In Times Flow

Queen Consort of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus:

Two years had come and gone.

Not much had changed at the Monastery but the rest of Fodlan was a different story.

There was mass political turmoil in the Adrestrian Empire, for a few moons they were afraid that there was going to be a coup and Emperor Ionius IX would be overthrown or worse murdered.

But no requests for aid ever arose from the Empire, or maybe they never reached them, Byleth isn't certain.

Uncle had said that it was due to the Emperor trying to solidify his power of the throne, but the head noble houses of the Adrestrian Empire did not like that in the slightest.

It led to the Insurrection of the Seven. Which was the seven major houses of the Adrestrian Empire banning together to stop the Emperor from solidifying his power. Uncle said that they just enacted laws and regulations to keep the Emperor from gaining too much power.

Truth be told Byleth doesn't quite understand it, wouldn't that make his power like King Lamberts? Maybe the Emperor isn't a good ruler? She doesn't know, so she tries not to dwell on it too much.

And things in Faerghus aren't any better, while they had thought it best to keep the death of the Queen quiet there has been much speculation about it.

It has led to some tensions among smaller noble houses, Grandmother has had to send the Knights of Seiros out on more than one occasion to handle them.

Although on the bright side the plague has been completely eradicated from Faerghus.

While the Leicester Alliance isn't facing issues like Faerghus or the Empire, Uncle says that their situation may be the direst.

Two of the main houses in the Alliance are fighting for leadership over it, despite its claim to being a democracy. Uncle said that all of the squabbles and fights they have over territorial disputes threaten to lead to something more, the ominousness of his words left Byleth slightly unsettled.

How can she be expected to lead this after Grandmother?

Byleth sighs as she leans on the chair to her desk, she knows she shouldn't complain but she can't help but feel constricted by the expectations of Grandmother sometimes. And it doesn't help when her Uncle constantly reminds her of that duty as well.

Byleth looked back down at the letter she had been reading, she doesn't remember a lick of what she'd just read.

I guess that's a good stopping point then.

Byleth gets up from her desk, through her window she could see that it is dark.

Normally that would deter her from roaming the monastery aimlessly but... She feels cooped up in her room and needs to feel the chill of the night air.

And so, she begins wandering aimlessly till she reaches the Cathedral, it looks so ethereal from a far with the moonlight glow cast over it.

Byleth stops on the bridge and just stares at the building, she won't go inside. She doesn't want to risk running into priests or nuns that will talk her ear off and then turn around to her Grandmother and tell how she was out late at an ungodly hour doing who knows what.

"What are you doing out here kid?".

Her Father.

"Sleep evades me" Byleth responds then turns to him, "Now why are you out here?" she asked.

Jeralt chuckles, "I'm guarding the monastery" he said "Captain or not, I am still required to do lookout just like everyone else".

Byleth nodded, "That makes sense" she said.