As she explains, and even begins to yell, the king remains silent. She recounts the history taught throughout Fódlan. For a moment she even seems to delve a little into her own past. A time in which she had left his home and seemed to have come back scarred. It leaves him taken aback, but still he continues to listen. His own heart bleeding at the thought of trusted family doing such a thing, and to his stepsister no less. It’s only when she stops and poses the hardest questions he’s ever been asked does he finally open his mouth.
“I would be lying if I said my goal was to try and reunify Fódlan.” His eyes close, if only for a moment, as he pulls a sharp breath between his teeth. “The Church may have played a part in the wars that split this country, and while I myself do not place much faith in our goddess I believe there was more to those events than just the Church.”
Dimitri pauses again, and though it pains him he glances out at the bloody battlefield before him. At where Dedue has fallen. It makes him feel ill at the sight. He feels his body threaten to waver as he inhales deeply again to steel himself.
“We can not truly say for certain what happened in those days and whether the Church truly instigated such a division. As for recent events…” His voice goes into a bit of a low growl at the thought. He knows for this Edelgard was right. Where had the Church been during the Tragedy? Where were they to help create peace with the world outside of Fódlan? Where were they when their people were suffering the most?
It makes the ghosts at his sides scream. They’re almost louder than the empress before them in their confusion and desire for blood. They want the woman before them, but now he can also feel the venom and lust for the archbishop threatening to rise. Had Rhea truly been deceiving them all like this for so long? There was no denying that the Church fought tooth and nail for their beliefs.
Perhaps, though, Dimitri wasn’t so different. For the fallen he would let no one stand between him and his goals. But was he ever as selfish as Rhea — no…as Seiros, to put those beliefs so above his own people he’d let them go out to slaughter without a second thought? Even if he was further worse for wear he knew in time he wouldn’t be able to bear such crimes. His heart crushes itself in his chest at the mere thought.
And yet, there was still more people involved in such tragedies. Where did the horrific deeds of the Church even start and end? Part of him truly wants to be sick now as he thinks of their uncle and stepmother. How they could lay waste to an innocent group of people, and that they seemed to even have a hand in this very war now. There was a part of him that had suspected Arundel, but hearing of it with such solid confirmation?
“You say the Church holds a place in not helping those that suffer from these tragedies, but what do you have to say for yourself with keeping Lord Arundel so close?” His eyes narrow once more as he brings his gaze harshly upon her. “There is truth to what you say about the Church. But what makes your cause so noble when you work with those that caused ruin at Duscur? When it’s continuing to take innocent lives and opens the way for more senseless violence at the hands of our uncle?”
The thought of so easily being swayed by her words twists in his gut. His friends, those who followed him, and those who wanted to fight back deserved better than such betrayal. Their deaths have to have more meaning than him turning his back on them or he’d be no better than the other factions in this war. He has to bring them peace and make sure his people suffer no more. It’s the most important thing he can do as their king.
“Edelgard von Hresvelg, Emperor of the Adrestian Empire, I will use my blade to help put a stop to the Church’s tyranny.” He takes a pause then. Every nerve in his body feels like a live wire as the phantom hands begin to slowly grab at him. “But know that this does not mean I trust you. It is a temporary alliance, as I am only doing this for my people and those I have lost. If you give me cause to believe that you will betray me and allow those that you ally yourself with to cause more bloodshed at the hands of the innocent, I will not hesitate to remove you from this world myself.”
As the agreement for an alliance escaped his lips, she stood for a few seconds, before she dropped Aymr and her shield. She wavered. For the first time in what seems like YEARS. The mighty Adrestrain Emperor wavered in front of a potential enemy. Edelgard’s shoulder sank, her face once flushed became revealed. She soon dug in her armor, taking out a white horn. She put the end of it to her lips and it blew. It was loud to be sure. But as soon as the sound echoed, the sound of war slowly faded. Orders of attending the wounded were occuring. Even if the wounded was the Kingdom Soldiers. To say that the Soldiers of the Kingdom were confused was the understatement of the entire decade.
“Thank you, Dimitri... what you’ve done was brave.. and I... Really didn’t want to fight you.. or worse, kill you.” She said. She leaned to the side, nearly collapsing before she caught herself with a step.
“I will explain everything, Dimitri. You have my word. And if you still deem me as evil incarnate, I will not stop you for taking my life. However, I cannot protect you from what horrors will occur when I am gone.” She stated.
“Lord Arundel is under my employ because he thinks he is the puppet master. He is letting me rage this war on Fodlan to unite it, only for him to use it as grounds for experiments... Ariarhod... is one such example. Those Javalin of lights that flattened that town were no doubt by Those Who Slither In The Dark.” She frowns.
“...Truth be told, Lord Arundel had died many years ago. The man whom we both knew is no longer. That man is the leader of Those Who Slither In The Dark. I keep tabs on them, and I have told them to not interfere with this war unless absolutely neccesary. Ariarhod was just a show of power, but I had not given the command to do such a thing.” She looked serious as she said that. “After this war, I aim to fight Those Who Slither behind the public eye and destroy them and make them atone for all the crimes they have committed.” She finally picked up her axe and shield.
“Come. You shall meet the rest of the Black Eagle Strike Force, as well as the Professor.” She looked at him. A small smile was on her lips. “As for all the ones who gave their lives for this fight.. they will not be forgotten Dimitri. Especially Dedue.. I will make sure he is immortalized to the worlds’ history.”
Edelgard turned her back towards Dimitri. She had began to walk back to where they came. Back to their camp before the battle took place. She was walking with the world on her shoulders, the secret of Fodlan’s darkest history on her back. Yet, in that moment, she didn’t seem phased by any of it...
That was until only after a few steps she collapsed. Her axe and shield once again on the ground. Her steady breathing became rigid as she cursed to herself. She slowly pushed herself up, before she laid back down. She soon looked back at Dimitri.
“..I was really hoping that this wouldn’t happen in front of anyone... Especially that of you, Dimitri... could you help me?”