Work Text:
“Bertie, I think you misunderstood the directive to relax.”
“I am agreeing to get in this rowboat. That is, I suppose, relaxing enough.”
Hubert still waited on the dock, holding a stack of paperwork and reports, aggressively fanning himself with a folded piece of velum. Sweat visibly beaded on his forehead. Byleth stood on the rowboat holding his fishing supplies, equally as sweat soaked.
“I am not letting you in this boat unless you put the paperwork away.”
“Then I shall see you when you return to shore.”
Hubert made a show of turning on his heel. Byleth shook his head, “Fine. Bring your work. I don’t promise it’ll remain dry.”
With a smirk, Hubert nodded. Accepting Byleth’s proffered hand, he stepped into the rowboat and took a seat. Byleth unwound the rope mooring the boat to the dock. Using an oar, he pushed away from the dock, settled onto the bench and began paddling.
The pond behind the Vestra Manor was surrounded by dense deciduous forest, wild fruit bushes and a pleasantly pebbly shore. Amidst the gentle lapping of water one could hear the thrumming of late summer bugs and the fragmented melodies of bird song. Somewhere, a family of ducks chuckled.
The manor itself was situated a few miles from the von Hresvelg summer estate. Edlegard had to retreated there for the month, dragging along half her household as well as the Minister of the Household Hubert von Vestra, and Commander of the Imperial Guard Byleth Eisner. Since entering their relationship, the Minister and Commander had rarely seen another--or slept--spending their time fighting a shadow war against Those who Slither in the Dark.
After catching the two men asleep in their temporary offices, Edlegard ordered them to the Vestra estate for the weekend to relax. When Hubert protested, the Emperor berated him, reminding him a tired spymaster was an ineffective spymaster. Byleth, on the opposite note, was happy. He had already begun packing his fishing gear.
A gentle breeze blew across the water. Hubert gave a relaxed sigh, “You weren’t wrong. It certainly is cooler on the water.”
Byleth serenely paddled along, taking in the scenery. “You said the Vestra’s had no land. This is a lot of land.”
“It’s only 250 acres. Not enough to make a profit off. Paddle further towards that fallen oak, fish like to gather in the reeds there. Not to mention there’s shade.”
Byleth nodded and adjusted course.
“This entire pond is perfect for fishing. You fish a lot growing up?”
“No. Never had the time nor cared much for it. My brother does. He insisted I share his secret fishing spot with you.”
Byleth maneuvered the boat into the shade and cast a weight over the side, “Ahh, what a sign of trust.”
Leaning back, Hubert crossed his legs, resting his paperwork on his thigh, attempting to keep his handwriting even. Byleth opened his tackle box, stood up, prepped his bait and cast a line.
It was near silent.
As Hubert read reports on guard rotations, enemy movements and household spending, his eyes grew heavy. He found himself fumbling over responses and misremembering information.
Byleth dropped a fish into the enchanted ice box. He cast a line and immediately hooked another.
Then another.
After the fourth, Byleth set his rod down and pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket, dabbing at the sweat dripping down his neck. Not looking up from his work, Hubert offered the makeshift vellum fan. Byleth snatched it, aggressively fanning himself like the mundane vellum leaflet could fan away the mighty heatwave of a south Adrestian summer.
“How’s the work going?”
“Terribly.”
“Then take a break. I packed some leisure reading.”
“I am fine, thank you.”
“Goddess, it’s pointless,” Byleth mumbled, handing the fan back to Hubert. He plopped down in the boat, unlaced his boots and pulled his shift off. Leaning of the side of the boat, he arched himself, preparing to dive-
“Don’t tell me you plan on diving in in those trousers.”
Byleth looked down. There were a nice pair of pants. “Errr… I don’t want to. But your sister’s watching from the shore and I doubt she needs to see any more.”
Hubert looked over his shoulder. Lydia von Vestra was indeed on the shore, seated in the pavilion shade, drinking a chilled beverage and reading. “Well, dive away I suppose.”
He heard the splash of Byleth hitting the water and felt a few stray droplets from the impact before he turned back. Byleth had disappeared under the water, emerging a few feet away, lazily floating on his back in the shade, eyes closed.
Hubert sighed. Setting down his paperwork, he reached for the satchel Byleth had brought along. He could practically feel the former mercenary's self satisfied grin as he looked through the books within. One caught his eye. A familiar novel plucked from the manor’s shelves. He thumbed through the pages, recognizing a jam smudge he left on one of his favorite illuminations when he was five.
Flicking back to the first page he settled into reading. The familiar words were comforting and soon he was lost in the pages feeling as at ease as when he was a child.
“What are you reading Hubert?” Byleth asked, eyes still closed.
Hubert didn’t look up, “Lady Jaina and the New Lande of Morfis.”
“What’s it about?”
“Well, Lady Jaina von Jaagger, a famed Pegasus knight-“
“Hehe, of course a Pegasus knight.”
“-is sent to find the mysterious land of Morfis to help Emperor Wilhelm find the Fruit of Eternal Wisdom. She arrives where she assumes is Morfis, but in truth, it is another land undiscovered which she mistakes for Morfis. It chronicles her… misadventures as she tries to return.”
“The choice seems very unlike you.”
“I suppose it is. But it was a favorite of mine when I was a child.” He leaned on the boat’s edge, watching the former mercenary blissfully float there. Hubert recalled the mismatched wooden soldiers Byleth told him he played with as a child. Some had accidently been left behind in the rush to travel elsewhere, others broken from rough play, some stolen by kids. “Like you, I had wooden soldier figurines. I’d always use the Pegasus knights to recreate my favorite scenes. The march over the Crystal Bridge built by dark mages. Or the battle between Jaina and the Worn Plate Knights.”
“I still struggle to imagine you as a child.”
“And I you. Granted I was not one long. There were… expectations, on who I needed to be.”
Byleth briefly vanished under the water and resurfaced closer to the boat, resting his chin on Hubert’s arms. “You regret it?”
“No.” Hubert motioned back to his sister on the shore. His much younger brother, Desmond, was running around her, shouting.
“They’re normal compared to you. Well, Lydia has her quirks…”
“No. They’re normal, for which I am grateful. You’re aware of all my father taught me. Lydia was meant to be my replacement should I die. But she was born so long after I, it eventually became unnecessary to continue training her. Desmond, he need never become concerned with that. I have fought hard to ensure that remains the case for them. That they continue to have a carefree childhood.”
Nearly on cue, Desmond shouted, “I’m not giving it back, you have to get it.”
Lydia stood up, smoothed her skirt and stared her brother down. Desmond darted off, her book in his hand. Realizing his sister was not giving chase, he stopped, looped round, waving the book in her face. Lydia looked down at him. She watched him wave the book, measured his movements, then in a fluid motion, took it from his hands.
Hubert laughed at the sight, warm, subtle and under his breath.
“It’s nice hearing your real laugh Bertie.” Hubert raised a brow in response. “Not that evil cackle you do.”
Byleth let go of the boat’s ledge and returned to floating, feeling as calm as the little pond. Hubert didn’t return to his novel. He watched the mercenary blissfully float. Sensing his partner’s gaze, Byleth reopened his eyes.
“You should jump in.”
“Nonsense,” Hubert returned to his book and aggressive fanning with the vellum. He could feel the sweat crawling down his back and his shirt clinging to him. He cleared his throat, pulled at his collar to loosen it.
“No harm in it. Loosen up.”
Hubert ignored him.
“Bertie, I think El would be very happy to hear you did something fun. You know, when she first found out about us, she warned me you were so uptight, wyvern droppings would petrify to peat in your grip. In fact, she said that was a terrible quality in a leader…”
Hubert abruptly stood, fumbled with his bootlaces then quickly undid the buttons on his shirt. Once off, he folded it, rested on the bench and dove into the water.
The world was instantly cooler and when he broke the surface, he felt lighter. He gently paddled over to Byleth and floated alongside him, listening to the water, breeze and bird song. Byleth gently interlocked his finger’s with Hubert’s.
“You are absurd Byleth. Persistent.”
They continued floating. Hubert noticed just how beautiful it was out. His job was to notice the little details in people, but never nature: the peeling bark on the dead oak log, the moss on stone and the trampled fruit on the ground.
“Lady Edlegard never said that, did she?”
“No. Of course not. Made it up to get you in here.”
“I despise you.”
“You going to threaten to kill me again?”
“No. You seemed to enjoy that.”
“Want to grill up some of the first I caught on the shore? Maybe you can read me some of that book as I cook?”
“…Sure.”
“Excellent. Help me drag the boat over.”
“We can paddle it.”
“More fun this way.”
“If you insist.”
Lady Helane von Vestra stared down the two sopping wet boys—no, grown men—standing on the verandah. Both had smudges of mud on them and Byleth had leaves in his hair. She could only assume after vanishing into the woods the two had spent some intimate time together. Lady Helane was not surprised by the former mercenary’s behavior. She was, however, floored that her son, who as a child spent so long pretending to be an adult, was presently an adult acting like a child.
Much to her surprise, her son was smiling.
A mousey little maid quickly handed the men fresh changes of clothes and towels. Lady Helane raised an eyebrow, “I expect you two cleaned up before supper in an hour.”
Byleth nodded his head in thanks and stepped inside. Helane clicked her tongue, “Ser Eisner, if you would please dry off before stepping on that carpet. It was a gift from the Nuevelles. You may change in the shed. Both of you.”
Sheepishly, Byleth took a step back, turned around and rushed off to the shed. Hubert turned to follow.
“Hubert, a moment,” he looked back at her. Lady Helane gathered her thoughts, “I appreciate he makes you happy. And I appreciate you finally taking a break from your many duties, but I-“ Hubert’s face had returned to its classic mask of callousness “I am pleased that you are learning about the pleasures in life. Just refrain from dripping water on the carpet. Desmond has damaged it enough.”
Hubert nodded, “Of course mother.”
He walked off. Helane watched as Byleth, already changed and dried off waited on the lawn, telling Lydia and Desmond some fantastic story about fighting a dragon. When Hubert walked past, they asked him if it was true.
Hubert nodded. His siblings gasped, pestering the duo for more information.
Lady Helane stood on the verandah, watching, appreciating the warmth; appreciating the familial bonds she’d never thought she’d see form in the von Vestra household.