Not This Time

But Now I Must Go

"What have you done!?"

Byleth clutched at his body, frantically trying to heal him. The appropriate runes appeared, but it didn't bring him back. Edelgard only shook her head in confusion.

"I thought he killed you, I thought you were dying in his arms..."

"No," Byleth choked out a despondent sob, tears streaming down her face. "He saved me."

Time stopped.

".em devas eH" .ecaf reh nwod gnimaerts sraet ,bos tnednopsed a tuo dekohc htelyB ",oN" "...smra sih ni gniyd erew uoy thguoht I ,uoy dellik eh thguoht I"

.noisufnoc ni daeh reh koohs ylno dragledE .kcab mih gnirb t'ndid ti tub ,deraeppa senur etairporppa ehT .mih laeh ot gniyrt yllacitnarf ,ydob sih ta dehculc htelyB

.daed saw edualC .ylsselesu dnah sih otno gnihctulc ,gnibbos morf flesreh pots t'ndluoc htelyB .kcals tnew ydob sih dna ,demmid seye dlareme lufituaeb esoht ni thgil ehT

kcohs ni yrujni sih ta hctulc ylno dluoc ohw ,kcen s'edualC hguorht decils rmyA s'dragledE sa demaercs htelyB .meht ta yllatnoziroh gnuws exa na fo ecils a ,dnopser dluoc edualC erofeB

"...on ,on ,oN" .mih ediseb gnileenk ,edualC ot kcab dehsur htelyB .ylisae doots htelyB sa ecaf reh no kool desufnoc a htiw ,os did rorepmE ehT .edualC fo tnorf ni gnidnats ylkciuq ,demaecrs htelyB "!pots ,lE"

"...m'I...gnitaeb yllautca s'tI" .ecaf reh otno wreg elims kaew a erofeb esirprus ni dias htelyB ",gnitaeb yllautca s'tI...si traeh ym ,edualC"—

Byleth moved their hands to her chest, and she flinched in surprise. She met his gaze in complete shock, and he tilted his head to the side in confusion. Byleth's eyes narrowed in concentration- she didn't have time for this!

Byleth pushed Claude to the side, standing up quickly. She held her sword in front of her, a pleading look on his face as she stood in front of Claude protectively.

Edelgard's axe slammed into Byleth's sword, a surprised expression on her face as Byleth opposed Edelgard. Edelgard reared her axe back to throw it at Claude, who was still sitting in a vulnerable position. Byleth's eyes widened, unable to stop her-

Jeralt barreled into Edelgard before Edelgard could throw her axe, sending the Emperor skidding across the ground. Jeralt came to a halt, and Byleth breathed a sigh of relief as she successfully averted Claude's death. She sunk to her knees, holding her chest before she began to cry tears of relief.

Claude crawled over to her, holding her in his arms. Byleth leaned into his embrace, sniffling. She watched as Edelgard stood, a stony look on her face as she marched over.

"My teacher, what...what are you doing?" Edelgard questioned, a hardened look on her face. "I thought he killed you...I was about to avenge you, but you are alive, and...and protecting him..?"

"I-I...I love him," Byleth blurted out, immediately feeling foolish for telling Edelgard this as the Emperor narrowed her eyes. "El, please, we can't...We can't do this-"

"Claude stands in our way," Edelgard snarled, although Byleth was sure that part of her justification was jealousy from Claude. She raised her axe again, and Byleth frowned. The Emperor was usually much more willing to listen... "I will not let any of our feelings stop my goal!"

"Edelgard...listen," Claude interrupted, clutching at his Sword of Begalta just in case Edelgard attempted to try and attack him. He sighed, running his free hand through his hair as he pondered about the lives that he could avoid losing... "The Alliance surrenders. I don't know how well you can lead Fódlan...but I'm not going to let anyone else suffer or die here."