Chapter Text
Jeralt Reus Eisner was a man feared throughout the land of Fódlan.
While many would choose to test his mettle in battle, many often joined his mercenary group. Some were the discarded family members of noblemen, mostly those born without crests, while others were looking to escape their pasts or duties in their lives.
But for many that joined his group, they were simply looking for purpose.
Many thrived and died under his command, with each death leaving a brand on his heart, but he always kept his head high and his eyes forward, always searching for another mission. And it was that search that led him to the remote village of Sae.
Sae was a modest-sized village that sat near the Airmid River, under the shadow of the Great Bridge of Myrddin and it was a village that Jeralt had never been to before. He was here to locate and exterminate a group of assassins after Acheron, the newly crowned head of House Phlegethon.
A lesser house in the Leicester Alliance but one somewhat important enough to keep alive. The mission itself had gone well but unfortunately, one of the assassins had rushed into a home and taken a small family hostage.
While he was no longer a Knight of Serios, he was still a just man and attempted to bargain for the family's lives, but in the end, the man refused and slew at least the parents before Jeralt could slay him.
Yes, it was just Jeralt's luck that he met with a man who did not fear the famed Blade Breaker. And it was that same luck that had him looking at a four-year-old little girl with bright purple hair and tearful purple eyes.
Jeralt was unsure of what to do in this situation. There wasn't a church in this village. That had been taken over by the Black Hand, the group of assassins that were after Archeron, with all of their nuns and priest slaughtered.
And yet, he knew that he couldn't just leave them here as an orphan. But that would mean the final option would be to take the child with him and it was already difficult enough to watch after his own daughter, let alone another child.
As Jeralt sat in front of the child in the village's Inn, he noticed that his five-year-old daughter, Byleth, was staring at the purple-haired girl. Despite her neutral expression, he could see a spark of curiosity in her eyes. "Papa," the girl spoke, her tone matching her expression. "What is she doing?"
"She's crying," Jeralt answered. "She lost two very important people to her today."
He watched as the corner of his daughter's mouth turned downward. It was minute, but she was frowning. The little girl crawled out of her bed, accompanied by the small teddy bear Jeralt had gifted her on her fifth birthday, marched up to the crying teen, and stared at her for a moment.
The girl sniffled at seeing the new face.
"Stop that," the girl commanded, which caused Jeralt to bite back a snort.
Oh, it was times like this when he was reminded of his Sitri. So straightforward and terse. He then watched as Byleth gave the girl her teddy bear and murmured, "Here. No more crying."
The girl looked at the teddy bear and slowly took it from Byleth's hands and held it tight. "Thank you," the girl mumbled.
Jeralt's eyes slightly widened as he saw Byleth's lips turn slightly upward. It wasn't a trick of the eye, he knew that. From the moment they met until she passed, Sitri hardly ever smiled unless she was with someone important to her and he had to train himself to be able to see her smiles.
And Byleth never smiled for anything. Not even at the gift she had selflessly given away to this girl. And while it was selfish of him, he wanted to keep something, anything, that would bring that small smile back to his daughter's face.
Even if that meant extra responsibility.
Besides, Sitri would kill him if he had just left without taking the girl with him.
"Tell me," Jeralt spoke to the purple-haired girl. "What is your name?"
"S-Shez," the girl shyly replied only to sniffle seconds later.
"Alright. You'll be coming with me from now on. Understand?" Jeralt asked her.
Shez nodded.
"Good," Jeralt finalized. "Welcome to the Eisner family. I promise to treat you well."