Chapter Text
The return journey to Garreg Mach has brought us past several townships and onto a remote forest road. I've kept to myself the longer we've travelled, making an active point of saying as little to Miss Shamir as possible. After all I've endured in recent days I've little reason to believe the followers of Seiros will be accommodating should I express opinions against their beliefs. Poor Edelgard is bound in ropes for it - a prisoner with no means of escape.
Tilting my head back with a sigh, I turn my attention to the deep blue expanse above - the vast morning sky.
Fluffy white clouds dot the pristine expanse; they're both a pleasure to behold and yet so woefully innocent of my plight. For many a minute I loose myself to them: I'm fixated. Talk about feeling insignificant. The rest of the world is moving all around me, and yet here I am.
Birds soar above, black winged dots cleaving through the air. The hooves our horse clop through the dried earth with its every step, the wood of our carriage creaking when we hit the occasional bumpy patch. Shamir is even humming a little tune to herself, perfectly calm and collected.
Which is more than can be said for the God awful sense of dread nipping at the back of my mind.
Again I set my sights to the narrow path ahead, a question burning within me. "Mind if I ask you something, Shamir?"
Shamir stops humming. "Go ahead."
"Edelgard... What'll happen to her once we return to Garreg Mach?"
An extended pause from the mercenary, my stomach dipping along with it.
"She'll likely be confined and interrogated."
A sinking sensation fills my chest.
"No trial? I thought that was how the followers of Seiros did things; fair justice for all."
"Usually, but matters pertaining to heretics are the business of our inquisitors. They aren't afforded the same rights."
"Meaning?" I turn to Shamir. She remains focused upon the road ahead, a hint of remorse in her sapphire eyes.
"Meaning it's highly unlikely that she'll be granted the same mercies as common criminals; those who've wandered down a less honest but redeemable path."
"But that's inhumane..."
"Maybe so, but the church sees her kind as dangerous."
"Her... kind?" Merely talking about another living, breathing person this way makes my skin crawl.
"An apostate."
Apostate. Heretic. A pair of dirty words used by devout sorts to tar anyone not wearing the same clothes.
I've no intention of pushing any further, either. As much as I'd like to, Shamir holds power over me. Both as a protector and a source of danger, should I act untoward. Everything I say in her company risks being referred back to Rhea in the most agonizing of detail - meaning it's best I keep my mouth shut.
And keep it shut I will, after figuring out one last thing. "How long until we're back at the monastery?"
"About a day," Shamir answers, stealing a glance from the corner of her eye. "Any particular reason?"
"Nothing of note." I exhale deeply, partly to displace suspicion and partly out of genuine gratitude. "Just tired."
"Tired, is that all?"
I nod, faking a yawn as best I can.
"You've no idea how exhausting the last couple of days have been."
"Fatigued, eh? I imagine it's something more... but you're not likely to tell me about it, are you?"
Shamir's onto me. I break eye contact, and quickly. "Y-You're imagining things."
"Am I?" the blue-haired lady keeps on, unwilling to drop her suspicion. "Funny, how you've looked back to the cart behind us every so often; and how you so diligently sprang to Miss Edelgard's defence at the inn the other day. And do you know what else I find equally interesting?"
"Go on..." My voice is small and cautious.
"How I caught the faintest trace of Miss von Hresvelg's perfume on your clothes when you first boarded the cart. A coincidence, Rolan?"
I wither under Shamir's powers of deduction. My face is warm all of the sudden. "Exactly! It doesn't prove anything..."
"Of course not. Just like the bite mark hidden behind your collar. Another coincidence too, I imagine?"
Hotter and hotter still I burn. God knows I want to snap back, if out of little else than sheer frustration for being outfoxed. I bite down on the corner of my lip and shift my gaze into my lap, away from unwanted prying. "...What are you, a soldier or some sort of mind-reader?"
A short chuckle from Shamir. "Nothing so mystical. Women's intuition. I was fighting in small wars and courting men before you even left your hometown; I'll pledge my coin purse on it. And unlike Miss Edelgard, you aren't very good at hiding your true feelings. Not around older, more worldly women, anyway."
My heart is beating stronger; harder. I'm beginning to sizzle beneath the fabric of my clothes. A lump forms in my throat. One that I swallow, hard. "J-Just how much do you know about me, Miss Shamir?" It's almost as though she's been watching me. "You wouldn't be saying this stuff otherwise."
"I'll leave that up to your imagination." Her answer is straightforward, if a touch assertive. "Just know that it's my job to keep a watchful eye over all of our newest students, to ensure they're adjusting to life in the monastery - and to make sure they aren't in places they shouldn't be come nightfall."
I don't like where this is going, my stomach churning. My palms feel clammy now, the heartbeat in my chest rising to a frantic chorus. Too much more and I'll probably faint. I need to choose my next words very, very carefully. A breath to steady the nerves. Two. Three. Four.
It isn't helping as much as I'd like.
All I can think to do is play the fool. My thoughts are too frazzled for much else. "...Just what are you getting at?"
"I'm not 'getting at' anything, Rolan."
I dare to look over. Shamir is thankfully focused on what waits ahead, though I know she disapproves. It's in her tone, and in the subtle frown she's sports.
"Sure sounds like you are..." I mumble, just loud enough for her to hear.
"And even if I were, would it have stopped Hilda from sneaking into your room after curfew?"
My heart skips a beat, my throat pulling tight. "You saw...?!"
"I did, as did Professor Byleth. Be grateful neither of us have reported the matter yet, either."
Never before has a wave of relief so intense washed over me, the terror within lifting.
"Oh thank Goodness..."
"So from now on I would advise-" My escort pauses, tugging on the reins to slow down the horse. "A tree up ahead...?" she comments, pointing in front with a hint of frustration about her. "Strange... This wasn't here when we travelled toward Rena the other day."
I'm happier about the change of topic than anything else, but I look out all the same. It's just as Shamir mentioned, the trunk of a mighty evergreen has fallen in the middle of the dirt path and blocks further traversal. We won't get the horses and carts past it. The latter are too wide.
Lacking solutions to our problem, I shrug. "Bad weather, maybe?"
"Doubtful." Shamir shakes her head. "It's been fair in these parts for the last week or so." She taps a finger to her chin and ponders, a glint of concern lighting her eyes. "Which I fear means one thing, and one alone." The mercenary jumps down from her seat in the cart. "Stay here," she instructs sternly, pulling a polished steel dagger from the belt at her hip. The morning sun shines against its body. "There could be trouble..."
"Trouble?" I turn back and watch her. She's heading for the cart behind us - where Edelgard is being kept.
"Big trouble," Shamir clarifies, her tone stony and serious. "Now, stay where you are," she demands of me a second time, far sterner than the first. "And keep that sword of yours handy. I have a bad feeling." Instructions delivered, she turns and waves to her comrades sitting at the front of the second cart.
The pair of Seiros knights jump down and hurry on over. Joining her, they both salute.
Meanwhile, I'm drawn to the thick lines of trees at both side of us, walls of green and brown. They're too dense to see into - the perfect place for dangerous sorts to hide without revealing themselves to their would-be victims. Bandits, I'll guess at a stretch. Rural roads are usually full of them.
One of Professor Byleth's Battle Strategy lectures springs to mind at a time like this. I picture her in my mind's eye, stood at the front of the classroom and emoting with her hands. Her expression might've been oddly blank like always, but her words of wisdom stayed with me.
"Now remember, class. A key battle strategy component is to analyse the terrain around you and use the surroundings to your advantage. Don't just stand out in the open: doing so is foolish and it will get you killed. Find the perfect vantage point - one that accommodates your soldiers strengths above all else."
"Bring her out." An order from Shamir snaps me back to the moment at hand.
The Seiros knights stand by the back of the second cart with weapons readied.
"Right you are, Miss Shamir," one of the men answers respectfully.
Acting on his superior's instruction, he puts his spear into one hand and drags Edelgard out into the open.
Her hands still bound in tight ropes, Shamir marches her toward the tree.
If they so much as scratch her... I should way up my options, striking out being one of them if Edelgard is placed in danger. The desire to protect her is first and foremost to me after all I've endured - we've endured. As things stand, I'm her sole protector; an enforcer of her will tasked with ensuring her safety.
I steady myself with a deep breath in, and out. "Clear your mind, Rolan..."
I'm far from an army, but my time in Garreg Mach honed my swordsmanship skills to a point far beyond that of an average soldier.
Duelling with Petra (Brigid's finest warrior, at least in my eyes) saw to that.
Ready to act if need be, I jump down from the cart.
There's movement behind me. I turn around, on alert.
Anna hops out from the back of the cart behind, puzzlement present across her pretty features as she joins me at the roadside. "Why are we stopping?" the she wonders while looking across to Miss Shamir. "Wait... What's a tree doing in the road?"
"Not a clue." I reply. My dominant hand lowers to the hilt of your sword. "But I'm worried they'll hurt Edelgard over it..."
"Rolan..." Anna continues in a far softer voice, resting her hand on my shoulder. She's concerned; eying me with the same kindness and care she did my sister all those years ago. "I can see it; what you're thinking of doing. It's in your eyes... you're angry."
I smirk. Anna has always been good at reading me. No surprise, given how far back we go. "That obvious, huh?"
"Sure is."
"And what would you suggest?" If she has better ideas I'm willing to hear them.
"First off? Don't be reckless. If you strike a knight of Seiros..."
"I'll be placed in the same situation as Edelgard, I know." I don't need to be a scholar to work that out.
"Right... Meaning you should keep calm."
Keeping her advice in mind, I move my hand to the side and away from my sword.
"Smart choice." Anna exhales, her relief all too easy to read. "Goodness, you're like your dad." She shakes her head, gifting me a fragile smile.
"My old man?"
"Yep. Just like him." The redhead confirms. "Loyal to a fault... even if it gets you into trouble."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"You're hopeless..." Anna again sighs. "It wasn't supposed to be."
A flicker of pride surging within, I shift my gaze from my friend to the head of our stalled caravan.
The two Seiros knights have fallen into line - one at Shamir's left and the other standing further right nearer me and Anna. Both men wear faces of disgust in Edelgard's presence, as though guarding her is an absolute affront to their world and everything in it. Prejudice through and through - the result of following Seiros' teachings without question, I'm sure. Just like Sir Gregory and his Western Church fanatics.
Shamir on the other hand appears reserved as always. "Is this the handiwork of your spies, Miss von Hresvelg?" she asks impatiently, gesturing at the tree.
Adrestia's future empress remains completely silent, unafraid and unflinching.
"Answer me." Shamir puts her dagger to Edelgard's throat. "Is blocking our way your doing?"
Edelgard eyes narrow at the assumption. "I'm unsure how you've reached such a conclusion, given I've been isolated as of late."
"It would be unwise to get smart with me..."
My hand returns hilt of my sword once more. Warrior's instinct taking over, I start toward Rhea's underlings and my mistress. I have to stand by my oath as a Black Eagle. I won't let Rhea's zealots hurt Edelgard, even though standing against them makes me an enemy to their order as a whole.
Drawn by my crunching footsteps through the earthy underfoot, one of the Seiros knights spins back. He reads my stance and posture, his eyes hardening the nearer I get to him. His hands jitter for an instant, and he raises his spear. I'm a threat to him. Fine by me.
"Stay back, young man." A warning, the knight standing firm and extending his spear's point to deter me.
I draw my sword from its scabbard, ignoring him entirely. The sharp metallic sound draws Shamir and the second knight's attention onto me, the former still keeping her knife trained upon Edelgard's throat with absolute professionalism.
"I told you to stay put in the cart, Rolan," Shamir again states, this time forcefully. "You'd better not be thinking of doing something foolish."
"Not so long as Miss Edelgard remains unharmed, I'm not." My intentions made known, I stall just short step of the spear-brandishing knight. I keep my focus trained beyond to the woman whom he's inclined to obey. Standing firm, I take my steel into both hands and grip tightly.
Shamir retracts her dagger, much to my surprise. "Quite the dedicated follower you have, Miss von Hresvelg."
A tiny smirk graces Edelgard' lips, her cheeks tinged pink for the smallest second. "It seems that way, yes."
I'm left muddled by the pair's sudden civility, remaining focused as best I can.
"Then tell me, Edelgard," Shamir continues, her sights trained upon me and utterly unfaltering. "Is it time?"
Closing her eyes, Adrestia's princess nods slowly. "It is earlier than I would have liked, but we shall proceed. Dispense with this facade, if you would, Shamir."
"As you wish." Shamir twists her wrist, morning sunlight catching against her dagger's steel body. The weapon distorts as though an illusion; a trick of the mind made real by forces unknown. Swift and deadly, it grazes across the neck of the knight standing nearest.
A sputter leaves the man, his neck splitting wide. "Gack..."
Red gushes from the gash in the man's flesh, pained gurgles tumbling his man's open mouth. There's panic in his eyes, his hands shooting upward to stem the flow on reflex: more and more red liquid spills through the gaps in his clawing fingers despite his frantic efforts. A second passes. Two. Three.
His skin washed white, the man falls face-first into the ground. A puddle of blood spreads out beneath him. He stops struggling.
His comrade is drawn to the commotion. Hands shuddering, he clutches his spear as best he's able and stands his ground. His legs are shaking.
"M-Miss Shamir... What have you done?! Our orders are to escort the heretic back to the monastery!"
Tutting, Shamir closes in. Arm outstretched and her red-stained knife dripping, she prepares to strike.
"Those are your instructions... not mine."
The knight jabs his spear outward accusingly.
"Y-You've betrayed us!"
"No, no I haven't," Shamir dismisses, "Because we weren't ever on the same side, not entirely."
I've no need to hesitate any longer, not with the situation laid before me. As things stand, the two of us are allies - at least for now.
Which means we share a common enemy. Sword at the ready, I lunge.
My steel plunges straight into the knight's lower back and punches clean through the other side of his stomach.
Shamir halts her advance, a witness to my deed.
Blood spills from the knight's lips and down his chin, leaking onto his platemail.
The stink of iron robs my senses for a moment; I shake it clear in a hurry.
"T-Traitors..." The man murmurs. Arms falling limp at his sides, he drops his weapon. "Y-You'll pay for this... L-Lady Rhea will never forgive you..."
Duty done, I pull out my sword. My bested foe drops to his knees, and falls to the ground with a 'clunk'.
Conflict resolved, I return my sword to its scabbard. "I can live without her forgiveness, trust me."
"And It's done," Shamir exhales. "I appreciate your aid, Rolan." Shoulders relaxing, she puts her knife away and re-joins Edelgard. "Hold still, milady." Positioned behind the young royal, she cuts loose the ropes binding her wrists.
Freed from confinement, Edelgard stretches out her arms. Her back pops in a couple of places, likely due to being hunched over in a cart for so long. She rubs her rope-burned wrists for a second on each side, and then bows for Shamir with appreciation. The truest picture of respect and politeness.
"Excellent work, my friend. I'm beyond pleased that you managed to reach us so quickly."
"Think nothing of it, Lady Edelgard." Shamir returns the dagger to its sheathe on her belt. Folding her arms, she leans up against one of the many nearby trees. "Just be grateful Rhea decided to send me and not Catherine, otherwise this situation might well have played out exactly as the church intended."
"A small mercy indeed. Every second counts with my plans revealed."
Leaving the duo to their chatter, I turn around to check on Anna.
She's gawping, pale as a sheet and wide eyed. If her jaw hangs any looser I worry it'd hit the floor.
Returning to her, I offer the redhead my hand. "Are you alright...?"
It's best I help her before even trying to make sense of the unreal happenings I find myself in.
Anna retreats a step.
"W-What in the world did you-" She's staring past me, to the Seiros knight I ran through. "Y-You killed him... Y-You actually did it..."
"I did." A straightforward reply on my part for poor, frightened seller of wares. "There's no sense denying it."
"A-And you aren't the slightest bit afraid...?"
I take in the fallen knight, facing the consequences of my actions like a man. A remorseful twinge prods me in the gut. A sign I'm human and not some soulless monster. This man is second person I've killed, the first being one of Gregory's followers. It felt easy that time, too - a reflex.
"Afraid? No. But I ain't proud, either." My answer is pretty flat. "Being abducted by the Western Church opened my eyes - to plenty of things."
Anna breathes in and out to relax herself. It doesn't work. Her face is writhe with panic: her brown eyes are quivering. "Oh Gods..." She's staring through me like I'm not even here. "What's going to happen to me? I-I'm an accomplice in all this... A witness. They'll drag me to the monastery and string me up by my-"
"That will not happen," Edelgard assures the merchant. Joining me with Shamir in tow, she flips back her snowy white locks and pats Anna's shoulder. Her expression is almost motherly; kind and considerate in a way I've not seen from her until now. "I shall make sure of it..."
"Y-You will?" Anna hangs on the noblewoman's words as though they're her entire life. They are, given what she's tangled in now.
"Correct. You've done right by me in my time of need, Miss Anna, and I treat those who are kind to me with the utmost respect."
"But I don't know how you can protect me, not after all of this."
"Worry not. It's rather simple, actually. We'll turn your cart around and travel westward with it, toward Adrestia. Once there you'll be offered protection; a place to stay within the city of Enbarr, a fresh start." Her plan laid out, Edelgard withdraws her hand and looks to Shamir. "Now that we're free to converse without fear, tell me, what is the situation with my friends in Garreg Mach?"
"Most were taken prisoner for interrogation when Petra presented your letter to Seteth and the archbishop," the mercenary recounts grimly. "Although, a couple were able to slip out of town unnoticed amidst the confusion - two, to be precise."
"Just two?"
"Unfortunately, yes. Most were apprehended by Alois and the Templars. It happened right as I left to collect you and Rolan."
"I had hoped more might escape." There's a worry in Edelgard's eyes. Frowning, she folds her arms. "An awful shame, but it cannot be helped. Now, which of the Black Eagles made it to safety, exactly? We may need their help in the coming days, provided we too reach Adrestia unharmed."
Meaning she expected this might happen if her intentions became public. I frown. Another showing of the church being needlessly heavy-handed.
"Ferdinand is one of them, I hear," Shamir informs, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "He was spirited away to Prime Minister Ludwig's vacation home on the Graand-Adrestia border. That was two days ago, so I imagine he should already be there by now, safe and guarded."
"And the second?"
"Dorothea, milady. She was the first to leave, the evening before Petra showed Rhea your letter, if I remember rightly. My sources say she hired a small band of magic knights and snuck out on her own, to find yourself and Rolan. Last I heard, Ferdinand had encountered her on his travels."
"Meaning she is safe, and probably in the company of friends."
"I think we can assume as much, correct."
"And what of Hubert?" There's a touch more concern when Edelgard asks about her closest aid.
"Neither captive nor accounted for."
"Which is why you said only two escaped, I assume?"
Shamir nods. "Yes. Because Ferdinand and Dorothea's likely whereabouts are known to us. Hubert's aren't."
This is all getting a bit too much to handle. "Hold on!" I speak up, raising my hands and gesturing for the pair to back up a moment. "Slow down for a little while, so I can make sense of all this. First off..." I massage my temples, a tension headache forming. Probably the delayed arrival of stress. "Miss Shamir... you don't work for Rhea and the church? I was under the impression you'd been there for years. All of us were."
Shamir looks to Edelgard, as though awaiting approval. The noblewoman grants her a consenting nod.
There's a long-held and respectful bond between the two. I see it as clearly as day.
Again Shamir folds her arms. Ever the picture of calmness, unlike myself. "It's true that I'm 'technically' in the employ of the church. Or at least I was, until this very moment. I suppose you could say it was a veil - a facade. Honestly, I've been a servant of Emperor Ionius for the longest time."
I blink. And blink again. To say I'm bewildered is putting it lightly. "You serve the Emperor of Adrestia?!"
Shamir returns her attentions to Edelgard. "It'll be faster if you explain. Time's against us, princess."
"Are you sure?" Edelgard asks cautiously, a brow raised. Seldom does she hesitate, you've noticed. Now is one of those rare instances otherwise.
"Go ahead. Best we get it out in the open, especially since he's awakened to Fodlan's ugly side these past few days."
"You make an astute point. Alright." A short nod from the young royal. "Put simply, Rolan, Shamir's father was a skilled warrior within our ranks for many years - a protector of the emperor. That all changed when Duke Aegir, Ferdinand's father, led an insurrection and stripped my family of the majority of their power. Shamir's father was one of the many loyal to mine who was assassinated during the ensuing coup."
"First I've heard of it. I thought your family held total control over the imperial throne."
I'm rewarded a displeased expression from Edelgard, one of her hands balling into a first. "We did... until the coup - the Insurrection of the Seven."
I'm struggling to take all of this in. First I learn there's a civil war brewing between two factions of the church, and now there's double-dealing going on between the nobility?! I always figured they were a pretty united front - nobles versus the common folk. It's crazy, almost like the world I knew is a total lie.
Edelgard must see I'm muddled, too. There's the smallest hint of concern about her.
"Shall I slow down?"
I shake my head. "No. I'm good. I think I'm good, anyway."
"We can continue this discussion once we're on the move once more," Shamir cuts in, sparing a glance for the slain Seiros knights. "We're only endangering ourselves the longer we remain here, and I doubt it will take Rhea's followers long to realize where my true loyalties lay."
"I concur," follows Edelgard, taking a twine band from her pocket and tying her hair. "But we'll need teamwork to turn this cart, first and foremost." She raps the wood with her knuckles. "Shamir, Rolan. Might I ask you both to assist with the heavy lifting? I imagine the three of us together should manage just fine."
"Of course," Shamir says. Walking around the back of the cart, she peers inside.
"Fine by me." I unbutton my shirt cuffs, ready to chip in.
"W-What about me?" Anna speaks up, roused from her prolonged quietness. Her voice is low and a touch fearful.
"I'd like for you to watch the horses while we work," Edelgard tells her kindly, gently. "You can do that, can't you?"
"Of course I can..."
"Good. Good." The princess rolls up her sleeves. "Then I'd say it's about time we begin." She peers across to Shamir, whose busy looking over the various goods and wares. "How much cargo is there?"
"Quite a bit," Shamir answers while rooting through, "Mostly furs, and a few small barrels. A gold chest, too. It all looks heavy."
"We can't have that."
"Agreed. It'll slow us down, and the last thing we need are delays."
"Best we unload some of those goods first, then. To reduce the weight."
Anna looks frightened by the mere mention of inventory being touched.
"Umm... When you say 'unload' you don't mean 'abandon', do you?
"Not at all." Edelgard replies, having long-since figured out the peddler's number one priority in the world. "Worry not. We'll take the valuable items with us. You'll be reimbursed for the rest - with interest."
Finally the sparkle returns to the merchant's eyes, profit's mention perking her up.
"Interest, you said?"
"Correct. An extra fifty percent on the intended sale price. Is that fair?"
Anna's sparkle brightens to a powerful shimmer. "It's a deal! Unload whatever you like! Just let me grab my inventory sheets first."
Typical Anna. I roll my eyes.
Two more days on the road have taken us further from Garreg Mach and closer to Adrestia.
We've reached the coast - a first for me by all accounts. Living in a small town in Goneril, I didn't have opportunities gaze out at the sea.
Dusk once again upon us, Shamir decided it was best to tie up our tired horse and rest for a while.
The salty ocean air is invigorating, and the sloshing of water against the shore is equally a treat.
Tired after another long day of travel, I sit down on the pebbles with my legs outstretched and look to the sky above.
Dozens of tiny starts twinkle - some forming patterns and shapes when I use my imagination to connect the dots.
They're called constellations if I remember rightly. That's what Pop told me, anyway.
One of them forms into a hexagon sorta shape. And there's another like a wizard hat.
A dog. A Star. And a wheel, too. Lost to my imagination, I breathe a sigh.
"Talk about feeling small compared to the wide world..."
Small and so very far from home, more like. And here I thought leaving my hometown for the monastery was a big step.
Although it wasn't by choice, I've gone further in maybe a week or so than in my entire life. First was the village I was abducted to, and then the bustling town of Rena. Now I'm sitting by the water after travelling some trail off the beaten track I never even knew existed.
Footsteps crunch over the pebbles, jolting me from my thoughts.
Curious, I turn my head left toward the sound's origin.
Edelgard is coming this way. She waves for me, and I wave back.
"Evening." I keep my greeting warm and short.
The princess sits down beside me, also stretching out her legs.
"I'd prefer you call me by my name when we're alone, remember?"
I'm drawn to her simple, buckled leather shoes. There's a dainty red bow affixed to each toe, something I hadn't noticed before now.
"Edelgard, sorry. It's not like we're alone right now, though."
"Technically we are, unless Anna and Shamir can see through the trees behind us."
I glance back to the thick cluster of trees separating us from the road. Mighty oaken warriors likely hundreds of years old.
"Fair point. I hadn't thought about that."
Edelgard chuckles sweetly and rests her hand atop mine.
Our gazes meet for a brief moment. The princess' cheeks are tinged pink and she dons the most precious smile. A lovely picture to behold. My stomach fluttering at the mere sight of her, I'm quick to return my sights to the starts above. A place which doesn't have me floundering like a love-struck puppy dog.
Try as I have to raise a wall between duty and feelings, my defences still falter against my best interests.
Staying strong, I move my hand from beneath hers and rest it atop my right knee.
"It's best we don't get affectionate with one-another. Once you're safely home-"
Edelgard touches a fingertip to my cheek and brushes my skin. I shudder in appreciation of the wonderful sensation.
"I've no desire to see you leave my side after all we've overcome," the future empress' confesses, her tone the slightest bit fearful. "With this in mind, I would like to make you an offer ahead of time - so that you might continue to remain close once I've returned to my rightful place in Enbarr."
I'm utterly lost as to what she's getting at her. "What sort of offer?"
Withdrawing her digit from my cheek, Edelgard scoots nearer.
The gap between us spent, I find the warmth of her body comforting.
The noble lassie brings an arm around my back and squeezes tenderly, laying her head of silky white locks against my shoulder.
"Though I've only known you for a short time, Rolan, you've proven that even those whom hail from even the most humble of backgrounds can be loyal and steadfast. It is something that most highborn sorts in Adrestia would be hard-pressed to admit, for it would erode their power."
There Edelgard goes again, posturing when there's no need.
"With the greatest of respect, My Lady, you can get to the point. Outside of the monastery we're equals, remember?"
"You're quite right." Edelgard squeezes me a touch tighter.
I wonder, does she prefer folks being assertive since she's usually the one giving orders?
There's a second of added quiet, so she princess might collect herself, I'm guessing.
"The truth is, my friend..." Edelgard begins again, her voice this time small and surprisingly gentle. "I want to enlist you into Enbarr's Imperial Swordsman Corps, so that you might receive some of the finest training the world has to offer."
There's an excited flutter in my stomach. "The Imperial Blades, you mean?"
A commoner's nickname for the prized band of elite sword masters. One I grew up knowing them by from reading books as a kid.
"Indeed. You deserve it, as repayment for all you've done whilst at my side."
Reality catches up with my childlike excitement, dampening it some. Being an Imperial Blade has requirements, and it's steeped in tradition.
"A nice gesture, but commoners can't join their ranks. It's always been like that."
"You're indeed correct. Entry into the Swordsman Corps is restricted to knights and nobleman."
Edelgard lifts her head from my shoulder and kisses my cheek. The softness of her lips delivers a second warmer shiver onto me.
"...Which is why I would first have you swear an oath of knighthood; to become my personal knight," the princess reveals.
My lungs tighten, shock rolling over me.
"Y-You want me as your-" I take in a large mouthful of air to collect myself. "You want me as your knight?"
"I certainly do, yes."
"But you've known me for such a short time..."
"It doesn't matter how long I've known you, Rolan. You're trustworthy and easy to ascertain as a person."
My surprise easing, I'm left very curious.
"And what, dare I ask, do you see in me exactly?"
"A kind young man with a lot to prove. One who has a wayward heart concerning the fairer sex, but will remain absolutely unflinching in matters of duty." Edelgard shifts positions and sits in my nap. Leaning nearer, she touches her nose to mine. "And I'm very good judge of character, I'll have you know." A bold declaration, her pale cheeks surging an intense shade of carmine.
Deeper still my intrigue gets. "Oh really?"
"Indeed..." Edelgard cups my cheek, brushing her lips against mine.
Try as I might, I find her impossible to resist. Maybe it's her promise to knight me, or maybe I'm just a fool. I don't know and nor do I care.
"You'd trust me with your life...?"
"I would, Rolan, and I do."
My mind is made up. "I suppose I've no choice but to accept your offer then... but these moments of ours really must stop once you're home in Adrestia."
"Agreed, but until then..." Edelgard presses her lips to mine.
Bested, my back falls against the pebbles and I close my eyes.
My senses burn, the embrace of another my only care in the world.
Not that I would change any of this. There's no going back now. I've come too far.
Edelgard parts from me, the two of us still joined by a glistening string. Her chest is heaving and her breaths are heavy.
The princess' eyes are two perfect sapphires, pools of deepest sincerity I want nothing more than to lose myself in.
"Your Highness..." I whisper the girl's noble title, reaching out and cupping her cheek as she did mine.
Edelgard pushes her chest to mine in response. Dominant and empowered, she has me pinned. "...What is it?"
I saw it, the hurt in Edelgard's eyes when Shamir unfolded the Petra's letter in the inn. Even if the mercenary's actions were just a ruse to draw her true ruler away from Rhea's followers and set her free, the response they earned was true and genuine. Edelgard was wounded - hurt beyond belief.
Our upbringings are worlds apart, and yet I've plenty of empathy to give.
"Whatever happens from here on out, I won't betray you. I won't be like Petra."
My pledge sends a lonesome tear rolling down Edelgard's cheek.
"...Do you solemnly swear it?" Her question is tiny and hopeful - as though our very future together depends on my response.
I won't let her down. "I swear, Edelgard. My heart may be unsteady, but my body and my sword are forever yours."
Edelgard's lips rise into a small and careful smile. "I shall hold you to that, always. I'll trust you, like I once did the Professor."
Mouths joining again, we revel in a kiss beneath the midnight moon.
To be continued...