yes, I should…do that.” Byleth nodded, her face still pink as she turned towards the window again.

“Actually, one more thing, before you go.” And she immediately turned right around again as Edelgard spoke up, looking eagerly at the princess, whose lips twitched with amusement. “Do you know anything about the bandits that attacked us earlier this month?”

“Huh? Oh, that’s nothing important. They’re some group that Shez tried to hunt down a few months ago.”

“I see. So you don’t know anything about their motives for attacking us?”

“No, I do not. I can investigate if you wish me to though.”

“Thank you for the offer, but no, I can handle something like that on my own. Good night, Byleth.”

“Good night, your highness,” Byleth replied with a smile, before very casually hopping out of Edelgard’s window.

“...I suppose it is less noticeable compared to her going through my door.” It still felt awkward though, seeing her go through her bedroom window. It made it seem like they were doing something untoward.

Then again, I suppose we are, Edelgard admitted to herself as she touched her lips, remembering just how it felt to kiss the demon. There were certainly worse people she could have given her first kiss to…

"Well someone seems to be in a good mood," Dorothea commented as she looked down at Byleth, the maid staring off into the distance as she idly pushed her food around. 

"I'm in love~" 

"Oh? Do tell!" the songstress requested, immediately sitting across the blue-haired girl. 

"Come on now Dorothea, you know it's rude to kiss and tell," Byleth said, a smile on her face.

"Aw, you're no fun," Dorothea complained, pouting for a moment, before giggling. "Well I'm glad you were able to find someone so quickly. Don't suppose you can share some of that luck around?" 

"Sorry, no can do." 

"And here I thought we'd managed to bond over our common goals," Dorothea said with a dramatic sigh. 

"Heh, come on now Dorothea, someone like you doesn't need luck. Someone as proactive as you can surely find someone worthwhile soon enough." 

"Hopefully. If nothing else, I hope I can do it before the end of the year. I'd rather not have to pay my 'sponsor' back myself if I can." 

Byleth tilted her head. "Do you require aid?" 

"Thanks for the offer, but no. I may not want to have to pay him back, but I'd hate to make you do it instead," Dorothea said, as she glanced at the maid’s dull eyes. She had to admit, they were unnerving at first, but she was able to get past them. Despite not showing much on her face, Byleth did emote plenty with her movements, which for the songstress was easy enough to read. Though she had to admit, even if she got used to them, Dorothea didn't like how much those dull eyes reminded her of herself. 

“Well I could always arrange an ‘unfortunate accident’ if you want,” Byleth joked, “More seriously though, is your sponsor someone to worry about? If so–“

“Heh, you don’t have to worry about me, Bylie, I can take care of myself.” She returned the grin. “You’re not the first girl I know to make that offer though. You should have heard the other divas at the opera house. I swear, for every congratulations they gave me, there was at least one offer to make any ‘problems’ go away.” Nothing to be taken seriously though. The songstresses at Mittlefrank took care of each other, but joking about getting rid of an annoying noble was a very different thing to actually doing it. Nobles protected their own too, after all.

“Besides, he certainly isn’t the worst noble I’ve interacted with. Easy enough to lead along since he tends to think with his lower head,” she continued, "Of course, I still have to find a way to pay him back once the year is over." 

"And I imagine that's not that type of money you have lying around." 

"If I used up all the money I had saved, I probably would have enough, but then I would be broke. And, well, it's an unspoken rule of the opera house to not borrow money from one another," Dorothea explained. 

"I see. You certainly took a risk coming to the monastery." 

"That I did, but well, my voice and looks won't last forever. If I don't make a move, it'll be over before I even start." 

"Heh, I must say, I certainly admire your drive." 

"Thanks~ Have to say, I expected I would have to deal with a bunch of people who didn't understand what I was doing, but it's nice knowing there's someone else making the same moves as me." 

"I imagine so. Though I must admit it is a shame I'm not a noble, I might have tried snatching you up already." 

"Well at least someone would," Dorothea said with a joking wink. "And I certainly would do the same for you." 

"Heh, is this the point where we promise to marry one another if we end up single in the future?" 

"Pft, well, if nothing else, I'm sure I can help you find work after I get married." 

"How kind of you." 

"Heh, sorry Bylie, but a promise like that means I'm already preparing to fail. And despite what people may think, I'm a hard worker." Dorothea grinned as she rested her chin on her hand. "Do you know how many lessons I had to take to sing on stage properly? How many breathing exercises I had to do to be able to hold the high note multiple times in one opera alone? Not to mention having to lug around those heavy costumes on stage."

“Oh that sounds fascinating…would you care to share more details? I haven’t had the chance to go to an opera yet, though I know my mama adored it.”

“Oh? She does?” Dorothea asked, deciding not to ask about the past tense there. 

"Yup, it was before I was born, but mama was apparently a fan of Professor Manuela. Hm, maybe I should ask her for an autograph…”

“Heh. Well I’m sure she would give you one if you asked.”

“Would she? Oh, but I feel like I should do something for her first, it would be awkward to just get something like that for free…”

“Bylie, I have a signed poster from her, it’s not any trouble at all.”

“Hm…well, if you say so. Ah, but for now, we were going to talk about the opera, right?”

Dorothea giggled. “Well if you’re that fascinated, I suppose I can regale you with tales of the opera. Now, let’s see, how to begin…”

Byleth settled in, smiling all the while as Dorothea began telling her stories of the opera house. Thankfully for the pair, it was the end of the week, so they didn’t have to worry about classes. Which was for the best, as when Dorothea finished her stories, the sun had begun to set. 

“Oh, it’s certainly gotten late,” Dorothea noticed, glancing out at the setting sun, “I didn’t realize how much time had passed.” 

“Well, I don’t mind. I enjoyed hearing about your time at the opera, the highs and the lows.” Despite giving that same dull eyes smile, she was leaning in, resting her chin on her hand and Dorothea could tell she was enraptured by the stories. “It sounds delightful, if difficult. I’ll be able to enjoy the opera all the more knowing how much work they put into it.”

“I’m glad to hear that~” Dorothea replied, giggling to herself as she got up. “Thank you for spending the time with me.”

“It was my pleasure, and Dorothea?" Turning around, the songstress glanced at her friend. "Don't worry, you'll do fine on the mission this month." 

"...That obvious huh?" 

"Not really, I'm just better than others at reading people. Still, don't worry, you're a skilled mage in your own right, and with several strong classmates." Byleth smiled again. "Someone as outstanding as you won't fall here." 

“Careful there, Bylie. If you keep that kind of talk up, I really might fall for you,” Dorothea teased, a smile coming to her face again.

One Byleth happily returned. And it was funny, but for Dorothea, a little trick of the light made the maid’s eyes seem bright green for a quick second. 

It actually looked kind of cute, strangely enough.

Chapter Text

"Are you certain these will help?" Edelgard asked, looking at the armored boots that Byleth had advised her to get. 

"Of course. The main benefit of the axe is the weight of the blade itself can cause enough damage without the wielder itself having to swing that hard. However, that benefit is also its biggest drawback." Taking a double sided axe, Byleth swung down hard enough to lodge the blade into ground. "Try pulling it out." 

"..." Frowning, Edelgard gripped the weapon, and pulled as hard as she could. She was able to pull the axehead out after a few seconds, though she nearly fell backwards in the process. 

"Careful now~" Byleth teased, grabbing onto her before she could fall. "Now, I'm sure you can see the problem of such heavy downward swings." 

"...hm, that I can. Granted, I know well enough to not do such a thing." 

"Yes, I noticed from your bout with Shez you went for more horizontal swings, however that also causes a problem. Notably it limits your attack patterns. And since you tend to swing with one hand to free up the other for spell casting, they're not as strong as they could be." 

"So what do you suggest?" 

"Well I did tell you to get those boots right?" Grinning, Byleth pointed down at her own boots that she had gotten for this training session. "If you won't use both hands, you might as well use your feet." 

Quirking her brow, Edelgard watched as Byleth slammed the axe into the ground, only to kick it back up, letting her swing it up with ease. “Hm. That is an interesting way of using momentum.”

“Isn’t it? You’ll need to figure out ways to compensate for your weaknesses.”

“Those being?” Edelgard asked, raising an eyebrow again. She had a feeling, but she was curious what Byleth would say specifically.

“Well, most obvious is that you’re short, Lady Edelgard. It means you have a smaller reach in general, but it also means if you strengthen your core and steady your stance, you can be nigh unshakeable.” Byleth grinned. “You might not have the sheer strength that two crests would have given you, but you do still have a crest that can compensate for you. Really, you might still have a very good chance of building strength with your current crest.”

“Oh?”

“Crests have certain traits they’re associated with. You might have noticed already that Dimitri is quite the powerhouse.”

“I have. That is part of why I wanted to be trained, if you’ll recall.”

“Of course, of course. But back to my point, you might think his crest is beneficial because it increases his physical strength, but, in truth, his crest is one of destruction. It significantly increases his physical power, yes, but it also degrades that which he wields. Meanwhile, the crest we once shared is linked to vitality. It is a crest that gives life and restores those who carry it into battle.” Her grin seemed to sharpen. “There’s more than one reason why my kind are very difficult to kill. And while it holds further powers, those aren’t particularly relevant at the moment.

“Now, that brings us to your remaining crest, the Crest of Seiros. A warrior’s crest in all regards, increasing the might and power of the wielder. You might not have as many powers, but make no mistake. The power in your blood will make you mighty, should you choose to wield it.”

“...Ha. Wielding the crest of the saint that started this damnable church to destroy it…how laughable.”

“Doesn’t everyone love a comedy?” Byleth asked, laughing to herself. "The blood of the saint destroying what the saint created and demonkind wielding the crest that's a sign of the goddess’s favor, what a cruel and enjoyable comedy." 

"...tell me, what do you plan on doing should I succeed?” Edelgard asked, “If the church's lies are revealed, then chances are people may view demons in a new light." 

"They may, or they may not. Regardless of what occurs, it is still a fact that my aunts have caused a great deal of damage to all of Fodlan. Really, you should be careful. The people of this land may call upon demons, but they'll still turn on anyone discovered to use demons." Byleth hummed to herself. "Humans are unfair like that. All of you use underhanded methods but the moment someone is exposed, everyone turns their back on them."

"Trust me, I am well aware of humanity’s depravity," Edelgard said, the scars of the past still lingering on her body. "The church might enable corruption, but they aren't the only ones who will gleefully benefit from it." 

"That they don't. I know my kind has certainly enjoyed some of that corruption." Byleth smiled at her. “Don’t mistake my side as ‘good’ just because we oppose the church, Lady Edelgard. Even my mother has killed before and very few of my aunts were ever as discerning as her when it came to those they harmed.”

“Hm. So do you believe my next enemy, once the church is defeated, would be your people?”

The demon shrugged. “Perhaps? I know at least a few of them would want to rule over humans if they had the opportunity to. Not all of us, but in the event that all demons are released into the world at once…well, if that were to happen, people would die. That is a simple fact.” She smiled. "Why, we may even end up crossing blades. Though, I wouldn't be opposed to dying by your hand." 

"...I would hope it never came to that." 

"If it's not by your hand, then it'll be by the church's, or a young hero wishing to save the land. It is a fact that there were twelve demons before me, and all of them were stronger than me. My fate was sealed the moment I was born." 

"...That is a rather morbid way of thinking."

"It is simply the truth. Demons were never meant to exist. We were born of blood and betrayal and even our progenitor despises us." Edelgard frowned, catching the implication that their progenitor was still alive. "Eventually my successor will take over and I'll be a spirit, only appearing when I'm called upon. Or perhaps I'll cease to exist. I am half human, after all." 

“Hm. Is that what happens to humans when we die? We simply cease to exist?”

Byleth shrugged. “Can’t say. Not in the sense that I’m restricted from saying, I just don’t know. I know souls exist and they go somewhere after the death of the body, but…well, that’s enough of that kind of talk. Chatting about demonkind is one thing, but if we get too metaphysical, someone at the church is bound to notice if just from the sheer heresy.”

Edelgard huffed, slightly amused. “And that’s a concern for you?”

“More so for you than for me, but still." Byleth looked up. "Hm, I should probably head back. The sun's rising, and rumors might spread if we're seen together so early."

"...Perhaps," Edelgard replied, watching while Byleth gathered her gear in silence. Grabbing Byleth’s wrist, Edelgard pulled the demon close, catching her by surprise as she kissed her. "Payment for today." 

"Heh, I can't believe I almost forgot to ask." 

"I'm sure you'll remember next time," Edelgard said as she stepped back, "...For what it's worth, if I fail, I don't think I would mind dying at your hand either." 

“You have a delightfully morbid way of flirting, you know that~?"

"Something tells me that's something you enjoy." 

"Perhaps~" Byleth said, before her smile suddenly faded as she suppressed her demonic side. "It seems we have a guest." 

Blinking, Edelgard turned to see Jeritza wandering into the training grounds. "Oh, you mean Jeritza. I'm surprised you were able to notice him, with how quiet he is." 

"It's hard not to notice how much he reeks of blood," Byleth muttered, which…well, Edelgard knew how the Death Knight was, but to hear that a demon thought he reeked was certainly something. 

"Hm, you're strong," the professor noted, eyeing Byleth. 

"Oh?" 

"Jeritza, you are not to fight her. I won't have my allies cut each other down," Edelgard ordered, standing in front of the demon. 

"...very well, your highness."

"Hm, a servant of yours?" 

"Yes, my mother sent him here as a combat instructor so I could have him as a bodyguard. The fact that he became a professor is actually a surprising boon," Edelgard explained. 

"Hm, good to know…You’re the new Death Knight.”

Jeritza paused, then glanced at Byleth, whose eyes were gleaming green with visible excitement before she forced them back to blue. “Ah. You are a demon then.”

"Guilty as charged." 

"New Death Knight?" Edelgard asked, alarmed at the possibility that there were others like Jeritza. She had to admit it was annoying to see Byleth smirk, as if asking for a payment first.

"I made a contract with a demon to keep someone safe. In exchange, I'm fated to fight until I die." Only for Jeritza to spill the beans himself and make Byleth pout. 

"...So is that why he has a different persona?" 

"No, that's all him," Byleth huffed, "The fact that he has a separate personality is the only thing keeping him somewhat sane. I suppose he's lucky that his more bloodthirsty side has to deal with the brunt of the effects from his contract." 

“I see…what would normally be the result of becoming a…” Edelgard trailed off, thinking. “Hm. No, the result is obvious from what you’ve said. Most Death Knights lose themselves to bloodlust completely, don’t they?”

“Hmph. You know, it’s no fun when you can figure these things out ahead of time.” Byleth pouted, before glancing at Jeritza. “So who did you form a contract with anyway? It’s difficult to summon a demon who isn’t ‘active’ like I am, and I would remember if you made a deal with me.”

“The Queen of Worms,” Jeritza answered, “Per the conditions of our contract, I must feed her once every month at the least, though I am given boons should the Death Knight butcher more than required.”

“Ahh, that makes some sense then.”

“...” Edelgard sighed as Byleth gave her an expectant look. “You really want me to ask questions, don’t you?”

“Yes, obviously.”

“Hm. Jeritza, why does Byleth believe that ‘makes sense’?”

“The Corpse Feaster is the most recent ‘demon lord’ to seek the conquest of Fodlan,” he readily explained, making Byleth pout, “She was born from the remains of the Knight Slayer, also called the Blade Thief, who sought to unleash her sealed predecessors during the Heresy of the South.”

“Ah, where the Southern Church was dismantled…” Edelgard nodded. “So the Queen of Worms then led her own rebellion and was struck down by Jeralt the Demonbane, the same as her predecessor.” She paused and glanced at Byleth. “How did your father go from slaying the greatest of demonkind to settling down with one?”

“Oh, so you won’t ask me about Death Knights or my own aunts, but you will ask me about my parents’ romance?” Byleth complained, still pouting.

“I cannot ask Jeritza about your parents’ relationship.” She glanced at Jeritza. “Can I?”

“Hm…I do recall the Corpse Feaster complaining before about her sister falling for ‘that handsome bastard’.”

Byleth promptly stepped between Jeritza and Edelgard. “Alright, no more information sharing! That is unfair to me and I insist on it stopping.”

"Very well, my apologies," Edelgard said, even as Byleth kept pouting. 

"Good," Byleth huffed, before suddenly smiling, “Now we should probably end our session here before anyone comes by and complains about our scandalous tryst~”

Edelgard rolled her eyes. “Yes, we should. Same time tomorrow?”

“Oh, you wish to meet again, so soon~? How vigorous!”

“…is that even the right word?”

“Perhaps. Regardless, barring any issues, I would be happy to spend time with you at your convenience, my lovely lady~” Byleth said, bowing to her and then leaving. 

Edelgard stared at her, before letting out a sigh and turning to leave too. Only to then realize Jeritza was still standing there. "...You can go Jeritza." 

"Of course, your highness," Jeritza replied, bowing before he went to train. Edelgard sighed again, wondering why so many of her subordinates were so odd. 

"Gotta say, we got pretty lucky," Claude mentioned to Byleth while the pair sat in the Golden Deer classroom, playing a game of chess against one another.

"How so, master?" Byleth asked, her eyes clearly focusing on how Claude casually set a pawn out to be used as bait. 

"Well the fact that the Eagles are the only ones with the dangerous mission means we get to take it easier for a bit longer, and 'study' a bit longer," Claude responded, taking her piece after Byleth went for the obvious bait. 

"I suppose so. I don't suppose you've had any luck finding where the Sword of the Creator is, do you?" Byleth asked, taking another one of his pieces. 

"Pft, yeah no, if it was that simple I would have just visited instead of staying here for a full year. I don't suppose you can 'sense' where it is, can you?" 

"My apologies, master, but I cannot give what I do not have." 

“And if I asked you to get it for me?”

Byleth perked up. “Oh? You wish to take that chance, master?”

“Nah, it’s just some speculation,” he replied, before grinning a little when he saw her deflate. His “servant” was pretty obvious sometimes. "I mean, ignoring the fact that you'd probably ask for a big price for that, if you get caught trying to find a relic weapon, I'd likely end up in hot water." 

"Probably. Is that permission for me to blame you for whatever crimes I may wind up committing in your service?”

“Why do you think you’ll be committing crimes?”

“Just a feeling, master.”

Claude raised an eyebrow, before taking the opening she’d left to corner her king. “And with that, you lose.”

“That I did, master! Congratulations!” Byleth congratulated in an overly sweet, happy voice, before looking amused, “Though your field seems awfully barren of pawns now. How tragic, sent to war by their liege lord and sacrificed for the simplest of advantages! Now who shall take care of their widows and children, hm?”

“Eh, I’ll give their grieving families some extra pay,” he replied, shrugging, “Besides, you’re supposed to sacrifice pieces. Trying to make it to the end with all of them intact isn’t possible.”

“I suppose. It does make me wonder if you’re the type to sacrifice pieces when you’ll be commanding armies,” she noted, smiling at him again.

“Well who knows? If it’ll get me the victory…” He trailed off, before grinning at her. “That aside, do I get anything for winning?”

"Oh? I was unaware that there was going to be a reward."

“Well, doesn't betting something make it more interesting? Could be a favor, could be a secret–”

“Could be clothes.”

“...Yeah, I don’t think I’m interested in wearing your uniform, so I’ll have to pass.”