On the 12th of the Pegasus Moon, Presea wandered to the training grounds. There, she found Professor Hanneman and Professor Manuela chatting. Deciding not to disturb them, she claimed the area across the way to practice her spells. Transforming, she focused her incantations on one of the makeshift decoys before performing a spell that was intended to target multiple enemies. A chain of lightning strikes zapped the decoys and caused a small fire. Using a weak water spell, she quickly put out the flames.

Sitting on her hind legs, Presea wondered what other spells she should practice. While debating on what to do next, she felt a hand on her head. Turning her head, she saw it was Sylvain who was petting her.

"Someone's working hard," the redhead smiled down at her.

Returning to her human form, Presea wondered what Sylvain wanted. "Hi, Sylvain. Did you need something?"

"I don't need a reason to approach a beautiful girl, do I?" He asked.

She sighed, placing a hand on her hip. "This is you we're talking about. So...yes."

"You wound me," he feigned a wounded expression. "Anyway, I was hoping you'd join me for tea."

It was a little past noon and the mention of tea and sweets sounded perfect. "All right. I'll join you." Sylvain mentally celebrated as he and the girl left the training grounds.

Arriving in the courtyard, Presea was flabbergasted when she saw a table already set up with freshly baked tarts and brewed tea. When she received a whiff of the tea, she blinked owlishly. "Minty peach...?"

Sylvain pulled out one of the chairs for her. "I may have asked around to find out what your favorite tea is."

She sat down in the chair while Sylvain claimed the seat across from her. She thanked him when he poured her a cup. After placing the floral napkin in her lap, she took one of the fruity tarts and placed it on her plate. After taking a small bite and recognizing the taste, she met Sylvain's gaze. "Peach and Strawberry tarts, huh? It seems you found my weakness."

"Lorenz mentioned your love for everything peach. I figured anything peach would be fine," he said. "I never expected peaches would be your favorite."

"It's turned into an addiction lately," she giggled.

Sylvain took a sip of tea before placing it down. "After I heard what happened to you last month, I couldn't believe it. But when I heard you were alive, I was relieved."

"I'm...a little shocked," Presea confesses.

Sylvain gazed into her eyes. "Why's that?"

"We've never been particularly close. The only time we've ever really chatted is when you try to flirt with me."

"Hey, I may be a big flirt, but that doesn't mean I don't care. Your house isn't the only one that cares about you. So many others do. It's a shame you aren't with the Blue Lions..."

"Maybe if things were different, I might've been part of your house."

Sylvain finished his first cup of tea. "You mean with Claude."

Presea nodded. "Yeah. I owe him my life. Without him, I wouldn't be here."

The redhead hung his head. "If only I was Claude..."

"Envious, are we?" Someone snickered.

Sylvain and Presea turned their heads in the direction the voice came from and saw Claude. She watched him closely as he approached the table. "Where have you been?"

"Oh, y'know, goofing off with Teach," he shrugged his shoulders. "We were heading to the classroom when I overheard you two chatting."

"You were eavesdropping," she grumbled.

"Maybe just a little." Claude directed his full attention to Sylvain. "So, you wanna be me, huh? Never thought I'd hear someone say that."

"Well..." The redhead glanced down at his empty cup.

"Before this goes to your head, Claude, I suggest rendezvousing with the Professor. You wouldn't want to keep him waiting too long, would you?" Presea interrupted.

Claude gave in. "Yeah, you're right. But there's one thing I need to do before I go."

She arched a brow, curious as to what he was referring to. "What do you mean?"

"This." Claude grabbed her face with both of his hands and leaned down, placing his lips on herself and kissing her passionately.

Presea's eyes widen in bewilderment when realizing Claude was kissing her. She couldn't believe he was doing this in front of not only Sylvain but all the students currently in the courtyard. She hadn't expected him to kiss her while they were in front of a crowd. Not once did she expect him to kiss her without caring about who was around. Feeling her cheeks ignite a deep crimson, she didn't kiss back due to the embarrassment.

When Claude lifted his lips off of hers, he grinned and chuckled. "Guess I'll see you later, Princess." Releasing her face, he turned and walked away with a confident stride.

Presea, frozen where she sat, watched Claude leave the courtyard. Snapping back to reality, she covered her red cheeks with her hands and glanced over at Sylvain. She noticed his cheeks were just as red and he was looking everywhere but at her. "Wh-Why are you embarrassed?!"

"H-Hey, it's not my fault Claude's unpredictable. You should know that by now." He poured himself another cup of tea and cleared his throat. "As long as you're happy, I'm happy. But I never expected Claude to stake his claim of you in front of so many people..."

"You and me both..." Presea claimed another tart and finished her first cup of tea. "I hope you don't plan on leaving any time soon because I'm gonna need a lot more tea after that."

Sylvain picked up the ornamentally designed teapot and poured her another cup. "You know this isn't alcohol, right?"

"It's peach flavored. That's close enough for me."

<--------------<<<<<

Three days later, Presea left the classroom after Byleth's lecture and headed to the greenhouse to tend to her dahlias. In her pocket, she had stargazer lily seeds that Marianne gave her a couple days ago. She was hoping there'd be enough room near her dahlias to plant them.

Inside the greenhouse, Presea located her flowers and promptly got to work. She heard a group of students discussing what herbs to plant while she created holes for the seeds. Once in the ground, she covered them with dirt and promptly watered them alongside her dahlias. Placing the watering can aside, she stared at where she buried the stargazer lily seeds in anticipation as if they would sprout at any moment. "I know I just planted them, but I can't wait to see them in full bloom." Standing up, she glanced around the greenhouse and noticed apples growing on one of the trees. "Maybe I should grow my own peach tree."

"With how much you love them, I think you should," a voice said.

Presea turned around and greeted the person. "Good afternoon, Ignatz. What brings you to the greenhouse today?"

"Nothing in particular," he answered honestly. "How are you feeling?"

She knew exactly what he was referring and smiled. "I'm fine. I still don't remember transforming, though."

"It can be frightening when memories are missing, but I'm glad you're all right. We all are."

"Thank you." Presea glances down at the dahlias and admires the beautiful petals. That's when she remembered something. "How's your painting coming along?"

Ignatz eyes widen in bewilderment at her question. He tried to cover up the truth. "Wh-What are you talking about? I don't know anything about a painting."

"No need to hide it," she smiled reassuringly at him. "I saw you painting late into the night a couple days ago in the courtyard. You were really focused and I didn't want to bother you."

The bespectacled boy looked around the greenhouse and noticed they were alone. "To be honest, my dream isn't to become a knight. I want to be an artist, but my parents don't approve."

"I may not know much about parents, but I think you should pursue being an artist. From what I saw, you're amazing and no talent should go to waste simply because of someone's disapproval."

"You really think I could make it as an artist?" Ignatz questioned, shocked at her optimism.

Presea nodded. "I do. But whatever path you choose, I'll support you, Ignatz, and I know the others will too."

The blonde eyed the flowers before making a decision. "I think I'll remain at the academy and continue to pursue my art career. Since joining the Officer's Academy, I have experienced many sources of inspiration. Even our battles give me great inspiration."

"Even in the most horrific moments, artists are able to capture the beauty in every thing and everyone," Presea recited. "I wish I could paint..." she sighed.

"We could paint together," Ignatz proposed. "I could even teach you some of my techniques to help you improve."

The girl's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Really?"

"Of course, Presea. It would be nice to paint alongside a friend. When would be a good time for you?"

"I can do tomorrow after the lecture. Would that suit you, Ignatz?"

"Indeed, it does." He smiled at her. "I'll bring the supplies."

"Great! Meet me in the market tomorrow. I have a perfect place we can go to paint."

Ignatz smile widened, excited to paint with his friend tomorrow. "I look forward to it, Presea."

<--------------<<<<<

As promised, Ignatz met Presea in the market after class ended. He had two small canvases and plenty of paint, pencils, and paintbrushes for both of them. He followed the girl out the entrance of the Officer's Academy and a little ways down the road.

Curious as to where they were going, Ignatz asked, "What place did you have in mind, Presea?"

She smiled at him before transforming into her wolf form and gesturing to her back.

Knowing what she was trying to say, Ignatz climbed onto her back. He grasped the supplies tightly to chest while gripping the nape of her neck tightly to keep himself from falling off. Leaning forward, he felt the gusts of wind created form the wolf's flapping wings as she took to the sky.

Sailing through the sky, Presea took Ignatz to a nearby lake with a small island in the middle. She safely landed on the grassy island by a large tree. The boy climbed off the wolf's back and gazed in awe at the beautiful scenery. "What a serene place. It's perfect for painting!"

"Glad you like it," Presea giggled after returning to her human form. She sat down on the grass with her legs folded underneath her. "So, where do we start?"

Ignatz sat beside her and handed over one of the small, blank canvases and a pencil. "Let's start with a simple sketch. You can draw anything you want."

Presea eyes the blank canvas, tilting her head as she wondered what she could draw. When she knew exactly what she wanted to draw, she told Ignatz and he helped her with the details. With his guidance, she created a simple sketch and switched out the pencil for a paintbrush.

Like with sketching, Ignatz gave Presea instructions on how to paint. She listened closely and when she was able to handle painting all by herself, he began working on his own painting.

A few hours ticked by and the sun was beginning to set. The two friends finished their paintings and were satisfied with the outcomes. Presea's piece lacked the details Ignatz's did, but anyone could tell how much heart and hard work she put into creating it.

Seeing as it was getting dark, the two headed back to the monastery. Ignatz thanked her for spending time with him and taking him to a place where he could let his imagination wander and his inspiration to be set free. In return, she also thanked him before making her way to her room.

Inside her private quarters, Presea placed her masterpiece on her desk before using a comb to exterminate the knots from her hair. While doing so, she heard a knock and wondered who was here to see her. Placing the comb down, she opened the door and her eyes widened when seeing Claude on the other side. "Oh, Claude. I wasn't expecting you. Did you need something?"

"Do I need a reason to see my girlfriend?" He smirked as he entered her room.

"Well, no..." Presea mumbled. She closed the door behind him and glanced at the painting on her desk. She quickly made her way over and grabbed it with a giddy smile. "Since you're here, I wanna show you something." Hiding the painting behind her back, she turned around to face him.

Claude, now curious as to what she wanted to show him, tried to sneak a glance at the object behind her back. "Okay, now you have my full attention."

Smiling from ear to ear, Presea revealed her painting. "Ta-da!"

The boy's eyes widen in bewilderment when seeing who she painted. "Is that...me?"

"Yeah!" She giggled. "I know it looks kinda weird, but at least you can tell who it is. Ignatz helped me along the way. Without his help, it definitely would look even weirder."

Claude stared at the painting, his eyes still as wide as saucers. "Out of all the things you could've painted, you chose me?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Ignatz said to paint anything and you were the first person to come to mind. Since you're the person I cherish the most, I went with it."

Claude's cheeks ignited a rosy hue. He placed a hand over his mouth as his heart raced inside his chest at her confession. Due to his embarrassment, he wasn't sure how to respond.

Of course, Presea picked up on his strange behavior and took note of his reddened cheeks. "Are you...embarrassed, Claude?"

"Maybe just a little..." He murmured. "It's your fault."

She blinked owlishly. "How is it my fault?"

"For being too cute."

"I-I only spoke the truth..." She replied, her voice slightly quivering. Her own cheeks now matched Claude's. "I swear, you know how to make things awkward."

"You started it," he lightheartedly bickered.

"Hey, don't go and start pointing fingers!" She placed the painting down and headed over to her bed. Once there, she flopped down on her back with a sigh. "For both our sakes, I'm going to change the subject. What brings you all the way to my room? I saw you leave the classroom with the professor right after class was over. I thought you'd still be in the library when I returned."

"Nothing important. Just wanted to see you." Claude stalked over to the bed and stood beside it, glancing down at the girl. Seeing her eyes were closed, he smirked. Carefully, he crawled on to the bed and hovered over her. He placed his hands on either side of her head and waited patiently for her to open her eyes. When she did, his smirk widened. "After all, you've spent tons of time with everyone else. You've left me out to dry, Princess."

Presea stared up into his emerald eyes. "Pfft! You say that like I never spend time with you. Have you already forgot we've been together for thirteen years?"

Claude pouted like a child. "Of course not. But things have changed between us. I want some alone time in our private place."

She smiled nervously. "About that... I may have taken Ignatz to our special place so we could paint."

The boy feigned an expression of betrayal. "How could you do you such a thing? I thought that was supposed to be our little secret."

"It was only Ignatz. He needed the fresh air, anyway."

Claude's smirk returned. "I'm just messing with you. It's still our secret place. Unless Hilda finds it. Then we're going to have to find a new secret place." He pushes his body to the side and flopped down next to Presea. He stared up at the ceiling for a few seconds before turning his body to the side to face her. Seeing her eyes were shut again, he reached out a hand and combed a few loose snowy strands away from her face. When his touch didn't rouse her and he could hear her faint snores, he chuckled lightly. "Never knew someone could fall asleep so quick."

Gingerly, Claude pulled her sleeping form into his arms and cradled her gently against him. He threaded his fingers through her snowy locks, eliciting a moan from the slumbering girl. He combed his fingers through her velvety hair before placing a kiss on her forehead.

A few minutes later, Claude joined Presea in the world of dreams.

<--------------<<<<<

The following morning, Presea's eyes fluttered open. When coming face to face with a sleeping Claude, she smiled gently. "I could get used to this," she whispered to herself. Outstretching her hand, she stroked his cheek with her knuckles.

Claude's eyes scrunched up before opening. When seeing Presea was the one caressing his cheek, he smiled. "Looks like Sleeping Beauty woke up before the prince could steal a kiss. Think you could close your eyes and go back to sleep so I could kiss you awake?"

"Sorry, but we have to meet the professor in the reception hall in half an hour. We better get ready or we'll be late."

"You're at least gonna give me a kiss, right?" Claude arched a brow as she escaped from his embrace and stood up.

"You'll have to run all the way to your room and back before time's up if you want a kiss," she snickered.

Claude groaned, climbing off the bed. He combed a hand through his hair as he made his way over to the door. When he walked past Presea, he stopped and turned to face her. In the blink of an eye, he pulled her towards him and stole a kiss. It was brief yet sweet. Pulling away, he grinned with a chuckle. "Looks like the prince was able to steal a kiss after all."

Presea purses her lips and nudged him toward the door. "Go get ready!"

Claude left with a satisfied smirk on his face.

The girl huffed out a sigh before returning to exchange her uniform for a clean one. Next, she combed her hair and made sure all the knots were gone before leaving her room.

Making her way to the reception, she arrived just as the other members of the Golden Deer did. They gathered around their professor and listened intently as to what their mission would be.

After his explanation, Claude tried to wrap his head around the information. "You're going to receive the goddess's revelation at the Holy Tomb? That's news to me. I did not see that coming."

"Lady Rhea's going too, right? I hear it will be well-guarded, but is that really okay?" Hilda expresses her concern.

"If Solon's allies are still around, it's certainly true that we don't know when or where they may appear," Ignatz said.

"I don't know what type of place this Holy Tomb is, but we should be cautious," Leonie spoke up.

"If something happens, we'll have to take matters into our own hands," Raphael proclaimed.

Hilda met Byleth's gaze. "What do you think, Professor? Is it really okay for Lady Rhea to attend?"

"I'm worried," he replied.

"It seems to be tightly sealed, I'll give you that. We should be fine as long as nothing goes terribly wrong. Yep... Just as long as nothing goes wrong," Claude said. "Well, the truth is, we won't know what's going on until it happens. All we can do is stay on our guard and play it by ear."

"That's quite enough babbling, Claude. There is nobody more unfit for a holy ceremony than you," Lorenz commented.

Presea sucked in her cheeks and bit her bottom lip to keep herself from. "L-Lorenz..."

"I know you agree with me, Presea," he said.

"Maybe just a little..."

Marianne glances around at her classmates with a worried expression. "Um, divine punishment won't strike us for setting foot in the Holy Tomb, right?"

Lysithea sighed in disbelief. "Good grief. Why are you always so negative?" She then turns to Flayn when noticing the girl's downcast expression. "Hm? Flayn, is something on your mind?"

Flayn lifted her head and glanced at her. "Who, me? No, it is nothing." She forced a smile to hide her worry. "May we all see this through to the end."

"It still doesn't make sense to me. A goddess was living inside Teach, right? But now there's a ceremony to receive a revelation or whatever. How could that be necessary anymore? There must be another objective." Claude sighs, placing a hand on his head. "It's pointless to speculate about it now. We'll know the answer soon enough. There isn't any danger for us students, but...be careful, Teach."

"I will," Byleth reassuringly stated.

Following the professor, the Golden Deer head to the entrance of the Holy Tomb. There, they rendezvoused with Lady Rhea and entered the tomb via a hidden passageway. Making their way down to a room lit by torches, they stepped onto a platform bearing an odd symbol.

The archbishop activated a strange mechanism and the platform began slowly descending deeper underground. Arriving in the tomb, the group stepped off the platform and walked down another set of stairs.

While crossing to the opposite side of the tomb, Rhea said, "This is where the goddess who created this world was laid to rest, along with her children." She leads Byleth, Claude, and Presea up a stone stairwell while the others remained at the bottom of the steps. At the top was an altar with a throne. "It is said that our creator, the goddess Sothis, sat upon this very throne. Professor, do you recognize this throne?"

Byleth easily recognized the symbol and throne. "I do."

A smile made its way onto the archbishop's face. "So long... I have waited so very long for this day. Sit upon the throne. I have no doubt you will be gifted a revelation from the goddess."

Presea and Claude watched the professor walk over to the throne and sit down. He examined the stone as he waited for something to happen.

When seeing nothing visual happened, Rhea spoke up. "Well?" She pauses for a brief second when seeing nothing happened. "It was supposed to be but a step away. What could possibly be missing?"

Presea's brows scrunched together when she received a whiff of an unfamiliar scent. She then heard the sound of footsteps in the distance. Turning around, she eyed the entrance of the Holy Tomb. "Someone's coming."

Claude heard the footsteps and glanced at the stairwell in the distance. "Sorry to disturb you when you're distressed, Archbishop, but it seems some uninvited guests have arrived."

Adrestian Empire soldiers entered the tomb alongside the Flame Emperor. The man standing beside the heavily-cladded figure cackles. "Don't move, any of you. If you move, your lives will be forfeit. Thank you ever so much for guiding us this far. The Imperial army will now take possession of everything in the Holy Tomb."

Claude, Presea, Byleth, and Rhea regroup with the the other Golden Deer students. Ignatz, once everyone was together, was perplexed as to why the enemy was in the tomb. "The Imperial Army? What are they doing here?"

"So, they knew we were heading to the Holy Tomb and followed us here," Lysithea said.

"Hey, who is that standing next to the angry guy? Could that be-" Hilda eyed the person leading the soldiers.

"The Flame Emperor," Claude answered, glaring at said individual. "I see. So you've been allied with the Empire from the beginning."

"What are they doing here? What do they hope to gain?" Leonie inquired with a scowl.

"There's only one goal for grave robbers like these, right, Flame Emperor? You're here to steal the treasure that rests within the Holy Tomb."

"For a fool, you catch on quickly. Those Crest Stones will be ours. That infernal power, which is masquerading as a medicine but is truly a poison, will plague this world no longer," the Flame Emperor responded.

"Insolence! You will atone for the sin of tramping on this holy resting place," Lady Rhea snarled. She then addressed Byleth. "Professor, destroy these villainous traitors who dare dishonor our creator!"

The Golden Deer prepares to face off against the enemies. Prepping themselves for battle, they stood their ground and kept their distance as the soldiers and the Flame Emperor unsheathed their weapons.

Rhea kept her distance away from the battlefield, bellowing at the top of her lungs. "I will not allow such violence from the Empire! Strike down the rebels and protect the Holy Tomb!"

Presea transformed and howled, setting her sights on the closest soldier.

Metodey, the second-in-command, shouted, "The Crest Stones are in the caskets! Open every last one of them!"

"The Holy Tomb must not be desecrated! Protect as many of the Crest Stones as you can!"

"I guess we're fighting over who gets those Crest Stones... What in the world do they intend to use them for, anyway?" Claude asked, but never received an answer. He grabbed a single arrow and targeted the soldier running straight at him. He aimed the arrow at the man's heart and fired. The metal tip plunged into the soldier's chest, piercing his heart and killing him. Glancing at the Pterolykos a few feet away from him, he asked, "Think you can work some magic and keep them from getting the Crest Stones, Pres?"

Presea nodded and spread her wings, casting a spell on the caskets. Golden chains wound around the caskets, sealing them tightly. One soldier, who was about to open one, clicked his tongue in annoyance and jabbed a finger in the wolf's direction. "You mutt!"

She growled at him before charging straight for him. Without any issues, she pounced on him and plunged her sharp claws into his flesh. A surge of lightning coursed through her body and she manipulated the flow, redirecting it into the soldier's body. He screamed out in pain as his body was fried by the lightning. In seconds, he was dead.

On the other side of the tomb, another soldier used his axe against the golden chains. The sharp blade stood no chance against the magical chains and didn't even leave a scratch. Ignatz and Hilda killed the man while Byleth, Marianne, and Raphael faced off against three more soldiers.

Presea, having her attention focused on another soldier, didn't see the man known as Metodey heading straight for her. He figured if he slew her, him and his fellow soldiers could rid the caskets of the chains and obtain the Crest Stones.

However, Metodey was stopped by Leonie and Lysithea and was unable to reach the Pterolykos. Lorenz and Claude closed in on the Flame Emperor, taking out a couple of more soldiers in the process.

Eventually, the only person standing was the Flame Emperor. The Golden Deer surrounded them and used their combined efforts to attack. Marianne provides healing to her classmates and professor while Lysithea used her magic from a distance to attack the assailant.

When the Flame Emperor was distracted by Lorenz and Raphael, Presea dashed forward and disarmed them. She shoved them to the ground, forcing them to drop their axe and shield. Crashing against the stone floor, the mask obscuring their face fell off and revealed the person underneath. The wolf's eyes widen we recognizing the person.

"So the end has come..." Edelgard said. She grabbed the hidden blade located in her sleeve and jammed it into Presea's left side just below her wing. Hearing the wolf whimper, her stoic expression didn't waver. She then grabbed the nape of her neck and tossed the animal aside so she could get back on her feet.

Presea continued to whimper as she laid on her right side. She tried to pluck the dagger out of her body, but she couldn't reach it. Leonie was the closest to her and rushed to her side. Carefully, she removed the blade and stroked the top of the wolf's head to comfort her. Marianne was the next person to reach her side and used her magic to heal her. Once the wound was patched, the only thing that remained was the blood that tainted her white and blue fur.

Claude, after seeing his beloved was fine, couldn't believe who was under the mask. "Is this some sick joke? The Flame Emperor is actually Edelgard?!"

Rhea shook her head with a scowl. "You have disappointed me, Edelgard. To think that a descendant of House Hresvelg would dare betray the holy church..." Her expression turned into pure rage as she eyed Byleth. "Professor, kill Edelgard at once. She is a danger to all of Fódlan. Such a rebellious heart cannot be allowed to keep beating."

Edelgard spoke up before the professor could say anything. "I have achieved my objective. I will retreat. Farewell, Professor. If we meet again, it will be on the battlefield." Suddenly, Hubert appears beside her side out of thin air. She promptly addresses him. "Come, Hubert!" The two escape, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

Rhea glared at the spot the Imperial princess once stood. "To flee is futile, wicked girl. The Church of Seiros will raise its entire army against you, until you have been captured and punished! You have defiled the Holy Tomb, dishonored the goddess, and humiliated your brethren. That crime will never be erased, even if you burn in the eternal flames, and spill all of your blood into the goddess' soil!" She calms down before addressing Byleth and leaving.

While still in the Holy Tomb, Claude approaches the professor with a bloodied Presea by his side. "I'm not exactly on friendly terms with the princess, but I do have a few questions for her. Edelgard said that the Crest Stones represent power. That means she knows how to use them. She almost certainly knows other secrets of Fódlan as well... Once things calm down a bit, there's a lot more that Rhea needs to tell us."

Byleth nods. "I agree. We've been left in the dark for too long."

"I just hope there's still time. I have this strange feeling...that history is being written. That an age of anarchy is upon us. Let's hope I'm mistaken."

The Golden Deer leave the tomb and head back to the surface. Byleth went to the audience chamber while Leonie, Raphael, Lysithea, Marianne, Hilda, Lorenz, and Ignatz headed to the classroom. Claude took Presea, who was still in her wolf form, to the pond. Using the cool water, he kneeled down and purged the blood from her fur. Once the crimson was gone, he analyzed where Edelgard stabbed her. Although he knew Marianne healed her, he was still worried. "You sure you're all right, Pres?"

She howled in response, her poofy tail swishing back and forth. She nudged her wet, cold nose against his chest with a faint snort. Claude chuckled, stroking the top of her head before scratching behind her ear. "You, by far, have given me more heart attacks than any other person."

Presea snuggled closer to him, moving her muzzle from his chest to his shoulder. Claude didn't hesitate to wind his arms around her neck and hug her, combing his fingers through her white and blue fur.

After a few minutes, Claude pulled away. He stood up and was about to say something, but his attention was drawn to a pair of students nearby. He heard them gossiping about the Adrestian Empire and their recent declaration of war against the Church of Seiros and its allies. What shocked him the most was when the two students began chatting about how Edelgard demanded her own father relinquish the throne so she could become the emperor.

Tuning the students out, Claude petted the top of Presea's head. "Let's head back to the classroom." The wolf nodded and the two headed to the Golden Deer Classroom.

Arriving at their destination, Presea returned to her human form and waited alongside her classmates for Byleth to return.

When he did, Claude stepped forward. "We heard what happened, Teach. The princess-well, the emperor now-she really did it, didn't she? The lords and dukes of both the Kingdom and the Alliance have been called out, and now have to choose between the Church and the Empire. The seed of conflict was always there, and now we find ourselves in the middle of a war that will tear Fódlan in two."

"The Empire is rash, but I never thought it would come to this," Lysithea said.

"How could something like this happen? I hope everyone back home is safe," Leonie chimed in.

"I'm sure it's mass confusion at home right now. My brother must be worried sick about me," Hilda stated.

"Only time will tell," Byleth commented.

Claude nodded in agreement. "You're absolutely right, Teach. I'm sure a lot of us are worried about our homes, but...all we can do now is prepare for battle...and tread carefully."

Presea placed a hand over her heart when a suffocating sensation of foreboding washes over her. "I don't have a good feeling about this..."