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17th of the Great Tree Moon 1168
Entering the dark room, Hubert doesn't bother to turn on a light. He knows the room like the back of his hand and knows that, straight ahead and at the back, there are thick curtains that hide a large window. Reaching up his hands and feeling the soft touch of the curtains, he grabs them and pulls the two curtains apart allowing the morning light to fill the room. Immediately, the occupant of the bed begins to move, trying to hide inside the sheets while muttering incomprehensible complaints.
Leaving a few minutes of peace, Hubert goes to the closet where he chooses the most suitable clothes according to the day's agenda, leaving them on a chair. After making sure with a quick glance that the comb and red ribbons are on the dresser, ready to be used, Hubert approaches the bed. Judging by the lack of movement and calm breathing, the person sleeping inside must have drifted back to sleep.
Taking a deep breath, Hubert says:
- Lady Edelgard, it's time to get up.
- Mno…
- The sun is out and breakfast will be served soon.
- I want to sleep more…
- If I'm not mistaken you have an axe lessontoday... After Fódlan's History class.
- I don't want to... It's boring... And the teacher looks like a toad…
- It is not proper for a princess to say such things, Lady Edelgard.
- But it's true!
- And I didn’t sayotherwise, but still it’s not correct to say so.
- I thought the class was tomorrow... -Edelgard murmurs,hiding deeper under the sheets.
- No, tomorrow you have dance class.
- ...Wait... What day is it today?
- Today?The17th Great Tree Moon.
- What!? -Edelgard exclaims, standing up suddenly, pulling back the sheets as she watches Hubert with wide eyes.
- You shouldn't get up so fast, Lad-…
- Hubert! Today is your birthday!
- Ah, so it.. -Hubert answers shrugging his shoulders.
- Why didn't you tell me before!? I would have got upearlier!
- I didn't know it was important.
- Of course it's important! Oh, wait.
Jumping off the bed, Edelgard runs to the trunk at the foot of the bed, opening it and starting to pull out fabrics and stuffed animals without caring where they fall.
- Lady Edelgard, it is not good to start the day creating chaos in your room…
- Here it is!
Picking up a small purple cloth bag, closed with a black ribbon, Edelgard offers it with a big smile:
- Happy birthday, Hubert!
- …Lady Edelgard? What…?
- It’s a gift! Take it!
- A gift… For me? -Hubert asks, taking the bag with uncertain hands.
- Sure! It's your birthday, right? Gifts are always received on birthdays!
- ... I haven't received any... -the servant boy admits, remembering the stern looks from his parents he received today and in the previous years since he can remember.
- Oh! Glad to be the firstto give you onetoday! Come on, open it, open it!
- With your permission... -undoing the bow, Hubert opens the bag to take out a small stuffed toy of a black pegasus with a light orange mane.
- And? Do youlike it?
- Yes...
- Ha! It left you speechless! I'm sure you liked it a lot! -replies the girl with a happy laugh as she steps forward and hugs
Surprised for the second time that day, Hubert looks at the girl to insecurely return the gesture while he grabs the little stuffed animal.
- Thank you, Lady Edelgard. I plan to treasure this gift.
- It was nothing! You are a good friend and I wanted to make something for you.
- Thank you Lady Edelgard for such kind words -Hubert nods, bowing- And now, you should change or you will be late for class.
- Fiiiiine…
17th of the Great Tree Moon, 1171
- Next time think about it twice before challenging me, stupid boy!
Pulling him by the hair one last time, the man pushes Hubert and he falls in the middle of his room. Casting one last glance at the trembling figure of his son, Marquis Vestra slams the door shut behind him, sending a last warning as he double-locks it:
- Do something crazy like this again and broken bones will be the least of your worries.
Clenching his fists and gritting his teeth, Hubert listens as his father's footsteps disappear. No. That wasn’t his father anymore. He was a traitor to House Hresvleg, a traitor to Vestra’s blood. Rising to his knees, Hubert starts hitting the wooden floor beneath him with clenched fists. If he had been smarter... If he had been able to avoid the men his fath—, that traitor sent after him... If he had just avoided them, he could have reached Fhirdiad. He could have helped his Lady. He was her servant, it was his duty to be by her side.
Would she be okay? Would she be lonely? Would she need help to hide those pieces of Gautier cheese she hates so much from the view of adults? The nobles of the Kingdom, would they treat her with due respect? Too many unanswered questions and everything because he had been a useless rat incapable of fulfilling his only duty.
Tired of hitting the ground, and ignoring his bleeding knuckles, Hubert looks up at the ceiling. Closing his eyes, the boy begins to pray to the Goddess. A Goddess in whom he believes less and less as each passing day goes by. If the Goddess truly exists, why would a supposedly pious and protective being allow the corrupt acts of the nobles?
Opening his eyes and silencing his mind of pleas directed at a being just as cruel, Hubert looks around the bookcase. Ignoring his sore and bruised body, Hubert limps over and retrieves some thick books from the second bottom shelf. Once he finds the one he’s looking for he opens it, revealing a tiny box and inside a small stuffed pegasus protected by a white cloth. Despite his dirty and trembling hands Hubert holds it carefully to his chest. Feeling the soft touch of the fabric on his fingers, he can't help but finally let the tears run down his cheeks. Hugging the stuffed animal is nothing like the warmth Lady Edelgard’s presence would gift him, and thats enough for him to swear that he will not celebrate any birthday again if that allows him to see his liege safe and sound again.
17th of the Great Tree Moon, 1176
- With that, Sir Patrick will have no choice but to agree to our demands.
- Indeed, Lady Edelgard. –Hubert replies with his hand on his chin.
- As for Lord Goktran...
- I'm already taking care of it. You don’t need waste your time with the likes of him, Lady Edelgard.
- I see -Edelgard exchanges a quick look with Hubert and finally nods in agreement- I’ll leave it in your handsthen.Two years from now we will be at the Officer’s Academy. Not that it's too different from Enbarr's Palace but at least, the walls will have fewer ears...
- A thousand-year-old building full of secrets and covered in mysteries… not as many as the ones surrounding the very same Archobisp though. I can’t wait for the day I can start researching the place myself…
- I suppose Rhea will not trust us easily and she will have us being watched… Luckily, Jeritza will play his part and he will allow us more movement.
- I've also find us a shack for us to hide when the time comes. It’s located far away enough from the Academy so we could conveniently use it for the missions we see fit.
- And now, it's time for me to meet my uncle.
- Do you need me to accompany you, Lady Edelgard?
- No, it is not necessary. I prefer that you advance the preparations with Lord Fwedig, his resources can be useful to us.
- As you wish. –Hubert responds with a slight bow and then begins to collect the different maps and documents scattered on the table.
Nodding, Edelgard heads for the door to retrace her steps midway, saying:
- Oh, before I forget.
- Yes, Lady Edelgard?
- I can't believe you haven't made any comments... But at this point I'm not surprised. Every year it’s the same.
- Lady Edelgard, I don't know wh-...
- Today is your birthday, Hubert. -Edelgard interrupts, sounding nearly
- Ah, it's possible.
- ... Someday I'll get you to look forward to this day... Or, if it's not me, I hope someone else will...
- I doubt that—
- Before you say something with which I do not agree with, just take it. I hope you’ll like it. -says Edelgard as she takes a package wrapped in a white cloth and decorated with a golden bow out of a bag.
Holding it with sure hands, Hubert looks at the package and, with precise movements, removes the wrapping, revealing a book of military strategies.
- Thank you Lady Edelgard, as always you know what I need. -Hubert thanks with a deeper bow.
- I’m glad to hear it.
- But it is not necessary for you to waste time with such trivial matters as my birthday...
- Every year you tell me the same thing and every year I answer you the same: my best friend's birthday is not a trivial matter -replies Edelgard before finally leaving the room.
17th of the Great Tree Moon 1180
Hubert walked through the long corridors of the Garreg Mach monastery toward his room. He hoped that in the quiet of his room he could find the peace to continue his investigation of possible enemies and threats to Lady Edelgard. It's not as if he had suddenly become so delicate that he couldn't concentrate outside the walls of his room, but with the constant interruptions from the rest of the Black Eagles no one could blame him. He’s ignorant as how it had happened, and he doesn’t even want to know either, but somehow the other members of the Black Eagles house had found out that today was that day. The day that, despite his own, tireless rejection, every year insisted on repeating itself: his birthday.
In the morning, before leaving the bedrooms, he had received a gift from Lady Edelgard and then he had truly believed that that would be the only reminder of that day.
Quite the contrary.
Arriving at the classroom, without even allowing him the time to take his seat and under the amused look of his liege, Petra and Dorothea had approached him, each one of them holding a package in their hands. Hubert reluctantly accepted the gifts, and given the insistent requests of the two girls, he gave in and even opened them right there, finding a dagger from Brigid and a wooden chess set. At that moment the professor that was supposed to be Jeritza's cowardly substitute entered the class and, after a couple of stupid comments, finally started with the lecture.
But the thing didn’t end there.
At noon, on his way to the dining room, a trembling Bernadetta barred his way and despite her evident attempts, the girl didn’t take long to run away while shouting incomprehensible words right after gathering the courage to leave a wrapped bag on his hands. Sighing, Hubert opened it, the soft fragrance of fresh cookies soon coming out from the cloth bag. Sweets weren't his favourite flavour but Hubert decided to save them to accompany his midnight coffee, making a mental note to also thank Bernadetta when he sees her, or rather, when he walks past the closed door of her room.
And finally, Hubert's patience had run off when, studying in the library, Caspar had appeared carrying a sleeping Linhardt on his back. One doesn’t have to be very smart to understand that “Caspar” and “library” are concepts that cannot coexist in the same sentence. Despite repeatedly asking him to keep his voice down, Caspar continued his unbecoming and loud behavior until he finally handed him two packages. Hubert agreed to open the envelopes, hoping he could keep Caspar busy with that and shut him up for a few seconds, this time finding a pair of dumbbells in one and a book of black magic in the other.
And so far he had endured.
Walking past the greenhouse doors, Hubert has every intention of locking himself in his room until tomorrow. He doesn't plan to interact with another living being until all this craziness over his damned birthday is over.
- Hubert! Wait! Hubert!
Fantastic. The last missing piece. It's infuriating how one person is capable of throwing all his plans away. Stopping his footsteps and letting out a long sigh, Hubert turns to see the annoying redhead running towards him.
- Yes, Aegir?
- You're as difficult to locate as ever.
- Thank you, I am glad that my efforts to avoid certain individuals provide good –Hubert replies with a half-smile.
- Nice try Hubert, but today I'm not going to play along with you.
- How noble of you...
- Today is your birthday and...
- How thoughtful... What made you thi—
- Do you always have to be so unpleasant? Here, take your gift.
- …Thank you... –Hubert murmurs reluctantly, taking the silver-wrapped package.
- No need to thank me. A good noble is able to put aside disagreements when the occasion calls for it! -Ferdinand exclaims with a big smile.- And now, before your presence spoils my good mood, I'm leaving. A noble cannot neglect his training!
- Yes, yes, train.You will never be able to surpass Lady Edelgard.
- Of course I will! And when I do, you will have no choice but to swallow your words. -Ferdinand answers in the distance.
Later in his room, while leafing through ‘The World’s best Coffee Brews’, Hubert will have no choice but to admit that that spoiled Aegir brat has good taste in choosing gifts.
17th of the Great Tree Moon 1187
The gardens of the Imperial Palace in Enbarr begin to show their beauty with the onset of spring. The breeze, still cold from the north, clears the different floral fragrances through the garden and inside the palace when the servants open the windows.
Walking down a stone path, Hubert crosses a long wooden arch decorated with purple wisteria to finally see a marble table covered by a white tablecloth. At the center of it there is a three-tiered metal candy stand filled with pastries, cookies, and small sandwiches. A small jug with a bouquet of petunias accompanies the set of coffee and tea still steaming.
In front of the table and with his hands on his hips, Ferdinand looks at the table with a satisfied face.
Hubert approaches, finding it difficult to hide his smile:
- I hope I'm not late...
- Hubert! -Ferdinandquickly turns his face towards the dark mage, wideningeven more, if possible, his already bright smile like the Sun- No, you arrived on time as always!
- I’m glad to hear it.
Taking their seats on the metal chairs, the two men begin to talk about their daily routine.
Those breaks where they shared tea and coffee initially started as a way of discussing war strategies outside their office, but as they delved into the cruelty of war those moments instead became their excuse to escape from their daily routine. Although at first they met reluctantly, they soon found themselves looking forward to those meetings where they talked about everything and nothing in each other's company. Here they could briefly forget about their hands, stained with the blood of their former comrades, forget about the battalion that threatened to leave them without a supply route, and forget about the possibility that this could be the last time they would see each other. The simple fact that they enjoyed and yearned for each other's company already seemed like a miracle from the Goddess herself. Either that or their younger selves would judge their behavior insane. And maybe they wouldn't have been wrong.
However now, with the war won a little over a year ago and living in a world of peace - at least officially, as the war was still very much alive in the dark corners of Fódlan - neither of them had been able to interrupt their meetings around tea and coffee. Despite the busy schedules of the Prime Minister and the Minister of the Imperial Household, the two tried hard to find the time to continue taking these breaks.
Even on that day where Hubert tried to bring his social interactions down to the bare minimum, all things said without much success if he made memory the previous years, he couldn’t refuse Ferdinand's request to meet for an extra meeting that week.
Hubert watches as the redhead shifts uneasily in his chair as he tries to maintain the eye contact and his composure. He has to work to suppress his naughty grin and the urge to make him suffer a little more. Almost.
- Ferdinand. Is everything alright?
- Yes, of course! Whydo you ask? -Ferdinand is quick to reply, making his little startle a bit more evident. He then picks up hiscup of tea and, after looking at his trembling hands, the cavalier furrows his eyebrows. Sighing, he leaves his hands on the table and, looking up with determination, adds- Not really.
- Oh.
- I know that you have... problems with today but I can't and I don't want to let it go unnoticed. -Reaching out his hand to grab the opposite one, Ferdinand draws a small smile- Today, whether you like it or not Hubert, is a special day. For m-... I mean, for all of us! Because it is your birthday and therefore, the day you came into this world.
- F-Ferdinand... -Hubert murmurs feeling his cheeks getting hotter.
- And it is thanks to this special event that both the rest of the members of theBlack Eagle Strike Force and I have been able to meet you. -Starting to caress Hubert's gloved hand with his thumb, Ferdinand lifts his eyes to meet Hubert’s. The cavalier’s gaze is warm and loving- We’re all lucky to have meet a fantastic friend, loyal and protective like anyone else. Someone who despite hiding behind sarcasm and priding himself in making decisions without emotion always strives to pave the way for others, even if it means getting hurt or losing his health. That's why it's a special day and that's why we want to celebrate it.
- I-I… N-no… -looking at their handsclasped together, Hubert can't help but notice his peripheral vision blurring. His heart, pounding painfully at each praise, threatens to break his ribs.
With a sad smile on his lips, Ferdinand raises his other hand and places it on Hubert's damp cheek. Noticing that the dark-haired man accepts the gesture, leaning in the touch, Ferdinand begins to dry his tears.
- I know that nobody has given you a present today. But! Before you think you've gotten away with it, let me tell you that when we're done here, we're going to the Palace hall where the others are waiting for us to throw you a surprise party!
- If you tell me… it's no longer a surprise...
- I trust your acting skills. And don't act like you didn’t have your suspicions, I know you've been limiting certain kitchen or decorating assignments. Dorothea hasn't stopped complaining during our tea parties.
- And I see now it didn’t accomplish anything.
- Of course not! Stubborn as you are we will always get away with what we want regardless, regarding this matter at least. Put it on your head.
- As if you leave me with another choice... -Hubert answers with a resigned smile and enjoying the warmth of the cavalier’s hand.
- Whether you like it or not, we’re all together in this, Hubert. And that goes for both the good and the bad.
- ... Alright…
Later, when Hubert regains his composure -or as he likes to say, the cold and calculating mask any good spy should wear- the two of them will begin their walk through the gardens back to the living room. While walking beside each other with their hands clasped together, Hubert will think that maybe celebrating his birthday can't be so bad.
17th of the Great Tree Moon 1189
The first rays of the sun filtering through the windows manage to wake Hubert from his deep slumber.
Ever since the war against TWSITD had been over, his rest had improved somewhat, at least on the nights he managed to touch the bed. Thanks to the efforts of certain redhead in dragging him to bed almost every night, the nights he stayed up doing paperwork were now fewer and fewer.
This nightly routine between him and Ferdinand had already cost him some comments from Her Majesty and Dorothea, as well as an amused look from their professor. Of course it was very easy to make fun of him when neither of them had to bear the consequences of refusing Ferdinand's requests. His black heart had already endured enough to have to deal now with Ferdinand’s puppy eyes too, and even more if the reason behind the pleading eyes of the cavalier was him. Only on one occasion that he really needed to finish some paperwork and managed to convince Ferdinand, that fool decided to stay up with him. And he only managed to do so thanks to his own stubbornness and the occasional sips from his coffee mug. Having to watch him walk all clumsily all around the Palace for the entirety of the next day and, above all, the fact that he almost fell off his horse during the morning ride and later almost killed himself with his own spear while training with Caspar was enough for Hubert to decide not to repeat the experience again. They had survived a war, he had no intention of losing the love of his life for something as stupid as pulling an all-nighter, thank you very much.
Feeling the person sleeping beside him moving between his arms, Hubert releases the other's waist to allow him more freedom. Half opening his eyes, the world is shown in orange. If black was his favourite colour, orange followed closely behind.
When Ferdinand finishes turning around, the soft strands of his hair finally leave his face, allowing him to admire the sleeping face of his partner.
- Happy birthday, Hubie - Ferdinand’s sleepy voice is but a soft whisper, words tripping over his tongue, Hubert being able to understand him only thanks to his acute hearing.
- Heh… Is that the first thing you say to me in the morning?
- Ah, yes, you have the day off today.
- I know. Her Majesty made sure of reminding me of it fifty times at least.
- I did -Ferdinand is quick to make a pout as a sign of his annoyance.
- You did it seventy times.
- You see? I've surpassed Edelgard...
- ... In stubbornness, maybe...
- Hubert-Ferdinand interrupts, moving closer until his face is against Hubert's chest-.
- Okay, okay…
Moving his arm to surround Ferdinand's waist once more, Hubert’s eye catches a glimpse of a golden glow. Giving all his attention to that spot, he recognizes the wedding ring on his ring finger. Remembering that the person in his arms wears the other one is all Hubert needs to fall asleep with a faint smile on his face.
In the end, there might have been some truth in the words Ferdinand and the rest of the Eagles kept repeating him year after year. Maybe birthdays weren’t so bad. How could they be, if only waking up in Ferdinand's arms was already a gift?