#trounces the alliance for some reason and everything goes to hell

[randomnameless]

I've seen your reblog that art about CF, what do you think was Rhea's relationship with Dimitri during the 5 years gap?

It has been so long since I posted about Rhage!

No... It can't be... There is no retreat for the Knights of Seiros!

Which does not correspond, like not at all, to Rhage's voiced line which more or less goes "King Dimitri there's no retreat for the Knights of Seiros!"

Note Rhage's tone and... well. Typical Rhage here.

Rhea?

ディミトリ王が……！ セイロス騎士団よ、撤退はありません！

When Rhage doesn't seem to pause between "King Dimitri" and the "There is no retreat for the Knights of Seiros" Rhea... pauses. Takes an inspiration. She's not openly mourning him, because she is a commander, and has her own army to lead, and yet, his death is a blow.

Rhage? Without context, you'd think Dimitri asked her to retreat, and she answers "King Dimitri, there is no retreat for the knights of Seiros".

Rhea? Something happened to King Dimitri (most likely something bad) and yet... There is no retreat for her!

Given how Dimitri (and Rufus?) offer her shelter after she was outed as a giant lizard, rather, despite being a giant lizard - I think she was very very grateful.

Once again, when Nemesis is out for her blood because she is a creature, a human, again, agrees to help her.

But unlike Willy, Dimitri already has his own duty, protecting Faerghus, that's why he doesn't take any action when Rhea tries to recover GM, the BESF only fights against the Church's forces, not the combined might of the Church + the Kingdom.

Heck, one can even theorise that the GM attack happens... after the Alliance because of this reason - Rhea saw the Alliance being steamrolled for the grave sin of existing, so she knows the Kingdom is next - maybe because she is there?

Adrestia has no desire to spare people or discuss about steamrolling nations, so if she manages to recover GM it will be one less reason for the BESF to strike the Kingdom... but it fails.

There is the greatest irony of it all - Dimitri, despite being a descendant of Blaiddyd, helps her, when a Hresvelg + a child of her own creation (through Citrus and Jerry) try to kill her.

Dimitri doesn't go through hell, Cornelia is still around but can publicly start shit because Rhea is here, so she's stuck in Arianrhod trying to build 2 Titanus in 5 years. Dimitri still knows Edel's involved in the Tragedy of Duscur, but doesn't run away to terminate her, instead, he stays in the Kingdom and plays on the defensive, even taking Edel's main target with him, Rhea.

Did they both bond of their shared trauma (loved ones being exterminated for... no reason?) and need for revenge? Did Rhea's words + Rufus + Dedue's words managed to make him reconsider running away to kill Edel ?

If he knew, how did Dimitri react when she told him his lance was her big brother's left hand? How Rhea reacted when Dimitri told her he dgaf about her being a lizard, look Sylvain is a philanderer and he is still my treasured friend?

Basically the Lord and the Princess who was ousted from her home by the Red Emperor fight together, each one leading their own armies, in a decisive battle to determine the fate of the world.

Sadly, in this story... the Lord and the Princess die to the Red Emperor and her McGuffin.