#count Bergliez

[prince-jelli-fish]

[wellberightwithyou]

Alright, I’m just going to come out and say it: the Bergliez Duo and the Costco Guys have the exact same energy

If you enjoy media commentary and want to listen to me do the worst Costco Guys impression of all time you gotta check out our latest episode:

[quillfulwriter]

Caspar and Claude giving this man all the stress lol

[gghero]

best boy and his cringefail older brother

image id in ALT

[maslosstuff]

It's cool...I guess but a bit much

[deathbirby]

Lord freaking almighty what is going on with some Edelgard fans in this joint, "you only hate us and the game because we speak the truth about our Ed"? Like there aren't completely unrelated reasons to think the game might not be the best writing the series was capable of?

(I was going to add some of them here, except I realized very quickly that the stans would take them as "evidence" that they were correct, everyone else is badly written except Ed, who is perfect and can do no wrong because they have Receipts to prove it and will argue you off the Internet, etc. )

HONESTLY! The way they act like they've reached enlightenment and are simply trying to teach us poor lost fools is fucking hilarious.

"We are just correcting you guys because you are FACTUALLY wrong!" The source? Their ass.

The game's writing isn't good. There are countless of plot holes, and several things just do not get adressed.

[femblem-emblem-throuses-houses]

and then it’s just too much the streets, they still run with blood a hundred arms, a hundred years, you can always find me here

[randomnameless]

Randolph is the son of the previous Count Bergliez's second wife, and one who caused much familial strife. I wonder what the noble descendants think of a man like that being welcomed as a leader. Believe me, I understand Her Majesty's desire to elevate those who have not yet had their moment in the sun. But taken to excess, I fear it will invite backlash. Though perhaps this conversation is lost on you, seeing as you are a beneficiary yourself.

(From a NPC in Supreme Bullshit’s chapter 9)

Uh...

Randy - the "step-brother" of the current minister of war, a member of House Bergliez - is compared to Barney, a nobody ? 

What the eff is the Npc imperial general saying here ? Only blood relatives matter ? 

So an Ashe who defects to Adrestia will never be seen as Lonato's son, but will only remain a commoner ?

But it makes for an interesting AU, imagining Randy outshines Caspar and Leopold “What is strategy I use brute force instead” von Bergliez, would Randy be appointed Minister of War, overriding his “step-brother” and nephew? What kind of nonsense would it create in House Bergliez? Would Randy accept it? 

Given how he “awarded” a sacred weapon to Caspar because Caspar is a member of House Bergliez (nepotism bad, except when it’s for your own kid I guess?) I don’t think Leopold “I am a living retcon” von Bergliez would kindly offer the same gift to his “step-bro”. 

[themisteriousentity]

You know, people forget that Soldier, Poet, King is a Christian song depicting different aspects of Jesus, but it sure is interesting to see that the fandom almost universally makes Dimitri the Soldier, Claude the Poet, and Edelgard the King

However, I argue a different order

*le gaspu*

Dimitri is still the soldier, but I think Claude and Edelgard should switch. I think Edelgard is the Poet and Claude is the King

Hear me out

Dimitri, we all know why he's the Soldier. I don't think we need to explain that. I don't need to get into the bible analysis, man LITERALLY tears cities down, oh lei oh lai oh lord

Edelgard is a very well spoken person. When she's actually given room to voice her ideas, despite being wrong because she's got just the tip of the iceberg of the true history, she can managed to convince almost anyone. In both games, she manages to convince most of her empire, which is FULL of very devout followers of Seiros and Sothis, to attack the Central Church and follow her lead. For a person who doesn't know much better, she's very damn convincing. She just doesn't do it very often, and she's terrible at listening when people try to counter her ideas (her argument with Dimitri and Azure Moon really highlights this when he tries to open a dialogue). But the important thing there is also that this is a role she chooses to take on in both games. If you look at the Poet, this easily relates to the start of Jesus's ministry in the bible, taking down establishments left and right on his word alone. Edelgard convinces her country to follow her on her accusations alone (as she was only 18 when she started the war and even as emperor she had to talk many ministers into following her lead or nothing would've happened without ministers like Count Bergliez and Count Hevring that she convinced), slaying the church with her tongue

Meanwhile, the King easily relates far more to Claude than the Poet. Claude doesn't really spend a lot of time convincing people of his ideals or talking them into anything aside from explaining his ambitions to Byleth and Shez, and depending on your supports in some ways to Leonie and Lorenz. Unlike Edelgard, Claude is in a situation he didn't ask for. He has a war thrust upon him and a conflict with a massive religious body that breeds prejudice to contend with. As an outsider who is deeply untrusted, he has to fight tooth and nail just to keep the Alliance whole. All the meanwhile he's constantly having insults thrust upon him by his own people, and in certain routes he's completely abandoned by one of the largest political players in his nation. The crown of thorns was not a burden Jesus chose to accept, like the burden of war Edelgard created and thrust upon the world, but was something thrusted upon him that he then had to deal with. It's easy to see that Claude never wanted to contend with this war and only stays because he HAS to, for the sake of both Almyra and Fódlan, despite knowing all he's doing is keeping things stable while not fixing the situation. But in the end he's still prepared to sacrifice everything to try and make the world better. In Houses, he even plans for his own death to protect the people of the Alliance, the people who fought against him and rejected him the most. In Hopes, he settles on working with people he fundamentally disagrees with and dislikes for the sake of protecting Fódlan. With a character progression like that, it just feels like the ruler who his brow laid in thorn, anointed in oil, that tracks to Claude much better than Edelgard

But hey, that's just my opinion. Wow, who knew being dragged to church kicking and screaming against my will would come in handy for a strategy JRPG

[prince-jelli-fish]

linhardt and his dad are so funny

[ym-loreposting]

The Enbarr Conspiracy

Previously I wrote about Agarthan influence in the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus and the Leicester Alliance from Fire Emblem: Three Houses and Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes. To round that out, here I want to discuss the nation they had probably the biggest and most overt influence on: the Adrestian Empire. Spoilers for both games under the cut.

The Hrym Rebellion and Insurrection of the Seven

Like the Tragedy of Duscur, the roots of the Agarthan presence in Adrestia have a longer history. In the Empire's case, this starts with a rebellion in the Hrym territory in its far east. In the Imperial Year 1167, thirteen years before the start of both Three Houses and Three Hopes, the incumbent Emperor Ionius IX tried to concentrate power into the hands of the imperial throne. In Hanneman and Hubert's C Support, it is explained this would take power away from Seven Great Houses in the Empire. Six of these provide minister positions in the court of the emperor: House Aegir providing prime ministers, House Vestra providing Ministers of the Imperial Household, House Hevring providing the Ministers of the Interior, House Bergliez providing the Ministers of Military Affairs, House Varley providing the Ministers of Religious Affairs and House Gerth providing the Ministers of Foreign Affairs.

Hrym, a house of more ordinary Imperial Viscounts is counted as the seventh of these houses due to its involvement in subsequent events, as explained in the Three Houses Paralogue Retribution:

"It was the six great noble families, plus Hrym."

In response to the planned reforms of Ionius IX, House Hrym rebelled and tried to join the Leicester Alliance, which it is separated from by the Airmid River. In this rebellion, House Hrym was aided by House Ordelia of the Alliance and so they mounted a rebellion. The rebellion was subsequently crushed by the Empire and the line of House Hrym wiped out. A puppet ruler was installed while the actual governance of the region was left to Duke Ludwig von Aegir.

Credit to @cartographers-office for removing the names from the Fódlan map used in the above picture.

In response to these events, the Six Great Houses grew fearful of Ionius's rule and what he might do against them. They banded together with House Hrym to strip power away from the Emperor in the Imperial Year 1171 in the so-called Insurrection of the Seven.

It is hard to say how much of these events happened naturally and how much, if anything, was an Agarthan conspiracy. No direct hints of foul play are given, but there are a few notable things. Around the same time as Hrym's subjugation, the Empire gained sway over Ordelia territory as well. Some of their officials were replaced with Empire officials, among whom were Agarthans. Furthermore, Shambhala, the city where the Agarthans live, is located in Hrym territory as well.

It is possible the Agarthans had nothing to do with the initial rebellion and took advantage of the Empire troops going to Ordelia, repurposing the occupation for their own ends. However, in the chapter Darkness Attacks (Chapter 13) of Golden Wildfire, the Agarthans cause major revolts in both Hrym and Ordelia territories by stirring up bandits. Ignatz compares these revolts to the initial Hrym Rebellion at the military camp:

"The bandits have spread as far as Hrym territory, right? There’s never been rioting on both sides of the Airmid River simultaneously. Oh, but if I recall, House Ordelia and House Hrym have suffered through a disturbance like this once before. At the time, Viscount Hrym staged an uprising, and Count Ordelia joined her. I can’t imagine that bears any relation to our current crisis, but it does give me pause."

This parallel is noteworthy and may imply the Agarthans had a hand in stirring up the initial Hrym Rebellion, but Ignatz also says he can't imagine any relation between the incidents. At the very least, the Agarthans took advantage of the situation to further their own ends in Ordelia.

Agartha takes root in Adrestia

In the Insurrection of the Seven, House Arundel sided with the insurrectionists to strip the Emperor of his power according to the Register of Empire Nobles, Part I. It was the political unrest caused by the Insurrection of the Seven that forced Anselma von Arundel/Patricia, Volkhard von Arundel and Edelgard to seek asylum in Faerghus.

This was arranged by the Agarthan Cleobulus, who had taken up the identity of the mage Cornelia, and it was this that allowed the Agarthans to take control over the Empire. It is mentioned in Chapter 6 of Azure Moon that in the Imperial Year 1174, Volkhard stopped donating to the Church of Seiros. This marks the year that Volkhard was replaced by Thales, the leader of the Agarthans, and also the year that he and Edelgard returned to Adrestia.

Thales would go on to become the regent of Adrestia, likely because of Ionius's political impotence and likely because none of his children were of age yet. It might also have been a reward for House Arundel's support in the Insurrection of the Seven. Contrast this to House Nuvelle, which had sided with Emperor Ionius. As a result, when the foreign nations of Dagda and Brigid attacked in the Imperial Year 1175, House Nuvelle was not given support. Its town was destroyed in the war by Dagda and Brigid and dissolved after the war's conclusion, as explained in the Constance/Byleth B Support from Three Houses. House Nuvelle's territory would end up being given to House Gerth.

Likely as a result of Thales now having control over the Empire, the Agarthans began to infiltrate Adrestia en-masse. As said by Edelgard in her Supports with Hubert in Three Hopes:

"Our hidden foe [the Agarthans] was deeply entrenched in almost every facet of Adrestian society. The two were almost inseparable."

So after the Tragedy of Duscur was orchestrated by Cleobulus in Faerghus in the Imperial Year 1176, the imperial nobles rewarded those involved with large sums of money and resourced. This was likely done by Thales and the other Agarthans in the Empire to strengthen the allies of Cleobulus in Faerghus.

The Enbarr Experiments

Gaining rulership of the Empire was one goal of the Agarthans with taking advantage of its political unrest. However, they also had a second goal and that goes back to the initial Hrym Rebellion. In its aftermath, as mentioned before, the Empire gained sway over Ordelia region and Agarthans managed to infiltrate the Empire officials stationed there.

As explained in the Lysithea/Byleth A Support in Three Houses, the Agarthans performed blood reconstruction surgeries on the children of House Ordelia and killed them one by one. Lysithea was the only one who survived the Agarthan experiments and received two Crests, one of Gloucester and one of Charon, from them. She also lost all pigment in her hair and her lifespan was greatly reduced. The Agarthans considered this a success and left Ordelia territory shortly after.

These experiments were a test run for what the Agarthans went on to do in Enbarr, the capital of Adrestia, after they had seized control of the Empire and with the aid of the Empire's noble houses. As explained in the Edelgard/Byleth Support line in Three Houses, Emperor Ionius IX had 11 children, including Edelgard, and they were all imprisoned in dungeons under the Imperial palace. There the Agarthans performed a second round of blood reconstruction surgeries, leaving most of Ionius's children either dead, crippled by disease or not sound of mind. The goal of the Agarthans was to implant the Crest of Flames in one of these children, as that Crest is the most powerful of all according to Rhea in Chapter 21 of Verdant Wind:

"An incredible power that we children cannot hope to match dwells within the blood of the progenitor god."

Edelgard was the only one to make it out of the experiments relatively unscathed, as she successfully received the Crest of Flames in addition to her minor Crest of Seiros. According to Edelgard, the Agarthans did all of this to create a peerless emperor to rule Fódlan. In the words of Three Houses director Toshiyuki Kusakihara, Edelgard is Agartha's "masterwork."

Thales also makes all of this explicit in Chapter 10 of Three Houses:

"You [Flame Emperor/Edelgard] are our greatest creation. We used the defiled beast's blood as the fuel to your flame, that you may burn even the gods. Now is the time to cleanse Fódlan of that power, and bring forth our salvation."

And that is about everything the Agarthans have orchestrated in Agartha prior to the start of Three Houses and Three Hopes, but their greater purpose and plan remains a bit enigmatic, even though Thales hints at it in the quote above. But what that is perhaps a story for another time.

[fantasyinvader]

@maelor321

There's an answer for that, and it ties into how Edelgard is supposed to be a tyrant.

Edelgard convinced Count Bergliez to join her, under the promise of awarding him control over the Alliance territories according to Flower. As Minister of Military Affairs, Caspapa is said to control all armies in the Empire that are not under the direct control of the Emperor and is said to be a man who inspires great loyalty in his troops. As such, the armies that the other nobles may have could turn on them when he says to join Edelgard. From what we know, Edelgard was able to bring the corrupt nobility of the Empire to heel (minus Caspapa) likely because of this, and from there arrested any who didn't support her, stripping them of their power, lands and titles while telling the rest they can keep theirs if they support her. And, of course, the commoners are conscripted to fight with those who resist put to death.

This is what the devs her path leading to hadou, the path of supremacy or military rule, means.

We also have Hubert doing Hubert things, having even people Edelgard says to spare assassinated in his supports. This continues on into his endings, where he's said to put down any threat to her from the shadows which the Englist team translated as him putting down rebellions post-war.

It's noted though that this isn't enough to maintain order over all of Fodlan. Edelgard pledges to continue to work with Thales post-war until things calm down, that conversation hinting at something that was actually downplayed in the translation. Post-war, according to Caspar's endings, the Imperial army begins military expeditions which means (since the military is very precise with it's wording) they are conducting missions in those countries. It's considered a form of invasion, and what's worse is that the Japanese doesn't say they are "sometimes reckless" like the English does. It's "often out of control." And circling back to TWSITD for a second, the Byleth/Constance ending reveals that they pilfer Agarthan magic techniques (aka blood Magic) and technologies during the shadow war and use it to maintain the "peace" of Edelgard's rule. Meanwhile, the Empire takes over the Church of Seiros, restoring it in such a manner that Mercedes refuses to join it (instead, she looks after those hurt by the war in defiance of Edelgard's ideals). And then there's the propaganda.

Edelgard's path isn't the hardest outside of ignoring the red flags. She just says it is.

[berglietz]

Blood Fruit

[Warrior Mastery Drabble | Wordcount: 483]

Count Bergliez often came home with bloody tales when Caspar was a child. The boy would repeat them as best he could, all bright eyes and big gestures as he attempted to capture the glory that his father practically glowed with on his return. His governess listened patiently, most of the time.

"They called themselves the Guardians of Fódlan, but they were hardly better than a pack of brigands!" Caspar's youthful voice squeaked as it tried to reach the booming indignation that his father carried when retelling this part of the tale. The general always tended to sweep his arms out and then fold them across his broad chest at this point, and Caspar does the same. "Another noble hired them for more coin than my dad offered, and they turned on him. That's what he said."

The bark of laughter that Caspar let out matched the timing of his father's retelling as well. "Hah! What a mistake! He smashed that whole battalion to smithereens, all on his own!" The rough clap of his palms together here was the boy's own unique addition to the performance. In his enthusiasm, he didn't catch the minute wince on his teacher's face at the sound. "Now they'll never turn traitor on anyone ever again."

"Caspar…" The woman hesitated for a moment, mouth pulled tight as she considered her words. "You know, there's a legend from Gronder that—"

"Yeah, I know." That eagerness built up in him spilled over, cutting ahead through the conversation in an attempt to prove himself. "It's where the Heroes beat up Nemesis all those years ago."

"That's true. We did study that a while ago, didn't we?" He earned a smile there, though her eyes were strained at the corners behind her glasses. "This legend isn't quite the same, though. This one is about what happens after the battle is done."

She told him of a fruit that only grows from blood-soaked soil. Layers and layers of seeds fill the inside, tempting and sweet. One taste was said to be enough to sate anyone's hunger—for a price. That single bite would spark a new hunger, and it can only be satisfied with more of the Blood Fruit.

-

It's years later, on a mission to quell bandits that threaten the academy he's only just enrolled in, that Caspar feels that addictive taste melt on his tongue. Crimson seeps through his skin and sets his heart racing. Blood sinks into the soil and his boots stand firm atop it all. Some stomachs may churn at the thought of needing this to survive, but blood is near as bountiful a crop as wheat for the Bergliez family. Caspar was raised to savor this, and to understand how spilled blood can create the space for freedom and justice to flourish. Coppery tang turned sweet by adrenaline and glory—this is the flavor that sustains a warrior.

[real-fire-emblem-takes]

I don’t know whether I want to fuck count bergliez or help him raise caspar or if I want to learn to fight with him

why not all 3

[reunionatdawn]

My Analysis of the Best Paired Endings in 3H (Part 9: Caspar/Petra)

Catherine: When I told you I would cut down children with no hesitation, you looked disgusted. I take it that's the part you're struggling to accept? Caspar: Pretty much. I don't think I'd be able to do it, even if that meant disobeying orders.

Caspar and Ferdinand are the two most difficult students to recruit outside of their home routes because they can only get C-Support with Byleth before the time-skip. And this corresponds to how difficult it is for them to leave the Empire from an emotional standpoint. They can't even be recruited in Hopes. Caspar wasn't sure when to obey orders or act on his own morality. He got reprimanded for doing so in his C-Support with Byleth, and that single incident had a huge impact on his development.

Shez: You're taking this awfully well. Weren't you and Caspar childhood friends? Linhardt: Yes, but that is of little consequence now. He is not fighting for honor or any greater purpose. War is just his way of life, and he doesn't have the slightest intention of dying or losing.

Caspar has never known any other way of life but fighting and making a name for himself on the battlefield.

Caspar: Something is kinda bothering me. I was talking to someone the other day about how I want to distinguish myself in battle, and they said that meant I wanted the war to go on forever. Of course, I told them they were nuts… Then I actually started thinking about it. About what I'll be doing when the war ends, I mean. About what I'll even…be. Ferdinand: I do not think you have cause to worry. We may not know what the future holds, but you are delivering great results as a leader. Surely you will be held in esteem for such? Caspar: Sure, but doesn't that just mean my life is about nothing but fighting? I'm not a guy like you who's good at pretty much everything, so… Ha! Listen to me. I can't remember the last time I got in my own head like this.

He was more introspective about his circumstances in Hopes. But that only reinforced how unhappy he was with his way of life. It wasn't fulfilling for him to live only for war, but he had no real sense of identity other than as a warrior.

Caspar: Oh. Hey, Professor. I was just reading this letter from my father. Do you know him? He's a pretty big deal in the Empire. He only writes to ask how my training's going, or how many monsters I've killed. Stuff like that.

Caspar had a strong desire to punish evil in the world, but he possessed a very black-and-white sense of morality. That simplistic view of good and evil probably came from his father, the famous warlord Count Bergliez.

Caspar: My father was responsible for a lot of what happened to the Dagdans! Shamir: Are you responsible for your father's actions? Caspar: Well, no…but kinda? I know I wasn't there, but I gotta—

It is much easier to invade and conquer when you convince yourself that the enemy is evil.

Caspar: After we cross the Great Bridge of Myrddin, we'll be in my father's territory. We actually crossed it five years ago for the Battle of the Eagle and Lion. Remember? Ugh! This is terrifying! What am I gonna do? I gotta get a grip… Byleth: Don't worry, I'll arrange for your funeral. Caspar: You think we'll meet him on the battlefield and he'll kill me? The front lines cover a long stretch of land, you know! We might not even run into him!

Caspar was also terrified of his father. He didn't like the sound of thunder because it reminded him of his father yelling at him when he screwed up.

Caspar: All right! Off to the Kingdom's capital we go! What's the matter? Should I not be excited? I can't help it. Everyone's gotta have something to look forward to!

I was really struck by Caspar's demeanor in CF. He only ever focused on taking out whatever enemies he was ordered to and barely had anything else to say.

Caspar: It's so awful to see the Kingdom capital go up in flames, but at least we made it this far!

He fought alongside the Death Knight and invaded other nations without question. It was as though Count Bergliez was hovering over his shoulder the entire time.

Catherine: You have a strong sense of justice. You have clearly defined ideals. But that's not an asset on the battlefield. Ideals slow you down. They cause inner conflict.

It was truly sad because that wasn't who he was. He had his own ideals and criticized Catherine for submitting her sense of justice to another person. It made me realize that CF!Caspar couldn't do anything else but focus on fighting because otherwise the inner conflict would have destroyed him.

Caspar: I think… I can't deny who I am. I know you were right five years ago when you told me not to chase after that suspicious guy… But I still can't get over the possibility that he might have hurt those kids. I would have regretted not stopping him for the rest of my life. There's no way I could forgive myself. It sounds awful to say, but the safety of those kids is more important to me than the knights we lost.

His character arc was about realizing that it's okay not to follow orders and that he should live according to his own sense of justice.

Caspar: I've been wandering on my own for five years. I won't go back to that house or my father, that's for sure!

And leaving his father was necessary for him to do so.

Caspar: We weren't related by blood, but Randolph was still my uncle… Seeing him end up that way was… Never mind. It's nothing. Byleth: That's how it goes with war. Caspar: This wasn't just about war. It was a grudge. Or are you gonna tell me you're on Dimitri's side? I'm sure he never trusted me, being born in the Empire and all.

Like Ferdinand, Caspar can only access his Paralogue—where he can confront the "evil" Death Knight—if he defects from the Empire. The game incentivizes you to recruit him in AM, too. Not only does he share his Paralogue with Mercedes, but doing so in AM unlocks an additional scene for her to say goodbye to Emile. I'd argue that he has the best arc in AM due to his connection to Randolph. It was important for him to see the war from the side from the Empire's victims, so that he could have his worldview challenged.

Petra: It feels like…a knife against my throat. That I am making my grandfather obey the Empire. Because I am a hostage, it is not an option to be giving up. I must be fighting and winning and staying alive. I must do anything to be making life better for Brigid. To be making Brigid and the Empire stand as equals. That is what my people are wanting from me…and what my grandfather, the king of Brigid, is wanting! Byleth: And what do you want? Petra: My want? I…I am not knowing of that. The wants of my people are something I have power to achieve. Their wants are my own.

As a political hostage to the Empire, Petra fought extremely hard to survive, not for herself, but so that Brigid could live independently and stand as equals with the Empire. But when Byleth asked her what she wanted, she didn't even know. She needed to figure out what she wanted for herself, not just what other people wanted.

Ferdinand: Do you not want to go back to your homeland? Petra: I do have the hope of returning one day, but Fódlan is also like a homeland to me now. I came to Fódlan nine years ago. I have been living half of my life here. My family is living in Brigid, but in Fódlan, I have new family and new friends.

So, what did Petra want? Well, she wanted to return home, but she also wanted to stay connected to her new family, and to use their political connections to improve relations with Brigid and Fódlan.

Petra: When this war is finished, I am wishing for you to be seeing my homeland. Dorothea: You…you are? Oh my. I'd love to, Petra. As soon as the fighting is done, I'd like nothing more than to see Brigid with you.

She wanted to bring her friends back home with her to visit. Whether you go for their romantic paired ending or are content to leave them as friends, her Support with Dorothea showed how important it was for her to maintain permanent connections with her classmates.

Petra: I am not having an obligation. I will only be marrying if I find a good person.

And she also wanted a husband from Fódlan.

Petra: My father was killed. By the Empire. By your father. And so I will be impaling you on this blade to be satisfying a deep wish of mine. Caspar: A deep wish… What are you talking about?! Petra: I am talking about my wish. Of course…I am also having another wish. An even deeper wish. I wish for you and I to keep being friends. To keep fighting and surviving together.

Petra had one other deeply held wish. She wanted to kill Count Bergliez. She always bottled up her true feelings and never expressed what she really thought. She was always gung-ho about fighting and said war fed her body and mind. She may have acted like she was fine with her situation, but she was really not. She didn't want to kill people in the name of the Empire that invaded Brigid and killed her father, and she had a lot of rage underneath her calm surface.

Caspar: Well, I guess even a queen can't push her feeling down forever. I can't imagine what it must've been like to go through what you did. But I think I can still relate. Petra: Umm… Caspar: Hey, here's an idea. From now on, take it out on me. Petra: No. This is silliness. There is no point in killing you. Caspar: I'm not talking about killing, Petra. What I want you to do is unload on me! Tell me off! Just talk to me about whatever it is you're feeling. If all your hate becomes too much, dump it on me. If you wanna hit something, I'm your guy. I just want us to keep being friends, alright?

Caspar was the only character she ever showed that side of herself to. In Hopes, she wanted to kill him, but he offered for her to take her pain out on him. He was the one person she could talk to and be open and honest with because he was the same. And Petra was more raw and emotionally vulnerable with him than anyone else.

Petra & Caspar Petra returned to her homeland of Brigid, and inherited the throne from her grandfather. As ruler, she declared independence from Fódlan, and renegotiated Brigid's diplomatic ties to Fódlan and Dagda on more equal terms. At every step along the way, she was accompanied and supported by her husband, Caspar, who had left Fódlan behind to be with her. It is said that the people of Brigid were initially suspicious of the union, due to Caspar's relation to a nemesis of their homeland, but that his tireless efforts on Brigid's behalf endeared them to him over time. It certainly helped that he made the queen very happy.

Petra didn't have an obligation to get married. She just wanted someone to share all of her heart with. Caspar was never particularly envious of his brother, and he always liked hard work. So, working tirelessly for Brigid is a better way to live than inheriting his father's position and becoming the new Minister of Military Affairs.

I don't think the writers necessarily pushed for either Caspar or Petra to be paired with anyone in particular. Many of their paired endings work just as fine. Still, the Caspar/Petra ending is one where Petra can have everything she wants, including someone who she can be truly open and honest with. And it is the only one where Caspar can directly address the damage caused by his imperialist father. So, I consider it the best one for them.