Jeralt had gotten his child checked several times from different doctors already, all of them could only tell him that the child was normal otherwise, despite the lack of a heartbeat, she had a pulse. Even if the child had any problem, it was beyond the doctors'ability to tell. The child was named Byleth, decided Jeralt. He was devastated by his wife's demise, and had grown suspicious of everything he used to care so much about, especially the woman he once called "Lady Rhea" with much affection. Despite these, he clearly had a plan in his mind, on the future and how to keep Byleth, all that remained from his beloved that he failed to protect, safe. Having prepared everything, Jeralt intended to act as soon as Sitri's funeral was over.
Rhea was sitting mournfully in front of Sitri's corpse, "After today, you have to return to the dark and cold soil all alone?" Rhea didn't like that thought, but what could she do? She very much knew that she wasn't the only one who wanted her to stay longer, she couldn't say she was closer to Sitri than Jeralt, or more devoted to her than Aelfric, or needed her more than her own child. But unlike all of them, Rhea didn't have anyone to care for anymore, even Jeralt seemed to turn away from her, and her mother, might as well be a distant mirage. The coffin that she prepared for her, was all the way across the room, but instead of putting Sitri in, Rhea had a thought, "I'm sorry, Jeralt, but Sitri does not deserve to be along in such a horrible place," Rhea had shut the coffin and ordered people to carry the empty coffin to the funeral, without anyone knowing, the person they hosted the funeral for wasn't even there.
"Kid, it will be the last time you, and I see your mother," Jeralt sighed to Byleth, who of course, did not comprehend a single thing and merely stayed quiet and did not make a sound. After barely a year of the wedding, Rhea was hosting the funeral of the person that she saw blooming with joy in such recent months. The attendees were mostly the same, but the atmosphere was dreadful. Lachrymose people, and people who were either too stunned, or depressed to react to any of the things said. "The goddess Sothis reassures she is in a world where there is no pain and suffering and keeps her accompanied until her loved ones join her." Rhea gave the speech, just like the one in the wedding, humans, and non-humans, their lives are all too fleeting and fragile. And Rhea was alone, again. She knew that even the sweetest of dreams can be twisted into nightmares in seconds, so why was she stunned by the turn of the event? Did she already know that what happened were all set in stone, and she merely was just trying to escape from the inexorable ending by pretending she knows nothing? The only thing remaining on her mind at the end of the ceremony, was all the things she could have said, or done before all the people disappearing into nothingness.
Rhea had placed Sitri in a corner of the abyss where she thought nobody, beside her, would ever find.
Rhea had sworn that she would never let Sitri be lonely, even in the afterlife as she will constantly visit her. The very same night as the funeral, Rhea received a message in such a hurry, "Lady Rhea! Where Jeralt and his child reside were up in flames! " The messenger was out of breath, but his expression was grave.
The fire was put out quickly, however, neither Jeralt nor his child could be found.
"Do you think that... Jeralt and his child are..." Gossips started to pass through the entire monastery. Despite that, legends about a mercenary that resembled Jeralt also started stirring up.
Rhea could not accept this. Not only Sitri was gone, but Jeralt, and the child that carried her mother's heart, they were all out of her grasp. Not only devastation, but straight up destruction upon her life, not since the war of the heroes had her been this down. The recreation of the goddess was impossible, neither was simple companionship from anyone. To her, everything that she ever fought for, they might be gone forever.
"And this concludes the knighting ceremony." Rhea put down the ceremonial sword, and congratulated the new knight, Alois. Another day of just archbishop duties, Rhea sighed, the least she needed right now is a more uncompleted duty stack on top of what was already there. Besides, mother would not be happy to see Fódlan in a chaos without her guidance upon her return, right? On that particular topic, Rhea had already heard voices of opposition. "Fódlan does not need a church nor a goddess to run!" Groups of people would protest from time to time, but she didn't need to care, she would respect their statement even if they didn't revere the same goddess. Things will not always stay this peaceful, however, much to Rhea's annoyance, small rebellions started from time to time.
"Have you heard it? The Alliance's leader's daughter disappeared and reappeared in Almyra. Pretty shocking, right? I wondered how Oswald would react to his own daughter turning over on the enemy's side." Throughout the next few empty years, all Rhea did was trying her best to keep everything stable. What Rhea hated the most, beside the attempts on her life, are the people who seemed unable to accept this state of peace. Rhea would never comprehend people who seemed to be fine with blood dyeing the snow lies across the battlefield crimson, back then, people were begging for the war to end. Did people in more peaceful eras forget what it was like to have the corpse of the people that you recognise across the streets? The lovely old lady that was your neighbour, the classmate that used to go shopping with you, the kind relative who always handed you sweets during your childhood, and maybe even your parents, all laid mutilated on the streets. Rhea remembered the war of heroes, more than anything the desolate sight, the crimson flowers dyed with blood, revolution? For the future? Rhea hated all the pretentious speeches that glorified such bloodshed, what their ancestors traded with their lives, they trampled it so easily.
In the year of 1162, a strange man had entered the monastery as Rhea's assistance, he call himself Seteth.
Rhea seemed to be delighted by the presence of this strange man that shared the same green hair as her. Upon the first opportunity when the cathedral emptied out, she summoned Seteth for a conversation. "Greetings, Cichol, I hope that Cethleann is doing well."
"Cethleann is still in hiding, as her father, I will not allow her to be preyed upon. Also, as Seteth, she is Flayn, and we shall exclusively be referred as siblings, all to keep her safe."
"Very well, Seteth, I do wish I will have the pleasure of meeting Flayn sometime soon, but for now, I thank you for answering my call to the monastery. I trust you would be a crucial help in terms of monastery affairs."
Wasn't it simply pleasant and comforting to have the slightest of warmth in the snow-covered field? But Rhea mustn't reveal her deepest secret to anyone, not even if it's a missed long-lost family member, after all, they wouldn't comprehend, not her moral, actions, or even how much, she would like to go back to when she was happy...
