All This Time

Those Three Words

Tomorrow, Edelgard would march with all of her forces to take over Garreg Mach Monastery.

Byleth had sent all of her Deer to bed, urging them to rest and prepare for the day tomorrow. However, she was unable to follow her own advice.

She twisted and turned in her bed, wide awake, until she finally decided to get up and wander around. With her sword strapped to her side, Byleth suddenly found herself in front of her father's room before she knew it. She paused, and then opened the door.

The room still gave her comfort, even though her father no longer resided there. No one had ever cleaned it out of respect for him. and Byleth knew that it was kept in pristine condition, just as he would have liked it. Byleth slowly walked in, figuring that no one else was awake anymore, and sat with her back against one of the empty walls. She placed her head in her hands as she tried to prep herself from the carnage that was soon to come.

How had things turned badly so suddenly?

"Hey, Teach...I was beginning to worry that you left."

Byleth lifted her head to see Claude leaning against the doorway. He had his bow in hand, quivers strapped to his back. Byleth had advised everyone to carry their weapons wherever they went, just in case of an emergency. She gestured for him to come in, and he sat next to her at her invitation.

"Leave?" Byleth questioned, confused. She'd already told him that she had no plans of going anywhere. He glanced away, grimacing.

"I just expect everyone to leave me eventually," Claude shrugged, not wanting to elaborate further. "But yeah. I was searching all over the monastery for you."

He fidgeted next to her, and Byleth could immediately tell something was off about him. She could tell from his posture that he was worried about something. He looked nervous and anxious as he played with his bow.

Why?

"What's wrong?" She asked intently, gazing up at him. Claude just chuckled at her question, a grimace on his face.

"How do you see through me so well?" Claude wondered, a questioning look in his eyes. He looked at her as if she knew everything. "Is that part of your power?"

"I don't think so," Byleth shrugged, a slight smirk on her face. Really, she was just good at reading his tells by now. "It's not hard to see."

"I see."

Byleth leaned onto his shoulder as he didn't continue his thoughts. He brought his hand through her minty green locks, playing with her hair gently as they sat there together. They were unsure of what to say. Their usual teasing didn't seem appropriate for the grave situation. Tomorrow, they would defend the monastery to their last breath.

"...What are we going to do, Teach?"

"...I don't know," Byleth repeated, softly. "Fight, what else? Edelgard will stop at nothing."

"Too true," Claude agreed with a sigh. He had a resigned look on his face, and he almost looked as if he was having an internal conflict with himself. "Edelgard is determined in her ways..."

"...Claude, tell me what's bothering you," Byleth urged, not wanting to see him so upset. She hated being locked out of the loop when it came to his feelings; they kept enough secrets already. "...Well, tell me what else is bothering you besides the fact that a war is starting. Please, tell me."

"I'm...nervous for the battle tomorrow," Claude admitted. Byleth could still tell that he was holding back on his real answer as he bit his lip uncertainly. "So many lives will be lost. No matter who wins, people will die. The future is extremely unpredictable."