A/n: I will go back and name the other chapters since I plan on adding more to the story. Hope you all enjoy this next chapter! Love you all!!!
~✨Celestial✨~
••••••••••••••••••••

The day after the battle at Zanado, Presea prepares for class. She brushes her hair, changes her clothes, and then departs to the Golden Deer classroom. She sat next to Leonie, who chatted with her until Byleth showed up and began the lecture.

An hour into the lecture, the class was interrupted by one of the Knights of Seiros. All eyes fell on the amor-cladded man as he apologized for the inconvenience and nodded toward the Pterolykos. "Lady Presea, Lady Rhea would like to speak with you."

A feeling of dread courses through Presea's veins as she stood from her seat and left the classroom. She headed to the second floor of the monastery, pushing the doors open to the audience chamber. On the opposite side of the room stood Lady Rhea and Seteth. She closed the doors behind her and carefully approached the duo. When she looked between them, she saw no anger whatsoever written on their faces or present in their body language. This stunned her.

"Ah, Presea, I am glad you came," Lady Rhea smiles.

"We have summoned you here today in order to discuss your actions during the last mission," Seteth added.

Presea swallowed the lump in her throat, squeezing her hands together in an attempt to prepare for what they had to say. She wasn't surprised they learned of her escape and waited to hear how they would punish her.

"Do not fret, child," Lady Rhea reassures the distraught girl. "For I am proud of you."

The ivory-haired girl looked up at the archbishop, eyes wide as saucers. "What? You're...not mad?"

"Of course, not. While your actions were dangerous, your quick thinking saved the life of a fellow student. You also wielded your magic perfectly and injured only those who did wrong."

"But, Lady Rhea, you were strongly against my joining a few days ago. What changed your mind?" Presea inquired.

"My hopes were for you to realize your true potential and disobey my orders," the archbishop answered. "I know you must possess some resent toward me for my actions, but I hope you will forgive me."

"Does this mean...?"

Lady Rhea nodded, her smile blossoming. "Yes. From now on, you will be able to accompany your fellow students on missions. I expect to hear great things in the future."

Presea's heart raced inside her chest. She placed a hand over it as she tried to remain levelheaded. "Thank you, Lady Rhea. I do have one more question before I am dismissed."

"You may ask anything of me," the archbishop stated.

"How did you know I left the monastery?"

"One of the students spotted you and informed me of your departure."

"I see," Presea said. She knew Lady Rhea was lying, but she decided to zip her lips and drop the topic. "Once again, thank you, Lady Rhea. I will not disappoint you."

The archbishop nodded. "I know you never will, my child."

"Before you depart, Lady Presea," Seteth spoke up after a prolonged silence. "We've informed the professor of this month's mission and would like to share the details with you, as well."

"Of course. What will our mission be?" The young girl asked.

"We have received reports that Lord Lonato has rallied troops against the Holy Church of Seiros," Seteth explained.

Her eyebrows scrunched together at hearing the name. "Lord Lonato?"

"He is a minor lord of the Kingdom. He has been showing hostility towards the church for some time now," Lady Rhea exclaimed.

"A vanguard unit from the Knights of Seiros is already on its way to his stronghold, Castle Gaspard. Lord Lonato's army is nothing compared to the knights. It's quite possible the rebellion has already been suppressed," Seteth said.

"Even so, I would like for your class to travel with the knights' rear guard to deal with the aftermath."

"War zones are unpredictable. We do not expect you will have cause to battle, but be prepared for the worst."

Presea nodded. "Understood."

"There is one person we'd like you to meet before you depart," the archbishop proclaimed.

A woman in armor walked up, standing beside the young girl. "Excuse me. You sent for me, Lady Rhea?"

Lady Rhea gestured to the woman. "This is Catherine. She will be leading the knights whom you will be accompanying."

Catherine turned and faced Presea, bowing politely. "Nice to meet you. We've heard a lot about you, Lady Presea. Never in my life have imagined I would get to meet a Pterolykos. If you need anything, just ask."

"A pleasure to meet you, Catherine," Presea smiled politely.

"She is one of our bravest knights, and that is no small feat," Lady Rhea said. "Only an exceptional few have what it takes to join the Knights of Seiros. This mission should prove useful in demonstrating to you and your fellow students how foolish it would be to ever turn their blades on the church."

The cerulean-eyed girl heard the dark undertone of the archbishop's voice, but decided to ignore it. With a polite bow, she dismissed herself.

Presea left the audience chamber, inhaling and exhaling in an attempt to calm her racing heart. She couldn't wait to tell Claude about the good news and how the other Golden Deer students would react. She rushed down the stairs as fast as she could, but she was stopped when she rounded the corner and someone grabbed her hand. She nearly lost her footing from the sudden tug and placed her free hand against the wall, turning her head to see who had grabbed her. "By the goddess, Claude..."

"Where're you off to in such a hurry, Princess?" He asked with his infamous playful smirk. He released her hand once seeing she wasn't going to walk away.

"I was heading back to the classroom," Presea responds honestly.

"By that look on your face, I'm guessing whatever Lady Rhea had to say was good."

Presea bit her lip in an attempt to quell her excitement and prevent from blurting out the truth. She pushed down her emotions, grabbed his hand, and dragged him out of the reception hall. "I want to tell everyone the good news." When they reached the doorway of the classroom, she suddenly stopped and faced Claude. "Wait, why were you waiting by the stairs?"

"I may or may not have snuck out of class to follow you," he confesses casually.

"How did you get past the professor?"

"Teach was occupied with writing on the chalkboard. That's when I saw the perfect opportunity to escape," he winked at her.

"You really couldn't wait patiently?" She raised a brow, unamused at his playful gesture.

"You plan on asking me a hundred more questions?" Claude chortled with a sassy undertone.

Presea scowled at him, releasing his hand and crossing her arms over her chest. "Maybe I won't tell you the good news after all. I'll tell the others and leave you out of the loop."

"H-Hey, Pres!" Claude shouted as she walked away from him and entered the classroom.

All eyes fell on her as she offered her professor and classmates a giddy smile. "I'm sorry for interrupting, but I've an announcement to make. May I, Professor?"

Byleth nodded. "Yes."

"Give me one moment." Presea closed the doors to the classroom, preventing Claude from entering. He banged on the doors, begging her to open them. She ignored him and told the others how Lady Rhea gave her permission to help with missions.

"Thank goodness..." Lysithea sighed in relief.

"Yes!" Leonie and Hilda cheered.

"This is a most welcomed surprise," Lorenz said.

"We definitely have to celebrate!" Raphael chanted.

"What's with you and celebrations?" Lysithea questioned the burly boy, but she never received an answer.

"I'm glad Lady Rhea has given you permission, Presea," Ignatz stated.

"As am I," said girl replied. "Oh, and can you all not mention this to Claude?"

"Does this have to do with the fact you locked him out of the classroom?" Hilda giggled.

"Maybe..." Presea sat down beside Leonie, allowing Byleth to continue his lecture. They ignored Claude, who was still locked out of the classroom and desperately trying to get back inside.

Once the lecture ended an hour later, Presea unlocked the doors and opened them. She glanced around and found Claude sitting under one of the Golden Deer banners. He had one leg stretched out in front up him while the other was propped up and acting as an armrest for his left arm. Looking to his left, he locked eyes with his best friend. "I can't believe you actually locked me out of the classroom."

Presea glared down at him, crossing her arms. "Every time I look over at you during lectures, you're scribbling down what concoction you're going to make next and a list of people who you want to try it on. No wonder you don't do so well when the professor pulls you aside and asks you questions that he covered during the lecture."

Claude grinned, only having had listened to the first sentence because of how intrigued he was. "So, you look at me during lectures, huh?"

The ivory-haired girl shook her head with a sigh of disbelief. "Of course, that's the only thing you heard me say..." She peered back into the classroom and dropped her arms. "Well, it doesn't matter. I'm heading to the dining hall for lunch."

"Then I'll—"

"Be staying here," she interjects before he could finish his sentence. "Ignatz and Lysithea will be joining me for lunch. Sorry, Claude."

Claude watched as Presea, Lysithea, and Ignatz headed to the dining hall. His grin widened as he watched their retreating forms. "Playing hard to get, huh? Sorry, Pres, but you're not going to win this time."

<——————<<<<<

Hours passed and Claude now sat at one of the tables in the reception hall. He sighed heavily with a grimace. "Maybe she will win this one after all." He'd been going around to his fellow Golden Deer to learn about the good news Presea told them, but everyone, even the professor, kept their lips sealed. No one would utter a word about what the girl shared with them.

Another sigh escaped Claude as he rested his chin in the palm of his hand. "There's gotta be someone who will tell me."

"Claude," someone called out.

Said boy turned his head and spotted Byleth. "Oh, hey, Teach. Something you need?"

The professor held out his gloved hand and showed him what he was holding. "I believe this is yours." In his palm was Claude's earring.

The brunette's hand flew to his left ear. When he felt nothing there, he eyed the earring in Byleth's hand. He sighed in relief as he took the piece of jewelry from his professor. "I had no idea I lost it. Thanks, Teach." He put the earring back where it belonged and made sure the clasp snapped into place before lowering his hand. "I wouldn't know how to face Presea if I'd lost it for good."

Byleth sat across from Claude, wondering what he meant. "What do you mean?"

"Presea made this earring for me eight years ago for my birthday. I haven't taken it off since," Claude responds, remembering the fond memory as if it were yesterday. He didn't realize he was smiling until the professor pointed it out. Out of embarrassment, he scratched the back of his neck. "Could you do me a favor and not tell her I lost it?"

"Of course," Byleth nodded.

"Thanks again, Teach."

Claude watched the professor walk away as he examined his earring a second time to make sure it was clasped tightly and wouldn't fall out of his ear a second time. Once he was done examining his earring, he decided to search for Presea.

Trudging out of the reception hall, Claude searches the monastery for his best friend. He checked the training grounds and the dormitory before heading to the fishing pond. When he didn't spot her amongst the crowd of students who were enjoying the fishing tournament, he moved on to the greenhouse. Pushing the doors open, he found who he was looking for. Unfortunately for him, Sylvain was currently flirting with Presea.

Hearing the redhead flirt with his best friend caused Claude to frown. As he listened and watched, he could feel jealousy bubbling in his chest. When he saw Sylvain try to touch Presea's shoulder, something inside him snapped. He rushed over and slung an arm around her shoulders, pulling her away from the flirt before he could touch her. "Sorry, but I need to borrow her for a sec."

Sylvain was surprised by Claude's sudden appearance and how quickly he swept Presea away. By the time he snapped out of his perturbed state, the duo was gone.

Claude escorted Presea away from the greenhouse and toward the dining hall. The girl was puzzled as to why they were heading there and stopped. "Why're we heading to the dining hall?"

"Oh, y'know, to enjoy a dish or two," Claude casually responds, his arm still wrapped around her shoulders as if he were protecting her from the other students.

"I already ate with Lysithea and Ignatz," she sighed.

"But I bet you didn't have dessert."

"What if I did?"

"Then you're going to have some more."

Reluctantly, Presea followed Claude and wound up back in the dining hall. She sat down at one of the tables, waiting for her best friend to return. When he did, there was a bowl of peach sorbet in his hand. With an innocent smile, he placed it in front of her.

Peach sorbet was Presea's favorite dessert, but she didn't touch it. Glancing between the frozen treat and Claude, she questioned him. "Are you trying to bribe me?"

"What?" Claude feigns innocence. "I know peach sorbet is your favorite. Is it a crime to give your best friend their favorite dessert?"

"Well, no, but...I can tell you're doing this to get something out of me. You've done it for years. It's not going to work, Claude. Using my favorite dessert to get me to talk no longer works."

Claude's smile fell. "You really know me too well..."

"Spill it," she groaned. "What do you want?"

"Feisty, aren't we?" He chortled. When he saw her unamused expression, he cleared his throat and apologized. "Sorry. I just want to know what you told the others."

Presea picked up the spoon, pushing the peach sorbet around in the bowl. "I heard from Marianne that you've been asking around in hopes someone would tell you. You really want to know, don't you?" She grinned, tearing her eyes away from her dessert and meeting Claude's emerald gaze.

The boy hung his head in defeat. "You're really not going to tell me..."

"I'm deciding whether to make you suffer a little longer or tell you now," she said with a shrug of her shoulders. She took a spoonful of peach sorbet and placed it in her mouth, savoring the sweet and delectable taste.

Claude's grin returned. "So that means bribing you with sweets still works."

The girl pulled the spoon out of her mouth. "No. I just think you pestering our classmates is my fault."

There was a hopeful gleam in Claude's eyes. "That definitely means you're gonna tell me, right?"

Presea chewed on the inside of her cheek before sighing. "Fine. But remember, it has nothing to do with the fact that you brought me peach sorbet." Eager to hear what she had to say, Claude leant forward in his seat. Presea saw this and couldn't help but smile as she filled him in on the good news. "Lady Rhea has given me permission to accompany you and the others on missions. Turns out, she wanted me to go against her commands."

"That's a little weird, but I'm not complaining. Now that you're officially able to join us on missions, I've got tons of schemes I want to try."

"As long as it's not against fellow students, I'm a hundred percent with you."

"This does call for a celebration," Claude remarks.

"Oh, no. No more celebrations for a while. If you really want to celebrate, go grab something to eat and keep me company. I know you haven't eaten all day," Presea said.

Claude smiled at his best friend. "I've got to admit, that's better than any celebration."

<——————<<<<<

The 30th of the Garland Moon has arrived. The Golden Deer were gathered at Magdred Way. After spending the last few weekends training outside of the monastery, the students and professor were ready for whoever or whatever came their way.

Claude, Presea, and Byleth stood in front of Catherine. The house leader couldn't hide his excitement after learning who she was. "It really is an honor to accompany Catherine, wielder of Thunderbrand. I hear you're intimidating enough to silence the howling winds!"

Byleth was puzzled after hearing the strange name. "What are you talking about?"

Cathrine held out her blade toward the trio. "You mean you don't know? My weapon is called Thunderbrand. It's one of the Heroes' Relics. A long, long time ago, the goddess bestowed divine weapons upon ten heroes, which were passed down to their descendants. It's an honor to wield, but I'm afraid there won't be any chance for that today. Our mission is to help clean up the aftermath, not to fight."

"I'm not so sure about that," Presea spoke up.

"Why's that?" The older woman inquired.

"As we were traveling, I detected a scent that was unfamiliar. It's faint, but it's growing stronger by the minute."

The knight cupped her chin with her thumb and index finger, intrigued by Presea's abilities. "I'm impressed and I have yet to see you in battle. Pterolykoses are fascinating, indeed."

Claude glances over at the snowy-haired girl. "Do you think it could be Lonato?"

Presea frowned, wishing she could give him a proper answer. "I'm not sure. I wish I knew more."

The boy offered her a reassuring smile. "Hey, we're grateful for everything you do, Pres. At least we know to be on high alert now." His eyes traveled over to Catherine, deciding to ask her a question. "Why would Lonato incite such a reckless rebellion? He had to have known he had no chance of winning."

"It all goes back to the Tragedy of Duscur," Catherine replied.

"I've heard of it," Byleth comments.

"It happened about four years ago. The king of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus was murdered by the people of Duscur," Claude explained. "That about covers it, right?"

Catherine nodded. "To put it simply, yes. But there's more to that story. They had accomplices within the Kingdom as well. Lord Lonato's son, Christophe, was one of them, and so he was handed over to the church for execution."

"Among the accomplices, were their people dressed in red robes and horned black masks?" Presea asked.

The knight thought for a few second before shaking her head. "No. Are you searching for someone?"

Presea stared down at the ground. "Something like that..."

The professor asked one of the questions buzzing around in his head. "The church executes criminals?"

"Speaking from the church's perspective, we simply passed judgement according to our doctrine in place of the Kingdom, which was in complete chaos," Catherine explained. "Whatever the truth behind that incident may be, Lord Lonato has harbored resentment to the church ever since. Well... To be more specific, his grudge isn't only against the church. It's also against the one who turned Christophe over to them..."

Suddenly, a soldier stormed over with urgent news. "Report! The enemy is approaching! They can't be avoided. Their numbers are far greater than we predicted. They used the fog to slip past the knights' perimeter!"

"It looks like our mission just changed, Professor." Catherine then met Presea's gaze. "Let's see what you're capable of, Lady Presea. Everyone, prepare for battle!"

The Golden Deer and Knights of Seiros readied themselves for battle. Presea transformed, following her allies into the clearing of a forest shrouded in fog. Her nose wiggled as she detected numerous of scents around her and the others.

"With this fog, it's impossible to tell where the enemy might be...or how many of them there are. The enemy could be trying to surround us, but they shouldn't have enough soldiers to form a tight circle. Take down anyone who breaks through the fog, and let's push through!" Catherine commanded, wielding Thunderbrand with both hands.

Fortunately, the fog proved to be no obstacle for Presea. Her eyes radiated a deep blue as she watched the enemies maneuver through the dense fog. She listened as the sound of blades clashing filled her ears. She felt the static of magic as she searched the fog. When she spotted a dark mage hiding in a grove, she growled as she made him her target and dashed toward him.

Claude heard her threatening growl and turned just as she dashed deeper into the fog. He, along with Hilda and Lysithea, followed her. Byleth allowed them to pursue the Pterolykos while he and the other Golden Deer students dealt with any soldiers targeting them.

Lysithea shot a ball of miasma toward a single soldier while Claude fires an arrow at another enemy that nearly hit Hilda with his blade. When he finished the adversary off, he turned and realized Presea was no longer in his line of sight.

The winged wolf dashed into the grove, fangs bared as she weaves through the trees. The dark mage spotted her and shouted, "I won't let you anywhere near Lord Lonato!" He threw a fireball at her, but she easily dodged. She nimbly avoided each spell he casted in her direction, not a single one hitting its mark.

Seeing a break in the dark mage's barrage of spells, Presea skidded to a halt and casted her own spell. A powerful torrent of wind entrapped the adversary, suffocating him. He desperately gasped for air, but the dark mage was dead in seconds. His body collapsed to the ground as the fog dissipated. Visibility returned, allowing all to see.

Peering through the trees and across the forest opening, Presea spotted Lord Lonato as he bellowed at the top of his lungs. "There's nothing left to hide you or the filthy Central Church from the judgement of the goddess!"

With a howl, the Pterolykos announced her presence to the lord. The sound grabbed Lord Lonato's attention and he gasped. "Impossible! The last Pterolykoses were wiped out nearly two decades ago!"

Catherine caught up with Presea and partnered up with her. "Let's finish this, Lady Presea." The duo rush toward Lord Lonato, killing anyone who tried to block their path.

Coming face to face with the lord, he glared at them with a growl. "You! I will be the one to kill you both, no other!"

"You have lost all sense of justice. You want to fight us?" Catherine scoffed. "So be it. We'll send you to meet your goddess." Gripping Thunderbrand, she charged forward with a battle cry. Her sword clashed with his lance, providing Presea the perfect opening. A spear of lightning formed at her command and shot forward. It pierced the man's chest, causing him to scream out and fall off his horse.

As he crumpled to the ground, he groaned and muttered, "That vile woman... Christophe... Forgive me..." With those final words, Lord Lonato was dead.

Catherine stared down at the man's body with a heavy sigh. "I never thought I'd see Lonato meet this fate." She turned around just as the Knights of Seiros and Golden Deer rendezvoused with her and Presea. "Well done, everyone. Let's gather our troops and go."

Claude, Presea, and Byleth stood across from one another. Remaining in her wolf form, she unconsciously leaned against Claude's leg as he began petting her. "Nice work, Teach. Still...that fight left a foul taste in my mouth. That aside, did you see how Catherine fought?"

"I'm stronger," Byleth teases with a faint smirk.

Unable to hide his amusement, the house leader chuckled. "Ha! I love the confidence, Teach. But you're no match for the Heroes' Relics. They're on a whole different level. And so is a certain someone..." He looked down at Presea, whose eyes were sealed due to his gentle ministrations and didn't hear his last sentence. "Makes you wonder about those legends..."

"What legends?" The professor inquired.

"Oh, it's nothing. Just the usual fanciful nonsense. An ancient Relic that once cut a mount in half with a single swing. That's what they say, anyway. But as amazing as Thunderbrand is, I don't think it fits that description. Apparently, Relics can harness tremendous power for those with a compatible Crest. Though you can technically use one so long as you have any Crest at all. I dunno. Long story short, I'd like to try cutting a mountain in half someday. And, of course, you've probably heard a couple of legends about Pterolykoses. You've either heard they were divine messengers that traveled the entire world as liaisons for the goddess or they're mythical creatures sent by the goddess to keep us humans in check. You can pick which legend you like better."

"Ooh! Are you talking about Relics and Pterolykoses? You'll be able to wield a Relic soon, Claude! I just know it! After all, you've already been selected as the next head of House Riegan! And you have Pressy. You're one lucky guy," Hilda said with a smirk as she joined them.

"Easy there, Hilda. I don't know how apt "soon" is. Presea is my childhood friend and my grandfather is still unbearably healthy." Claude saw the confusion on Byleth's face and continued. "Is this news to you, Teach? Yours truly was recently recognized as a legitimate child of House Riegan. They possess one of the Heroes' Relics too, though I've yet to see it."

"Just recently?" The professor asked.

"I officially joined House Riegan only last year. Before then, I lived with my father and Presea. When I learned that my mother was the daughter of an Alliance noble, I was so surprised I thought the whole world was pulling a fast one on me for a week."

Hilda connected the puzzle pieces. "So that means your mother is Duke Riegan's daughter, right? Where is she now?"

With a sorrowful gaze, Claude looked away from the fuchsia-haired warrior. "I can't say. My mother's currently living in a different world than the one she grew up in and has no desire to return home."

"Um, okay. You sure have a lot of secrets, don't you?"

Claude continued to scratch the top of Presea's head. "I'm just keeping a promise to my parents. Make of that whatever you will. In exchange for my so-called secrecy, I'm free to do as I please, which is why I decided to see what the other side of my family was like. That's how I found out about this strange Crest I bear..."

Soon, Leonie and Ignatz joined them.

"Professor, Claude. It sounds like the troops will be withdrawing soon. We should return as well," Leonie stated.

"We won," the bespectacled boy said. "We should be celebrating. Instead, we're heading back with heavy hearts..."

"Whoa there!" Claude gasped. "What's the matter? You look as sad as a kitten without any yarn. If we hadn't done what we did, the rebel army would have followed this road all the way to the monastery. And they would have crushed all the little villages along the way. We stopped that from happening. You should be proud."

"Sorry to intrude," Catherine said as she walked up to the students and professor. "But this incident may be more serious than anticipated." She held out her hand, revealing the scroll she discovered. "I found this on Lord Lonato. It's a note that mentions a plan to assassinate Lady Rhea. We can't tell who sent it, so the source is suspect, but the content is too disturbing to ignore. We must report this to Lady Rhea right away. I hope that it's nothing."

Presea reluctantly pulled away from Claude, howling at Catherine. The knight was unsure of what the creature wanted, but Claude was more than glad to translate. "She wants to fly ahead and give the scroll to Lady Rhea."

"You can understand her?" Catherine asked with furrowed brows.

"Well, yeah. We've been together a long time."

The older woman didn't question him further and handed the scroll to Presea. "I appreciate your help, Lady Presea." The wolf took the scroll gently into her mouth and took off. Catherine watched her fly through the sky with a grin. "You're a lucky boy."

Claude exhaled with a groan, muttering to himself. "Why does everyone keep saying that?"