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It’s under a full moon that Byleth makes her way to the Goddess tower after five long years of darkness.
The night is quiet, and where there once was life within the monastery walls, there is only stillness.
Byleth knows the path to the tower like the back of her hand, though she had only been there once before.
That night of the ball, the night they had met here.
Yet even after all these years, she had committed it to memory.
Because she said she would return here.
Because she had made a promise to her.
The moment Byleth steps foot inside the Goddess tower, she knows she is not alone.
She’s as certain of it as she is that there is blood in her veins and breath in her lungs.
When she rounds the corner, there’s a familiar figure clad in red and gold facing the window, a heart shaped window on her back.
Byleth stills as the figure turns to her slowly, locks of white hair swaying in the breeze.
Lilac eyes peek out from white lashes and Byleth is stunned into silence.
“You’re late, my teacher.”
Edelgard.
The woman in red’s steps are calculated as she draws closer, always watching, always so refined and careful.
Her body eclipses the moonlight from the window, and Byleth can’t move, can’t speak.
Time had been kind to Edelgard.
Byleth can’t help the way her eyes roam over the other woman’s form… across the sharp line of her chin and cheekbones where there once had been remnants of baby fat, over her squared shoulders, posture rigid yet regal… over the slim curve of her waist and hips.
Her eyes flit up to meet Edelgard’s and her gaze is hard.
She says nothing.
“Have you no words for me?” Edelgard asks softly, a knowing but somber look in her eyes.
There were lots of things she wanted to say, lots of things she wanted to do.
Starting off with “Why?” and ending with her lips on Edelgard’s, or her sword in her chest.
She could not forgive her for the death of her father.
She would hear no excuses for the path of betrayal she chose and the trail of blood that followed her.
“I see.”
Edelgard stops where she is, the light of the moon reflecting off her golden headpiece and scattering beams of light across the stone floor.
It’s quiet for a tense moment before Edelgard draws her sword.
Byleth’s calloused hand finds the hilt of her own, and within a beat, Edelgard is charging forward at her.
She draws her sword, bringing it up to meet Edelgard’s blow, not faltering even a step.
Edelgard’s lilac eyes meet hers sharply, so similar to the eyes of the woman who could see right through her all those years ago.
“Even though our swords may cross now…” She says, a strange tinge of sadness evident in her voice.
Edelgard swings her sword with the practiced grace of Adrestian royalty, but with the edge of a mercenary that Byleth herself taught her.
Byleth cries out, the sparks of anguish within her heart kindling to a full flame as their swords meet again and again.
She pushes against Edelgard’s sword, forcing her to take a step back.
I will never forgive you.
She swears it.
She shoves Edelgard back, continuing her onslaught of attacks as the woman effortlessly parries each one.
Memories of them sparring together at the training grounds flicker through Byleth’s mind like an old film reel as she watches Edelgard’s fluid movements, the rhythm of their dance familiar yet so different now.
Within moments, their blades are at each other’s necks.
The tip of the Sword of the Creator touches the delicate skin of Edelgard’s neck, right above her carotid artery.
It would be so easy to slice through, to end this once and for all.
Though Byleth knows, deep down, that even if Edelgard’s own blade didn’t rest against her own neck, she couldn’t find it within herself to do it.
Their gazes meet, and it’s quiet once more before Edelgard speaks.
“... There’s no denying our chosen paths never will.”
Edelgard withdrawals her sword, sheathing it and turning her back to Byleth.
Perhaps that was her first mistake.
She begins to walk away, and Byleth can’t help the panic and anger and longing that overrides everything logical inside her head.
Her body moves before she can process it, grabbing Edelgard’s arm and pushing until her back hits the stone wall.
Edelgard’s eyes widen marginally, surprise and maybe a little bit of fear evident on her face.
Then Byleth’s blade is pressed underneath her chin, her eyes searching Edelgard’s face for an answer unknown to the both of them.
“Byleth--”
She applies more pressure, drawing a little bit of blood as Edelgard swallows.
“I’ll kill you.” She says.
Another promise.
Edelgard says nothing.
“I’ll kill you.” She says again, more to convince herself than anything.
“Do it then.” Edelgard whispers.
Byleth’s sword falters as her hand begins to tremble.
“Do it.” She challenges, lifting her chin.
“Enough.”
“You can’t.”
“I said enough.”
Edelgard leans in closer.
“Your path lies across my grave, yet you still cannot find the courage to walk it.”
Byleth applies more pressure on her sword and a bead of sweat runs down from Edelgard’s temple to her clavicle.
Her eyes follow the motion, enraptured by the way Edelgard breathes and the pulse that visibly races at her neck.
Edelgard’s eyes reflect the picture of cornered prey.
She should kill her.
She knows she should.
However, the mere thought of ending her life here doesn’t satiate her anguish in any way.
In fact, it only serves to make it worse.
Byleth finally lowers her sword, and it’s quiet save for the sound of their breathing mingling together.
She feels conflicted, torn between revenge and lust… her once devout belief in Edelgard warring with the pain of losing her father.
Edelgard eyes flit to Byleth’s mouth, she wets her lips, and the choice is made for her.
All her resolve is thrown out the window, and she can no longer resist her basest desires, the magnetic pull of Edelgard’s orbit.
Byleth drops her sword to the floor and crashes her lips against the other woman’s.
It’s not gentle or kind, like she'd imagined it would be all those years ago, but instead bruising and all devouring, as if Byleth wanted to make Edelgard a part of her forever.
Edelgard returns the kiss, twisting her fingers in Byleth’s seafoam hair as she moans into her mouth.
Byleth’s own hands find their way to her waist and the nape of her neck, her hands trailing flames of heat across the soft planes of Edelgard’s body.
It’s messy and possessive the way Byleth maps out the territory of the emperor’s mouth with her tongue… trailing over her canines and licking at the roof of her mouth.
Edelgard gasps softly as Byleth presses her harder against the stone.
They only break away for a moment to catch their breath, and a trail of spit connects their mouths.
Edelgard is flushed a pretty red color, panting and looking thoroughly debauched by a simple kiss.
Byleth can’t imagine a more erotic sight in her whole life.
When she dives back in, feverishly kissing the empress, she finds Edelgard’s hands have trailed down to cup her breasts.
She quickly pins the other woman’s hands to the wall and breaks the kiss.
“Don’t touch me until I say you can.”
Edelgard glares up at her, but complies.
Byleth leans in to press her mouth to where the emperor’s jaw meets her neck, sucking and leaving dark marks wherever she can.
She can feel Edelgard’s hands trembling from her grasp.
When Edelgard throws her head back and moans all soft and pretty, Byleth feels a hot coil of pleasure building in her gut.
“Stay.” She murmurs lowly, releasing her hands so she can unclasp the back of Edelgard’s dress.
It takes a moment --as the emperor’s clothing is rather complex-- but soon her gown and armor falls to the floor, pooling at her ankles, leaving Edelgard bare in only her underclothes and boots.
Byleth latches her mouth to the newly exposed skin of her neck, trailing her hand underneath Edelgard’s smallclothes and over her navel.
The woman shivers under her hands, abdomen jumping at the contact and fingers twitching with the need to touch.
Yet she remains obedient, keeping her wrists up against the wall, as if Byleth were still holding them there.
Byleth’s warm hand cups her right breast, and Edelgard moans, knees weak at the mere contact.
She brings the other hand up to her other breast, circling her thumbs over erect nipples and relishing in the whimpers that spill from the emperor’s mouth.
Byleth pinches them, twisting and releasing and Edelgard keens.
She slides the strap of Edelgard’s smallclothes over her shoulder, baring access to her breast as she brings her mouth to it and sucks.
Edelgard pants, unable to control herself from tangling her hands in Byleth’s hair as she throws her head back once more and moans.
Byleth allows it, single mindedly focused on suckling, pinching and humming against Edelgard’s chest.
Her other hand drags her nails up the inside of Edelgard’s thigh, teasing yet slowly making her way to her destination.
“Please, my teacher…” Edelgard moans.
Byleth feels the hot coils of pleasure shoot up her spine at the sound of Edelgard begging.
She presses her fingers against Edelgard’s clothed cunt, finding her panties drenched in her arousal.
“You’re so wet for me.”
Edelgard squirms, desperate for more as Byleth begins to move her hand.
Her fingers dig into Byleth’s armor, holding onto her like a lifeline as she steadily increases the pressure, running her fingers through her folds and teasing over her clit.
Edelgard’s whole body shakes at the force of her arousal, crying out at the stimulation and moaning into Byleth’s shoulder.
Byleth takes her time in unraveling the emperor by her touch alone.
She savors each noise that comes from the emperor’s mouth like a gift, working her in circles until she’s breaking away and panting against her lips.
“More…” She sighs, soft and without her usual edge.
Byleth indulges her, shoving her panties to the side and sliding one slick finger inside her.
Edelgard cries out again and clenches at the feeling, so wet and tight Byleth feels breathless at the knowledge.
She increases the pace of her finger, pumping in and out until her whole hand is soaked and dripping down her wrist.
“You want another one?” She asks, kissing and biting at the side of Edelgard’s chin and earlobe.
“Please… please!”
Byleth slides another finger inside to join the first, steadily increasing her pace as Edelgard’s moans grow higher and higher in pitch.
She hitches her leg up to bracket Byleth’s hip, brows pinched and mouth dropping open as she pants and heaves with exertion.
Byleth curls her fingers experimentally, prodding and thrusting as Edelgard sobs against the wall.
“Right there?”
Edelgard nods deliriously, a broken moan blooming from her throat as Byleth hits that spot with as much precision as she wields a blade.
She circles the woman’s clit with her thumb, the dual stimulation becoming far too much as she teeters on the edge.
Edelgard pants against her mouth in between rough kisses, desperate and downright feverish in her desire.
It doesn’t take long for her to come undone under Byleth’s ministrations.
Edelgard moans Byleth’s name like a mantra, hips stuttering and her whole body tightening taut like a string as Byleth fingers her.
“Byleth, I’m going to--”
“Cum for me.” Byleth tells her, licking up the expanse of her neck as she throws her head back against the stone once more.
She picks up the pace, thrusting her fingers in and out until she can only hear the slick sounds of their joining and the emperor’s sobs echoing through the tower.
A startled sound tears itself free from Edelgard’s throat and suddenly she’s gushing against Byleth’s hand.
Byleth looks down between their bodies, awestruck, as she wrings the emperor of everything she’s worth, thrusting inside, removing her fingers, then inserting them again to wrest every last spurt of liquid from her body.
Her cunt clenches against her hand, and Byleth doesn’t think she’s ever been so turned on in her life, unable to stop herself from grinding against Edelgard’s slick thigh.
It’s only once Edelgard’s squirming and whimpering from overstimulation that she pulls out, mindful to be gentle despite her warring feelings toward the other woman.
To her mild surprise, Edelgard presses her lips against her own, sighing into her mouth as she recovers from her release.
It’s gentle in a way Byleth can’t bring herself to hate, though she quickly deepens it, breaching the emperor’s mouth to suck on her tongue.
Edelgard quakes in her arms, still overly sensitive as Byleth cups her breasts and ruts against her thigh.
“My teacher--” She whines, simmering arousal coloring her tone. “Byleth…”
“Quiet.” She says softly, “Unless you’d like to use that mouth of yours for something more productive.”
Edelgard’s face burns, and Byleth finds quiet satisfaction in her reaction.
“Very well.” The emperor says, promptly sinking to her knees.
Byleth is careful not to show her surprise. She had only intended to tease the woman, but this… this was a much better alternative.
While Edelgard works on removing her dagger holster and pulling down her shorts, Byleth takes it upon herself to ruin the emperor’s updo by tangling her hands through it, until the gold horns are discarded on the floor and her hair hangs long and silky at her back.
Looking down at her, hair down and face flushed, she looks like the woman she recognized from all those years ago. Not the Empire’s emperor, not the murderer who orchestrated the killing of her father. Just Edelgard.
She feels a strange pang of sadness in her chest where her heart should beat.
She doesn't have much time to dwell on it though before Edelgard is pulling down her tights, her breath hot on her belly as she presses her mouth to the exposed skin there.
Byleth sighs, grabbing a handful of Edelgard’s soft hair to ground her as the emperor kisses down her stomach.
Edelgard’s hands create goosebumps in their wake as they softly trace the planes of Byleth’s legs, hooking her fingers in her panties.
Edelgard’s lilac eyes are locked onto her own as she descends down, not looking away for a moment as she presses her mouth against Byleth’s clothed cunt.
Byleth sighs again, urging Edelgard forward with her hand in her hair.
Her cunt clenches in anticipation, and she can feel the wetness in her panties.
She uses one hand to leverage herself against the wall, combing through Edelgard’s hair with the other as she presses the flat of her tongue to the material.
She hums, taking a deep breath in before flicking her tongue over Byleth’s swollen clit.
A sharp sound escapes Byleth’s mouth, and Edelgard doubles down her efforts as she begins to suck and taste her through the fabric.
Byleth doesn’t think she’s ever felt anything more heavenly in her life, and Edelgard has barely started.
“Take them off.” She pleads, running her fingers encouragingly through the emperor’s hair.
Edelgard obeys, pulling down her panties at last.
Byleth shivers under the cold evening air as Edelgard looks her over, flicking her eyes up to hers again when she finally gets her mouth on her.
She gasps at the feeling of the emperor’s tongue on her as she laps at her sex, using the flat of her tongue to create even strokes of pleasure as she runs it through her folds and up towards her clit.
She uses her hand to lift her hood to gain better access, sucking and flicking at the swollen bud until Byleth’s shaking under her ministrations.
“Just like that.” She praises, throwing her head back.
The emperor moans at her words, and the vibrations only heighten the sensation.
“You --ah-- you like it when I praise you?” She teases, massaging Edelgard’s nape as she moans again and nods her head.
Byleth takes in a sharp breath at the feeling.
“Such a good girl.” She breathes, lost in the pleasure Edelgard’s giving her.
Edelgard keens and doubles down on her efforts, licking and sucking her sex like a woman starved and fuck, Byleth’s not going to last at this rate.
It’s not long before her hips begin to move, unconsciously chasing Edelgard’s mouth as she hums and buries her face in her cunt.
Byleth feels her orgasm boiling within her core, threatening to spill over as Edelgard continues to suckle and flick at her clit rhythmically.
She moans, holding Edelgard’s head tighter against her sex, the slick noises coming from down below only heightening her arousal.
“Gonna cum on your face. Would you like that?”
Edelgard moans desperately, lapping at her clit rapidly as Byleth’s belly tightens and her cunt clenches.
With one final pull at Edelgard’s hair and a choked sound, she’s cumming all over the emperor’s face.
A gush of slick trickles down her chin, still licking and sucking to ride her through the ebbs and flows of her pleasure.
“Fuck.” Byleth whines, unable to take her eyes off of Edelgard’s as she runs her tongue through her folds, effectively cleaning up her mess.
When the stimulation becomes too much, she pulls her off, guiding her back to her feet as their lips clash together once more.
She can taste herself on Edelgard’s lips, and the thought sends arousal coursing through her veins once more.
When they break away, Byleth’s lips latch to the emperor’s neck, kissing lightly and making Edelgard shiver in sensitivity.
“I want you on your back on the floor when I take you. Will you be good for me?.”
Edelgard whimpers at her words, nodding as Byleth continues her quest to mark up the emperor’s neck.
Once she’s satisfied with her work, she lets Edelgard arrange herself on top of her spread out gown, laying back with her hair framing her face like a halo.
Byleth removes her shoes, tights, and shorts, kneeling above Edelgard as the woman trembles beneath her with want.
She rucks up the emperor’s smallclothes to reveal her breasts once more, massaging and pinching at her nipples as Edelgard spreads her legs to accommodate her.
Byleth swings her leg over the other woman’s, finally settling on top of the other woman’s cunt.
Edelgard moans high and pretty, fisting her gown as Byleth begins to move, rocking her hips back and forth slowly.
The glide is slick and wet and Byleth feels white hot sparks of pleasure shoot up her spine at the feeling.
She moans in tandem with Edelgard, the sound echoing through the Goddess tower.
She rides her faster, breathless with the way Edelgard’s cunt feels against her own.
Byleth pulls Edelgard’s leg up to kiss, using it as leverage as she grinds against her harder, causing both women to cry out.
Sweat drips from Byleth’s sternum to her hip crease as she moves.
Edelgard is red to her chest, panting and whimpering beneath her.
Her eyes are glued to their joining, watching as Byleth smears the evidence of her release between their bodies.
Byleth increases her pace, relishing in Edelgard’s reactions… every hitch of her breath or the way she moves her hips up against Byleth’s only adding fuel to the fire.
She can feel the woman's swollen clit against her own, wet and hot and Byleth feels so close she can almost taste it.
Edelgard cums first to Byleth’s surprise, body tensing and a long drawn out moan escaping her.
Her cunt gushes once more, squirting between their bodies and wetting Byleth’s entire pelvis.
And at that, Byleth is gone.
Her vision whites out for a moment, her orgasm ripping through her so suddenly it's almost painful.
She continues to grind against her until Edelgard is whimpering beneath her in overstimulation.
She takes mercy on the emperor, finally slowing to a stop as she twitches and shakes in the aftershock.
It’s silent save for their mutual panting.
Edelgard reaches out for her.
“Byleth…”
The look on her face is one of longing. Something soft beneath the surface that never went away, something that had kindled between them all those years ago.
Byleth knows the same expression --the same desperation-- lies on her own face.
She hates it.
She hates how weak her resolve is when it comes to the emperor.
Hates how she cannot kill her despite her attempts.
Hates how there’s nothing more she wants than to reach out for Edelgard too… to tangle their hands together and not let go until they walk this path of blood together.
But she cannot forgive. She cannot understand.
She must forge a path that is her own without her.
Byleth stands up without a word, collecting her clothes as she begins to redress.
The disappointment and anguish hangs heavy in the air, and Byleth cannot bear to look at her.
Once she’s done, she sheathes her sword, turning to walk away when Edelgard speaks.
“Goodbye, my teacher…” She says, “When next we meet, one of us will breathe their last.”
Byleth does not spare her a glance as she walks away, leaving the Goddess tower and the memories of five years ago behind.
She vows to find the courage to walk the path to Edelgard’s demise.
She will not falter again.
That is a promise she makes to herself this time.