The Bright Star [Fire Emblem: Three Houses AU]

A Dream Soon To Come True (Rhea)

Her plan was finally underway.

It was a plan that she knew that she should've done a long time ago, but chose not to. She saw her daughter's glistering eyes when she bore Jeralt's child and knew that she would be dedicating her life to something that she wasn't created for, and Rhea was okay with it.

Originally Rhea created Sitri for the purpose of reviving her mother, but she ultimately failed just like the twelve other humans she created for the same purpose. They would all live their lives and die early from their frailness taking over, and Sitri was no exception when she died of an infection about ten years ago. The countless Holy Tomb visits she took Sitri to were useless every time, and Rhea began to lose hope that her mother would return to her.

Until Byleth came along. He was everything she needed, and she knew that there was a sense of potential hidden in him. All he needed was a simple tweaking to fit her ideals, otherwise he'd be perfect.

Byleth was a son born to a mother who was a failed reincarnation of the Goddess and a great father who bore the Crest of Seiros, given to him by Rhea herself when he was about to die and needed immediate care. Crests fixed everything, and the combination of the two Crests would allow her to feel like she was being held in her mother's arms once again.

After Sitri's death, Rhea arranged a false burial for Sitri, burying an empty coffin in the monastery graveyard. Her body was kept in the coffin for open burial for a short while, but was immediately sealed away and preserved afterwards. Unbeknownst to anyone in the Church but her, Sitri's body was hidden deep in Abyss, an underground section of the Church. Her body was in tact and pristine, but missing was her heart.

Cardinal Aelfric was the bridge between the Church and Abyss, doing the best as he can as a Church member to maintain order in Abyss. The members of Abyss trusted him like the Church members trusted Rhea. The Church members trusted Aelfric as a member of the Church, but the Abyss members weren't easy to trust any other Church members.

Aelfric trusted Rhea in this moment, and that was one thing that was crucial enough to what she was planning to do. Rhea asked Aelfric to deliver a letter to Byleth as he finished up one of his lectures, and as long as Byleth received it and would comply with her request things would go underway. She just hoped Byleth would have a free enough schedule to visit her. She wrote to Byleth on the letter, keeping it short and sweet-sounding:

Sweet child Byleth,

I request your presence whenever possible at my chamber. I know how busy you are, being both a professor and a knight-in-training, so please don't feel pressured to coming as soon as possible. While that's what I would prefer, I don't want you to feel obliged to do so. Come at your own discretion. It shouldn't take very long.

Sincerely,

Archbishop Lady Rhea.

It was only some time after Byleth received the letter where he summoned himself to Lady Rhea's Audience Chamber. The chambers made anyone who stepped foot inside it feel a mysterious vibe pulsing through their heart. The room itself was dim, the only source of light coming from the sigils and chandeliers from the ceiling. Stepping into the room made Byleth feel safe because of Lady Rhea's presence, but at the same time he felt a mix of nervousness along with the safe feelings from the ambiance.

Byleth approached Lady Rhea at her chamber. "Is there something you needed, Lady Rhea?" he asked.

"Ah, you've arrived," Rhea said softly. "Come with me, sweet child."

Byleth was lead to the Archbishop's Room. It was secluded from the rest of the monastery, making it perfect for a secret meeting between two people. It was just about as dimly lighted as the Audience Chamber, though the Archbishop's Room felt slightly more dim than the chamber. In the middle of the room laid a huge bed, though it served more like a nuisance to them currently.

Lady Rhea sat down on the bed to give herself a place to rest. "Byleth," she said. "I've been wanting to just say that there's something I've been needing you to do, and I was willing if you'd be able to take on the duty that I give you."

"Will this add to my schedule in any way?" Byleth asked.

"Ah, perhaps I worded it incorrectly." Rhea sighed. "I'm going to need you to come with me to Abyss soon, and it'll probably take up most of the day. You might need to change around your schedule for your seminars, so I can give you the day off to come with me or you can just re-arrange your schedule."

"I'll re-arrange my schedule. Can you notify the students?"

"I will. To when?"

"I'll make it during lunch period instead of after school."

"Noted, I will make sure that it happens."

"But why do you need me to come to Abyss?" Byleth's look became more serious than ever. "Criminals run wild down there and the merchants aren't necessarily ones to trust. If you need me to go down there, is there trouble down there you need me to deal with? Why do you need me?"

All that Rhea said to him was "your mother".

"What does my mother have to do with this? She died years ago. There aren't any zombies running around with my mother being one of them, aren't they?"

"Of course not! I have someone very special I'd like to meet you once again down there."

Byleth got suspicious. "My mother is in Abyss?"

Rhea nodded. "Your mother was never buried at the grave site that has her name marked. She really resides deep within Abyss, never to be seen by the common man."

Byleth remained silent as Rhea continued to talk to him.

"I've wished to feel the touch of someone I haven't seen for a long time. Surely you feel the same way about your mother, don't you, sweet child? Don't you wish to feel your mother's touch once again?"