Chapter Text
Hubert had been against this idea from the start, and meeting Claude in person only strengthened his belief. He practically oozed insincerity.
…He had not done his best for Her Majesty, being unable to convince her to abandon the idea. ‘Claude is untrustworthy’ was not a compelling enough reason, it seemed. Perhaps when she saw how untrustworthy…
Her Majesty laughed at something Claude said. Hubert hadn’t heard it, but he recognised the laugh as a genuine one, not the false chuckle she used whilst tolerating the nobles at court.
“Hubert, you have to relax,” Dorothea hissed. She stood barely an arm’s width away, but she spoke in such an undertone that Hubert had to strain to hear her. “People are going to think you’re about to assassinate Claude if you keep glaring at him like that.”
“I am not planning anything of the sort,” Hubert replied. That would be a terrible thing to do at this juncture. And right in the open! Dorothea ought to know him better. “I am only concerned that Lady Edelgard may be letting her guard down—”
Dorothea frowned. “Claude is funny and personable; she’s just showing her honest reactions. They’re supposed to be getting married. She can’t just give him the stoic Emperor treatment.”
Hubert understood the logic – if Claude made a personal connection to Edelgard, he would be more likely to become their genuine ally, and all the advantages that entailed.
If. Claude, he was confident, would do no such thing. As an outsider with little known of him, Hubert had naturally observed Claude carefully at the Academy. He had learned little concrete information precisely because Clause did not share—did not show true openness—with anyone. Every move he made was guarded, every word he spoke calculated.
Hubert had great faith in Her Majesty, but he found it difficult to believe the possibility of her exposing a chink in Claude’s armour was worth the risk of inviting such a duplicitous individual to the capital.
And… he worried that Lady Edelgard would trap herself in an agreement she would later regret making. If the professor returned…
Dorothea sighed. “At least stop the glaring.”
Well, if she thought it was so offensive…
Hubert folded his arms and made an effort to direct his attention elsewhere. He ought, perhaps, to take more interest in the exchange, as it concerned a potential risk to his own life, but he had already given Her Majesty as much advice as she would heed, and now his only role left was to serve her interests and go where she directed him.
After all this time, Hubert had… not inconsiderable faith in the other Black Eagles. They would do their utmost for Lady Edelgard. But he could not help the niggling fear that sending himself away would be a mistake – that something might befall her and he would not be there to stop it.
“It will be fine, Hubert,” Dorothea said. “Don’t worry so much.”
He couldn’t work out what tell of his emotional state she’d identified and narrowed his eyes at her.
She gave him quite a bright, innocent smile in return.
…Some of the Black Eagles had begun to read him rather well. It was uncanny and, to be frank, disconcerting. Hubert might have learnt to trust them, but he had no desire to be their friend or to be read like an open book.
“So it’s settled, then!” Claude declared, clapping his hands together in quite a theatrical manner. “We’ll arrange another meeting at Garreg Mach three months from now and revisit the arrangement. Until then, I look forward to you showing me the wonders of the Empire, Edelgard.”
“I have confidence they will impress,” Her Majesty replied, rising from her seat. “I trust that Hubert and Dorothea will have an equally enjoyable time in Dedriu. I hope their magical expertise will prove useful to you.”
“I also hear Dorothea is a wonderful singer.” Claude grinned. “Maybe she can teach Judith some tricks? To hear her sing after a night on the town would kill lesser men.”
So would the glare Lady Judith was sending his way. Hubert didn’t doubt that in other circumstances, she would have outright protested, but she seemed to wish to defer to the Duke’s authority in a formal meeting. Her manner was stiff when she said, “If all is concluded, we should make our preparations to leave.”
Claude’s close relationship with the Hero of Daphnel was one of the few things anyone could say about him – after all, she had introduced him to the former Duke, his grandfather. Why she’d taken such a shine to a mysterious prodigal son of House Riegan remained a mystery.
Maybe it was something Hubert would be able to unravel during their time in Dedriu. She must know something of where Claude had come from.
“Ah, of course,” Lady Edelgard said. “It is a long journey for all of us.”
Judith turned to Lady Edelgard with a more in-character flintiness and added, “I am entrusting you with the Duke’s safety. See to it that my trust is not misplaced.”
“I shall guard him with my very life,” Lady Edelgard said, quite serious.
Hubert twitched. Lady Edelgard, please do not endanger your own person for this man.
“In return, I naturally expect that Dorothea and my Minister of the Imperial Household will come to no harm,” Lady Edelgard continued. “Although I’m sure you’ve taken all necessary precautions.”
“And then some,” Claude said. He winked and nudged her, making her blink in surprise and then offer him a tight smile.
Hubert tried to make his hands look less like they were grasping for a weapon.
“Come on, we should say our goodbyes to Edie,” Dorothea said. “Of course I’ll send letters as often as I can, but it’s not the same as being able to see each other in person.”
This time, Edelgard gave a more genuine, amused smile. “I’m sure you’ll survive – it is not as though you are going away forever.”
A lot could happen in three months. Hubert had made the security arrangements in Enbarr as safe as he could, but without being there in person…
Something of his concern must have been noticeable to Lady Edelgard, because she sighed upon seeing him. “I promise all will be well, Hubert,” she said. “Do take this opportunity to rest yourself whilst you can.”
He bowed. “As you say, Your Majesty.”
“I’ll keep an eye on him for you, Edie,” Dorothea added.
“It would ease my mind if you could, of course, but you’re already doing me a great service simply by being here…”
Partly true and partly a show for Judith and the rest of the Alliance personnel. If their ruse held, it would do a lot to ease his concerns.
Hubert was forced to amend this thought when the time came to separate and Her Majesty began to walk away with the duke, their heads already bowed together in conversation, whilst Judith von Daphnel gestured towards the carriages bearing the banner of the Alliance houses. It’s better than nothing, but I cannot help this deep unease… Lady Edelgard… be safe.
This thought occupied him until he and Dorothea were embroiled away in their own carriage and the slow swaying of the vehicle told him they were on the move.
“I didn’t take you for such a worrier.” Dorothea shook her head. “You know you left me to carry an entire conversation with Lady Judith by myself? It’s a good thing no one expected you to be friendly in the first place.”
“I still have my misgivings about the whole endeavour,” Hubert said. Being called ‘a worrier’ implied that he was fretting over nothing. The risks to Lady Edelgard’s life were all too real.
“Well, it’s a bit late to voice them now, isn’t it?” she replied dryly. “Let’s just… concentrate on what we’re supposed to be doing.”
She was right in this respect, of course. If anything did happen to Edelgard, he would be too far away to prevent it… just like the last time. It was like nothing had changed at all.
“You’re supposed to be the expert on this occasion,” Hubert said. “What would be your first point of action when we enter the city?”
*
Edelgard would have dearly loved some time to herself before being thrown into a long journey in an intimate space with Claude von Riegan, but her gentle suggestions that he might have been tired from his own journey and want to be alone for the first leg of the journey had been brushed aside.
So she found herself sitting directly opposite a grinning Claude, their knees virtually touching, trying not to look too much like a cornered animal.
“Edelgard—” Claude paused. Or made a show of pausing? Everything he did seemed quite smooth and natural, but… “You agree there’s no need for the titles and all that formal nonsense in private, right?”
“Oh, of course,” she replied.
Claude smiled. She was reminded of something Byleth had mentioned in the Academy—Claude’s smile never reached his eyes. And Manuela’s only contribution about Claude’s character had been that ‘he trusted no one’.
I wonder what made him that way…
“So. Edelgard. You’ve been a busy bee these past years.”
“As have you,” she replied. She did not really want to begin a discussion about the war in a state of exhaustion. “I’d say you’ve taken to politics very well, considering you were totally unknown to House Riegan… hm, was it six years ago, now, that you were introduced yourself to your grandfather?”
“Seven years, give or take,” Claude corrected. The easygoing, light-hearted manner and smile hadn’t altered a bit, but he changed the direction of the conversation by saying, “But, you know, I’ve had good help. You rely on your old classmates a lot, huh? I notice they all have places in your Empire now… even Dorothea.”
Was ‘even’ Dorothea supposed to mean something? Edelgard found him almost impossible to read—she couldn’t even tell if the reference to his mysterious past had disturbed him or he just felt like talking about something else. He’d been tight lipped about the subject in the past, but did it still bother him?
This was still a place where honesty was the best policy, though. She was trying to win him over to her cause. “Well, they’re all extremely talented individuals. I would be foolish not to welcome their contributions. Especially Dorothea, who hasn’t had the advantages of the others.”
“Not had the advantages, huh.” Claude looked thoughtful. “I suppose that’s why you were impressed by my political talents, then? You don’t think I’ve had the same advantages?”
…Was he implying she was wrong to infer that? Ugh, she really could not read him at all. “I have no way of knowing,” Edelgard replied carefully, “but adapting to a new environment always presents a challenge.”
“How do you think I’ll fare in the Empire, then?”
“It is my aim to make it a place in which anyone can achieve their potential—in which anyone can be welcome,” she said, “so I hope it will not be long before you consider it a second home.”
“A second home?”
Was it her imagination, or did Claude look at her with slightly sharper eyes for a moment?
“You make it sound very inviting,” he said – he laughed suddenly. “But I suppose you would, wouldn’t you? Still, you’ve made me look forward to seeing the place for myself.”
Edelgard couldn’t help the proud smile that broke through her calm mien. “I have several things I’d like to show you!”
Many of the schemes were only trial runs on a small scale, things she hoped to expand further into Adrestia as time and the war allowed, and eventually the whole of Fódlan, if they proved successful. If she could show Claude that joining the Empire would be to the benefit of him and his people… She didn’t know him well, but she couldn’t believe him to be callous and driven only by self-interest. If she…
Claude was smirking at her. “You’ve got things to show me, Edelgard?” he asked, waggling his eyebrows.
Edelgard blinked at him. She felt her cheeks begin to redden as his meaning slowly dawned on her. “I—wha—that is not what I meant!”
He laughed. “I know, I know, but I couldn’t resist teasing you.”
Her whole face felt like it was burning. How humiliating, to be caught in such a… a rudimentary innuendo!
“Although—” Claude leaned further forward into the small space between them, and to her dismay, Edelgard found herself making a small squeak of surprise. “—if you look this cute when you’re flustered, I might have to do it more often!”
His eyes were a startling green up close—like emeralds. It was a fleeting, overly romantic thought, but it didn’t help Edelgard’s blush. She ducked her head, staring at her hands on her knees and willing them not to tense. “I’m glad one of us finds it amusing.”
The carriage seemed unbearably stifling all of a sudden, but she didn’t want to look ridiculous by asking to stop for fresh air.
“Tell me about Dedriu,” she blurted, the first topic that sprang into her mind. Her tongue felt heavy. “I’ve never been there.”
“You haven’t?” Claude asked. His voice was pitched a little lower, almost like a purr, and seemed to reverberate around the small space, making Edelgard squirm with discomfort. “Perhaps I can show you the sights sometime. It’s supposed to bode well for your marriage to honeymoon in Dedriu.”
“Is that so?” Edelgard had never heard of such a thing, but she didn’t want to sound like she was accusing him of lying… or of trying to get under her skin.
Of course there might be a honeymoon if they did get married—brief and perfunctory maybe—but she hadn’t really thought that far ahead. It seemed foolish—it was foolish, no doubt—but the thought of being—intimate with someone, someone she didn’t fully trust—
“What do you think?” Claude pressed—pressed further into the personal space, too. She found herself staring at his throat and didn’t dare raise her head even a little, because if she did, their noses would probably be touching. “If we do get married—wouldn’t that be the perfect time for you to see Derdriu?”
It seemed to Edelgard that keeping her breathing even and steady took up all of her concentration. She couldn’t think of a clever, deflective reply, something befitting of the Emperor of Adrestia (Dorothea would be disappointed), so she said the first thing that came into her head that wasn’t ‘go away’. “That sounds like it would be terribly boring for you.”
Claude let out a bark of laughter, sitting back in his seat. It was like a great weight slid off Edelgard’s shoulders and she breathed a sigh of relief before she managed to regain her composure.
“You aren’t the most romantic person, are you?” An amused grin still played about his face. “Although to tell the truth, you’re right. Once you’ve seen one stunning sunset and sunrise over the Derdriu canals, you’ve seen them all. I mean, it’s beautiful, don’t get me wrong, it’s not awful to see it again—but it’s never going to be as good as the first time.”
Now Edelgard was curious. Did he make the honeymoon comment just to get a rise out of her? “There must be something you enjoy about Derdriu other than the scenery.”
“I suppose, but it’s nothing that you can’t find elsewhere, if you’ve a mind.” Claude shrugged. “Good luck or no, it’s not where I’d choose to go on a honeymoon… although it might be worth it to show someone else the sights.” He winked.
Edelgard was not distracted; she was more interested in the little part of himself he’d revealed with his words. It was strange to her to think anyone had so little to say about their home city – she could talk for hours about Enbarr if given the chance. She supposed Claude wasn’t from Derdriu originally, though… maybe there was somewhere else he called home. Maybe he was thinking of that place right now.
Of course, he wouldn’t tell her if she asked, so instead she said, “Where would you like to honeymoon, then? If you could go anywhere?”
“Anywhere?” Claude tilted his head back, humming thoughtfully under his breath. “I guess if I could go to any places… I’d like to go to all of them.”
Edelgard blinked. Not the response she’d been expected. “You’d like to see the world?”
“Wouldn’t you?” He smiled, but it was faint, his eyes distant. “Isn’t there something… interesting about seeing how other people lives? How they think, what they eat, what they believe?”
Small it might have been, but Edelgard thought it could be the first genuine smile she’d seen out of him. There was something boyish about it, a certain light in his eyes—like he was actually seeing, for that moment, the world he was talking about.
Edelgard had been raised strictly in accordance with the teachings of the Church of Seiros, of course, and therefore knew only what information about the outside world was considered ‘appropriate’ for the Emperor to know, mainly a study of Dagda’s military tactics. She’d expanded her knowledge a little since—since afterwards, learning what the Emperors knew of the Church and Seiros, the Immaculate One.
To her frustration, information about other cultures was still hard to come by in Fódlan, and much of it was misinformation more than anything else. It was something she must change if she was going to make peace with their neighbours. Edelgard was sure they had much to learn from them…
“Your silence fills me with great comfort,” Claude said dryly. “I haven’t offended by merely talking of other places, have I? Not you of all people?”
“Oh – no, no,” Edelgard replied, her cheeks flushing for an entirely different reason this time. To get lost in thought around Hubert was one thing, but to do it in front of a guest was quite another. “I’m sorry, I—I was just thinking, I suppose. About how hard it is to learn anything of the world in Fódlan.”
“Ah. Because of the Church.” Claude’s humour had disappeared; he was grave-faced, which made him look more intimidating than a man of his handsome features should be.
And yet again they had made it onto the topic she wished to avoid. To be saying that, he couldn’t have a lot of love for the Church himself. Which made it all the more frustrating that he hadn’t responded to her manifesto those years ago. If he understood the Church was damaging Fódlan, why had he not joined her then? Maybe he couldn’t be moved to ally with her after all?
“Do you get sick from travel?” Claude asked innocently. “You’ve gone quiet all of a sudden. Not for the first time.”
He’d seen directly through her as well. Blast. “I am merely tired from the long journey,” she replied. Hubert would be furious if he was here, but it couldn’t hurt to reveal a little vulnerability to one she might marry… could it? “I’m afraid it’s making me easily distracted. My apologies.”
“Oh, not at all, I understand.” Claude relaxed back in his seat. “Let’s avoid difficult topics like the Church’s canon until tomorrow, hm?”
Edelgard couldn’t help but blink in surprise at this show of magnanimity. “That would probably be for the best,” she said carefully. “I fear I may not be able to properly attend to the complexities such a discussion would naturally entail.”
Claude smiled—a sly, slight thing that she very much wished to know the meaning of.
The conversation for the next few hours seemed more gentle, although some of the comments and questions from Claude were quietly prying—questioned about former classmates; Lysithea’s health; the progress of the war in general terms. None of it was information which Edelgard needed to keep to herself, yet she gave herself a headache with the care she took over her answers, wary of letting herself say more than she intended.
It was with some relief that the slowing of the carriage announced their arrival at Count Bergliez’s manor. They were to break here and continue the journey to Enbarr tomorrow. The count himself would remain at Fort Merceus, and so Edelgard looked forward to the peace she could expect after dinner, and a much needed night’s rest.