In Times Flow

Into the Holy Tomb... Again:

Dedue was alive.

It was a weight off of her conscious, this whole time... She thought that in order to have saved Dimitri... It would mean Dedue falling in Fhirdiad, but that wasn't the case.

It turned out Dedue had allies with him. Men of Duscur who came to his aid and saved him. Byleth was relieved by this fact. And Dimitri... Well from what she saw he seemed quite pleased as well.

The battle at the Great Bridge of Myrddin was won shortly after they reunited with each other. Ladislava fell, as did the son of Count Gloucester.

Lorenz.

Byleth was never fond of him... But she wished that things could have been different. Maybe in another life they could have all lived peacefully with one another. She hadn't been the one to do it, from what she heard it had been Gilbert. She was grateful that her students hadn't been forced to cut down someone that they formerly called a friend.

But... As the war progressed this was bound to happen more, she better steel them for it.

Right now, that didn't matter.

They successfully took the bridge. They should revel in their victory for now, although... In a way it didn't feel like they should be celebrating this feat.

But that didn't matter.

"Tsk... What foolish idiots" Dimitri said and stood beside her shaking his head, "Embracing death for that woman..." he trailed off.

Byleth was silent for a moment, it almost sounded as if... He was conflicted over their victory as well. "Aren't you happy we won?" Byleth asked quietly and stared at him.

His eyebrows furrowed briefly, "I... I don't know" he murmured and looked towards the floor.

"Do you regret killing them?" Byleth questioned as she observed his expression.

Silence. For a moment she worried that maybe she had pried too far, "We had no choice" Dimitri replied "They were merely beasts with human faces... That's all there is to it" he declared.

Byleth opened her mouth to say something but it was cut off by the sound of a young girl shouting.

"Your Highness, Lady Byleth we have a situation" Rodrigue called out to them and gestured for them to come over there.

It didn't sound good.

"What's wrong Rodrigue?" Byleth asked as she approached the older man with the young girl beside him.

The duke pinched the bridge of his nose, "This young Lady is insistent on coming with us and joining our army" he said.

Byleth furrowed her eyebrows slightly, she didn't want to make a child fight. The girl looked to be maybe fourteen, fifteen at the most. She sighed and shook her head at the girl, "I cannot allow for you to fight in good conscience" Byleth began "But you are welcome to join us to the monastery, there are plenty of other orphaned children there as well" she added.

The girl shook her head, "No, I must fight!" she declared then fell silent for a moment, "I... I must avenge my big Brother" she said softly.

No...

Byleth can't allow this. "Let her do as she wishes," Dimitri said in a stern voice as he walked beside her.

"You can't be serious Dimitri" Byleth huffed "She's a child not a soldier, she shouldn't have to-"

"How old were you when you became a knight Byleth?" Dimitri retorted "This is war, it involves everyone" he said sternly and looked to the wide-eyed girl "Do as you wish" Dimitri declared then walked away.