Not This Time

A "Thank You" Gift

"My teacher...I never expected you to join me."

After Edelgard's liberating speech that declared war against the Church of Seiros, Byleth found herself alone in a room with the Flame Emperor herself. Byleth didn't regret her decision...but now that she'd been given time to think, so many thoughts shot through her mind.

Where was her father?

What was Claude doing right now?

Well, I guess that's not really important right now...

Why is Edelgard against the church?

Why did Edelgard try to kill her father, only to save him afterward?

None of it made sense to her, but Byleth was going to get some answers. She owed Edelgard her sword, and she wanted to work alongside the driven emperor, but so many questions floated through her mind.

"I told you I'd stand by your side," Byleth reminded Edelgard softly. "But I do have some questions. I have my own grudges against the church...but what about you?"

Information is passed down the Hresvelg bloodline, words that are kept confidential from the public," Edelgard revealed, nodding her head. She hadn't stopped smiling ever since Byleth had revealed her allegiance. "I found out that Rhea leads beasts against Fódlan, and she has brought us to ruin. As I told you before, crests have ruined my entire family. I will oppose Rhea and her tyrannical reign, to carve a path of peace for the future."

"I see," Byleth pondered, somehow not surprised to hear the truth about Rhea. The Archbishop had always struck her as incredibly strange; hearing that she was leading beasts didn't surprise her. She wondered if the Archbishop had actually been trying to turn her into a beast... "...Edelgard, why...why did you save my father?"

"Hm?"

"You're the Flame Emperor. Those mages..you command them. In other words, you commanded them to kill my father," Byleth knew she probably should have felt slighted that Edelgard had even thought about killing her father, but she couldn't be bothered about that fact right now. Edelgard had saved Jeralt in the end, hadn't she? "Why would you save him after ordering your people to kill him?"

"On the contrary. I work with those mages, yes.." Edelgard admitted reluctantly, a disapproving look on her face. "But I hate them. The second I can, I will be disposing of them. They moved without my orders upon your father, so when I saw what they were doing, I knew I had to stop it."

"If you hate them, why even bother working with them?"

"I fear I have no choice if I want to win this war. I have to choose between which of the two evils to destroy first," Edelgard frowned, thinking about the church's atrocities as well as those mages. "But once this is all over, I will destroy them and make them pay for what they have done."

"I see. I have a lot more questions, but you can't really answer them all..." Byleth's voice trailed off as she pictured her father. Was Rhea torturing or threatening him because of her? "One last question."

"Yes?"

"Why did you think I would not side with you?"

Edelgard paused at Byleth's question, a sad smile on her face. She nervously licked her lips, fidgeting with her thumbs. Byleth had never seen the composed girl so anxious.

"I was prepared for no one to agree with my goals," Edelgard confessed, gazing at Byleth with a soft and gentle look rather than her usual steely stare. "But then you joined, and the Black Eagles joined...This is all rather foreign to me."

"Ah. I see."

"...As for why I saved Jeralt in the first place, it was because of you," Edelgard continued her confession. "I had not anticipated on growing to care for you. I could not bear to picture you upset...So instead, I saved him. Even though I knew it might endanger my goal in the long run...hm. I have never put anyone above my goals, but..."

"Thank you," Byleth replied gratefully. Edelgard fidgeted, and then dropped her hands.

"No, my teacher. I'm the one who should be thankful...and I'd like to properly thank you."

Before Byleth could even begin to process what was happening, Edelgard closed her eyes and came closer, slowly embracing Byleth in a sweet, warm kiss. Byleth's eyes widened in surprise, but she gradually closed them in contentment as Edelgard began to move her lips against hers.

There was a fire growing in her chest, the sparks flying furiously, but all the same, the ache in her chest began to grow. It was a strange combination of pleasure and pain while Byleth was still frozen from the shock.

While the moment was nice, Edelgard pulled away far too soon. Byleth just stared wide eyed, putting a hand to her lips. The sparks had simmered down, the explosions gone in her chest, but the ache remained.

"Um," Edelgard blushed heavily, averting her eyes from the stunned Byleth. "I had to do it, my teacher. I am sorry if you wish for something different, but...I needed to express my gratitude."

"Oh," Was all that Byleth could say. Edelgard smiled somewhat shyly.

"I will see you soon, my teacher."

Byleth could only stare in shock as Edelgard left the room, a hand to her lips. The moment had felt so right, even though Byleth hadn't anticipated it at all. It had felt so good, and even though it had, Byleth felt the dull, painful ache continue in her chest. It was the same ache that had occurred and almost killed her when Claude had grown distant from her...

Claude.

Byleth's blush faded from her cheeks as she thought of the Golden Deer house leader. Claude...Would she have to fight him? Byleth hoped not.

After all...hadn't the ache disappeared when she was around him?