Chapter Text
Edelgard Von Hresvelg. Princess and sole heir to the Adrestian Empire, only child of Emperor Ionius IX and her mother Patricia, and the bearer of the legendary Crest of Flames. Edelgard was a well-read student and, even at a young age, an excellent swordsman. However, she was not without her faults. Being an only child, her mother was prone to spoiling her, despite the Emperor’s constant pleas for her not to. But how could she not? Edelgard was an excellent child, most days, and her moments of rebellion were few and far between.
However, those moments were growing closer and closer together as the young princess aged. Certainly, a rebellious phase would be not far behind it.
“She’s a smart young lady, that Edelgard,” Duke Aegir hummed as he sat at the war table with the Emperor. The two were waiting for the other Lords of the region to arrive, “And she’ll be a wild one in her teens years. You’ll need to figure out a way to reign her in before too long.”
“I would agree with you,” Ionius sighed, leaning back in his chair, “But it is difficult to keep her underfoot. She’s smart, quick with her words; I don’t really have the time or energy to worry about disciplining a child. And I am not going to approve of anyone striking her for talking out of turn, it would be unsightly for her to appear in public with any sort of bruising… but by the Saints if the thought of slapping her across her face hasn’t crossed my mind on more than one occasion.”
The Duke listened and let the silence after hang for a moment. When he spoke again, a smile stretched slowly across his tired face, “Well, I do believe the young princess will be coming into her own vassal soon, yes? A young man of the Vestra household should be able to help keep her on the right track, don’t you think?”
***
She was six when the new room was finished. Edelgard had thought, with childlike wonder, that she was soon to be a big sister. That was not the case, but she was excited all the same when she met the young man who would be living down the hall from her. His name was Hubert and he was the first kid around her age that she’d properly get to know outside of a study session. The first person she could really call her ‘friend’. Without even stopping to listen to the adults talk, she would take his hand and hurry him into the house with his lone suitcase of belongings.
The room was the same size as Edelgard’s, but it seemed so much bigger with just Hubert’s one suitcase in it. There was only a bed, a nightstand, and one chest of drawers in it. No vanity or armoire, no desk or small table for tea time, not even paintings or tapestries adorning the walls. Edelgard made a note to herself, to ask her parents to buy him a painting so his room would look nice.
Hubert set the suitcase on the bed and began to unpack. Little Edelgard offered to help, but he refused with a shake of his head. She found it curious how little he talked, but that just meant she’d hold the conversation for the both of them, a task that Edelgard was more than happy to take on.
“Do you like to read, Hubert? We have a big library in the east wing, it’s very pretty. The windows let in so much light! Sometimes I sneak away from my studies just so I can read in the library, father gets so upset,” she giggled at the mention of her father’s anger, which seemed to prompt Hubert looking up at her. The brunette met his gaze and eagerly awaited his response. None came, to her disappointment. He simply returned to setting his clothes into the drawers.
No worries, maybe he was just shy.
“We’ll be having dinner soon,” she continued, crawling up onto his bed. She kicked her legs cutely as he continued to put his things away, “I’ll ask father to get you a desk and maybe some paintings to make your room feel nicer. And after dinner, we can take our desserts and I’ll show you the rest of the house!”
He looked up again and was met once more by eager lavender eyes. However, before he could speak, the door came open and one of the servants appeared. It was dinner time.
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“Father!” Edelgard gasped, stomping her little foot as she stood next to Hubert, “What is this? We should be having a party for Hubert!”
Hubert looked over the dining room, servants moving around and setting out large platters of food. He supposed, as far as he knew, that this could count well enough as a party. Not that it mattered to him. Pale gold eyes wandered back to the Emperor, who looked caught between frustration and surprise. Ionius looked away from the kids, back to Patricia, who was helping the servants. Patricia caught the Emperor’s gaze and quickly answered.
“Edelgard, dear,” she said, ushering the kids to their seat, “Hubert has been traveling all day, surely he’s too tired for a party after that. We’d need to send invitations and prepare the grounds for a party, after all. Maybe another time?”
The little Princess seemed ready to argue, but a soft kiss to the forehead from her mother sated any more protests for the night. The family (and Hubert) at dinner, the relative silence broken by Edelgard excitedly explaining the kind of desk Hubert should have and what kind of tapestries would go well with the curtains in his room. Once dinner was over, both Patricia and Hubert helped put the dishes away, while Ionius went to pick the little Edelgard up.
“I am very serious, father,” she said in that ‘serious’ tone that only little kids are capable of, “It has to be a lovely dark color. And I want to take him down to the market to get him all the pens and parchment he could ever need! What if he wants to write home? And-and-”
There was no stopping her and that was exactly what he wanted. Edelgard was a girl who loved anyone she came into contact with and was a natural leader who could rally even the shyest of children to demand certain vegetables no longer be grown on the lands or served for dinner. She was all energy and bright aspirations.
Honestly, a danger.
“Yes, yes, Edelgard,” he said. Hubert and Patricia joined them in the hallway, the man handing his small daughter over to her mother, “Why don’t you and your mother take Hubert back to his room. I’m sure he’s very tired.”
“Nooo,” she whined, throwing her arms around Patricia’s neck, “I wanted to show Hubert all of the castle before bed!”
“Why don’t we show him in the morning?” Patricia offered, already walking the two children away from the Emperor, “That way the two of you can spend the whole day exploring. Wouldn’t that be more fun?”
As much as Edelgard wanted to protest, any such commentary was quickly cut off by both children yawning. Her mother chuckled softly, pleased with this answer. Edelgard continued to talk about all the different parts of the castle she would show Hubert as they walked him back to his room, not even making it to his door before going completely silent in sleep on Patricia’s shoulder. Patricia bid Hubert good night and took her daughter to bed.
The next morning would surely prove to be another long one.