[He can't keep eye contact any longer. Hubert's gaze drops, that sense of conflict rising again the Bond; he's caught in a tangle of contradictory emotions pulling him in several directions at once, the individual feelings all muddied together. He falters here, his mouth working before he finds his words.]
It is nothing new. I know not when it became such a thing, but I'd been content. I'd made peace with what it was, and what it would remain, and that I would not speak of it.
[Except this world changed everything. Hubert pauses, that shame flickering again.]
But I... That is clearly no longer the case. It vexes me horribly, that I no longer have control over this burgeoning selfish wish. I know every reason that I shouldn't, and yet... bit by bit the peace I've made falls away, and weaker still I become. It seems this world will not be content until it's undermined my will completely.
[He never meant for this to happen. Discipline over himself had been a keystone of Hubert's life—to always act rationally regardless of how his emotions burned. To hold so many practical and rational reasons in mind why he couldn't, yet to have his control eroded and enticed by glimpses of things in the Bond, by simple wants, felt like failure.]
[Edelgard's voice is soft and patient, her feet carrying her closer. She doesn't close the gap completely, but she still wants to be within his shadow, looking up at her most trusted companion.
The bond remains the same, a concern aimed squarely at him.]
You are allowed to feel. You are allowed to want things, and that is no weakness. I certainly would not begrudge you anything. You have dedicated yourself to my ideals and ambitions...but have you considered that I hold you in the same esteem?
[Swallowing, she finally breaks eye contact, looking from his eyes towards the fire, unsure of how to continue.]
I like your company. I appreciate how kind you are to me, and I trust you in ways I can trust no other. I do not know what my heart wants, nor what your heart wants, but I know that no matter who you and I ultimately wed, if we even do at all, the two of us are never going to be separated.
Our lives, for good or ill, are intertwined as tightly as can be.
[His eyes meet hers again when Edelgard approaches, and then it's his turn to keep watching her as she averts her gaze. That his Bonded might hold him in the same esteem Hubert held her... how impossible, he thought, given how Hubert regarded her.]
[But such concern, concern for him, and the sincerity carried in the Bond did not lie—it couldn't. Hubert didn't know how to accept that offering; he'd always considered his own value in the terms one might a piece on a game board, not as a being. Without the Bond, he'd surely dismiss such a thing, but feeling it, and Edelgard's regard and trust as if it were his own...]
[It's a little overwhelming. There the Bond goes again, taunting him with something warm and enticing, prompting an unwitting flicker of affection from him as Hubert's pulse rises a little. Remaining still, not reaching out that short distance suddenly seemed a colossal challenge. If he was allowed to want these things, it shouldn't feel so... traitorous.]
[What did he want, but two things in direct conflict?]
...What I want is the best for you. That hasn't changed. Such an entwined path is enough.
It's her turn to feel a little conflicted as she debates what to do next. She can feel him struggling to hold himself back, though, and her heart goes out to him. Reaching her hand out, she takes his in hers, giving it a squeeze.]
We can have these small pleasures, while we are here. I do not know where our path will go in future, or even tomorrow, but for now...let us not shy away from these moments where we can.
[Turning back to him, meeting his gaze, she nods sharply to reassure herself.]
[It was like he was standing at the edge of a cliff, looking in on something he might never climb back from.]
[Edelgard had a point, Hubert knew she did. He's seen—felt—the effects on her already, these actions and the freedom from her throne. They seemed so much more consequential than small pleasures, to him.]
And you would be satisfied, turning away from such warm things when we return to Fódlan? Able to return to the cold required of you, locking it away as if it'd never happened?
[It felt cruel to ask such a thing, but that had always been Hubert's role, hadn't it? To speak of everything she could not or should not have, and let Edelgard make her own decisions. This was... different than the reprieve that had been their academy days.]
[But he didn't directly deny Edelgard's suggestion. He wanted to let her have these things that've clearly been making her happy. He wanted to reciprocate and take her other hand. Hubert wasn't yet sure stepping off that cliff would be as kind to him.]
[Edelar's lips quirk up into a smile. As if she'd known he'd say this, and he had played into her hands.]
Yes.
[Edelgard's answer is immediate, the bond now brimming with absolute certainty and iron hard resolve. Going home would mean losing what they gained here, but there would be other kinds of happiness to be had there. A reunion with those she cares for, the satisfaction of finishing what they had begun, and the peace that seeing the fruits of her labor blossoming would bring.
And, there are still chances for private moments, even for a ruler.]
I have much to live for and do at home. It is not a chore, and I do not fear the cold. I would simply like to experience both sides of the coin, as it were.
It is simply a different kind of happiness, though satisfaction of doing good work is just as joyous.
[He listens patiently, holding his silence a moment after.]
[Hubert wasn't entirely convinced, but he accepted that Edelgard was; he would respect that. His impassive expression finally breaks, mirroring her smile. They've spent their entire Bonded time learning to separate their now twined emotions; perhaps, just this once, he could lean into it, and borrow the strength of her certainty. ]
And so it seems I've been outmaneuvered.
[That hint of affection burns a little brighter, entwined with admiration and trust. Hubert slowly raises his other hand--and it hovers halfway between them, caught in an uncharacteristic spell of hesitation.]
[Then, he reaches out, tucking strands of hair behind her ear with delicacy befitting spun glass, a faint uncertainty that almost felt vulnerable flickering through the Bond. ]
I will consider it. [His voice is softer, now. ] What you're asking of me...
[To feel and to want freely, to be selfish... Hubert would have to learn. It sounded absurd, out loud. ]
...I simply don't know how. It would be no small task.
[Discipline, the quality he deemed antithesis to the sort of nobility he despised, was important, part of his very being. Perhaps he was afraid of letting his affections--which Hubert struggled to accept as is--would consume him if he let it be. If he descended from this precipice, he might not find his way back so easily.]
[Her return smile, and returned emotions, are at once shy and triumphant. She beams, satisfaction suffusing her at the core, when he tucks that unruly strand out of the way. Leaning very slightly to brush her cheek against his bare wrist, Edelgard dips her head.]
You can learn. I have every faith in you, Hubert.
[Squeezing the hand she held, she stepped closer, using her free arm to pull him into a quick...very quick...hug beefore breaking the contact entirely.]
You have never met a task that you could not complete. You helped me win a war, Hubert. I know you can accomplish this.
[Is it a challenge? Maybe. But she does find that he works best when given a task and a desired outcome. This may be a monumental one, but perhaps this will give suitable motivation to succeed.]
[What incredible difference between sympathy and empathy. Witnessing Edelgard's expression and knowing his action made her happy was one thing, but once again, the Bond flooded him with the full force of that satisfaction; it makes him pause again, and together with that brush of her cheek, spreads something warm through his chest and makes his heart beat harder.]
[But then Edelgard hugs him, and Hubert goes statue-still. One thing at a time, it seemed. He doesn't find his voice for another moment.]
War I studied, and my mind and talents are suited for. This... [Hubert shakes his head lightly. Before coming to this world, he could count how many times he'd been hugged in the last fifteen years on one hand.]
[Another pause, a longer one this time—it's a half-floundering, half-ponderous feeling in the Bond that indicates he's trying to find words for something.]
...You... truly don't mind?
[How he felt regarding her, and that what Edelgard's request would only likely make it worse—well, worse in his eyes, anyway. His Bonded was the one that was stuck feeling it, after all.]
[Edelgard shook her head, still smiling, though this one faltered...just a bit. She was still uncertain if she returned his feelings in that specific regard, but that was also something that she knew that time would provide an answer for. So, the bond remains as it was, with just a twinge of something like confusion, but less actually confused.]
I don't mind. As...I said, I do not know if I feel the same, but I do trust you above all others. And I do find you handsome. So, have no fear of that.
[Tilting her head to the side, she considers saying something else, and decides to just say it after only a moment's pause.]
I know that time will make me more certain, one way or another. Does that bother you, Hubert?
[She's hopeful that it won't, but she doesn't want to commit. She can't. And neither can he, obviously.]
[And her twinge of confusion was met by a whole flood of raw bewilderment.]
[Handsome?]
[Hubert's brow knits together. He isn't put off by the statement—nor even a little flattered. Just wholly, entirely, blindsided. He's heard gaunt, pallid, unsettling, broody, weasel-faced, and all manner of other descriptors. And quite frankly, had no issue with that.]
I'm... sorry, do we have the same definition of the word?
[Out of all the reactions Edelgard had prepared for, his bewilderment was the one she thought least likely. She blinked, mouth working to hide a laugh, but it was plain as day that she was somewhat tickled.]
We do, we do! I assure you. I think you quite handsome, and I am not alone in that, I am certain.
[She's so, so positive. She's gossiped about him, even. Just a little.]
[Her expression might (somewhat) hide her amusement, but the Bond doesn't. This bloody link of theirs was going to be the death of him. What did she mean, she's certain?]
[He glances aside with a quietly grumbling hrrm, the faintest flicker of displeasure joining the mess of his other emotions. To be laughed at, on top of everything else... no matter. Edelgard had asked him something. Hubert softly clears his throat before answering.]
Time nor certainty is no matter. I was never concerned with reciprocity.
[It might seem a disparaging statement, but... the Bond only carries a plain honesty in his words, completely barren of disappointment or hope. Hubert had never imagined it—never thought it possible—before coming to this world.]
[But in this world... there's that sense of conflict again, the desire of two different things.]
...Perhaps I would even advise against it. [He wanted to. He didn't want to. To hell with it all, this used to be so much simpler mere months ago.]
[That others find him handsome, of course. She's hardly a gossipy hen, but she had discussed him a few times. And he'd certainly drawn some eyes...
Edelgard, pleased with the outcome, squeezes his hand one last time before letting her fingers drop. It's not good for anyone to overwhelm him with affection. He doesn't deserve that level of teasing.]
Time will tell, Hubert. For now, I am...very content.
[Looking up at him, eyes and bond brimming with the sparks of real delight, she bobs her head in a respectful nod.]
Thank you, for talking with me. And for indulging me. I am glad of the opportunity, even if it is brief, to come to understand this side of you. You, who I owe a debt words cannot describe.
[His fingers involuntarily twitch in a slight curl—not enough to catch Edelgard's fingers, but just enough that the contact lingers as she pulls away. Immediately, there's a shadow of embarrassment, but... Hubert doesn't retreat or pull away this time.]
Words aren't needed to.
[For a moment, Hubert merely watches her face.]
I... cannot promise you anything. I have much to think about. [He'll likely be reeling from this for a while. Hubert would not decide to descend that precipice lightly, but... he wouldn't easily decide to remain, either.]
[There's a flicker of confusion, but vaguely muted once more as his emotions typically were. Shortly after, Hubert chuckles, and his voice is a little softer.]
You say that as if I haven't been, Lady Edelgard.
[Well, barring recent events and turbulence, obviously. But as a whole, and in the long run...]
[Hubert doesn't really respond to the nudge, standing there awkwardly. Still, considering everything they've just discussed, a lack of an averse reaction was good progress, for him.]
Ah. Perhaps later, if you find that acceptable. I would... like to take my leave, for a short while.
[His words are uncertain, but not out of any sort of anxiety, and there's no sense of flight in the Bond. He had been serious about having much to think about; Edelgard was asking him to consider uprooting much of the foundation of his world, and this whole conversation, and the emotions in their link, have left him utterly unbalanced.]
Midnight, perhaps?
[Just a little time to process it all. That was all he was asking.]
Again, and again. Time goes on, but it becomes a kind of nightly ritual. Even with Bernadetta and Leslie pattering around the house, midnight is a time for tea and coffee in their private study.
Tonight as always, Edelgard makes her way up, carrying a tea tray with his cup on it alongside her own and a vial of the blood from their ice box. Pushing the door open and finding him there makes her smile warmly, the room made cozy by the fire in the hearth.]
[Hubert's usual ghost of a smile answered Edelgard's warm one in kind, and he sets aside the diagram he's been doggedly working on the last week to make room for the tray.]
Good evening. You look well, tonight. [Ever since her bloodthirst fully developed, he's been watching her health much closer, a distant worry in the back of his mind.]
It has. A little eventfully, even.
[Hubert waves his hand idly, the fire stirring and stoking a little higher.]
To my surprise, Bernadetta asked me to Bond with her earlier.
[More than quite, honestly. It's been an eventful few days. As she settles into her seat and sets the tray out, Heidi scampers up and snuggles up around her foot, ensuring that Edelgard won't be able to get up without tripping. Cats.
The news makes her blink.]
Did she now? That's good news. She can definitely use someone to ground her.
[Hubert just barely breathes a sigh, frowning slightly.]
Yes... I'm sure such might be needed often.
[Save him. He's happy to help her, but Hubert's aware of the many challenges. It will be trying, so very trying, at times. Even if Bernadetta would no doubt be more manageable than Caspar would have. He accepts his mug.]
Everything considered, she's adapting to this world better than I thought, at least. [Which. Low bar, but.]
She does. I think, perhaps, war has done her good.
[She's grown into a functional adult woman, mostly. There's a way to go yet before Edelgard would consider her such, but that day is coming nearer and nearer with each little victory like this.]
On a related note, I have temporarily bonded with Azura, a princess from Corrin's world. She was one of those taken, and her injuries were grievous. I agreed to a one month term, to help her stabilize herself.
[Taking her own cup, she settles it in her fingers, not drinking for a moment.]
She's a good deal calmer than Bernadetta, but we've spent time together, and seeing her so shaken rattled me more than I expected.
[That does sober his mood a little, and his heart twists with sympathy. Even steeled as she was, the horrors down in that dungeon... If it was enough to quietly rattle even Hubert, to think how it difficult it was for Edelgard, especially with those she knew down there...]
[He could almost thank the Goddess he'd renounced that Edelgard herself wasn't taken.]
I understand. She's endured a great deal; few people are suited for guiding her through that. Your presence will surely do her good.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
bloodypath) wrote2019-10-03 11:06 am
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[He can't keep eye contact any longer. Hubert's gaze drops, that sense of conflict rising again the Bond; he's caught in a tangle of contradictory emotions pulling him in several directions at once, the individual feelings all muddied together. He falters here, his mouth working before he finds his words.]
It is nothing new. I know not when it became such a thing, but I'd been content. I'd made peace with what it was, and what it would remain, and that I would not speak of it.
[Except this world changed everything. Hubert pauses, that shame flickering again.]
But I... That is clearly no longer the case. It vexes me horribly, that I no longer have control over this burgeoning selfish wish. I know every reason that I shouldn't, and yet... bit by bit the peace I've made falls away, and weaker still I become. It seems this world will not be content until it's undermined my will completely.
[He never meant for this to happen. Discipline over himself had been a keystone of Hubert's life—to always act rationally regardless of how his emotions burned. To hold so many practical and rational reasons in mind why he couldn't, yet to have his control eroded and enticed by glimpses of things in the Bond, by simple wants, felt like failure.]
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[Edelgard's voice is soft and patient, her feet carrying her closer. She doesn't close the gap completely, but she still wants to be within his shadow, looking up at her most trusted companion.
The bond remains the same, a concern aimed squarely at him.]
You are allowed to feel. You are allowed to want things, and that is no weakness. I certainly would not begrudge you anything. You have dedicated yourself to my ideals and ambitions...but have you considered that I hold you in the same esteem?
[Swallowing, she finally breaks eye contact, looking from his eyes towards the fire, unsure of how to continue.]
I like your company. I appreciate how kind you are to me, and I trust you in ways I can trust no other. I do not know what my heart wants, nor what your heart wants, but I know that no matter who you and I ultimately wed, if we even do at all, the two of us are never going to be separated.
Our lives, for good or ill, are intertwined as tightly as can be.
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[But such concern, concern for him, and the sincerity carried in the Bond did not lie—it couldn't. Hubert didn't know how to accept that offering; he'd always considered his own value in the terms one might a piece on a game board, not as a being. Without the Bond, he'd surely dismiss such a thing, but feeling it, and Edelgard's regard and trust as if it were his own...]
[It's a little overwhelming. There the Bond goes again, taunting him with something warm and enticing, prompting an unwitting flicker of affection from him as Hubert's pulse rises a little. Remaining still, not reaching out that short distance suddenly seemed a colossal challenge. If he was allowed to want these things, it shouldn't feel so... traitorous.]
[What did he want, but two things in direct conflict?]
...What I want is the best for you. That hasn't changed. Such an entwined path is enough.
[It was, once. It should be. It had to be.]
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[That he wants the best for her.
It's her turn to feel a little conflicted as she debates what to do next. She can feel him struggling to hold himself back, though, and her heart goes out to him. Reaching her hand out, she takes his in hers, giving it a squeeze.]
We can have these small pleasures, while we are here. I do not know where our path will go in future, or even tomorrow, but for now...let us not shy away from these moments where we can.
[Turning back to him, meeting his gaze, she nods sharply to reassure herself.]
We...both...need to learn to live a little.
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[Edelgard had a point, Hubert knew she did. He's seen—felt—the effects on her already, these actions and the freedom from her throne. They seemed so much more consequential than small pleasures, to him.]
And you would be satisfied, turning away from such warm things when we return to Fódlan? Able to return to the cold required of you, locking it away as if it'd never happened?
[It felt cruel to ask such a thing, but that had always been Hubert's role, hadn't it? To speak of everything she could not or should not have, and let Edelgard make her own decisions. This was... different than the reprieve that had been their academy days.]
[But he didn't directly deny Edelgard's suggestion. He wanted to let her have these things that've clearly been making her happy. He wanted to reciprocate and take her other hand. Hubert wasn't yet sure stepping off that cliff would be as kind to him.]
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Yes.
[Edelgard's answer is immediate, the bond now brimming with absolute certainty and iron hard resolve. Going home would mean losing what they gained here, but there would be other kinds of happiness to be had there. A reunion with those she cares for, the satisfaction of finishing what they had begun, and the peace that seeing the fruits of her labor blossoming would bring.
And, there are still chances for private moments, even for a ruler.]
I have much to live for and do at home. It is not a chore, and I do not fear the cold. I would simply like to experience both sides of the coin, as it were.
It is simply a different kind of happiness, though satisfaction of doing good work is just as joyous.
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[Hubert wasn't entirely convinced, but he accepted that Edelgard was; he would respect that. His impassive expression finally breaks, mirroring her smile. They've spent their entire Bonded time learning to separate their now twined emotions; perhaps, just this once, he could lean into it, and borrow the strength of her certainty. ]
And so it seems I've been outmaneuvered.
[That hint of affection burns a little brighter, entwined with admiration and trust. Hubert slowly raises his other hand--and it hovers halfway between them, caught in an uncharacteristic spell of hesitation.]
[Then, he reaches out, tucking strands of hair behind her ear with delicacy befitting spun glass, a faint uncertainty that almost felt vulnerable flickering through the Bond. ]
I will consider it. [His voice is softer, now. ] What you're asking of me...
[To feel and to want freely, to be selfish... Hubert would have to learn. It sounded absurd, out loud. ]
...I simply don't know how. It would be no small task.
[Discipline, the quality he deemed antithesis to the sort of nobility he despised, was important, part of his very being. Perhaps he was afraid of letting his affections--which Hubert struggled to accept as is--would consume him if he let it be. If he descended from this precipice, he might not find his way back so easily.]
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You can learn. I have every faith in you, Hubert.
[Squeezing the hand she held, she stepped closer, using her free arm to pull him into a quick...very quick...hug beefore breaking the contact entirely.]
You have never met a task that you could not complete. You helped me win a war, Hubert. I know you can accomplish this.
[Is it a challenge? Maybe. But she does find that he works best when given a task and a desired outcome. This may be a monumental one, but perhaps this will give suitable motivation to succeed.]
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[But then Edelgard hugs him, and Hubert goes statue-still. One thing at a time, it seemed. He doesn't find his voice for another moment.]
War I studied, and my mind and talents are suited for. This... [Hubert shakes his head lightly. Before coming to this world, he could count how many times he'd been hugged in the last fifteen years on one hand.]
[Another pause, a longer one this time—it's a half-floundering, half-ponderous feeling in the Bond that indicates he's trying to find words for something.]
...You... truly don't mind?
[How he felt regarding her, and that what Edelgard's request would only likely make it worse—well, worse in his eyes, anyway. His Bonded was the one that was stuck feeling it, after all.]
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I don't mind. As...I said, I do not know if I feel the same, but I do trust you above all others. And I do find you handsome. So, have no fear of that.
[Tilting her head to the side, she considers saying something else, and decides to just say it after only a moment's pause.]
I know that time will make me more certain, one way or another. Does that bother you, Hubert?
[She's hopeful that it won't, but she doesn't want to commit. She can't. And neither can he, obviously.]
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[Handsome?]
[Hubert's brow knits together. He isn't put off by the statement—nor even a little flattered. Just wholly, entirely, blindsided. He's heard gaunt, pallid, unsettling, broody, weasel-faced, and all manner of other descriptors. And quite frankly, had no issue with that.]
I'm... sorry, do we have the same definition of the word?
[Handsome is a first.]
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We do, we do! I assure you. I think you quite handsome, and I am not alone in that, I am certain.
[She's so, so positive. She's gossiped about him, even. Just a little.]
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[He glances aside with a quietly grumbling hrrm, the faintest flicker of displeasure joining the mess of his other emotions. To be laughed at, on top of everything else... no matter. Edelgard had asked him something. Hubert softly clears his throat before answering.]
Time nor certainty is no matter. I was never concerned with reciprocity.
[It might seem a disparaging statement, but... the Bond only carries a plain honesty in his words, completely barren of disappointment or hope. Hubert had never imagined it—never thought it possible—before coming to this world.]
[But in this world... there's that sense of conflict again, the desire of two different things.]
...Perhaps I would even advise against it. [He wanted to. He didn't want to. To hell with it all, this used to be so much simpler mere months ago.]
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Edelgard, pleased with the outcome, squeezes his hand one last time before letting her fingers drop. It's not good for anyone to overwhelm him with affection. He doesn't deserve that level of teasing.]
Time will tell, Hubert. For now, I am...very content.
[Looking up at him, eyes and bond brimming with the sparks of real delight, she bobs her head in a respectful nod.]
Thank you, for talking with me. And for indulging me. I am glad of the opportunity, even if it is brief, to come to understand this side of you. You, who I owe a debt words cannot describe.
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Words aren't needed to.
[For a moment, Hubert merely watches her face.]
I... cannot promise you anything. I have much to think about. [He'll likely be reeling from this for a while. Hubert would not decide to descend that precipice lightly, but... he wouldn't easily decide to remain, either.]
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I can accept that, Hubert. You know I can, and will.
[She shifts her weight, turning to the side, looking into the firelight and watching the embers snap and crackle.]
Here, in this place, I want nothing so much as to feel you become happy.
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You say that as if I haven't been, Lady Edelgard.
[Well, barring recent events and turbulence, obviously. But as a whole, and in the long run...]
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[She nudges him with a shoulder.]
Now. We've settled that, I think. Perhaps it's time for tea? And your nightly dose of coffee, of course.
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Ah. Perhaps later, if you find that acceptable. I would... like to take my leave, for a short while.
[His words are uncertain, but not out of any sort of anxiety, and there's no sense of flight in the Bond. He had been serious about having much to think about; Edelgard was asking him to consider uprooting much of the foundation of his world, and this whole conversation, and the emotions in their link, have left him utterly unbalanced.]
Midnight, perhaps?
[Just a little time to process it all. That was all he was asking.]
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[And they do.
Again, and again. Time goes on, but it becomes a kind of nightly ritual. Even with Bernadetta and Leslie pattering around the house, midnight is a time for tea and coffee in their private study.
Tonight as always, Edelgard makes her way up, carrying a tea tray with his cup on it alongside her own and a vial of the blood from their ice box. Pushing the door open and finding him there makes her smile warmly, the room made cozy by the fire in the hearth.]
Good evening. Has your day been well?
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Good evening. You look well, tonight. [Ever since her bloodthirst fully developed, he's been watching her health much closer, a distant worry in the back of his mind.]
It has. A little eventfully, even.
[Hubert waves his hand idly, the fire stirring and stoking a little higher.]
To my surprise, Bernadetta asked me to Bond with her earlier.
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[More than quite, honestly. It's been an eventful few days. As she settles into her seat and sets the tray out, Heidi scampers up and snuggles up around her foot, ensuring that Edelgard won't be able to get up without tripping. Cats.
The news makes her blink.]
Did she now? That's good news. She can definitely use someone to ground her.
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Yes... I'm sure such might be needed often.
[Save him. He's happy to help her, but Hubert's aware of the many challenges. It will be trying, so very trying, at times. Even if Bernadetta would no doubt be more manageable than Caspar would have. He accepts his mug.]
Everything considered, she's adapting to this world better than I thought, at least. [Which. Low bar, but.]
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[She's grown into a functional adult woman, mostly. There's a way to go yet before Edelgard would consider her such, but that day is coming nearer and nearer with each little victory like this.]
On a related note, I have temporarily bonded with Azura, a princess from Corrin's world. She was one of those taken, and her injuries were grievous. I agreed to a one month term, to help her stabilize herself.
[Taking her own cup, she settles it in her fingers, not drinking for a moment.]
She's a good deal calmer than Bernadetta, but we've spent time together, and seeing her so shaken rattled me more than I expected.
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[He could almost thank the Goddess he'd renounced that Edelgard herself wasn't taken.]
I understand. She's endured a great deal; few people are suited for guiding her through that. Your presence will surely do her good.
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