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Edelgard lunged towards her teacher’s body, training sword in hand, leading with a thrust as fast as it was strong.
An average soldier would have fallen right then and there, unable to perceive, let alone endure such a mighty blow. Fortunately, Byleth was as far from average as one could get. Five years may have passed, but her warrior instinct had not diminished in the slightest. With the deftness of a dancer, she sidestepped at the last possible moment before leaping backwards towards the edge of the training grounds and raising her blade in a defensive stance.
“Not bad, my teacher,” Edelgard said, twirling her sword in one hand. “but evading alone will get you nowhere.”
In a flash, she was back on the offensive, closing the distance between them and unleashing a relentless flurry of blows. Her expression was intense and focussed, perhaps even more so than usual. It was clear she would accept nothing less than total victory.
For the first time in a very long time, Byleth found herself evenly matched. Parrying the all-out assault took everything she had, and though her defence was nigh impenetrable, not even she was immune to fatigue. Keeping this up for long would serve only to drain her stamina.
With no intention of playing right into Edelgard’s hand, Byleth resolved to disrupt the onslaught. When their weapons clashed again, instead of deflecting, she locked their swords together and shoved Edelgard back, giving herself some breathing room, and a moment to recover her poise.
“You’ve gotten stronger,” Byleth remarked with a barely perceptible, yet immensely proud grin. “When last we sparred you weren’t nearly so proficient with a sword.”
“Improvement is hardly surprising. I had an excellent teacher, after all.”
Eager to impress more so than she already had, Edelgard pounced once more, this time with a new stratagem up her sleeve. Her attacks were swift and precise, and each was as unpredictable and misleading as the last. A feint here, a delayed slash there, anything to keep her teacher guessing.
Byleth was able to fend off the first dozen or so strikes, but before long a few light jabs slipped past her defence, whittling away her endurance. For a moment, defeat seemed imminent, but then Edelgard stumbled, and suddenly defeat seemed a distant daydream.
It was an amateurish slip-up and they both knew it. Regardless, it was an opening, and Byleth wasn’t going to let it pass. She raised her sword high, the pair locked eyes, and then at the last moment, Byleth froze.
Professor. Kill Edelgard at once.
The memory seeped through her veins like the most potent poison, paralysing every muscle, and the next thing she knew was a sharp pain in her abdomen. She lurched backwards, and then came another stinging sensation accompanied by a thwack, knocking her to the ground. In her moment of hesitation, Edelgard had seized the opportunity to claim victory and landed two heavy – and rather painful – blows.
The emperor stood over her, appearing rather intimidating despite her short stature. Not being the type of person who took pleasure in gloating, Edelgard quickly sheathed her training sword, wiped the sweat from her brow, extended a hand towards her teacher, and offered a warm smile.
“Well fought, Edelgard.” Byleth accepted the proffered hand and rose to her feet, returning her friend’s expression in kind, doing her best to purge the odious memory that haunted her mind.
“Thank you, but I must ask, is that a smile I see? Not exactly a common reaction to being defeated.”
“I have nothing to be upset about. Any good teacher strives to be surpassed by their students.”
“Well, I do not believe I have done so just yet. If we’re being honest, I got lucky. My poor footwork would have cost me the fight had you not taken so long to strike and left yourself wide open. With both of us giving it our all, I fear my victory would not be so assured.”
“Mm, I suppose.” Byleth shut her eyes and pressed two fingers against her temple, willing herself to think of anything besides that day in the Holy Tomb.
“Professor, are you all right?” Edelgard asked, her voice laced with concern. “I didn’t hit you too hard, did I? Perhaps we should take you to Manuela just to be safe.”
“No, no, I’ll be okay. It was only…nothing. It was nothing, don’t worry.”
“Saying things like that will only make me worry more, but so be it. Come on, let’s sit for a while; I think we could both use a little rest after so much training.”
Byleth couldn’t argue with that, and so she accompanied Edelgard away from the training grounds and over to the garden. The setting sun cast a deep orange hue over the Monastery, leaving the pair with a rather pleasant view as they sat opposite one another at their usual table.
“If I may be so bold as to offer advice,” Edelgard began as she took her seat. “I have a few pointers I would like to offer regarding your fighting technique.”
“Go for it. I’m always open to learning,” Byleth said, massaging the shoulder she fell on. “Especially from someone as strong as yourself.”
“You flatter me too much. Victory is rarely handed over on a silver platter as mine was today, it is something that must be seized for yourself, wrenched from the hands of your enemies. I believe that is a lesson you would do well to heed.”
“I’m not sure I catch your meaning.”
“Let me put it this way: defending is good, but not if it engenders passivity. When we fought, you hardly went on the attack, and that allowed me to control the fight. Sitting around and waiting for an opportunity to present itself isn’t a reliable strategy. You must be the first to strike. Create opportunities for yourself, and when you find a good one, you must not hesitate.”
“You mean like I did earlier?” Byleth asked quietly, despite already knowing the answer.
“Precisely,” Edelgard affirmed, serious and resolute as ever. “Hesitation is defeat – a weakness within yourself to be cast aside, lest your enemies exploit it and destroy you.”
“I think I understand, but do you really think it’s necessary to always strike first? To never hesitate, never question yourself in the moment?”
Edelgard mulled over the issue, considering it fully, not wishing to give an impulsive or emotional answer. “Are such measures always necessary? No, perhaps not. But I am the emperor, and neither an emperor nor her allies can afford to hesitate. Not in a world where one mistake could easily prove fatal.”
“And what if I hadn’t hesitated five years ago?” Byleth blurted out without thinking. “If I hadn’t questioned Rhea, or myself, and turned on you without a second thought, we’d probably be on opposite sides of this war, and I…I’d have to…” she trailed off and turned her head to the ground, not wishing to so much as consider the end of that thought.
“I- I don’t really know what to say to that,” Edelgard stammered, caught off guard by her teacher’s unusually blunt remark. “If you wish to talk about what happened, I don’t mind; everyone else has asked me about it at one point or another.”
“No, I shouldn’t have brought this up now. I didn’t even mean to, but when we were training, the memories of you and I fighting that day came flooding back.”
“That’s understandable. Everything happened so fast back then, and I suppose there hasn’t been much time for you to process your feelings since coming back to us. So, if there’s anything you wish to say, anything you need to ask me, I implore you do so now. There will be little time for distractions on the road ahead, and we need you focused if we’re to stand any chance of winning.”
Byleth stared at the ground for a time, unsure of exactly what she wanted to say. All she knew was how much the memories of the Holy Tomb pained her still, and that Edelgard was right – tiptoeing around the subject while they waged war would only be delaying the inevitable, and the last thing she wanted was to strain the relationship between them.
“Back then, in the Holy Tomb, what you did hurt me,” Byleth confessed, articulating her feelings as best she could. “I wish you’d given me a chance; I wish you’d trusted me.”
“Believe me, I wanted to. More than I would care to admit.”
“So why didn’t you?”
“It wasn't that simple. With the fate of all Fódlan at stake, imparting such a secret was too great a risk. You meant the world to me – you still do – but this war is not about me, and the decisions I make are to ensure success, no matter the cost.”
“I…suppose I can understand why you hid being the Flame Emperor, even after the coronation. But when we were down in the Holy Tomb, when all your cards were on the table, you didn’t have to be so callous. That was your opportunity to explain everything, to give your friends a chance to join you, but you didn’t even try to reach for us.” Byleth shook her head, half upset, half angry. “Everything we saw together, everything we did, and you still didn’t trust me to stand by you. What did I ever do to make you doubt me?”
“Nothing. You were always a good friend. Kind, loyal, understanding, but I knew our destinies would never intertwine. Or I…I thought I knew.” Edelgard lips quivered, and she lowered her head ever so slightly. “As I suspect you already know, you, like Rhea, share a bloodline with the so-called goddess. Her power dwells within you, and when it awakened, I was afraid you would side with the Church. I never could have imagined you choosing me over Rhea, and yet, despite all, you did. You chose me.”
“Was that really so hard to believe?”
“Honestly? Yes. But even so, I admit that not giving you a chance in the Holy Tomb was a mistake, and I’m sorry. You deserved better.”
“I appreciate you saying that, it’s just…sometimes I feel like I know you better than anyone, but thinking back to that day makes me I wonder if I ever really knew you at all.”
“I realise I was rarely forthcoming, and it’s fair that my actions as the Flame Emperor warrant doubt, but our friendship was as true to me as it was to you.”
“I want to believe that, of course I do. But I need to know you trust me the same way I trust you.”
Edelgard considered this for a moment, and after a few seconds she nodded solemnly and extended one arm across the table. “Take off my gauntlet.”
Byleth narrowed her eyes and cocked her head to one side, baffled by the point of such a request.
“You’ll understand in a moment,” Edelgard assured her, seeing her teacher’s confusion. “And remember that this is a privilege I grant to you, and you alone.”
Recognising Edelgard’s serious tone, Byleth followed along as directed and began gently sliding the gauntlet off. Her attention was first drawn to Edelgard’s wrist, and the muted red scratches that wrapped around it. At first she was unsure what to make of it, but upon closer inspection, realisation dawned on her: these were old scars, and not the sort gained in battle, but left by a manacle that once bit into her skin.
Suppressing a wave of anger and dismay at the thought of harm befalling her friend, Byleth continued until the gauntlet was completely off. What met her next was more of the same, yet somehow worse. There was a thin line along each of Edelgard’s trembling fingers, a multitude of incisions over the top of her hand, and what appeared to be sporadic, tiny bite marks. Byleth didn’t need to ask – there was no mistaking that this was the result of Those Who Slither in the Dark’s cruelty, the remnants of horrors inflicted upon a child, the cause of eternal nightmares. Edelgard had confided in her before, but never quite like this. She thought it an honour to be let in on something so personal.
“Sharing this with me…it means a lot. I know it can’t have been easy.”
“It’s easier with someone you trust.” Edelgard smiled faintly, seeming comforted by Byleth’s words. “From now on I swear to always be open and honest with you in all matters. So, if there’s anything else you wish to ask, go ahead.”
“There was one more thing, but it’s not exactly pleasant.” Byleth exhaled steadily, bracing herself to ask a question she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to know the answer to. “When you and I crossed swords that day, were you prepared to go through with it? Kill me with your own hands?”
“Professor…”
“Look, I don’t really want to think about it either, but I have to know. Please, Edelgard.”
“Okay. If you wish to know, facing you…it broke my heart.” Edelgard met Byleth’s gaze, refusing to turn away in cowardice. “But I had to realise my destiny. To that end, I could not let anyone stand in my way.”
“Not even me…”
It wasn’t a question, for Byleth already knew the answer. Even so, Edelgard offered acknowledgement. “Not even you.”
The statement hung in the air. Byleth remained silent, sitting with a stoic demeanour. She almost looked totally unfeeling, but her eyes betrayed the truth of her heart. They were filled with sorrow at the notion that her dearest friend would have been willing to cut her down.
“Listen, my teacher, I know that some of the things I’ve done are reprehensible, perhaps even unforgivable, but you know that every action I took was in the name of a better world; a world where no one need ever consider such extremities.” Edelgard took Byleth’s hand into her own, intertwining their fingers. “My ambitions hurt you; while I cannot apologise for pursuing those ambitions, I truly am sorry for the pain I caused you. I hope you can understand the difficult position I was in, and though I may not deserve it, I hope you’ll find it in your heart to forgive me.”
Byleth sniffled, paused for a moment, then squeezed her friend’s hand and lifted it to her lips, planting a tender kiss. “Edelgard, if somehow the universe gave me a second chance, I would choose you again in a heartbeat.”
Flustered, the emperor’s eyes went wide, her lips parted, and her cheeks turned a shade of crimson almost as deep as her cloak, but her radiant smile made it clear she was perfectly comfortable with the gesture. “Whatever did I do to deserve such kindness?”
“You might have been the Flame Emperor, but beneath the mask you were still my student, and my dearest friend. I believe in the future we’re building, and I believe in you with everything I’ve got. If you’ll have me, I swear to walk this path alongside you to the bitter end.”
“There is no one I would rather walk with, my teacher.”