Byleth is not defined by their OP powers and I will die on this hill

I made a post way early in my blog about how certain fe3h characters would be better if they weren't so dedicated to a single other person or ideal.

for example; Seteth and Flayn are wonderful people, with unique personalities and a well-developed design and backstory.

At several points in the story, regardless of route, you can even see Seteth question some of Rhea's actions and decisions....and it left me longing for a story in which I could fight alongside the Empire but maintain a bond with my beloved saints. (I'm sorry I really just don't like the archbishop leave me be lmao). Plus she kinda loses her mind during CF too, and I'm positive they'd catch on and be concerned.

Anyway so this story is gonna take place at some point along Crimson Flower, and Reader is meant to be the former professor of the Black Eagles. Whether it's Byleth or a self-insert, that's for you to decide, anyway enough rambling let's goooo

1.6k words, angst galore

first person SetethxReader(Byleth?) Alois also makes an appearance

warnings: Literal warzone in the beginning. Reader is shot (with arrows). not sure if it counts as a warning but I used the term "saints" and "goddess" in the context where we usually would say "god" since it seemed fitting lol

~~~~~~~

I sent off the last messenger hawk, watching it fly over the horizon and out of sight.

Communication and negotiations have gone surprisingly well so far, and the Church has agreed to meet up and talk. Edelgard and I agreed that talking it out would be a good first step to avoid more bloodshed, but just in case they had other plans, we would be bringing an army with us.

The day we set for negotiating finally arrived, and we rode up to Magdred in droves. Seemed they had the same idea, as an entire army stood behind Seteth, sat nobly on his wyvern's back.

I stepped off my horse, leaving my sword with it. The only movement in the field was between the high priest and myself, slowly walking toward one another. It was eerily silent, the wind whistling through the trees hushing every other sound.

We finally met in the center of the field, and I parted my lips to speak. "Seteth. I-"

I froze, my ears perking up just in time to pick up an all-too-familiar sound. I knew what it was, but I couldn't react fast enough.

SHNK.

SHNK.

SHNK.

All at once, before I could even move, three arrows found their place deep within my chest.

My heart pounded in my ears. I stared at Seteth, shock, fear, and betrayal rampant in my expression. I was unarmed. I was there to talk. Why did they...? But his eyes seemed to share the same feelings. It...didn't make sense.

Everything was silent, all sides too taken aback to even realize what happened.

My stance swayed, I staggered for a second, then I fell, the metal pieces of my armor clanking as they met the dirt.

Hell broke loose once my head hit the ground. I heard roars from both sides as each army advanced, enveloping the field in violent noise that had been silent mere moments ago.

Someone grabbed me. I...I couldn't tell who. My eyes wouldn't focus, my body felt cold. I was pulled into a protected embrace, and a distant voice echoed in my ears as the warmth of rushed, desperate healing spells washed over me.

"Y/N! Y/N, listen to me! Keep your eyes open! I need you to stay awake, please! Hold on!"

Saints above, everything ached when my eyes opened again. My pained groan alerted the guardian at my side, Alois, who looked like he hadn't slept in days. A shaken gasp made way for a relieved sigh and a tired smile, and I could tell it took a lot of internal force for him not to hug me.

A proper look around made me realize I was in the infirmary back at Garreg Mach, and three bloodied patches of bandage stretched across my torso. Ouch. Manuela knelt by a different cot, no doubt tending to another casualty from the fight.

"I...I don't remember much. I walked up to talk, and I heard the arrows...then...?"

Alois sighed. "Yeah. We had to retreat afterward, but so did they. We're...still trying to figure things out." As if he sensed the rising panic in my mind, he immediately followed, "your class is fine. Edelgard took the lead after you fell." I nodded, relief overtaking the stabbing pain in my chest. They weren't my students anymore, but I still call them 'my kids' now and again. He smiled weakly. "...just like you to be worried about your allies despite your own injuries."

I chuckled, but the moment was brief, and I clutched my chest. The rumble of laughter just shot the pain through me. With a sigh and a stretch, I pulled myself to sit up, getting a better look at the room. As expected, there wasn't a single empty cot in the room, and my heart ached for the wounded. My eyes scanned the room then froze as my gaze set on a guest, sitting in a chair near the door. His emerald eyes locked with mine, and a sneer pulled at my lips. His name fell from my mouth like acid, as if I spat a curse between the syllables.

"Seteth."

He almost flinched at my voice, looking away with so many emotions behind his eyes. Alois put a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Ease up, kid... he's the reason you're still breathing..." I paused. The...reason? No, that couldn't be right. "...he shielded your body with his own back, Y/N. Didn't dare leave your side til the battle ended, and after the fact, he carried you here himself."

So the arms I felt before I passed out...the relief of my injuries on the field...that was...him? I scoffed. "That can't be right..."

I looked back at the holy man, who had stood up and begun to approach. Now that I got a better look at him, he was completely different than how he once held himself. Tired circles lined his eyes, and his usually perfectly styled hair lay askew. His gilded headband was gone, and after a moment's realization, so too were his priestly robes, replaced by one of Hanneman's suits. Unable to help myself, I grinned. "Oh Saints, you look terrible. You a hostage now or something? Did we capture you?" I knew it was petty and childish, but Goddess, it felt good to get back at him in some way. Watching his cheeks redden at the comment made it even better.

He sighed, familiar frustration returning to his tone. "Y/N, the answer to this predicament is simple, you need only to listen." He took a breath, crossing his arms. "I have elected to resign from my position as Rhea's right hand."

...What?

He took a deep breath. "After careful consideration, I determined it would be safer for Flayn and me to make some...adjustments." he sighed. "If you truly are the goddess incarnate as Rhea said, then I have not yet abandoned my faith, but even if you are not, then I will not stray. I...I fear Rhea has...lost herself, in her efforts to overcome this. She is not who she once was, and I feel strongly that she no longer possesses the same values she once held."

I could only laugh, if only at the irony of the situation. "You've suddenly switched sides, and ever so conveniently now that we've got the upper hand. Siding with the victors, I see....can't say I blame you."

He frowned. "Beyond that, the battle that unfolded those days ago was the last time I was going to tolerate her going behind my back." At my confusion, he continued. "I questioned the archers after the fight, specifically the three who fired at you. I had given them explicit instruction not to make a move unless the Empire struck first. We had arranged that meeting out of mutual trust, and I had full intent of respecting that."

That made me frown more. "So then, why did they-?"

He sighed. "Rhea apparently pulled them aside before we left. She told them that you would be conniving and that you would attack me when my guard was down. She told them that once you were in range, they were to fire. Those directions were not known to me until I had practically interrogated them after the battle."

He shook his head. "My negligence caused you grave injury, and I felt...fully responsible for that. At this point I can only beg your forgiveness."

I was quiet for a long while, trying to process his words. "...You and I have stood as enemies for the last five years. Why weren't you just grateful for my downfall?"

"....because...we didn't...I..." he paused, trying to find the words. "I never wanted to be your enemy. But...I was blinded by my obedience to the Archbishop, and my dedication to Seiros. I never wanted this to happen. Flayn has been more at risk in these last five years than she ever was in years past, and the sooner we can conclude this war, the better it will be for us.

I sighed. Of course it was about her. Its always her when it comes to his concerns.

"But...more than that..."

I paused. There's more?

"I am well aware that there are no excuses...but I'd like to explain why I acted how I did." He sighed. "I've seen you fight for years now, watching you lead hundreds of battles to victory. Each and every time, you looked...ethereal, almost divine....untouchable. Somehow, in your incredible strength, your elegant visage, it left my mind that you could get hurt." He frowned. "I'm sure it sounds ridiculous now, but...that was it. And...the moment I saw the arrows pierce your flesh, it felt like the rest of the world disappeared. The realization, that...you could get hurt...that...that you could...die? I just...I don't know. I couldn't....I didn't want to face the possibility of a world without you in it."

He took a deep breath.

"Y/N. That scare made me realize something I should have seen long ago...and that I wish I could have pursued at a better time. But...the truth is...it is that I love you, Y/N."

I sat silent, shocked at every word as I stared up at the fallen priest. What? After everything that unfolded, after all that happened...so much going on...this is what he has to say? I didn't even know where to begin.

My face shifted, void of any feelings, any possible thought. A cold scowl hid my confusion and frustration.

"Get out."

He paused, opening his mouth to speak, but I held up a hand to interject.

"This...really isn't a good time for something like this. Please...just go."

Seteth stared at me, so many thoughts behind his now glossy eyes, so many words under a bitten tongue, but he nodded wordlessly and excused himself from the infirmary. Alois gently put a hand on my arm, but I brushed him away and laid back down. "Not now...please." i let out a shaky breath that I didn't realize I had been holding, and hugged myself as I tried to still my racing mind and heart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aaaaaaaa that went so much longer than I expected but I hope you guys liked it! Let me know if a part 2 interests anyone! Aaaaa i love writing :]

I don't think we realize just dangerous Silver Snow could be for Byleth as a character.

(EDIT: Changed the title to reflect the headcanon-esque nature of this post.)

In the other three routes, Byleth has the house leaders to anchor themselves down when they receive their divine powers. In Azure Moon and especially Verdant Wind, they are able to maintain their humanity despite their rise to godhood because they have those bonds, and in Crimson Flower, they end up losing their powers altogether. But Silver Snow? Oh, Silver Snow is a whole other ball game.

In Silver Snow, Edelgard, who in another timeline would have been the one to relieve Byleth of their divinity and perhaps even fill their life with love and compassion, instead turns on them, leaving to fulfill her own ideals. Dimitri ends up going insane from his own demons and dies at Gronder, likely not in a very nice way, too. Claude is forced to leave Fodlan for Almyra in order to save himself. Worse yet, all the other students who weren't lucky enough to join Byleth are likely dead as well.

And Rhea, the one person they've been holding out for this whole time, the one person that they had hoped would be able to turn things around, is either dead, or has retired to Zanado. Byleth was just beginning to show their humanity, to warm their stone cold heart, and what did they get for it? Nothing. Their home is ravaged by war, so many of their students, their friends are dead, and the ones that did make it out will never get to see their dear Professor grow old alongside them. Even Cyril, the youngest voiced character in the entire game, will be nothing but a blink to the immortal Byleth. Sure, Seteth and Flayn are still there, and maybe Macuil and Indech could be convinced to come hang out at Gareg Mach, but even these 4 are nothing compared to the 40+ friends that Byleth has lost.

A major part of Byleth's story is the relationship between their humanity and their divinity. Azure Moon and Verdant Wind manage to strike a balance, albeit leaning towards human and divine respectively. The Black Eagle routes, then, are the extremes. In Crimson Flower, Byleth sacrifices their divinity to embrace their humanity, finding themselves in the loving arms of close friends, and perhaps eventually, family. In Silver Snow, what does Byleth do when almost everyone they know is dead, and they must now shoulder the responsibility of leading Fodlan for all eternity? Simple. They reject their humanity, and with it the memories of happier days, and embrace their divine nature wholeheartedly. There is no longer Byleth, there is only The Enlightened One.

Fodlan is transformed into a theocracy, ruled eternally by The Enlightened One, who rules with daft precision and perfection. Thanks to the technology from Shambala, Fodlan is transformed into a technological paradise. Every building is self-powered, all foods is grown in buildings with perfect conditions, all jobs are handled by machines. There is no disease, because The Enlightened One heals all the sick. There is no crime, because The Enlightened One rains divine judgement on those who sin. There is no war, because The Enlightened One destroys all who threaten Fodlan.

However, just as The Enlightened One guards those under the wings, so too do they strike down any from outside. Under their rule, Fodlan becomes even more isolationist, to the point where had folks like Petra or Claude tried to enter Fodlan, they would have been chased off like savage bears outside of one's house, because to The Enlightened One, that is essentially what they are: savage beasts threatening their precious home.

Fodlan becomes a perfect world, and yet, because of this, there is no growth, no change, no evolution. The Enlightened One has become a cold, apathetic, and pragmatic ruler in their rejection of humanity. Fodlan becomes cold, stale, emotionless, blanketed forever...

...in silver snow.

Edelgard fans don’t have to apologize for Adrestia

So something I saw but didn’t really comment on in yesterday’s post was Fewix’s (if anyone’s curious why I keep calling Emblemxeno that, it’s because his Reddit handle is just Felix’s name but spelled all cutesy and I think that’s kinda funny. The only reason I even know Emblemxeno and Fewix are the same person is because his reddit has links to his tumblr right on the front page) efforts to portray the Empire as the real sexists in Fodlan.

This is part of a trend of repurposing arguments from our side that I’ve seen out of Edelgard Critical. A really cute example of this is the Analyzer using the Byleth is a Bodhisattva in Crimson Flower argument (a Bodhisattva is a being that has achieved enlightenment but chooses to remain in the earthly realm to help others achieve enlightenment as well. It’s a refutation of the idiotic “Byleth loses nirvana in CF” claim) to say that ackshually, Byleth’s only REALLY a Bodhisattva in Azure Moon! You know, the route where Byleth embraces their divinity and becomes the archbishop.

Yeah, are you starting to see why my nickname for him is more an insult than anything else?

But I digress. Edelgard Critical is trying to steal our arguments because they haven’t had a cogent new one in about two years.

Technically Mercie wasn’t thrown out but instead ran away, but that’s quibbling. Fewix actually neglected to mention Hanneman’s sister. Also the first point is amusing because Fire Emblem’s long had a trouble spot with not allowing women to inherit positions of authority on their own (even in recent times, with Hinoka being implied to be third in line for the Hoshidan throne behind her younger brother Takumi, and Camilla passing the throne of Nohr to her younger brother Leo) and yet it’s not our side that has to flee to series tradition when stating our case. And it’s not even true given whether or not Edelgard will inherit the Adrestian throne is never in question. Fewix seems to be blowing up the solitary case of Bernadetta to encompass all of the Empire (and Bernadetta does keep her house anyways, so...).

So yeah, you can certainly find some cases of Adrestia’s conduct being shitty in the past. And yet this isn’t the winning argument Fewix thinks it is because, unlike with Faerghus, excuses are never made for Adrestia’s past, the player is never asked to ignore their misdeeds, and Edelgard fixes their problems.

Dorothea’s mysterious father? Never treated as anything but a scumbag who kicked out her mother and condemned Dorothea to her miserable early life (and it’s real cute seeing Edelcrit suddenly becoming Dorothea stans when it suits them).

Bernadetta’s father? Treated as nothing more than a figure of scorn and contempt. He’s put under house arrest by Edelgard in Houses and given a gilded cage in Hopes that he spends almost three years occupying in a state of perpetual mortal terror. Hopes even doubles-down on this, by stating clearly that keeping Yuri from assassinating Bernie when they were younger was not an act of love and Bernie doesn’t forgive him because of it.

Baron Bartels? An unambiguous monster who abused Mercedes and her mother and created the Death Knight, leading to his unmourned death.

Petra’s treatment and the treatment of Brigid? An injustice Edelgard is working to correct, with Three Hopes going much further into detail on it.

See where I’m going with this? Every Adrestian crime is treated as a crime, every Adrestian abuser is treated as an abuser. Edelgard is working to correct the system that enabled these injustices. The Adrestia that did these things is not her Adrestia.

Now how about Faerghus?

The Faerghan Lords and soldiers that committed the genocide of the people of Duscur? Largely ignored in Three Houses, because Azure Moon is only interested in Duscur insofar as it can serve as window dressing for Dimitri’s personal tragedy, around which all of Faerghus and all of Azure Moon revolves. For fuck’s sake, in Three Houses you even help racist Faerghan jackboots suppress a justified Duscurian rebellion, and if you don’t join in on this crackdown you’re punished by losing Dedue.

The conquest of half of Sreng by Faeghus? What conquest? Three Houses doesn’t give a fuck (because it’s got jack all to do with Dimitri), and Three Hopes just makes Faerghus look even worse!

Matthias Gautier, who joined with King Lambert to beat around the people of Sreng until Macuil knocked the invaders back in their place, and then kept a Srengese prince prisoner for years and in modern times only disparagingly refers to him as an ungrateful “prisoner”? Treated as a troubled man and a bit of an dishonorable schemer, but still a good man at his core.

Dimitri never takes measures to correct the cultural norms that enable Faerghus’s worst behavior because they’re never treated as a problem to be corrected. That’s why Faerghus stans have to defend, ignore, or sidestep Faerghus’s misdeeds. The crimes the Adrestia of the past committed are indeed crimes that Edelgard is working to fix.

Therefor, criticizing Adrestia as a means to criticize Edelgard or defend Faerghus isn’t the strong argument the other side believes it is.

A thought, if you feel like discussing it at some point: What do you think of the end of AM, where Dimitri tries to help Edelgard up and she tries to get him with her dagger? I can see how it could work, but that moment always seemed OOC to me. Edelgard seems too smart to think that even if she managed to kill Dimitri, she would still get away fine, particularly with Byleth (who’s sided with Dimitri in this timeline) present. Not to mention all the Blue Lions and presumably a whole army at their back. It honestly feels like they needed her out of the way without making Dimitri responsible for killing her so he could remain the Righteous King. Which, yes, is a standard trope and kind of the point of the route, but I still find annoying given the depth and ambiguity of, say, CF and VW.

In any case love your metas and hope you’re doing well :)

Look at Edelgard in the moment when she throws her dagger. Look at her face. She is not frantic or desperate. She is not seeking escape. Her eyes are closed. She's smiling, even. She is resigned.

There are two positions that Edelgard is consistent on throughout the game, in every route. One is that her death must be worthwhile. Her death must have meaning, even in defeat. "Dying for the greater good is not a death in vain."

The other is that whoever takes over Fodlan must not have any lingering doubts about their victory. When Byleth asks Claude to stay and fight on their side in CF, both he and Edelgard agree that it is a naive proposal. That it would be better for Claude to completely vanish from the picture to ensure a clear and stable transition of power.

A lot of people assume that Edelgard does not believe the above positions apply to her. That she would sacrifice other lives, but not her own. That she would demand death or exile of other leaders but not herself.

But that is not the case here. Edelgard sees her defeat, and she embraces it. She is offered mercy, and she refuses it. Would Edelgard, who knows too well the horror of imprisonment, willingly live out the rest of her life in a dungeon, allow herself to fade into obscurity, or worse, to be used as a political prop for somebody else's goals like her father was before her? Or would she offer Dimitri this parting gift, force his hand and ensure the death that she wants?

SS Chapter 18 & 19

Whew, felt like it took a long time to reach this next chapter. Life's been busier than usual lately, but here we are.

Spoilers possibly up until Silver Snow Chapter 18 (and other routes around the same time).

Pre-Battle 18

Should I tag this as Verdant Wind spoilers since they basically follow the same plot? Only slightly kidding.

We storming the capital now! Woot! Is Edelgard really going down in one freaking chapter though?

Are they finally going to acknowledge that Byleth's marching to chop down his former student? Because so far he's felt exactly nothing about Edelgard. Not regret, not longing, not horniness, not anger, not vengeance. It's like she's some faceless evil emperor he's never meant before for all the emotional impact their former relationship's had in part 2 so far.

ARE WE GONNA GET RHEA BACK SOON??? Please. I want to see what role she's going to play. There's still so much I don't know about her.

Ok, seeing the map, I don't see Edelgard, but I do see both Hubert and the Death Knight despite defeating them a million times already.

They really shouldn't let us fight the Death Knight so many times if they wanted him to come across intimidating. Even early on, Lysithea with Dark Spikes and Dimitri with a horse killer weapon just melt him. Maybe it's harder on Maddening.

Battle 18

Ugh, I hate split maps. No, Seteth, I don't want to split up.

Hubert sounds so sinister. OMG I love him. He doesn't care - at all - that there were his former classmates.

So Lysithea nuked the Death Knight into another dimension . . . again. Is he dead for real this time? Because it seemed official this time. Finally.

Oh, unique dialogue with Hubert and Ferdinand. The drama. Too bad his Boltings have a 0% hit chance on Ferdinand.

Now time to waste Hubert's second Bolting.

LAMO that Imperial Soldier lady also has Bolting, but Linhardt just waited her out. She did a total of 1 damage to him lol. She's got 5 though and that's annoying, so Petra just took her out.

Having Byleth finish Hubert off since I bet there's more unique dialogue.

Hubert threatening Byleth. Name a more iconic duo.

OMG Byleth' gaunlets broke lamo. Guess someone else will actually finish Hubert.

Wow, Hubert's generic dialogue "not even death will make you consequential." Told that to poor Bernie. Still took an arrow to the face though.

And seems like he's dead-dead this time.

Does he always give you a Goddess Icon when he dies. Because that's funny if he does.

Oh - MVP Petra! She deserves it. She's really catching up to Ferdie and Sylvain. It's just - she never dodges like Ferdinand does, and can't take the punishment Sylvain does.

Post-Battle 18/Pre-Battle 19

WAIT - WAIT - WAIT - WAIT. DEDUE. DEDUE IS HERE? MY BOY? HE'S HERE. WHY IS HE HERE? 😭😭😭😭😭😭

Yeah, wtf is he doing in Enbarr?

Oh - Dedue here's for Edelgard's blood. Nice.

Does this mean I get to use Dedue????

Holy shit, Dedue. He infiltrated Enbarr and gathered intell?

What a champ.

Dedue is low-key the best spy in this game guys. Gathered intel to help an invading army take a castle literally under Edelgard's and Hubert's noses and let's not forget how he broke Dimitri out of prison.

Dedue 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

And Rhea's inside! We get to see Rhea AND Dedue again.

Wait, why is Dedue leaving me? No 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

Don't worry Dedue. In another playthrough, I am pampering you and Dimitri and in the next one, you two are getting married pairing up.

I'm guessing we're not going back to Garreg Mach between these battles? Because that would be - eh - make no sense.

Oh, so now we have the "I don't want to kill Edelgard" or "Can we walk the same path as her." Why are those two my only options though? Where's the "fuck yeah" option? It's way more fun to embrace the kill 'em all thing. Except Dimitri and Dedue because my heart

Ok, Caspar, you're forgiven for your CF nonsense calling Edelgard out.

Why is Seteth always lying to me? He keeps saying "I'll leave it in your hands." But then doesn't and yells at me.

Battle 19

Ok. I decided I'm playing these two back-to-back.

Does Verdant Wind do this too? Fight Hubert and the Death Knight, then jump straight to Edelgard, no month in-between?

Because it if it does - it's going to take forever to get to Azure Moon, because, unfortunately, I won't be able to play this game for close to a month after this because of work and other stuff.

Mannnn, I am NOT looking forward to this map with my VW gang. In SS, my Sylvain, Ferdinand, and Petra are all super reliable. And Lysithea can nuke anything. No one in my VW gang is as good as any of those four (though, Claude has gotten more speed lately - thank the stars).

OMG DEDUE IS BACK. HE came, but he's green. WHYYYYY.

So . . . does Dedue have unique battle dialogue with Edelgard? She's all that's left and he's marching towards her. I think I'm going to test this. I'd laugh my butt off if he crit and killed her.

No unique dialogue, but it feels good letting Dedue get a hit on here. I get Dedue could kill her. I could just keep healing him, and she's got no one left. Should I do it guys?

I think I'm going to do it.

I'll let Byleth peck at her with his puny magic damage so I can get that dialogue, and then Dedue's killing Edelgard next round probably.

LAMO Sothis is a false Goddes, but like, she's living in Byleth's head so. We know she's not false.

Oh, well, Edelgard crit Dedue. So I just reset things and my ever reliable Lysithea nuked Edelgard onto another planet, as she does.

Weird she and Lysithea got unique dialogue though.

Ohhh cut scene. Why does Edelgard have a sword though?

Why is Edelgard asking Byleth to kill her? I guess it makes sense. He was her teacher here.

She does know all these people are killing each other because of her, right?

Oh, wow, he just lopped her head off. That's maybe as badass as when Byleth just offed Randolph (or however you say his name). I'm legit impressed the game didn't milk that harder.

Though they did that "I wanted to walk with you line . . ." Which . . . I'll take it. That's not too bad. She did, but what a twisted path she's walking.

I'm a bit conflicted about her death here though. It seemed kind of . . . weird? I expected Edelgard, from the way she talks in CF, to do down fighting. Not pleading to "my teacher" on her knees and panting.

MVP Lysithea. Guess landing that last hit on Edelgard motivated her.

Post-Battle 19

Are we finally gonna see Rhea?

Why did Hubert right us a letter?

Oh, it's about those mage people. And they want revenge. How original. If they're the enemies of all of Fodlan, why did you fight with them? Like why not take them out, then Rhea, who doesn't . . . you know . . . want to destroy the world?

Hubert and Dedue the real MVPs of this route though.

I can't with the name "those who slither in the dark" though. How lame.

Seteth said "kill every last one of them" though.

RHEA. REAH's BACK. 😭😭

And her hair is down! She looks pretty. She looks sickely though.

Oh, we going to learn some stuff now?

I don't remember who Nemesis is. So he's a grave robber. And a genocider. Wonderful. So is that when Seteth's wife died? Or?

I'm guessing we don't get playable Rhea, though I bet someone would've told me already if we did, because she's in such poor shape.

Now we get to kick the people's ass who killed Jeralt?

RHEA IS COMING WITH US

OMG Caspar wants to carry Rhea on his back 😂and then Dorothea has to point out how that might not work for our short king.

No one really mentioned Edelgard and Hubert dying though. Maybe in the monastery?

Guess I'll find out later. Now to go play these exact same maps, but with the Golden Deer!

We know you have lots of Claude headcanons, but any Dimitri headcanons?

And if not, then how about for Claude and Dima interactions post war (shhh yes pretend Dimitri lived VW sshshshshhhshh)

look Dimitri deserved to live in VW this is just a Fact

But of course I have Dimitri headcanons I write enough about him honestly I kind of stumbled into them by accident

Dimitri is technically the most devout of the three Lords, but that really isn't saying much. In general, Faerghus has the closest ties with the Church of Seiros, and aspects of that faith are widespread throughout Faerghus as a cultural whole even among those who would otherwise consider themselves non-believers. Dimitri certainly believes, and he respects the faith and the Church as a whole, but he's nowhere near as devout as someone like Mercedes.

With that said, he does spend quite a bit of time in the Cathedral as a student, particularly because offering prayers to the dead is another facet of Faerghus tradition that's been influenced by the Church of Seiros. Because of that heavy burden of survivor's guilt (and the voices that go with it), he was encouraged to pray often to bring peace to the dead, and even into his Academy days he offers prayers quite often in an attempt to quell the voices that won't leave him be.

Speaking of the Seiros faith being baked into Faerghus culture: because of that particular quirk, during his time as a student when the voices of the dead tried to overwhelm him (especially at night or in other situations where he was alone), his coping strategy was repeating verses and psalms in praise of the Goddess to try and drown them out until he could get either to somewhere with more people (during the day mostly) so that the company could keep them at bay or to the training grounds (at night) so he could push himself to exhaustion in an attempt to get rest.

Despite being unspeakably strong and a frightening potential for savagery, Dimitri tends to be somewhat anxious and can freeze up in the face of certain dangers (like, for instance, coming face to face with a dragon). Once he gets snapped out of it he's fine but his fight or flight response doesn't just default to fight like it does for some people -- sometimes it errors out into freeze.

Even though he's lost his sense of taste, Dimitri hasn't lost his ability to discern texture and temperature. There are still things that he won't touch because the texture of them puts him off, and many of the things he does like have a specific texture he enjoys (and yes, this is why he has a thing for so many hot dishes with cheese or otherwise creamy textures to them).

As for Claude and Dimitri interactions in a post-war VW situation:

First off, because the Kingdom still has its king, Dimitri ends up taking the throne of Faerghus, meaning it doesn't get dissolved. While this means he has a ton of work to do, Claude elects to spend a little more time in Fodlan before taking over in Almyra, networking with regions outside the Alliance (and although neither will ever say anything about it, it's very likely he did it by Dimitri's request, offering both support and advice to the new king).

When Claude does finally take over in Almyra, it severely limits the time that he can spend out and about, since he has duties to perform. He has ambitions, after all, and that requires a lot of work. He writes a letter to Dimitri the night he ascends the throne to give him the news -- both of his kingship and that he won't be able to visit for a good long while -- and in response Dimitri starts sending him letters back. They keep up routine correspondence this way for years, to the point that they start using dedicated messenger birds that can fly directly from Almyra to the Kingdom and vice versa rather than using transfer points at places like the Locket or Daphnel territory.

Although there likely wouldn't be a united Fodlan (Lorenz heads up the Alliance, Dimitri heads up Faerghus, Byleth heads up the Church of Seiros and maybe stands in as leader in the Empire until they can get a new system of governance worked out now that Edelgard is gone), relations between territories would be much improved because of how closely everyone worked together in the war itself; on top of that, because of Claude's work on both sides of the border, diplomatic meetings between the major powers could and feasibly would include an Almyran representative -- and because of the aforementioned letter-writing, when Dimitri goes to those conferences in person, Claude would invariably show up...and promptly get dragged into one of Dimitri's rib-cracking hugs.

Despite the fact that Faerghus and Almyra don't share a border, Dimitri would still want to facilitate trade with Almyra if at all possible (possibly via water routes) and therefore would make every effort to work things out with them. To finalize things, he'd most likely go visit Almyra in person for the first time, which would involve a ton of Almyran cultural and traditional stuff like feats of strength and skill -- and he would get super popular super fast when the Almyrans find out about his super strength. Claude would be delighted to see his people fully embracing a Fodlan native for once.

A Matter of Logistics

Fandom: Fire Emblem Three Houses

Rating: G

Characters: Claude/F!Byleth

Words: 1.9k

Read it on AO3

War required a lot of preparation. There were supplies to consider, tactics and strategies to go over, routes to plot. The logistics of it would have been overwhelming if Byleth didn’t have her students to help her. They were brilliant, every one of them, in their own unique ways. She pored over lists of supply requests, eliminating things that were deemed unnecessary and finding ways in which to make it all somehow work.

And for the first months of the long war, everything went quite smoothly.

It wasn’t until Fort Merceus that things went awry. Some of their supply wagons had been far too close to the fort, and while they’d gotten the horses and soldiers out in time, the wagons had been utterly demolished in the wake of the javelins of light.

Unfortunately, half of their tents went with the wagons.

This meant a great reshuffling of personnel. Some of the rank and file gave up their tents for their immediate leaders: the sergeants and officers who gave them their individual commands. Those soldiers were fine with sleeping on their bedrolls beneath the stars, and many were adept at making simple lean-tos which they would huddle under on the rainy nights.

The problems really arose when it came to herself and her (former) students. Byleth sat at a makeshift table – little more than a tree stump – with a candle, some parchment, and her quill and ink, and tried to wrap her head around new assignments.

She could settle Hilda and Lysithea together; the pair seemed to get along fairly well now. Seteth and Flayn, of course, took a single tent and retired for the evening. Ignatz and Raphael had elected to share, being that they were childhood friends, which freed up a tent for Marianne, who really needed her own space. Lorenz grudgingly accepted sharing his larger tent with Sylvain, though neither were excited about the prospect.

Leonie did not need one, she claimed, and Byleth believed her, letting her find her own place to settle in for the night.

Leaves rustled around her, and Byleth placed a hand on her dagger as she looked up and around, relaxing only when she saw Claude stepping through the brush, his signature grin on his face. “Come on, Teach, what’s with the long face?” he asked, plopping himself beside her and slipping the parchment off the stump. “Ah, figuring out how to arrange the remaining tents to appease the nobles?”

She gave a soft sigh, plucking it from his grasp. “Yes. I have it mostly worked out. We’ll need new tents, of course, as soon as we can.” Her lips pursed slightly, the movement so subtle it might have been missed if Claude hadn’t learned how to read her.

“So what’s the problem then?”

“There’s only one tent left.” Byleth glanced at him, her features set into her typical mask. “It has to be yours, of course.”

“It should go to you,” he said in the same moment.

Her brows furrowed slightly. “You’re the duke. The leader of the army. It rightfully goes to you.”

“You forget, my friend, that you are the Archbishop. Seteth would have my head if I let you sleep out on the ground.” A pause. “I’m certain he’s not the only one.”

Byleth winced slightly, brushing a lock of hair out of her face. “You can’t sleep out on the ground, either, Claude. So if you can’t, and I can’t, and there’s only one tent…” Her voice trailed off, coming to the conclusion he must have already reached, judging from the look on his face.

“So we share,” he said with a light-hearted shrug. “What, Teach, you don’t trust me to be gentlemanly?” That little smirk was back, the one that made her stomach flutter. If her heart beat, she was certain it would have been drumming rapidly against her ribs.

She gave him a little shove, trying to ignore the way her cheeks warmed. They were in the middle of a war. Her feelings for him aside, now was certainly not the time… and that even assuming he felt the same way. “I trust you in all things, Claude,” was her soft reply. “I am just concerned that it would be viewed… improperly.”

He sighed and pushed himself to his feet, holding his hands out for her. She hesitated, and then allowed him to help her up. Her hands fit into his so nicely, and even though he wore gloves, she could feel the warmth radiating from his palms. He pulled her to him, leaning down to whisper in her ear. “I’m not letting you sleep out here alone, By.”

She shivered at the sensation of his breath on her ear, glad suddenly for the dark so he couldn’t see the faint blush spreading across her cheeks.

Claude released her to gather up her things, snuffing out the candle. “I know you grew up as a mercenary, but you’re the Archbishop now that Rhea is gone, and the Archbishop simply cannot sleep out in the elements no matter how much you might try to argue. My tent is big enough for us both, and that’s that.”

Byleth huffed out a laugh, admitting defeat. They’d be out here all night if she didn’t, and they had a long trek ahead of them. She found the others as they entered the main encampment, confirming details with them of their new - and hopefully temporary - sleeping arrangements.

Claude’s tent was one of the largest on the field, but with the pair of them and all their gear, including the Sword of the Creator and his own Failnaught, there was little in the way of sleeping space. She surveyed what was available with a keen eye. “The center is the best place for us to sleep,” she finally said, keeping her voice steady. Their bedrolls would be damn near on top of each other, but it made the most sense. Gear at the edges in case of rain or chill, and sleeping beside each other would… would help with any issues with warmth. She knew that much from having been on the road so much with her father.

He nodded his agreement and began shifting things around, tucking packs and weapons into wherever they would fit while Byleth laid out her bedroll, making sure to leave ample space for him to place his own. And then, of course, came the awkwardness of dressing down for the evening. Bits of armor came off and joined their respective piles; Claude’s arm brushed against her back when he removed his coat. Their boots settled together beside the tent flap, looking oddly at home next to each other. That particular thought was pushed away, into the back of her mind.

Claude turned slightly, catching a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye. “Well, Teach, I think I’m ready to call it a night, aren’t you?”

“… yes. We have a long day of ahead of us.” She shuffled around until she was cocooned in her bedroll, her back to him. “Goodnight, Claude.”

He flopped back onto his own bedding with a slight grin. “Yeah, goodnight… Byleth.”

At some point in the night, a chill settled in. Byleth’s shivering stirred her tent-mate, who drowsily rolled onto his side and pulled her against him, one arm settling comfortably across her middle. Byleth sank into a deeper sleep as the warmth surrounded her, a content sigh passing her lips.

She was the first to wake the next morning, the cobwebs of sleep clouding her mind for a long moment until she realized the position she was in… and that Claude was pressed against her, holding her to him almost possessively. When she tried to extricate herself, his arm tightened, and he nuzzled into her hair, a soft, happy hum in his throat.

Well… five more minutes couldn’t hurt, right?

She relaxed into his embrace, her cheeks warm and stomach doing that odd fluttering again. The man was… impossible. Mischievous, sneaky. A schemer in so many ways, but kind and compassionate, too. Perhaps that was why she’d fallen for him, why his face was the first she’d wanted to see when she’d awoken from her long slumber, and was the first she searched for on the field after a battle, to make sure he was alive and unhurt. Feelings she couldn’t have allowed herself when he was still her student had surfaced and grown during the months since she’d returned. And sometimes she thought she caught him looking at her, too, in a way that made her skin tingle. Did he… think about her the way she did him?

“You’ve got your thinking face on, By,” he whispered, lips brushing her ear.

His voice jolted her back to reality, making her jump and earning a chuckle from the focus of her thoughts. “How, uh… how long have you been awake?” Her voice came out a little more strained than she would have liked, but maybe she could blame it on nerves. Or sleep.

“Only a couple minutes,” he murmured, sounding half-asleep still. “You’re a lot softer than you look, did you know that?”

“I… what?”

His laugh rumbled in his chest. She could feel it, pressed up against her as he was. And… it wasn’t the only thing she could feel. Her face reddened. “Surely you don’t need me to repeat myself?” She could almost hear his smirk.

She could pull away. She knew she could force her way out of his arms… but did she want to? It seemed as though he had no intentions of releasing her, and that gave her pause.

“There it is again. And just what are you thinking so hard about, huh Teach?” he asked, the old nickname said with fondness. An endearment; she could hear it now.

Instead of trying to leave his grasp, she managed to turn until she was facing him, pleased to see a flush had crept across his cheeks, staining them pink. It served him right. “You,” she said simply, her features carefully blank.

His eyes widened, just slightly. “Is that so…” Claude smiled - really smiled - as he searched her face, his gaze dipping down to her lips. When her breath hitched and her own gaze dropped, he moved his hand from her waist, carefully placing it on her chin and tilting her face up to him. He moved slowly, giving her time to back away, to signal a no, and when she did neither, he claimed her lips in a gentle kiss.

A jolt went through her at the contact, her eyes fluttering closed even as she returned the kiss, fingers reaching up to thread into his hair. Encouraged, he deepened the kiss, slanting his lips against hers and sliding his hand to the back of her head.

He might have tried to go further, to explore deeper, but the bugle call signaling the start of the day startled them apart.

“We… we should get ready to move out,” was what Byleth finally settled on, her cheeks flaming as she pulled away from him.

He grinned, leaning in to steal another kiss before parting with a theatric sigh. “I suppose you’re right. We do have a long march ahead of us.” His eyes sparkled with mischief as he looked her over. “We can revisit this later tonight.”

Byleth couldn’t help but hear it as a promise.

My Thoughts on Edelgard and FE3H’s portrayal of perception vs previous installments

So this is a post I wanted to write after seeing FE3H to the end in all forms (and fair warning it may be a bit rambley). In short, FE3H is one of, if not, the best FE game in my opinion. And something that it delivered in spades was three-dimensional characters. No one is perfect and all have another side to them that greatly adds depth beyond that of previous games.

Now, that said, there has been some discourse regarding the character of Edelgard. I’m writing this under the assumption that those have actually played the game, but  for all those who haven’t played this game SPOILERS.

I’ve wanted to talk about Edelgard for awhile after watching her in each route. And the more I saw of the bigger picture, the more nuanced and poetic her character seemed. However it also tied in with something that I also found needed to be discussed and that is how FE’s perspective of reforming social systems around religion have changed

If you want me to be up front with my personal feelings of Edelgard, she is fantastic. She is one of the most complex characters the series has turned out and truly can make a case for her goals, antagonistic as they may seem. We understand the why to Edelgard more than any other antagonistic force in the series. That she is a person who made decision that brought her to this point. Unlike say, Hardin who had the Dark Orb that just amplified his negative emotions or Validar who believes in predestination, we see the logic behind every step she’s taken. In fact I found myself seeing her as similar to Alexander the Great to an extent.

Now, that said, I do not agree to answer to peace. I firmly reject the concept of unification through conquest. To me that is not true peace, and violated other beliefs and lifestyles to enforce your reform. In all honesty, I embrace Claude’s answer of free thought. The people of Fodlan should have the true history and then make their decision based on that. But, I see where Edelgard comes from in thinking that is the right steps to take.

She wants to drastically reform society and free it from all the horrible things crests have done and what the Church of Seiros has done to further that. And when that ideology encompasses all of Fodlan, war was her answer to solving it.

I found it interesting that this is the direction the story of Three Houses decided to take. As before this was FE Echoes, where the journey of Alm and Celica ultimately involves them liberating the world from the influences of gods. Unfying their land in a shared idea of humans realizing their best.

However, that story is much more easier than FE3H. In Echoes, Duma and Mila took active roles in influencing humanity. Duma’s teaching’s resulted in humans in humans losing a sense of empathy while Mila’s influence led to them inhibiting themselves and the privileged to grow greedier.

So when and Alm and Celica are smashing down those ideologies, it feels less like a battle of belief and the rejection of some greater force’s influence. But Sothis doesn’t take and active role. Seiros/Rhea is not a god (though she does possess immense power) rather they instead create a church around her beliefs that were meant to quell human impulses like that of the Agarthan.

And while the church is guilty of distorting history it is not fully absolute. Things like mercenaries are capable of existing with Jeralt only being reinstated due to previous connections. As well as people like Archenon, who clearly are using their wealth for petty reasons. It is only those who challenge the beliefs of Seiros are seen a swift end. Gerrag Mach highlights this as it has brought together many people from all across Fodlan. Even in an era where the church encompasses the entire continent, people are still capable of, well being people and not spouting theocratic rhetoric that’s been beaten into them. Unlike Rigel, a nation that thanks to Duma seems to lack the basic emotion of empathy. The church is not clean though, as it’s most damning things done by the church is elevating crests as seen as goddess blessings to the point people will do awful things for them or are obsessed with having them for themselves and the alteration of history.

The game of FE3H brings up a lot things like perception. Going back to my comparison of Alm, Echoes from his perspective makes it seem like this growing influence and reform is a good thing. The hero is bringing liberation to Valentia. But now compare that to Alm’s descendant Walhart and how his reform of Valm is portrayed.

We see this from the perspective of those being conquered like Say’ri. and those of Ylisse who are trying to avoid invasion. Walhart is seen as a dangerous force, even though in his great grandfather’s time, it was considered heroic. That is because in Awakening, gods like Naga are more distinctly benevolent. And someone who seeks to rid Ylisse of them, would clearly enter villainous as we know all the good godly influence like Naga and the Exalt has brought.

Why did that change? And what does it have to do with Edelgard? Well perspective matters when dealing with Edelgard. When you side with her, you are helping her make a new world. In a sense it feels like what you did with Alm, that this peace is for the greater good even if we must kill to achieve it.

But if you side against her, (and also somewhat depending on the route) she is seen as a conquering force that is forcibly trying to unify the continent. And unlike Echoes or Awakening, there is no higher power in this one that you can point and say is calling the shots.

This war is one of ideology and the winner gets to claim what is right. It’s not a battle of gods, but people. Those who slither in dark definitely have incited certain events, but at the end each route, Edelgard does not regress and say “I was being manipulated!” No she owns it. Everything she did was because she believed it was right and we understood it. Even if some of her own perception such as who’s more to blame for the experiments she suffered, the Church for altering history and glorifying something awful like crests or those who slither in the dark who’s ancestor’s are responsible for them in the first place.

No matter what route, Edelgard as a narrative force is flawed. Not flawed as poor writing like Garon, but as a person she has flaws. Its easy to see her point while rejecting it.

Its easy to see what crests do with people like Miklan, rejected because he lacks a crest, to Ingrid’s suitor who sees a crest as more important than the person its bound to. Its easy to see this and say there needs to be a factory reset. But then you see people like Sylvain and Lysithea (assuming Byleth didn’t recruit them), who has suffered because of crests and their intents on fixing the injustices are smaller and not nearly turbulent as causing a war.

Its also easy to hear the true history and see how maybe if Edelgard abolishes the crest system would lead to a better tomorrow, but that denial of what Seiros taught could give rise to another Agartha. But one could say that human progress is natural and that we must be able to progress for both the good and bad that comes with it.

So maybe Edelgard’s peace is only temporary and it lasts a few ages before New Adrestia divides into more smaller countries, but so what? That’s the cycle of progress. Oceans rise and empires fall.

But then you turn around and say “but she still wants Byleth by her side, which is basically the reincarnated goddess, to guide her. Isn’t that basically having holier than thou influence except you don’t call it god, you call it professor?” And to that I say look at her best possible ending.

Factoring in the best possible ending for Edelgard and where she wins and then waits for abolishment to happen and for tensions to cool, she also chooses to leave the throne while appointing someone who will carry on her idea of peace for the next age. She is not bent on being a monarch. She doesn’t want to be like Walhart who conquered with the intend of ruling. It shows that even if she wins, she is more deep than just conquest.

As said previously, I reject Edelgard’s answer to reform. Seiros is not perfect, but the cost of Edelgrd’s reform is not worth it. But I understand her. I understand her more than just being an evil ruler who conquers for the sake of godhood or dragons or some shit. Edelgard’s story is human, tragic, and a matter of perspective.

Well hope you enjoyed this long winded rambling fest.

I'm genuinely curious about your "Black Eagles most to least favourite" list.

Here you are.

#1: Hubert

Could there be any other? I remember back when there was a promo introducing the house retainers (well, Lorenz for the Deer) and everyone was saying that Hubert looked so obviously evil that there had to be some deeper explanation, that someone who took design cues from a two-dimensional villain like Fates’s Iago couldn’t possibly be Edelgard’s retainer. Then the game came out, and we all realized that Hubert was exactly as advertised and then some: a cold and calculating murderer and war criminal with his fingerprints all over almost every terrible thing that happens over the course of the story, as comfortable with chloroform and a razor as dark magic and down to perform unspeakable experiments on innocent civilians to turn them into war machines and then backstab his co-conspirators because he will suffer no rivals for his title of the Most Evil Man in Fòdlan. And yep, he looks like Dracula and Severus Snape had a one-night stand and their mpreg love child went to an anime convention...but when Ferdinand looks at Hubert he sees Mr. Darcy and the Phantom of the Opera and Edward Cullen/Christian Grey, and soon enough that snake in Hubert’s breeches will be singing quite the aria indeed. You do you, Ferdinand.

Ok, I’ve already rambled at length on Hubert’s bisexuality and the interesting things it reveals about both him and his two primary love interests, but I do also have to admire the sheer audacity both of Hubert as an incel/Nice Guy-flavored romantic false lead for Edelgard who never had a serious chance because of the self-insert fantasy and of the decision to follow that up with a trope-laden queer romance that perfectly counterbalances Hubert’s attraction to Edelgard and puts Ferdinand firmly in the place he was destined to occupy by choosing to side with the Empire. It’s nearly as outrageous as just how casually evil Hubert gets to be, as well as the immense potential for dark humor that lies with that. You have to bend over backwards to say that Hubert isn’t unapologetically, irredeemably evil, and if you try there will be significantly more fans just waiting to tell you that you’re wrong - myself included. He’s the Manfroy to Edelgard’s Arvis but so much than that, and I look forward to the point in the CF postgame where he effectively takes over the Empire in true evil chancellor fashion and unleashes the full extent of his horrors upon Fòdlan. He somehow got even better in the DLC too despite being absent from CS and getting no new supports, because the Abyssians in CF just can’t stop talking about his nefarious antics down there. I just can’t get enough of how good this guy is at being bad, and I love that FE gave us exactly what was advertised here.

#2: Ferdinand

Now here’s a case of the opposite, where what’s on the packaging didn’t prepare me for what was to come. If I remarked on Ferdinand at all during pre-release it was only to think that he might be part of a Christmas knight duo with Sylvain since the game looked like it wouldn’t have one of those. Early on there wasn’t much else to be said about Ferdinand; he was like Claude in that his popularity ran off a meme (except just the one rather than several), and in appearance and personality he was basically Lorenz with less ridiculous hair. But then came his supports, and his post-timeskip look, and suddenly Ferdinand blossomed into the subtext-laden fem with very bizarre taste in men - see above - that he could have only dreamed of being if he’d stuck to such well-trod ground as the Christmas knight archetype. We learn of his love for opera, his complicated relationship with his father, his worship of the hot mess diva Manuela and how he learned swordplay specifically to imitate her roles on the stage, and - yes - how some backhanded compliments and expensive gifts of tea turn him into a blushing Regency heroine. It all casts his unusually rote romances with women in a performative light (as opposed to Lorenz who is similarly performative but seems genuinely interested in the marriage market), to say nothing of his one-sided rivalry with Edelgard that brushes against jealousy over Hubert’s devotion to her more often than against romantic attraction to her, and that toys around with gendered behavior in a manner complementary to Edelgard’s own bucking of the gender status quo.

And while not to the same extent as Felix, I do appreciate that Ferdinand has two distinct arcs depending on the route - and unlike some who feel that one or the other detracts from his character as a whole I personally find that they complement each other well. In SS and if recruited to AM and VW he makes the hard choice to oppose his homeland, spending the timeskip waging a solitary battle against the Empire with his private militia and then joining back up with Byleth’s army at Garreg Mach because he knows Edelgard is in the wrong even as it pains him to depose the Adrestian emperor and leave his own status uncertain...not to mention fight Hubert, which merits a curious boss conversation as well as some extra lines in SS (plus the infamous Huge Hole™ remark that I will never stop referencing because it is hilarious) that, while not elevating Ferdibert anywhere near the level of Dimidue in terms of cross-route canon endorsement, nonetheless are suggestive of something deeper between them that exists even if they find themselves on opposite sides of a war. In CF by contrast Ferdinand gives into his craving for the title and holdings that Edelgard has just stripped from his father and embraces nationalism and his long-held ideal of what the office of the prime minister should to do as a means of justifying the Empire’s conquests. Of course in the process he also succumbs to Hubert’s, er, charms(?) and becomes the charismatic bureaucrat who is presumably saddled with the task of putting a positive spin on the Empire’s dystopian atrocities while Edelgard and Hubert do all the actual work...and Hubert does all the actual actual work, which includes a lot of murder and kidnapping and all manner of other things that he doesn’t share with his pretty lover and about which Ferdinand quickly learns not to ask. Two Jewels of the Empire, indeed.

#3-4: Edelgard and Dorothea

I go back and forth on these so I’m not going to bother putting them in a definitive order, particularly because I like them for very different reasons that are difficult to compare. For Edelgard, it would be most accurate to say that I enjoy her potential much more than her execution; she gets some meaty material to work with as a lord and as the driving antagonist of the whole game outside of CF, and while I still prefer Micaiah for female lords there’s something darkly satisfying about her need for control and domination and her utter refusal to compromise or remain stagnant...except where Byleth is concerned, and Edeleth drags her down so badly that it would be painful if I cared more about that type of strong female character. Had the game axed the self-insert obsession (even if that meant axing her bisexuality along with it) and focused on her experiences during the Insurrection as the source of her worldview and motivations I’d be inclined to like the final product far more, because that’s a hell of a lot more in line with what she actually does and conveniently also maps to the life of a real world ruler with whom I’m relatively familiar and whom history regards in appropriately ambivalent terms.

Dorothea on the other hand is someone I can relate to on a more personal level, mostly as a sex worker. She’s similar to Primrose from Octopath Traveler, both of them prostitutes and playing coy with the implications of the RPG dancer class archetype, although Primrose hits a few more of my buttons for being former nobility and being motivated by revenge. Then again, I fully understand Dorothea’s anxieties about growing old without a man to take care of her, even if she loses me (and Yuri picks up from where she leaves off) when she dips into lesbianism as an alternative option. She’s got her ups and downs for me - I love that she brings up incest kink with Caspar as opposed to this series’s usual outright incest, while I love less her strange Ferdinand supports that are suspended oddly between friendship and romance and...something else undefinable - and I don’t have much to say on her life as an opera diva except that it doesn’t surprise me in the slightest that she’s been turning tricks on the side and even got a sugar daddy to pay her way into the academy. Theatre and sex work have always gone hand-in-hand like that.

#5-7: Linhardt, Caspar, and Petra

This is why I couldn’t make up a list like this for the Lions or Deer, because most of their students would be in big clumps like this. I have no strong opinions on any of these characters; they each have their moments, but not enough to elevate them to where I actively like them or drop them down into real dislike. I suppose you could say I’m disappointed by how Caspar and Linhardt are visual allusions to Ike/Soren who do absolutely nothing else with that similarity except eloping in their paired ending...which is preceded by virtually nothing in the way of real chemistry. If I enjoy them for anything in particular it’s Linhardt’s wit and Caspar’s occasional bouts of emotional vulnerability, like his mini-arc in AM where he has to deal with his feelings surrounding Randolph’s death and then later gets an apology from Dimitri for it.

Petra is awkward all around as the game dances around her delicate political situation, and I also happen to agree with the VA who (if I recall) thought the character should have some sort of accent but wasn’t allowed to do one. (If anyone is wondering, based on her last name and Brigid being an island nation I headcanon it as a Celtic-derived culture, but as with my personal reading of Dedue and Duscur I know that doesn’t play well to the fandom at large).  All in all Petra feels like a more self-aware rendition of the exotic swordswoman archetype begun by Ayra in Jugdral, but there’s clearly still some work to be done on that front.

#8: Bernadetta

Ugh. With apologies to @capriciouscorvid for explaining how even unintentional disability representation can be taken as a positive, I just don’t see how Bernadetta’s character could possibly be considered a good thing when she’s so grating in almost all of her supports and most of her story and exploration presence outside of CF. All the screaming and high-pitched pronouncements of impending death get very old very quickly, and the part where she’s meant to be romantically appealing in her neediness and isolation is as lost on me as it would have been had it stemmed instead from a massive rack. Her supposedly sympathetic backstory doesn’t help much either, as it leaves me mostly with the thought that her father is an idiot because his methods obviously did not make her suitable to be a good wife. I also don’t care for how she’s one of several characters used to soften Jeritza (and that the way she does so is I think rather insulting to people with social anxiety, to liken it to a compulsion to commit murder), or even worse that people point to her Hubert support to try and say that he’s not such a bad guy and they’d be total besties just like Ferdinand and Dorothea (another pairing that doesn’t exactly scream BFFs). I mean, really....

Thoughts on Silver Snow and Byleth’s character arc

An interesting detail is that the one route where Byleth becomes the leader themselves and finds out the whole of their own backstory is also the one where their character develops the least. 

Despite SS being on the weaker side in general, I think this is possibly to some extent by design as the other three routes have some epic speech about how we’re all stronger together towards the end of them. 

Something pointed out by Mercedes and Raphael in their supports, and by Sothis in her amusing ‘boulder’ comment, is that Byleth kinda has a tendency to go down the path of least resistance and do what is expected of them, regardless of what they want... maybe because they didn’t really have anything they strongly want/ were motivated by, as they didn’t have any strong passions or attachments before coming to the monastery - their whole world was just themselves and Jeralt.  - in Heroes they get some dialogue about not having found their purpose in life yet.  They were a mercenary because their dad was one, and then they become a professor because Rhea cajoled them into it. 

That’s probably their main shortcoming/character flaw, in contrast to Edelgard who, as their foil (also got the crest of flames, also an absurdly powerful overachiever at a young age, also a stoic, charismatic leader type who inspires great passionate devotion), is very proactive and self-determined, for better or for worse, and got an elaborate plan to use and then backstab the ones that “made” her. 

In most of the routes that changes - in each slightly differently in a way that fits with the themes of each route - but in Silver Snow that doesn’t really happen. Byleth does find themselves a cause, whatever you say about Rhea the bond with Flayn and Seteth is genuine. 

The ending narration talks about how they “embraced their role as the mother of all life and arbiter of every soul”, epithets that were previously used to describe Sothis. So they became the messiah/savior themselves rather than the messiah’s sidekick/mentor/guardian angel, but at the same time it’s like they just went down the path that was laid out for them. 

This is the most obvious in crimson flower (which, incidentally, branches off from the same path as silver snow, and requires 2-3 deliberate active decisions to unlock) where Byleth completely rejects the magical destiny and as a reward, gets to be a normal human in the end, and they’re just free to do whatever they want in the end and get to ride into the sunset with their chosen spouse with no royal or clerical obligations to worry about. 

But it’s also there in Verdant Wind and Azure Moon to an extent - In VW, Claude sort of gently nudges Byleth toward thinking for themselves like he intends to do with the whole country through his usual benevolent manipulation, he gives Byleth this speech about how they’re well within their right to take charge here, and they use Byleth’s position in the church (or at least still maintain an objective detachment from it) more than they really embrace it. Whereas in Azure Moon they’re like, “No time for magical destiny, I gotta help Dimitri and the Kingdom people!” and they lead the church because it’s their obligation, obligations being a theme in AM, though in return Byleth does end up as a beloved indispensable part of their community, Dimitri encourages them to show their feelings etc. 

Another point where that is reflected is in the end credits titles. “Ruler of Dawn”, “Guardian of Order” and “Wings of the Hegemon” all refer to something they did/ how they supported [Inser Favorite House Leader]’s vision for the future. Meanwhile “Wandering Flame” brings to mind how they almost stumbled into the monastery unaware of the power they had, or referring to that power itself, like they haven’t really changed - 

Or, they have, they’re not exactly where they started, (it does’t say “Ashen Demon”), but what’s different is only that they know the truth now and were shaped by it. 

I suppose their solo ending has some reference to  how they hoped that the horrors of war would one day be forgotten, which recalls something Flayn says earlier on. 

I think there’s something deep about that , how you have to expose yourself to other ppl’s viewpoints to really figure out your own way. 

Byleth, Focusing

Thanks for the support as always, @xpegasusuniverse! I was emotional while writing this, I hope you like it! ;o;)

Summary: The enemy had come unnanounced, taking everything Byleth ever had in his life -- his father, Jeralt. Shaken by grief, Byleth’s resolve in hunting down his and Sothis’ sworn enemies keeps him going as he reads through his father’s diary and discovers the truth about the Stone within his heart...

Commission info HERE and HERE!

______________________________

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7 - Part 8 - Part 9 - Part 10  - Part 11  - Part 12  - Part 13 - Part 14  - Part 15

Byleth himself carried Jeralt's body back to the monastery.

No stretchers. No help from his fellow mercenaries. No.

He would carry his Father.

One last time.

... For the first time.

Long had Jeralt carried Byleth -- the burdens of a lifetime; secrets buried deep within the mind, away from any prying eyes, protected at the cost of a nomad life... And the only thing Byleth could do in return was make sure to bury his father beside his Mother.

The raindrops fell heavily on the Professor's shoulders, the water seeping into his very bones, chilling the soul. Sothis' apologies had died down with the passing of the hours, her voice sounding farther and farther away as it did.

Was he shutting her out or was she giving him space? Byleth couldn't say for certain.

He could barely feel a thing under his cold fingertips, the memories of loss spiralling in and out of his mind, mingling with Sothis'.

Byleth squeezed his eyes shut as he knelt by the muddy grave, uncaring of any spectators who'd come to give their farewells to Jeralt.

His tears were warm -- a painful reminder of his status as a living being, as opposed to the frozen feeling of his limbs. "That darkness... It was familiar." He clenched his fist, his hoarse voice deafened by the heavy rain around him.

Sothis flinched inside his mind, materializing beside him. "You don't mean-"

Byleth nodded minimally, anger so deeply carved into his expression one would never be able to call him 'Ashen Demon' again for his eyes shone in a fierce blue. "You told me not to take on a millennia-old fight, but the fight came to me instead."

Sothis opened and closed her mouth. She couldn't even tell him that the path of vengeance was wrong -- as she was aware that many would -- because she, too, fell victim of those who abandoned the light from aboveground. So had her children. History had to be rewritten to push the villains into oblivion, yet there they were again, intent on making everyone's lives a living hell.

"I'll fight." Byleth could feel Sothis' conflict, but he himself was resolute. "They'll pay." He clutched his chest, almost as though he could dig his hand into it and touch Sothis' core directly.

The goddess simply lowered her head somberly, placing one ethereal hand on Byleth's shoulder. "Let us both fight together." Her voice echoed as the rain fell through her.

I may not be much with these limited powers, she thought melancholy, however, I may have an idea to enhance them in you instead...

Byleth let out a bitter smile, knitting his brow together so as to keep himself from sobbing. "You weren't at fault... I'm sorry I said all of that," he said in a small voice, barely over a whisper. Rain thundered about, muffling his words to all but the one who dwelled in his mind. "But... thank you, my friend."

Honestly, Byleth didn't remember how or when he went back to his room that night. The next few days blended together as though the simple passing of time was enough to make him dizzy, his mind struggling to process the loss.

The only interaction he had -- and needed -- was Sothis' voice and comforting embrace in their shared mindscape. As a mother, her grief was fundamentally different from Byleth's, who had lost a parent, but they both could find solace in one another's pains and coping mechanisms.

Once Byleth felt well enough to stand, he headed straight to Jeralt's room, not caring to seek out anyone in his path -- actively or inadvertently ignoring anyone who got remotely close to his chosen route.

Opening the door to Jeralt's study all at once was a mistake -- Byleth was slapped in the face with his father's scent, making him clench his jaw and hesitate more than a few moments to take the first step inside. One would think that with the little amount of time Jeralt spent in his room wouldn't be enough to left such significant impression, but that clearly wasn't the case.

Jeralt was in every nook and cranny of that battered room. He was a neat man, so the furniture was kept clean and tidy, as were his personal objects.

Byleth's chin trembled as he stepped inside, forcing him to take a moment to recompose himself by leaning on a nearby bookshelf.

Sothis patted his head mentally, taking it upon herself to look around in Byleth's stead. "Over there- are you well enough to move? That book way over there, hidden at the highest corner of the shelf- can you see it? Mayhap it contains something?"

"I see it." Byleth blinked slowly, looking up to the book Sothis was pointing to. He unceremoniously stepped on an expensive-looking chair to reach it, not bothering to look for a stool.

The moment he touched the old-looking book, something threatened to fall out of it, triggering Byleth's reflex of catching it before it did.

It was a ring.

His Mother's ring.

"Oh..." Byleth croaked out, gripping at the delicate ornament before stuffing it into his pocket. Sothis simply waited in silence for Byleth to compose himself, leaning her ethereal head on his shoulder.

Sniffling, the Professor managed to push down the lump in his throat enough to speak. "This- looks to be Dad's diary. I saw him writing on it from time to time when I was a kid."

"His handwriting is prettier than his face would suggest," Sothis blurted out as Byleth opened the book. "Why, those entries right at the beginning- they’re well before your birth! The courting of your mother, his love for her..." She said fondly, reaching out to the yellowed pages as though she could touch them. "What a beautiful love it must've been."

Byleth couldn't even nod, the rush of emotions he felt as he read the loving way his father talked about his mother taking everything he had. He slid down to sit on the floor, crossing his legs so he could read it and take it all in.

"This part here... Horsebow Moon, year 1159... It's the year of your birth!" Sothis urged Byleth to turn the pages faster. "There must be some clue here-"

Byleth frowned as he quickly read the passages, Sothis' voice echoing the words inside his mind. "Rhea..."

"Your father had been wary of her from day one, that much is true. So his suspicions hailed from an even farther past..."

For all that was written in the diary, apart from Rhea's odd behavior, it simply looked as though she placed the Crest Stone into Byleth's heart to save him from a certain death -- something Sothis knew her daughter would do, at least back in the day.

Was that truly the only reason? Would that Rhea, the child who was the most attached to Herself, give away Sothis' own heart to a random child from one of the Knights?

... Sothis wanted to say, without hesitation, that she would. She desperately wanted to say that the selfless duckling that always followed her around would simply be just as nice as that.

But she hesitated. She didn't have the confidence to say it, not after reading the diary and remembering how Rhea behaved while she was donning the alias of Seiros.

Byleth, on the other hand, seemed convinced, if not pleased, with the simple conclusion -- at least for the time being. As he got up from the floor, Sothis' mouth moved before she could control it.

"Where are you going? Aren't you going to read the rest?"

"Mhm," Byleth nodded, stuffing the book into the inner pocket of his coat. "I'll keep this for the time being, but I figured Hanneman and Manuela should know of this development... I did say I'd keep them posted on my conversation with Dad, after all."

"You foolish child. You know there's no need to honor that promise right now. Let yourself grieve."

Byleth shook his head as he looked around his father's study one last time before stepping out of it. "This IS my way to grieve." He closed the door with a soft click, leaning his head on the hard wood for a good moment. "Besides, if I go back to my room right now, I'll probably just head straight to Rhea and ask her all about this. I need Hanneman and Manuela to hold me back." He barked a bitter laugh, stealing a stifled giggle from Sothis, as well as a good-natured slap on his back.

She looked down as Byleth started walking. "For the record, I do not think you should talk to her, either."

"I know." Byleth nodded. He had felt his mindmate's hesitation back then, which also spurred his urge in going to talk with Rhea. But he wouldn't. He would listen to his friend's pleas this time around -- he had caused her enough grief already.

Sothis pressed her lips into a thin line, torn between smiling fondly and frowning deeply. Moved by her friend's attentiveness and selflessness in the situation he was in at the moment, she couldn't help but feel rather selfish. Was she protecting her child from an uncertain future? There was no way to know Rhea's true intentions without talking to her directly, but if the answer was too much for Byleth to handle...

Maybe Sothis was trying to protect the both of them -- the friend she could only make after she died and the child that outlived her. The goddess curled back into the corners of Byleth's mind as he reached Hanneman's office.

The door was open, so there was no need to announce oneself. Hanneman got up from his seat so fast he winced. "Byleth!" He gasped loudly. "Should you be up and about? I wouldn't want you to fall sick at such grievous time..."

Hurried steps sounded from the corridor before they reached the door. Manuela appeared from out of it, quickly running to hold Byleth's shoulders. "So it really was you I caught a glimpse of...!" She pressed her lips into a thin line, never knowing what to say in these kinds of situations. "I am so, so very sorry for your loss, dear Professor."

"Likewise." Hanneman nodded beside his fellow professor, stealing a smile from Byleth's tired lips.

"Thanks, you two. I actually came here to talk about what I found out regarding the Crest Stone-"

"Oh, my!" Manuela slapped Hanneman's shoulder. "Quick, old man, close that door!"

"Right!" Slightly offended from being ordered around, but still complying, Hanneman ran to the entrance to seal it shut. "You shouldn't force yourself, Professor-"

"It was Rhea." He said as he pulled the diary from his pocket. "She put the Stone within my heart."

The temperature in the room dropped rapidly.

"As we theorized, then..." Hanneman frowned, uncharacteristically calm about such a breakthrough. "To think the Children of the Goddess held such immense and frightening power..."

Manuela tilted her head from Hanneman to the book in Byleth's hand, ultimately taking it. "Did your father...?"

"Know about it? No. Write it down? Kind of." Byleth bobbed his head to the sides. "From what he wrote, Rhea had a direct hand in my survival after apparently being born dead. Since we know what lies inside my chest, we can only conclude..."

"... that it was her, yes. But for what purpose?" Hanneman peeked at the diary from over Manuela's shoulder. "Surely not out of the goodness of her heart? Hah!" He sneered, and Byleth felt a pang of pain in his heart -- surely hailing from Sothis herself.

"... Sothis doesn't want me to confront Rhea about this, so I won't go. Although I do think that would be the fastest-"

"Absolutely not!" Manuela and Hanneman said at the same time. "If she has the power to put that thing inside of you, surely she can just as easily take it out should you go against her! Don't let your grief fuel your recklessness, Byleth." Manuela placed the book back in Byleth's hand, purposely not handing it to Hanneman's prying eyes.

The older man hesitated, but decided against asking to read the diary for himself. He wasn't entirely tactless, after all. "I agree with Manuela. Let us first sit down and put all the facts before us..."

Always

Byleth felt empty after her and Claude claimed victory over Nemesis. The flow of time allowed her to head back and learn the full truth about her students, the church and herself. She struggles, how can she decide on who would need her guidance more?

She returns one last time after her slumber of five years – to choose her final path.

So, I asked myself what Byleth would do, if she knew about everything just like the player does? I had to get this out of my system. Please be aware that this has spoilers about ALL routes. English isn´t my first language, so please have mercy on any mistakes you find, you can keep them 😛 I can relate to Petra, the struggle to find the right words is so real sometimes.

AO3

Enjoy~

Byleth tried to open her eyes. They felt heavy and somehow refused to listen. Her consciousness woke faster than her body, she could hear the noises of her surrounding before she could see what caused them. It was quiet, but she noticed the sound of water flowing, birds chirping in distance and a breeze rustling through trees.

She has always loved the sound and scent of wind. It gave her this feeling of hope and safety. When her father died, time had come to stop. How ironic, her being the vessel for a time-manipulating goddess. Back then, colors began to fade and every bit of emotion she had learned so far at the wondrous place the monastery was, just slipped away. At that moment, she didn‘t even feel the urge to hold on to it. With the ability to feel such things as joy, curiosity and even love, there also came something else along. Fear and despair. Not for herself but rather for those she learned to cherish.

She loved her father. Byleth knew that everything he showed to her was for her well-being. Surviving on the battlefield and striking down her enemies has made her physically and mentally so much stronger than those she was attended with, despite them being around the same age. But they taught her the value of life, something she never gave a big thought before. To her, death was the never-leaving companion of the living. She was certain, she would greet him like an old friend, should he come to her one day. But she was not ready when he came for Jeralt. As everything went gray and the voices of her loved ones seemed to fail to reach her ears, the one thing that stirred her broken heart was the wind. It blew through her hair and embraced her body. And it came along with hope.

But she was confused, and tried to find that specific hope in revenge. After the battle against Solon and Kronya and witnessing Sothis‘ sacrifice, she was ashamed that hatred and anger were the first emotions coming back to her. Now, after everything she went through, she knew how easy it was to give in to them. And she was aware of the costs.

Finally, she blinked and her eyelids fluttered open. Daylight blinded her, a rock poked into her back. Nothing she has not experienced before.

“Are you alright? “

A poorly-dressed man stood above her, wondering about the strange figure he just found. She sat up and scratched her head. Not good, the pulse wears me out even more than last time. This will probably be my last round, I better not mess this up.

“I‘m good, no worries.“

Byleth coughed, her voice was as hoarse as usual when she reached this scenario. Trying to stand on her wobbly legs, she stretched her back and inhaled the fresh air. She walked past the confused villager, already knowing where to head next.

“Hey, where are you going?“

She didn‘t stop or turn around.

“My students are awaiting me.“

While walking the long stairway leading to the monastery, her mind began to wander off. She felt at ease and full of determination, her heart was prepared for what was to come. This was the path she chose and it would mark the end of her journey through time. It was twisted and bent so often on her watch, she was certain to break the divine pulse one day. But she wanted to do it right, there was no way past the methods she had to use. Byleth was resolved to make sure if someone had to get hurt, it would be her. If someone had to mourn the dead, it would be her thinking of the lost ones from another time and life.

It all began at the end of her first path. Victory over Nemesis was claimed, and she was to be crowned the new queen of Fódlan. She spent her days working and building the new future of the still wounded country. Things were complicated. The long war took its toll on everyone. Nobles refused to break with their traditions and the folk was skeptic about the opened borders and new immigrants coming in from neighbor countries. While all that happened, she clung onto two thoughts. One was over Fódlan´s throat, trying to fulfill his dream of unification and collaboration. Claude went off to manage his duties as Almayran prince, to return as king and the leader of a new dawn. She believed in him and everything he strove for. But him not being at her side and the two of them working for a brighter future without caring for their lives together…

It was exhausting and made her melancholic. How many nights has she spent sitting by the window, gazing upon the very same stars he showed to her? In those nights, she remembered all the dead she left behind. Her second thought haunted her. All the blood her hands spilled, all the sorrow she could not prevent. At some point, it was necessary, and she never hesitated to do what she had to. Hesitation meant death. But the loss of former students and friends hurt her in ways she could never grasp. They left a hole inside of her, hollow and deep, never to be filled again. How often did she ask herself if she could have saved them, make a difference? What would have happened if she chose Edelgard or Dimitri instead?

It followed her into her dreams and clouded her mind. Byleth knew she would never find peace if she couldn‘t find out the answer. A decision was made.

She almost reached the monastery grounds. The sun glimmered reddish over the mountains, announcing the arrival of a new day and dipping the landscape in shades of violet.

When Byleth decided to return to the very beginning, that day in Remire, she was never so naive to think that she was the one to prevent the war from happening. But she wanted to know the truth, all of it. Rhea still had secrets she wouldn‘t spill, she surely never told her and Claude about everything that led to Edelgard‘s decision. They didn‘t even know the slightest about Edelgard‘s intentions. What drove her to such drastic choices, leaving everything behind, risking her loved ones for a war she couldn‘t be sure to win? Byleth needed to understand, because as she gripped the sword of the creator firmly and beheaded her former student, all that was to be seen in her last gaze was about frustration and loneliness. It hurt her all over to hear how much Edelgard longed for her to walk the same path. But the empress also made clear that each time, Byleth would choose to not accompany her, her way would lead over Edelgard‘s grave.

In the end, she did learn about Edelgard. About the trauma of her childhood and the sins she accused the church of. Her way of ridding the church was and still is questionable but not totally unreasonable. Byleth remembered the very moment when Edelgard won the war, and they witnessed the birth of the new united empire. It was a bittersweet victory, considering the cost – once again. But peace befell Edelgard‘s face, the only expression Byleth wished to see on her at the end of this path she finally chose.

In order to save Dimitri from his own hatred, she also had to know where his demons hid. He was a lost soul who strayed too far from his true path. A wild beast lurking underneath the calm and gentle mask of his, just as Felix used to tell her. The tragedy of Ducar weighted heavy on his soul. The dead seemed to never leave or fade away. They followed him in his sleep, during his day and even in his happy moments, they stood by his side. For a long time, she couldn‘t imagine the burden he was carrying. But as her journey through time continued, she caught a glimpse of what he went trough. When she slaughtered her loved ones again and again, their dead and empty eyes haunted her. Especially while siding with Edelgard, she would only meet disappointed and angered souls, despising her betrayal. Even when she told herself, she did all of it to save them later…slashing her blade through Sylvain, piercing Ingrid‘s heart, casting a spell upon Ignatz… nothing could ever prepare her for this kind of battle.

Dimiti started to return to his friends after Rodrigue fell and Byleth knew, he would never heal but only get better. Witnessing his path of revenge and redemption, how in the world would she be able to bring him back, without actually being by his side? And how would she make Dimitri and Edelgard coexist with everything that happened? She was sure it wasn‘t impossible. She realized that the very moment as the kingdom‘s troops invaded Enbarr and Edelgard knelt before her and Dimitri in defeat. When he reached for her hand in peace, his eyes filled with mercy and gentleness, wishing for her to finally give in. Back then, she thought Edelgard couldn‘t get over her pride and would rather choose death over defeat. But after walking alongside and getting to know the princess, Byleth supposed it was about Edelgard caring for the future Dimitri would be able to create. There was no place for her in that scenario, there would be nothing left of the goal she had in mind. And Dimitri‘s chances to rule over a new and united kingdom would only become more difficult with Edelgard living on. How would he explain it to his nation and those he led, why would he let her live? A war criminal, if not the most hated one? Edelgard would be lost in the slaughter she caused, and she had to give Dimitri a reason to cut his own path. Ever since Edelgard was aware of how her future had to look like, she would only be able to live for the achievement of her goals. There would be no alternative to that.

Byleth shivered. The warmth of the sun just begun to spread out as early morning greeted Fódlan. She stood in the inner courtyard of Garreg Mach and had a look around. Walking these halls countless times, she had knowledge about almost every corner, every stone, every secret. It looked exactly the way it normally did when returning to this point. How steady the flow of time is. She used to believe that meant she would not be able to change the end. No matter who and how she chose, she would end up where fate wanted her to be. At the so called peaceful end that lied down a road paved with graves and blood. It seemed hypocritical and false. What was the point in reversing time when hardly anything could be changed?

She was done with it. Byleth simply chose to not let fate decide on the ending. For crying out loud, she was a goddess after all! Who dared to stand in her way? Sothis would probably chuckle over her overly ambitious attempt of changing the future.  In the end, she could never save her father. Each and every time, he ended up dead. It led to her realizing that change never came without a price. In order to be with her students, her father had to die. He had to die and demonstrate how easily a life could be wiped out. He had to let her finally break free from the cage that trapped her heart and mind. And as life and death kept her company along the way, she changed. She laughed and grieved, she shouted in anger, she was ashamed and furious, she loved.

Even now, after everything that happened, the moments that rang clear in her head were the small ones. Eating cake with Annette, sparring with Felix, going on a horse ride with Marianne. Trying to dress up Bernadetta for the ball, dodging Hilda´s attempts for sliding out of chores, drinking tea with Flayn. Spending lunchtime with Dimitri, studying with Edelgard in the library.

Dancing with Claude beneath the stars. Claude, smirking at her. Claude, showing her how to pull back the bowstring more efficiently. Claude, sneaking his new created poison into Lorenz‘ tea. Claude, trying to climb a tree as Petra advised him to. Claude, bantering with Lysithea. Claude, teaming up with Sylvain for childish pranks. Claude, raising his voice at war council. Claude, brushing back a strain of her hair. Claude, reaching for her hand when she fell off his Wyvern. Claude‘s skin on hers.

After blood and death, after tears and the loss of those she dearly loved, her head was still full of him. The memories of them together made her dizzy. His warmth filled her up and gave her the strength to pull this through. Nothing was as hard as seeing him but not being allowed to reach for his hand. In those other lives, he wasn‘t the same as the one who chose her to be by his side when he fulfilled his dreams. It hurt so much and her longing brought her more to the edge than any battle ever did. But Byleth knew how selfish it would have been to give in. Too much was on line for her to grow weak.

Byleth arrived at the goddess tower. She entered and looked up the stairs. Her feet started to move and step by step, she climbed higher.

So, Edelgard would end up lost and lonely without her, death was inevitable. Dimitri would not be able to take back control over himself, not on own efforts. He needed her guidance to get over his hatred and sadness. Claude would be fine. He did good, always. Staying alive, he sneaked his way past death, avoiding violence and confrontation if possible. He was flexible enough to adjust his plans. He would never need her like the others would.

The top of the staircase came in sight, her steps echoed through the tower. How would she save Edelgard and Dimitri in this mess? How would she approach the other when choosing one of them? This question chased her through countless sleepless nights, spinning in her head for what felt like an eternity. And when she was at the end of her last road, she could finally see where she had to head off to. The truth was, she actually knew that she carried the answer within her all this time.

Edelgard struggled, Dimitri raged. Claude would be fine, always.

She stood upon the last step and let her sight wander through the room. Bright sunlight fell into the room. She stepped out from the shadows.

“You overslept, Teach.“

A smile formed on Byleth‘s face as she walked towards Claude. He stood in the first light of the day, wind blowing through his hair. The flow of time brought them back together and that was her decision alone.

Edelgard struggled, Dimitri raged. And Claude would be fine. But Byleth returned here. Because she didn‘t need Edelgard‘s longing for justice and change. And she didn‘t need Dimitri‘s unforgiving force to cut her way through enemies. She had those of her own. She needed Claude‘s hope. The very same hope she could feel when the wind embraced her. If she really wants to make a difference, she needs him. Before the empire attacked the monastery, he made the confession that she could always count on him, no matter what happened. He was the only one to believe in her coming back five years later. Claude wouldn´t need personal saving, and he wished for his former classmates to live. He valued life over every victory. For a better future, he walked fierce and steady, shining bright, expelling the shadows of doubt and despair. Byleth would never forget the sight of him, gripping failnaught tight, the same way she held onto the sword of the creator. As they faced Nemesis on the battlefield, his arrows pierced the air like shooting stars, never to hit her, distracting their god-like enemy. The moment the last arrow met up with his target and shattered Nemesis‘ defenses, she was able to finally strike. This battle was symbolic for all their fights. Claude was always there to clear the way for her, just as she did the same for him.

Even more importantly, he would accept every single word she had to tell him. About her journey, about the truth and about what had to be done. She was ready to pay a price for change, if necessary her own soul. But before that, they would try everything to find a way together, to find true peace for all of them. Not only did she put her trust in him. After everything that happened, she believed to deserve happiness on her own. And Claude was the one she chose, he would always be the one. Byleth would always end up right here.

Her smile didn‘t fade as she lost herself in his deep green eyes again. “We got work to do, Claude.“

So, I finished my Golden Deer route and...(spoiler warning I guess)

Well I’m in doubt. This is just some emotional rambling, I realize that I might not have a full picture playing only BL and GD routes. But there are things needed to be said. Spoiler warning? Some heavy spoilers here yeah. Don’t get me wrong, I still loved the overall route and the gang. Characters were awesome in their own way(goddess, every character in this game is amazingly written tho with minor *ahem-Leonie-ahem* exceptions) though it threw me off a bit when they started bickering in their C-B conversations; but I was satisfied with the result and thanks to getting nearly all the other houses to join the cause I clearly added some color to the company. To be completely honest tho I was a bit disappointed with their lack of motivation and confidence which I expected to see. So yeah I fell for the false advertising of Claude that they were an easy-going class who already were like family. Worked out in the end, they are still my precious children. The storyline itself was quite nice, filling some gaps from BL playthrough, answering some questions and giving a fuller picture, but yet again not as grand as it could be. The story felt ruched to say the least, especially near the final missions. Those who slither in the dark went completely past me. No well presented confrontation, no battle-inspiring monologue from the “bad guys”, no well structured mission scenario. We just got there and beaten yet another boss. What’s with that warning from Rhea, what’s with the god power they hate so much, what about the magic they used, wtf about this ridiculous sci-fi map? Considering the information you learn about yourself. Rhea’s storytelling was sketchy, and there was actually no point in this information what so ever. Did it help you get a new perspective on your power? No. Did it affect your emotionless or did you find a way to embrace the goddess within you? Nah. There was no resolve. You know what happened to you as a baby and that all the people around you basically used you. Nice, so what? It actually makes me feel worse with every point given. Final battle against Nemesis was a nice touch but it also felt so. Ordinary? Music was gorgeous but overall we just fought a bunch of knights. In a swamp. No dialogue lines with students and their crest-heroes. No additional events during the battle. Plain and simple. I got it that my kids are tired of this war, but I’d expect more interesting nitpicks. You know what was an amazing final boss for my liking? Grima. A giant monstrous thing who shifted to an image that everyone barely wanted to fight. Epic? Yes. Heartbreaking? Absolutely. It feels like a grand finale? Gods yes. I did not experience a grand finale here. Even BL’s final boss was more impactful for me. But I digress. Still a nice lore route. Even though I, yet again, didn’t shed a tear which is UNUSUAL FOR FIRE EMBLEM GAMES. I was close tho in that Edelgard scene. My main issue was our best favorite buddy our man our lovely buddy-boo Claude. Oh Claude. Such a lovable and charismatic character, a strong willed leader. Man with some pure and honest ambitions. Again, don’t get me wrong, I like him a lot. But I sure hope I’m not the only one who also doesn’t like him at all for some (a lot of) questionable things and who COMPLETELY didn’t buy his “friends, you and me” thing. I know, I know, those feelings are completely personal, but through all of his smooth talking my only feeling was that I’m being used. Pre-timeskip or post-timeskip, it felt the same. Guy needed Byleth to achieve his goals. Heck, it pains me to be so untrusting and cautious, but even his romance felt the exact same way. I can’t remember getting even a bit of empathy, compassion or worry about me. Genuine one. Not once not ever in the entire storyline. All I got was “well it would be inconvenient if we fail our, and I repeat, OUR goal cause you and I go the same road of you helping me in my stuff, right?”. And I’m not sure how I feel about it. (One of the worst things happened after Jeralt’s death. Was that okay for him to almost snatch our father’s diary out of our hands? No, Claude, he just died, go away or say something supportive.)(tbh I used to think that he was being goofy and nice dragging Byleth to the dance floor during a ball. But now I’m forcefully thinking he just wanted their attention for his own plans.) After the iconic battle at gronder I just stopped caring. I took his ideals as my goal as he wanted and did whatever he wanted. Truth be told I wanted nothing but to go on some pilgrimage after the war is over. I probably could have but oh now we have our finale romance scene. Which completely didn’t feel like he’s marrying Byleth for his dream most and foremost, not for her. It’s quite nice to have your wife governing other continent when you govern yours, nice way to unite nations. He dumps a nation on you which you completely didn’t need and disappears into the edge of dawn. What completely hit me is that Byleth doesn’t give him the ring in return. Tho to be honest I barely watched other romances in the game. On the other hand romances of the lords SHOULD be a big deal cause we basically live their stories. After completing the route I’ve been just sitting here sad and confused. It was one of the possible happiest endings and well almost no one died yet again (I’m a bit sad they lost the opportunity to kill Rhea for a bigger impact?). But I feed as if I was merely used to create a nice future to the world and now I basically fulfilled my purpose. And as a sword out of battle I’m not needed anymore.

I hope that I’m just getting Claude wrong. That I’m biased or that I’m not understanding some stuff or his actions and emotions. I want to be happy and feel love for him like everyone else because he’s AN AMAZING CHARACTER. But I can’t. I feel bitter. So I’d be happy if someone proved me wrong. Thank you for bearing with my rumbling, ahah.

Claude von Riegan x Fem Byleth: Reunion

Just a short rewrite of their reunion post time-skip. Minor spoilers for the Golden Deer route!

Rating: T

Words: 1,477

Posted to AO3!

It was dark when Byleth fell, and equally as dark when she woke. Suffocating darkness. Until the one crack of light filtered in. She wanted to turn away from it, stay in the blackness, but Sothis’s voice pulled her up towards it.

“Must I do everything for you?” she had asked in a sing-song, taunting voice and if Byleth could have locked their matching eyes, she’d have rolled her set at the goddess.

“Wake up, dear heart,” she had said, “Wake.”

Byleth came to, drenched, with a friendly face in front of hers. She didn’t recognize the man, but he hadn’t killed her... yet, so she tentatively categorized him as an ally.

His clothes were dirty, and there was a sadness in his eyes that he tried to mask as he asked if she was okay. She nodded, squeezing the water out of her hair and her long sleeves. She stretched her stiff body, blood flowing slow as molasses in her veins, skin cold and clammy from being in the water.

“What are you doing in a place like this? Gotta say, I wasn’t expecting to find someone floating down the river when I woke up this morning,” the man asked, and Byleth willed her brain into submission, trying to remember anything, any details, but she was met with fog.

“The... the Monastery....” she mumbled, a hand to her forehead.

“The monastery’s been abandoned, remember? Almost five years now,” the man said, looking wistfully above her head.

Byleth’s eyes widened, “Five years? What do you mean five years?” Has she really been asleep for five years?

“Are you... sure you’re okay? Did you hit your head? It’s the Ethereal Moon, year 1185. Five years since the monastery fell to the Empire.”

Byleth wanted to sit down, but her body was uncooperative, legs stiff as she listened to the man talk.

“The Millennium festival was supposed to be tomorrow, but with the war and the Archbishop still missing, who has time to think about that, you know? I doubt anyone has enough blessings worth counting.”

Rhea is missing? Where could she have gone...? If she’s only missing, that means she isn’t dead. I have to find her. But not before I find him.

Byleth had heard enough. She forced her legs to turn herself away from the man, taking purposeful steps towards the Monastery.

“Hey! Wait! You aren’t going to the Monastery, are you? There’s thieves and brigands and all sorts of unsavory individuals there!”

“I’m sorry, but I have to go!” she called over her shoulder.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you! It’s not on my conscience if you wind up dead!” she heard faintly, still striding away from him. If I end up dead, she thought sardonically to herself.

Byleth knew she wasn’t invincible, but for some reason, Death had spared her yet again. She may have been asleep for five years, but she was not going to waste the gift that the goddess had bestowed upon her.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The stab to her heart as she entered Garreg Mach was nearly unbearable. Abandonment shone on the face of every building in the village, grey and dusty. Flora had taken over when the humans had left, verdant and green and horrible. Looking skyward, she spotted the crumbling monastery, a dark stain against the neutral sky, no signs of life meeting her gaze.

Byleth forced her legs to move, willing the resistance out of them with each heavy step. She had to hold on to the hope that he was there, lighting up the ruin with that smile of his. Like he’d promised. Like she’d promised. There would be no point to any of this if he was gone.

The memories began to slowly creep back in as she made her way through the village; grocery trips with Ignatz, taking Raphael out to lunch and instantly regretting it, leaving with a substantially lighter purse, or Hilda forcing her to give her honest opinion on every new hair accessory she tried on. A bitterness was creeping in, that hatred for the Empire and their destruction sparking back into life, but Byleth hastily pushed those thoughts to the side, focused on one thing.

The stairs leading up to the monastery had never looked so daunting, except for perhaps when she had first arrived with Jeralt, a skilled but still naïve mercenary with little care for anything beyond herself and her father. Byleth had come to terms with his death a long time ago, but it was still another sin of the Empire, another unnecessary loss.

She took the first step. And another. Then a third, until she was nearly running, damp clothes airing out behind her. If he was here, he’d be in the tallest tower, closest to the sun. She hurried, trying to calm her nerves, while simultaneously pushing down her hopes that he was here. It had been five years, five years of war, while she was asleep, and anything could have happened. She feared the worst, but part of her knew he wouldn’t go down so easy.

She pushed open the door with a loud creak, eyes scanning the room. Byleth blinked hard when her eyes landed on his form, just to make sure he was truly there.

“Claude?” she said, probably a little too quietly, but he turned his head all the same.

“Hey,” he said, still looking at her from across the room. “You made it, Teach.”

Byleth could feel the tears welling in her eyes, and she dug her nails into her palms to help will them away. She opened her mouth to say something, but no words would form. Instead, her legs carried her to him, nearly at a sprint until she crashed into his open arms. Throwing her arms around his neck, he twirled her around effortlessly, his hands tight on her waist.

Byleth didn’t let go of him for a long while after he set her down, scared to look into his eyes. Instead she pressed her face against his unarmored shoulder, breathing in his scent, cloves and dust and something else that she imagined was sunshine. He was taller than she remembered, but then again, her memory was in as much of a ruin as the monastery, and she had to tilt her chin up to look at him when her courage finally returned.

The years had aged him wonderfully; gone were his round boyish features, replaced with sharp, distinctive lines. His hair was longer, but still unruly, pushed back as to not hinder his vision. His eyes were the same, though, sage green pools that Byleth had often caught herself staring into, whether Claude realized it or not.

He was smiling at her, letting her look him over, turning his head left and right so she could see all of him. Byleth stifled her grin, giving his shoulders a comforting squeeze. He still hadn’t let her go, warm hands keeping her close to him.

“I was starting to think no one else would show up,” he began, tucking a damp strand of hair behind her ear. “But I knew I could count on you. I... could always count on you. Whenever I need you the most, there you are.” He had a wistful look on his face, like all of his memories of the time they had spent together were rushing back at once.

Byleth wanted to tell him everything, ask him everything, but she couldn’t think of where to start. He must’ve read her expression, because she soon felt his hand on her chin, tilting it up gently to look at him once again.

“Byleth,” he said and her lips parted, sucking in a gasp of breath. He’d never called her by her name before. “Thank you.”

She wasn’t expecting him to press his lips against hers, and her hands tensed on his shoulders. She let her eyes flutter shut, Claude’s hand moving to her neck, his thumb brushing soothingly over her jaw. She knew it was just her imagination, but she could’ve sworn his lips tasted like tea; Almyran Pine, his favorite. Byleth let her fingertips play with the ends of his hair, stepping even closer into his embrace. She hooked a hand around his waist, tilting her head to fit her lips perfectly against his. The final piece of the puzzle, nestled in perfectly next to its mate.

The sun shifted, a line ray breaking over the top of the rubble, shining against their faces. Claude broke away, nuzzling his nose against Byleth’s before giving her one last sweet peck.  

“Would you like to join me for some tea, Teach?” he asked with a smile, and Byleth smiled back. For a moment there wasn’t a war, the merchant of death had put away his scythe, and there was only the two of them.

“I would love that, Claude.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Thank you for reading!!

Find me on:

AO3: copper_wasp

Twitter: copper_wasp_

Sorry if you've ever talked about this before and I just didn't see but what are your thoughts on golden route AUs (where all 3 main lords team up with each other to fight TWSITD and everyone/most people live) in fanfiction? Do you think they're cathartic or unrealistic? Do you see any possible way for it to actually work in canon? Very interested in your thoughts.

I see two questions here, so let's start with the first one. Do I support golden route AUs in fan works? Abso-freaking-lutely. This game and these characters are rife with opportunity to find common ground and a means to work together. Every route in this game is flawed and unsatisfying in some way, even the ones that I like. Yes, by all means, give us all the fix-it fic! Write those AUs. There is endless potential for them and they are worth exploring.

As for a canon golden route, I've been mulling that one over from the start. And as I start on my fourth route, I'm beginning to see why the devs never went there, and maybe never will. Because it's easy for us all to agree that "golden route = everybody lives." That's a straightforward baseline we can work from. We can also probably agree that the Slithers are the ultimate baddies that everyone should unite against.

But then how do you get this fandom to agree on the rest? Should the church remain or should it be dismantled? Should Rhea be considered a protagonist or antagonist or something in-between? Should Byleth embrace their divinity or lose it? Should the three nations remain separated or should this "unite Fodlan" thing still occur? And dare we portray Edelgard as a good guy somewhere other than her own single route?

I obviously know how I would answer those questions, or at least I can think of tons of possibilities that would be satisfying to me. But I don't think my version of an ideal route is everyone else's version. I don't know how you make someone who loves Azure Moon first and foremost satisfied with something based more on Crimson Flower. Especially when, even getting away from hard world-altering events, they're just very different stories with very different tones and themes. Would a golden route have time to dwell for chapters and chapters on Dimitri's emotional state, for instance? If it did, the Claude and Edelgard fans would rightly be annoyed that their own lords aren't getting the same treatment, but if it didn't, I'm not sure the Dimitri fans would be satisfied. 

So yeah. Do I want it? Yes, 100%. But it would require the devs to take a firm stance on some things that I think they deliberately waffle on, and I almost don't want to know at this point what they think the "right" choices are (hence why I got so annoyed when Hapi's end cards seemingly slipped some unnecessary retcons into AM, as if they were trying to go back and make that their ideal route). I mean, they so strongly believe that Byleth should become the new pope that they did it three times, so. I don’t know if I trust them to know what a good choice is in their own game.