All This Time

The Flame Emperor

Nothing happened.

"No...It was supposed to be but a step away..." Byleth heard Rhea mutter, but Byleth could honestly care less about what the Archbishop had to say on the matter. To be honest, all she felt was an overwhelming relief that filled her body.

She was still here.

She was still alive.

She was still Byleth.

"Thank you for leading us to the Holy Tomb," A voice resounded from behind Rhea, and Byleth looked to see the Flame Emperor. "We'll take all this."

"You fool...Professor, defend the Holy Tomb!" Rhea ordered. Despite Byleth's distrust for Rhea, Byleth hated the Flame Emperor for being involved with her father's death.

"Understood."

A battle commenced, and her Golden Deer assisted to help defeat the many soldiers attempting to steal the Crest Stones. As Byleth advanced towards the Flame Emperor, she heard him say something.

"You are the one person I did not wish to make an enemy of..." The Flame Emperor sighed, before raising his axe. Byleth grit her teeth.

"You should have thought about that before killing my dad."

Their weapons clashed loudly, and Byleth grit her teeth as she ducked underneath his axe. Rolling away from his next blow, Byleth swung upwards. Her blade connected with the Flame Emperor's armor, staggering him backwards. Byleth's next swing knocked the Flame Emperor's mask off.

A set of lavender eyes peered up at her, and Byleth felt herself staring intently. No, I have to be wrong. I'm seeing things. I'm definitely-

"I didn't want it to be this way, Professor."

-Not...seeing things.

Edelgard is the Flame Emperor...?

"No way...Edelgard?" Claude gaped from behind Byleth, and Edelgard only raised her axe. Byleth was frozen as she stared at Edelgard.

The girl that had been visiting her and attempting to recruit her to the Black Eagles was the mysterious Flame Emperor who had helped kill her father.

No wonder she was so unsympathetic towards his death.

"You are disgracing the Hresvelg name!" Rhea shouted, her voice laced with fury. Edelgard only shifted her gaze in disdain towards Rhea.

"The church of Seiros is a lie!" Edelgard retorted. "You are a monster. You will be destroyed, Rhea!"

"Seize her!" Rhea pointed furiously towards Edelgard. Despite all of Byleth's worry for Rhea, Byleth knew that Rhea wasn't involved in her father's death. Not like Edelgard was. Without a moment of hesitation, Byleth raised her heavy sword towards Edelgard. The lavender eyed female sighed, addressing Byleth.

"You should have chosen the Black Eagles. Now, you'll be a victim of this war. Goodbye, my teacher."

With a sudden flash, she disappeared, leaving an enraged Rhea. Byleth let out a shaky breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

Edelgard helped in a scheme to kill my father.

"Foolish girl, you cannot hide from the Church of Seiros forever!" Rhea hissed, a hostile look in her once peaceful eyes. "We will make you pay for your crimes!"

"She..." Byleth couldn't finish her sentence. The day had been entirely overwhelming for her; the stress of the divine revelation and Edelgard's reveal left her drained. "Why would she do this?"

"...Thank you for staying, Professor," Rhea's eyes softened slightly at the sight of Byleth. "We will defeat her."

Hmm. No matter how suspicious Rhea had been, Byleth supposed there were bigger problems to deal with. Byleth nodded, a determined look in her eyes.

"Teach, are you okay?" Claude questioned after seeing how shaken Byleth was. He didn't know how many times Edelgard had seeken her out. He didn't know how Edelgard had tried in vain to recruit her. In another universe, perhaps Byleth could have walked on the same path as Edelgard...

"I...I don't know."