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The rain was pouring outside. It mattered little though since they were not allowed to leave the palace without Arundel’s permission, a consequence of the tight leash he has kept them on since releasing Edelgard. Freedom without really being free. Byleth watches it distractedly, lost in her thoughts. It never really made sense to her. For as long as she can remember, Edelgard has been the only person to ever evoke something, anything really, in her. She could hardly even remember anything past the stories she had shared with Edelgard, there was never any weight placed on how her days went by. It was a haze, everything before they met, compared to the many moments after they had met, which are all welcome experiences that she could remember clearly.
The past few weeks have been different though, and they have been affecting Byleth more than she is accustomed to, her normal nonchalance failing her now. Edelgard has continued to be distant, and has not tried to find her again since that visit to her room. It was not as if Byleth herself was completely innocent. She had not bothered to reach out either, pulling away as well because she felt as though she was adhering to Edelgard’s wishes.
Truthfully, it made Byleth anxious, being apart from Edelgard after everything. There was an overwhelming need to see Edelgard every moment of the day, but there was nothing she could say if Edelgard did not want her around. She has been spending her time divided between training, studying texts about crests, the church, and history in the library so that she could maybe be of some use, and trying--failing really--to parse through these feelings she could not understand.
She...loves Edelgard? Byleth does not know what that means exactly, how it is supposed to feel. Was it the heat in her chest whenever she was close to her, or was it the way a smile came more easily for Edelgard and no one else? Love felt like an entirely too powerful emotion for her to grasp. She had considered asking Jeralt when he had visited not too long ago, but had decided in the end that it would not be as tactfully sound as she initially imagined. Her father hardly ever expressed his emotions, hiding them as much as Byleth could not express them, or perhaps it was that she simply did not have the capacity to register when he did show them.
The inability to feel emotions had never hindered her before, and if Byleth were to be honest, outside of processing these thoughts of Edelgard it still did not now. While she does not worry herself over being uncompassionate towards anyone else, the thought of doing wrong by Edelgard unsettles her.
Hubert would berate her for wasting her time thinking about these things. Byleth imagines that he would say something about 'wasting Lady Edelgard’s time with such trivial matters'. Perhaps they are a waste of time, Byleth thinks for a moment, but quickly refutes her train of thought. No. It was never a waste of time or effort when Edelgard was concerned. Even if Edelgard told her that she hated her and no longer wants her around, Byleth would still want to and choose to keep watching over her. She would do it from afar if she had to. She would tell Edelgard exactly that. Decision made, all she had to do now was find Edelgard so that she could explain how willing she is to stay by her side no matter what.
Edelgard sits in the library, legs crossed and watching the rain, idly playing with one of the knight pieces from a chest set sitting in front of her. “Byleth is upset, and rightfully so. I selfishly wish to keep her beside me, and at the same time at a distance.”
“That is understandable considering your attachment to her,” Hubert replies. “However, I truly believe it is best that you continue to distance yourself. Bonds such as yours are a weakness waiting to be exploited, and we cannot afford such things if we wish for your plans to succeed.”
Edelgard sighs, setting the knight piece back on the board. “I want to reassure her, but I have not in the way I know how to because of the doubts that have been plaguing me. I feel as though she is slipping away from me, and the desire to tell her how I feel is overwhelming."
Hubert catches on immediately. “I know before I spoke of supporting you, but I highly advise against pursuing her now, Lady Edelgard.”
“Must we have this conversation every time, Hubert? I am aware.” Edelgard scoffs lowly at the constant reminder. ”But truthfully, it is already far too late for us. My uncle has already seen to that. He had already known since the day we stood there together, asking if she could return to the Empire with me. Is it really worth throwing her away in an attempt to prevent something that has already occurred?”
“To prevent future mishaps perhaps?” Hubert suggests.
“I admit that these past few weeks I have been trying to cut her out of my heart, but attempting to do so when it is already far too late has been far more painful than imagining any what-ifs.” Edelgard grips her shirt over her chest, hand fisting in the material. Byleth is the only person she kept held close in her walled off and blackened heart because she could not bear to let her go. The beacon of light that shined for her through the darkness. It will wane and fade if she let things continue as they were. She refuses to allow that to happen.
“And what if she is used against you again?”
“Then I will believe that both we and our bond are strong enough to handle whatever comes our way. Together, no matter what it is.” Perhaps Byleth was her greatest weakness, but she was also easily her greatest strength.
“A high expectation. Will Byleth be able to meet it?”
“If Byleth were anyone else I would have a hundred more doubts, but she has never fallen short before so I will choose to believe in her. I will not give her up. I will not allow my uncle to steal her from me as well.” Edelgard rises resolute, intent on finding Byleth.
They collide into each other in the hallway while rounding a corner, both in a hurry to find the other, and Byleth quickly reaches out to steady Edelgard, hands on her shoulders. They speak at the same time.
“El, I need to speak to you.”
“Byleth, I was just looking for you.”
Byleth’s unwavering gaze makes Edelgard grip the hands resting on her shoulders, expecting the worst. Was Byleth going to say that she was leaving? She has finally had enough, and Edelgard immediately fears that she is too late and that she will be alone again after this conversation. “Of course. What do you need to speak to me about?”
Byleth’s response is quick, "I’m sorry for how I acted when you came to my room. I know you don't want or need me around, but I want to at least be able to stay nearby so that I know you're safe. I'll continue to stay hidden so that--"
"Byleth." Edelgard interrupts her, bringing one of Byleth's hands to her lips and the other to rest over her heart. The realization that her initial fears are unfound emboldens Edelgard. "I can assure you that’s not what I want. I have been callous with my words and actions. I'm sorry if that is how I made you feel."
"..." Byleth pauses, hands going lax in Edelgard’s grip and unsure of how to respond. She had been prepared for Edelgard to turn her away, not apologize.
When Byleth does not speak, Edelgard continues, “I want nothing more than for you to be at my side, and I have decided to cast away my doubts. I understand if you feel it is not my place after how I’ve been acting, but I wish for us to still be together even after everything that has happened.” Edelgard looks up at Byleth, taking the fact that she had not pulled or looked away yet as a good sign.
"I love you. I think. Maybe." Byleth blurts out.
"What?" Edelgard asks, grip going slack and eyes growing wide, startled by the sudden confession. Of all the things she had expected Byleth to say, that was definitely not one of them.
Byleth starts to pull her hands back, "Sorry. Was I not supposed to say that?" Did people normally say it out loud? She has never heard anyone proclaiming their feelings--what a foreign concept to her still--to someone else before. She had not planned on telling Edelgard like that, or ever.
Edelgard takes a step forward when Byleth takes a step back, and squeezes her hands to stop her from pulling away. “It’s alright. I feel the same way.”
“You do?”
Edelgard nods. “Yes, I had just never expected you to say such a thing. After all, you hardly ever express yourself.” She still found it hard to believe that Byleth of all people had beaten her to confessing.
“I’m sorry,” Byleth apologizes again. She knows that she is not exactly normal when it comes to emotions.
Edelgard quickly responds, “No! I don’t mind it. I like the way you are. Please stop apologizing, you have done nothing wrong.”
“Sor-,” Byleth starts, but stops when Edelgard’s eyes narrow at her. “Okay.” She tenses when Edelgard pulls her hands away slightly, thinking she had done something wrong, but relaxes when their fingers are twined together instead. Edelgard had taken to wearing gloves since they had been reunited, but Byleth could still feel the warmth of her hand through the material. It was soothing being this close.
It is clear that Edelgard feels the same way when she steps closer, the tension in her shoulders smoothing away. "To think that you would say those words. You certainly have changed since the day we met."
“It's because of you, El.” Byleth brings up their intertwined hands.
"Me?" It made sense now that Edelgard thinks about it. Byleth never spoke to anyone else besides her and Jeralt when he was here. Even Hubert was only to a degree, but Edelgard considered their conversations more as bantering than actually speaking. Byleth tends to ignore everyone else unless she considers them a threat.
"You're the only one that I…I mean I wouldn't be able to speak like this to anyone else," Byleth admits.
"Not even your father?" Their relationship had always been interesting to Edelgard. She could equate watching them interact to watching two rocks speak to each other sometimes. Stilted and short. However, she could still see in the way he pats her head or squeezes her shoulder that Jeralt cares for Byleth.
"No, and definitely not Hubert."
"That would be quite a sight. I believe I can already imagine his response if you did." Hubert would probably call Byleth a blubbering imbecile, and stalk away without giving her a second thought.
Byleth gazes down at Edelgard, who is staring at their joined hands, and she looks up when Byleth begins speaking, "You'll never have to reach out for my hand because I'll never let yours go, El. I promise to stay by your side no matter what path you walk. My sword and my life are yours.” The thought of not being able to be by Edelgard’s side anymore stirred something in Byleth, and she would never allow them to be separated again.
The sincerity and conviction in her words startle Edelgard again. They had spoken of staying together before of course, but that promise had been merely a simple wish when they were children. It hardly holds the same weight or conviction as their promises do now. “I promise the same, Byleth. I am yours as well. No matter what stands in our way, we will face it together. I won't let go of you ever again so I hope you’re prepared to stand beside me for as long as time allows." As long as Byleth was by her side, it would always be more than enough. Edelgard would never allow anything to separate them again.
Their dynamic changes immediately after. Sitting closer to each other whenever the situation allowed it, pressed together even if there was more than enough space on the seat. Walking closer together as they traverse through the palace hallways, hands brushing against each other with every pass. Leaning closer together whenever they speak to each other, conversation meant to be kept just between them--even if Hubert is always hovering there.
Hubert had made a halfhearted jab at Byleth, meant more as a jest than an actual critique, saying that she should practice whispering more if she did not wish to spill all their secrets in the future. He could easily hear everything they were saying. Byleth had returned the jab, deadpanning that she did not want him to feel left out of the conversation. He responded that he was merely listening to ensure that Byleth was not ‘telling Lady Edelgard uncouth things’, only to exasperatedly sigh when she had seemed clueless about what he meant. Of course Byleth did not understand.
They fall back into a routine over the next few months. Byleth resumes coming to Edelgard's door in the morning, knocking and waiting in the hallway for her to come out. They spend the days together, Byleth now cloistered in the room with them, fiddling with a notebook she was always writing in while Edelgard and Hubert discussed, and only slipping out to prepare food. Edelgard hardly ever smiles now, and Byleth--and her cooking--is the only thing that seems to be able to pull them out of her. Byleth will walk Edelgard to her room at the end of the day, and then check on her quietly in the middle of the night to make sure that she was alright, and most importantly, that she was still there.
Byleth had been stopped by Hubert on the way back to her room the first night. He had slipped out of the shadows, and she wonders if he had been waiting there for her since they entered Edelgard’s room.
“Frankly I discouraged her from telling you. I will never understand her overwhelming preference for you, but I will allow it for now," Hubert tells her.
“Should I be happy that we have your approval?” Byleth asks, toneless voice anything but.
Hubert looks down at her, “Should your relationship ever begin to negatively affect Lady Edelgard, I will not hesitate to take matters into my own hands.”
“I know," Byleth says. Impassive, unphased as always by Hubert's threats. It did not bother her, she understood that it was his own way of attempting to protect Edelgard.
"...Good." Hubert clasps his hands behind his back. He would have found it annoying if he did not find her indifference impressive. There were very few people who could meet his gaze without flinching while he was openly threatening them. A long silence passes between them as they gauge each other until Hubert turns first, seemingly satisfied, to leave as quietly as he had come, melting into the shadows.
The first change to the routine they fall into comes soon after they fall into it, while Byleth is walking Edelgard to her room one night.
The door has just closed behind them when Byleth asks, “Can I come by earlier tomorrow and help you with your hair?” She has been particularly enamored with Edelgard's hair, admiring it when they were sitting apart, and playing with the ends of the strands if they were close enough together. Even now her hand is toying with the strands, and also before as they were walking towards Edelgard's room.
“You want to help me with my hair?" At Byleth's nod Edelgard says, "If you wish. I certainly wouldn't mind if you did.” She closes her eyes briefly at the sensation of Byleth running a hand through her hair. “You seem to really like how it is now. Did you not like my hair before?”
“No, I did. But now it’s…” Byleth pauses, unsure of what she was trying to say. She had always thought Edelgard’s hair was beautiful. It was always well-kept and maintained to a high standard. She knew caring for it was half of the reason why Edelgard took any time at all to prepare in the mornings “Sorry, I’m not sure…”
“It’s okay, Byleth.”
“No, I don’t want you to think I hated it.”
“I don’t think that. I’m sorry, it was a very poor joke. I’m very...happy that you like it as it is now because truthfully I dislike the color of it.”
Byleth’s head tilts, unable to fathom the reason Edelgard would dislike her own hair. “Why? I think it’s pretty.”
Cheeks flushing lightly at the easy compliment, Edelgard tells her, “Thank you, but the color reminds me of everything that has happened.”
“Oh,” Byleth says, understanding now. She watches Edelgard for a moment before suggesting, “Then we should make your hair remind you of something else.”
"Remind me of something else?" Edelgard can see the gears turning inside Byleth head. The tiny change in her expression, an almost indiscernible crease in her brows, is similar to when she was trying to solve the strategy questions that were asked during Edelgard’s lessons. "It sounds so easy when you say it, Byleth. Perhaps I will come to see my hair as well as my scars as another symbol of enduring everything that was done. Proof that I survived."
Byleth nods and says, "I'll help you." She is not sure how she will yet, but she will try her best to find a way.
Edelgard smiles up lightly at Byleth, amused by her determination. "I have no doubt that you will."
Byleth comes earlier the next morning per their agreement, but she pauses when Edelgard hands her a brush. When she holds it out more like a weapon than a brush, Edelgard reaches out without batting an eye to turn her wrist until it is sideways.
“Like this, Byleth.” Edelgard guides Byleth’s hand through the motion, bringing the brush through her hair once. “Just repeat it over and over again until there are no tangles.”
Byleth easily follows the instructions, at least until she actually does hit a tangle. Rather than gently work her way through it she jerks her hand, which she instantly realizes is a mistake when Edelgard lets out a startled cry, and her hand flies back to hold Byleth's still.
"W-wait, Byleth," Edelgard says, trying to stop Byleth before she tugs again.
Byleth immediately stops at the cry and the hand resting on hers. “Sorry. Did I hurt you?”
Their eyes meet in the mirror on Edelgard's vanity. “Slightly, but it’s alright. Just comb through the tangle gently next time.”
“Okay.” Byleth resumes combing, this time attentive to not tug harshly on any further tangles or knots she comes across.
After she combs out all the tangles, Edelgard shows her how to tie the ribbons into her hair. Byleth gets her finger stuck the first time, but manages to successfully tie it on the second try after Edelgard demonstrates it again.
It takes Edelgard longer to get ready in the beginning with Byleth helping her, and Hubert knocks the first time, worried that something had happened to her. A look of understanding passes over his face after he receives the approval to enter, and catches sight of Byleth standing behind Edelgard, their hands in the latter's hair. They get back on schedule after Byleth becomes more proficient. Eventually Byleth finishes fast enough that she has enough time to play with the strands as she had become prone to doing, lightly tugging at the ends or curling them loosely around her finger.
The second change comes as they finalize their plans, and Edelgard finds more time for other endeavors. She asks Byleth if they can continue their training sessions like they had before. "I must hone my combat skills as well. It would be poor form if I spoke of carving my path but was incapable of following through."
As they both stand by the racks, Byleth asks, “Do you remember how to hold an axe?” They have not had a practice session in a long time, and Edelgard has not had the chance to wield an axe for the same amount of time.
“Of course I do! I would not forget everything you have taught me so easily." Edelgard refutes quickly, axe in hand and turning to face her partner, the first words are out of her mouth before she even fully faces Byleth.
Byleth nods, of course she would not, but it did not hurt to be sure. "Should we warm up or get right into it?"
"There is no need for a warm up. I'm ready." Despite what Edelgard had said, she was slightly worried about being out of practice, not that she would admit it now, but she saw no point in dawdling and wasting time. It was better to shake off the rust quickly in her opinion.
"If you’re sure,” Byleth reluctantly agrees.
They spar for a few rounds before Edelgard says, "You're going easy on me. I can tell." There was much less force behind each of Byleth’s swings, lacking in both the precision and power she normally possessed.
Byleth does not respond, unable to disagree since it was clearly obvious that she was holding back.
"I'm not going to break just because you decide to hit me a little harder or faster," Edelgard reassures.
"Okay, then I won't hold back."
True to her word, Byleth comes at Edelgard no holds barred this time. She moves much faster than before, and the solid thunk of their wooden weapons meeting is a gratifying sound. It is the only sound that can be heard besides their heavy breathing and the occasional battle cry as they exchange blows.
Byleth deflects one of Edelgard's attacks, throwing her axe hand to the side and leaving her open, but instead of following through and making her own attack she takes a half-step back.
It gives enough time for Edelgard to recover. She stares at Byleth, brows furrowed and saying with her eyes, You agreed to not go easy. The swing that answers her is sudden, Byleth attacking quickly, and almost catches her off-guard, but Edelgard manages to block the swing with the handle of her axe before she shoves Byleth back. How hard she does is unexpected, and they are both surprised when Byleth gets shoved nearly to the edge of the arena, losing her footing and landing flat on her back.
"Byleth!" Edelgard calls out as she immediately rushes over, hastily kneeling as soon as she is beside Byleth, whose eyes were open and staring up blankly. She leans over her frantically, “Did I hurt you?”, and only releases a sigh of relief when she moves to sit up.
“I’m fine. That was a good shove, El,” is all Byleth tells her, as if she is merely stating an observation and had not just been thrown halfway across the arena seconds ago.
Edelgard grabs Byleth’s arm to help her to her feet before raising a hand, palm up, and manifesting the Crest of Flames as a glyph. “My unnatural strength is another result of this as well. It seems as though this crest is both a blessing and a curse. So many were sacrificed for it, but it also holds the power that will allow me to change the world.”
Byleth’s hand comes up to encompass and curl Edelgard’s into a loose fist, causing the glyph to disappear. “Us.”
Edelgard huffs a laugh, leaning closer and threading their fingers together. “Yes, us.”
The third change is not so much a change as its occurrence made it a part of their routine, considering how often Edelgard had nightmares.
Byleth finds Edelgard violently tossing and turning one night, calling for her siblings. It is not the first time she had come across Edelgard having a nightmare while checking on her, but it had never been this bad. "El!" Normally just calling out to Edelgard is enough to wake her, but when she does not wake up this time, Byleth makes to grab her wrist. A mistake.
The reaction is instantaneous, and Edelgard's hand, clenched into a fist, lashes out as if trying to resist something. A shackle, Byleth realizes belatedly. The fist finds purchase in the first thing it reaches, Byleth’s stomach, and the power behind it is enough to make her double over, arms wrapping around herself and grunting in pain.
The sudden sound startles Edelgard awake, and she nearly grabs the dagger hidden underneath her pillow before she realizes who is in her room. Releasing the dagger, she rests her hand on the familiar head of teal hair beside her bed. "Byleth? Are you alright?"
“I’m…fine.” Bent over and on her knees still, Byleth draws in a ragged breath. Edelgard’s strength was really no joke now. It takes her a long moment to recover before she is finally able to lift herself upright and stand again. “I came to check on you.”
"I see. Why were you on the floor?" This was not the first time she had awoken to find Byleth in her room during the middle of the night, but it was definitely the first time she had found Byleth on her hands and knees by her bed.
Byleth glances at Edelgard's hand on the bed. She does not want to make Edelgard feel guilty for hitting her, especially when it was on accident, but she also does not want to lie to her. The internal debate battles inside her until the desire to tell the truth wins out. "You punched me."
“What?" Edelgard asks, perplexed.
"Yeah, really hard too. It'll probably bruise. Do you want to see it?" Byleth starts to lift the hem of her shirt, but Edelgard immediately stops her.
"No! It's quite alright. I believe you. I’m so sorry, Byleth.”
“I shouldn’t have grabbed your wrist like that. It was an extremely unsound strategy.” A mistake she would not make again. The last thing she wanted was to make Edelgard uncomfortable.
"But still, I could not control myself." Her nightmares are extremely irritating. She cannot simply will them to stop, and they are not something she can physically overpower. But despite their inconvenience she realizes that they are also a reminder, one that drives her to follow through with her ambitions.
"It's alright, El. You were having a nightmare." Byleth kneels by the bed again, this time of her own volition, and rests a hand on Edelgard's. "You have them most nights."
"Hmm." Edelgard pauses, looking away and slightly curling into herself. "Unfortunately they're not something I have power over."
"Was today's…?” Byleth trails off, neither of them enjoy talking about those days, but Edelgard has shared bits and pieces with her when they sit together on the balcony after the nightmares, when they talk about anything and everything to pass the time whenever Edelgard cannot fall back asleep. Byleth often asks Edelgard to describe all the places she had told her about while they had been in the Kingdom. They would not be able to go, but imagining them seems to cheer Edelgard up, and she had admitted that their conversation combined with the fresh air helps settle her thoughts immensely.
Edelgard makes a low sound, wordlessly confirming the statement. "Today's nightmare was especially harrowing, I suppose.” Her thoughts would always focus on her uncle and her captors after waking from a nightmare. "Although the aftermath is more bearable now that you are there when I wake," she admits. "Even during those dark days it was because of you that I was able to endure them."
"Because of me?" Byleth's head tilts to the side questioningly. "But I didn't do anything."
"Knowing that you were fighting for me so that you could still be by my side gave me strength. You were the light shining down on me when I was surrounded by nothing but darkness." Edelgard remembers those days in the dungeons, when Byleth was the only thing that got her through them. "Even now, you are like the sun, still chasing the darkness away every moment of the day."
Byleth does not respond, unable to express her thoughts with words. Instead she leans forward and presses their joined hands to her forehead. It has never occurred to her that her actions would have such an impact on Edelgard, and she has always assumed that she was uselessly and selfishly fighting to stay by her side. It is...relieving to know that she gave Edelgard strength when there was nothing she could do for her, and even more so to know that she is that source of strength for Edelgard, just as Edelgard is for her.
Edelgard squeezes the hand holding hers, as though she can read the thoughts running through Byleth's mind and says, "I wouldn’t be here without you, my light. Your presence is always a soothing balm."
“Maybe I should just sleep here with you then,” Byleth remarks offhandedly, more mumbling to herself than speaking aloud.
Edelgard turns red immediately at the statement, caught off guard by the drastic shift in direction of their conversation. “You want to sleep here? In my bed?”
“Huh?” Byleth looks at her, confused. “No, that would be inefficient." Her purpose is to stop threats before they get Edelgard, not as they get to her. "I'd sleep on the sofa or by the door, but it would just be so that I’m close by.” The sofa was closer to the balcony doors and the door was...the door, and they are the only two routes to get into the room. Ideal spots for both stopping intruders, and being close enough so that Edelgard could see her whenever she woke from a nightmare.
"O-Of course." Edelgard gathers herself, looking thoughtful. "Perhaps we should arrange for you to move into the empty room beside mine instead of being so far down the hall."
Byleth's free hand finds its way to Edelgard's hair, running her fingers down part way through before tugging lightly near the ends to gain her attention. "You should sleep, El. Worry about it later. I'll stay until you fall asleep."
"You don't have to. Go back to your room and rest."
Byleth shakes her head, "I don't mind." The other girl only relents and lays back down when she insists, "Really, El." She ends up falling asleep leaned against the bed, head pillowed by her arms, and gets a scolding from an exasperated Edelgard in the morning.
Edelgard summons Hubert after an impromptu visit from her uncle, and they meet him in their usual hidden room. As soon as they enter, Hubert asks, "Is there anything new from Arundel?"
"Yes, he has told me of what he believes our next steps should be.” Edelgard answers. “We have learned more than expected thanks to your network, Hubert. There is no doubt we will have to play each move carefully, but we should have a much better chance with your spies feeding us information about both my uncle's allies as well as the church."
Hubert had been bolstering his connections and his reach, especially in the shadows. Bribing and threatening as necessary. He believed that in order to fight shadows he must be the shadows as well, wrapped around every structure and hidden behind every person, he will have eyes and ears everywhere. Information was power. They could not fight an unknown enemy. Byleth had known that they would not support Edelgard in the same ways, but now she knows for certain that Hubert would do so from the darkness while she would do so in the light. Exactly how he has managed to establish his foundation is beyond Byleth.
"Yes, I believe I have coined them with a rather apt name." Hubert pauses, whether for dramatic flair or because he was being his usual smug self Byleth did not know. "Those Who Slither In The Dark."
"That's...long." Byleth lamely points out. It would be a waste of breath to say it every time, especially for sake of reporting.
“Which is why we will be referring to them as ‘Slitherers’.”
“Why didn’t you just call them that?”
“Merely calling them Slitherers is not an apt enough description.”
“I think it is.”
“Well, then you are entirely incorrect.”
“Both of you, please,” Edelgard interrupts. Normally she would let them be, but they were here to speak of important matters. “We should use our time wisely.”
“Sorry, El.”
“Of course. My deepest apologies, Lady Edelgard.”
Edelgard nods at them before she begins speaking of the reason why they were meeting. "My uncle has...informed me of their goals. For now they are similar to ours, so we will use this to our advantage. He agrees that our first step is to infiltrate Garreg Mach as students of the Officers Academy, and with his blessing,” she grinds out the word, “we will attend the coming school year, which does not start until the coming Lone moon, so we still have some time to prepare. We will operate from Garreg Mach once we arrive, and communicate with my uncle only if necessary."
Hubert speaks up, "I have already taken the liberty of sponsoring you, Byleth. The fee to attend the academy is quite hefty, and as you are Lady Edelgard's…companion, I thought it prudent that House Vestra provide the proper support." It was no secret that the Church believed in its responsibility to raise the next generation of nobles, and though they preached of equality, the student body was primarily nobles. Commoners were typically unable to attend solely because of the fee, and would have to find a noble willing to sponsor them.
"Thank you, Hubert," Edelgard says before turning towards Byelth, "I was preparing to sponsor you myself, but it seems that is unnecessary now. The church should have no qualms about you attending as long as the fee is paid. It is quite unfortunate that one’s abilities are not the deciding factor of enrollment, but rather their birth."
They spend the next hour hashing out the details of what needs to be done before they leave for Garreg Mach. Byleth fiddles in her notebook until she looks up at Edelgard and asks, “Are you hungry?"
Hubert answers instead, “I’m famished.”
Byleth gives him a sidelong glance, “Not you.”
“You failed to specify who you were speaking to.”
“El, are you hungry?” Byleth asks again, still looking at Edelgard.
Edelgard looks back at her, almost hopefully. She would never turn down Byleth’s cooking. “Yes, if you don’t mind making something.”
Byleth nods, “I’ll be back as quickly as I can.” She stands and makes her way to the door, squeezing Edelgard’s hand as she passes by her.
“Will you be procuring a meal for me as well?” Hubert asks.
Byleth can practically hear his self-satisfied smirk. “No,” she says before the door shuts.
Edelgard lets out a light laugh. "Byleth is in a good mood. It brings me joy to see her this way."
"I would be unable to agree or disagree with you, Lady Edelgard. However, I do often question whether or not she even has moods. Her expression never changes." Hubert had to admit that her muted reactions were intriguing. If it were not for the fact that he had caught her looking at Edelgard differently, he would have assumed she was completely incapable of expressing herself.
"Everything about Byleth is subtle. You're looking in the wrong places or refusing to see it if you cannot tell, Hubert. Her eyes are not as blank as they seem, and her body language speaks volumes." Everyone else may think that Byleth is emotionless and blank, but Edelgard could easily argue that it was not so.
Hubert remains unconvinced. Even after all this time he cannot say that he is able to read Byleth clearly. To him, she looked as she always did, but he acqueises as always. "If you say, Lady Edelgard, then it must be so."
"It may take more time and effort to learn how to read her than others, but it is simply a matter of how much you are willing to invest, just as everything else." Edelgard spends a large portion of her time watching Byleth, granted her interest in doing so was much higher than anyone else's. Byleth's face may almost never move, but her attention has been rewarded, and now she is capable of picking up on other ways of reading Byleth. “Perhaps attempting to read Byleth will be good practice for reading others.”
“Hmm. I suppose using her as practice may have its merits,” Hubert agrees. If he could learn to read her, most others would seem trivial.
They lapse into familiar silence, and Byleth returns soon with plates--one for Hubert as well--full of food on a tray, which they place on a table set up to the side. Hubert offers to clean up and bring the plates back to the kitchens. Byleth is already pulling out her notebook before the door shuts behind him, thumbing through the pages with a distant look.
Edelgard’s voice pulls back her attention, asking curiously, “What do you write in that notebook?”
“Notes. Details about all of my targets.” So that she would never forget.
Edelgard grabs Byleth’s hand, gripping it tightly. "I know it is a little sudden to be asking this and I must apologize for asking at all, but are you absolutely sure you wish to walk with me, Byleth?" Despite already knowing the answer, Edelgard could not curb the desire to hear Byleth say it again, to hear her say that she was willing to follow her down this path despite the inevitable amount of blood that would stain it.
Byleth had never been more sure of anything. She nods, gripping the hand holding hers back. "I will always choose you, El. I will choose you a thousand times, a million, every time it will always be you."