Author's Notes

There are MAJOR spoilers regarding the truth about Flayn and Seteth's characters and the events of both Part 1 and Part 2 of Edelgard's route with the Black Eagles, so beware of those. Otherwise, enjoy some light-hearted laughs!

This fic has been written so that it can be easily enjoyed as a stand-alone story, but technically it's a sequel to May Ravenstaff's HubertxFlayn fic called Flying Lessons. It's a short and cute read that will provide a bit of extra context for this story, so I highly recommend that you give it a go before coming back to this one! This takes place sometime in Part 1 of the game.

Also, bear with me as this is the first time in over a year that I've written a fic in past tense instead of present tense! And please also note that this fic is rated T for a reason!

Misunderstandings

Chapter 1: Edelgard's View

"That isn't… what I think it is, is it?"

It was. Not only was Hubert, her second-in-command, riding a pegasus of all things, but he was riding with the bright yet mysterious cleric, Flayn. Last month, through the use of shady and questionable methods, Edelgard and Hubert had discovered the truth about Flayn's real identity; namely, that she was Saint Cethleann of the legends. As well, not only was she the daughter of Seteth, (not his sister like the two of them claimed) but Seteth was in fact Saint Cichol of the legends. Not to mention the both of them were, in reality, over a thousand years old. Edelgard and Hubert's plan had been to keep those secrets and then reveal them when it would most suit Edelgard's ambitions for her takeover of Garrag Mach in the future.

A major part of keeping said secret was to prevent any and all association with the two imposters unless absolutely necessary.

So why was Hubert blatantly disregarding that by riding with Flayn on a pegasus? And why was he keeping such a thing a secret from her, his liege?

More like, since when did Hubert ever express any interest in riding a pegasus in the first place?

"Hubert… why are you needlessly associating with the enemy?" she asked herself, shaking her head in disbelief as she watched the flying duo in the distance. Even though they were quite far away, it was easy enough to tell that Edelgard hadn't hallucinated. That was very clearly her Hubert who had his hands wrapped around the small cleric's hips…

Wait, hips? Shouldn't he be holding her waist? He wouldn't get any stability from holding onto her hips…

As Edelgard tried to put the pieces together in her head, she looked up again and found that the two of them had shifted positions as they slowly flew through the air. Now, Hubert was leaning forward, and Flayn had swiveled the upper half of her body to face the dark mage, looking up at him with a clear smile on her face. After a brief exchange of words, the two of them leaned in even closer to each other…

No, that's not possible, are… are the two of them KISSING?

"That's disgusting!" Edelgard grimaced, and she stuck her tongue out simply out of reflex. "She's over a thousand years older than him! Did Hubert forget that blatant fact?"

In vain Edelgard attempted to come up with a reasonable explanation as to why such a situation had occurred before her very eyes. But after a few minutes she had not come up with anything, and in turn sat down on a nearby bench, clearly dejected. It was at that point that Dedue, Prince Dimitri's right-hand man of the Blue Lions house, happened to see her there, and approached the leader of the Black Eagles house.

"Lady Edelgard," Dedue said, as he bowed slightly at her presence, "it is a pleasure to see you. However, you are looking less confident than usual. Is something the matter?"

"I guess my sunny disposition gave it away, huh?" Edelgard replied sarcastically, and she forced out a half-hearted chuckle. "There's no point in beating around the bush. I just saw Hubert and Flayn making out on a pegasus."

Dedue looked at the shorter woman curiously. "Though that is certainly not what I expected you to say, I fail to see the problem. Were they on the ground?"

"No, they were in the sky," Edelgard replied in annoyance, unsure of the significance of his question.

"Was the pegasus in deep distress? I'd be traumatized too if two people tried to make out while sitting on my back."

Edelgard could have sworn that she had seen the pegasus use its head to push Flayn closer to Hubert to make the kiss that much easier for the two of them. "No, it was not in deep distress," she replied sternly.

Dedue remained silent for a moment, and Edelgard sighed, realizing how rude she'd sounded. "I'm sorry, Dedue. That came out harsher than expected. I appreciate your concern, but this is probably something that I'm going to have to figure out for myself."

"I figured as much," Dedue shrugged, and he sat down beside Edelgard on the bench. She made no move to push him away, even after he placed his hand onto her shoulder. "Answer me this, then. Why is it a problem that the two of them are together? I think it would do some good for the two of them to associate."

Despite the man's kindly smile, she couldn't answer his question, as there was no way she could divulge the true reason why Hubert had to stay away from Flayn. "I am sorry, Dedue," she sighed, "but this is something that I can't speak about with just anybody."

Dedue nodded. "Ah, I can see where this is going. So you're worried that Flayn is using her feminine wiles to seduce your secret lover."

Everything about that sentence just sounded wrong in Edelgard's head. "Hu… Hubert is not my secret lover," Edelgard denied, but her voice appeared to be betraying something of importance. "He is my closest friend and confidant. But it would not be proper for him to become my future husband."

"You spoke correctly," Dedue agreed, and Edelgard looked at the larger man with confusion. "Edelgard, Hubert is a morally corrupt man who will one day spiral out of control. Only someone as pure as Flayn could set him on the right path. Whether you like it or not, she is the perfect match for him, and instead of being angry at him, I think you should reconsider your actions and support him in his budding relationship."

"But… there is no budding relationship!" Edelgard said, trying to disregard the logic behind Dedue's words. She has always suspected that Dedue was a very perceptive individual, and he has proved it right now to her. "You're jumping to conclusions."

"Now you, on the other hand, need a husband that can stand alongside you as your equal in strength and work ethic," Dedue continued, completely ignoring Edelgard's words as he changed subjects. "On a completely unrelated note, I have come here to ask if you wish to engage in combat. I may be slightly stronger, but your nimbleness will outweigh any strength advantage I might have. We should be evenly matched."

Edelgard sighed in relief. It was her turn to completely ignore the hidden intention behind his words. "So this was just a really long way of saying you wished to duel me, hmm? I could use a distraction from my problem." She lifted up her axe in preparation. "Come at me."

Within less than 10 minutes, the two axe-users have already each won a match; Dedue having taken the first one and Edelgard the second. Engaged in a tiebreaker, sweat beaded down both of their faces as the practice axes clanged against each other in a loud crash, locking each other into place.

"Oh no you don't," Edelgard taunted, and she stepped back. This allowed the much larger man to lose his balance and fall forward at high speed… as he unexpectedly took Edelgard down with him. In turn, the two of them rolled a couple of times on the ground before Edelgard ended up on top of Dedue, and her rear end was somehow positioned just below Dedue's pelvis.

"You know, considering what just happened…" Dedue said as he lightly blushed, "I can't say that I hate this position."

"Well, I can't say that I expected you of all people to say that," Edelgard responded with a veneer of calm. A blush slowly took form onto her face, however. "Though in hindsight, if anyone was watching this from far away at the wrong angle, it would almost look like I'm… riding you."

"Heh… that sounds like something Sylvain would say," Dedue replied, ignoring her remark, and at that the two of them began to laugh uncontrollably at the silliness of the situation. It was a few minutes before they calmed down. "Well, sadly, it looks like I lost our tiebreaker. Well done, Lady Edelgard."

In most situations, Edelgard was one that would maintain a more neutral and regal front. But after what just happened between the two of them, she supposed she could indulge in a more vocal celebration. This, in turn, caused her to shout, "YES! YES! YESSSSSSSSS~!" at the top of her lungs as she leaned over and threw her head back in glee.

It's a good thing that no one else was around to see or hear that. That could have looked wildly inappropriate.

"Well, I must thank you for distracting me from my… issues," Edelgard said, and she hoisted herself up so that she was on her own two feet again. She thought she heard someone shouting in the distance, but she ignored it and extended a hand to Dedue to help him off the ground. "While I still think that things will turn sour if Hubert and Flayn continue to spend time together, I know now that just moping about it isn't going to help anyone. I have to confront him myself."

Dedue didn't respond; he had been harbouring romantic feelings for the heir of the Adrestian Empire since the first practice battle the three houses had participated in. The sparks had flown both literally and figuratively when their axes met for the first time, and since that day, he made a conscious effort to continue to associate with her without being overbearing. It was clearly working, as Edelgard never looked uncomfortable in his presence, and he knew that Edelgard wouldn't be afraid to speak her mind if she felt he was around her too much.

And while he wasn't in a position to confess said feelings, being a commoner from the Kingdom of Faerghus and originally from the land of Duscur no less, it didn't mean that he couldn't hope for something to change.

And part of that included being supportive of Hubert and trying to keep him together with Flayn. Despite his ulterior motives, Dedue honestly thought that the two of them would turn out to be a great couple.

"But either way, on that note, I must find Hubert and perhaps everything will be straightened out. It is good to see you, Dedue," Edelgard declared, and she nodded to the larger man in understanding. "Farewell."

"It was my pleasure, Lady Edelgard," Dedue replied, and he nodded back. "I greatly enjoy the talks that we have together. If you are in need of a friend to converse with or confide in, I am more than available to be that friend. At least whenever I am not serving His Majesty. I'm told that I am a good listener."

Edelgard pondered over his words for a moment, and she rewarded him with an honest smile. "Thank you. I will keep that in mind. Don't be surprised if I take you up on that offer in the near future. You're a wonderful conversation and sparring partner."

At that point the two of them waved to each other before going their separate ways; Dedue to the Dining Hall to have a late lunch, and Edelgard to her quarters to think about how to approach the subject of Hubert and Flayn kissing each other on the pegasus. As she walked, she pondered over Dedue's words, growing increasingly uncomfortable with his observations. Her entire plan would be ruined if Hubert were to choose Flayn over her, but she also knew in her heart that their completely opposite natures of bright and dark melded well together.

And Edelgard also knew she would be a terrible friend if she didn't at least give Hubert a chance to properly explain himself. Maybe it was all a big misunderstanding. Maybe she could somehow incorporate Flayn as leverage into her grand vision of the future as long as she stayed out of sight during the most difficult phase of the plan. Maybe this could actually work in Edelgard's favour if she played her cards right.

"So yes, let's be dignified about this," Edelgard said to herself, and with a pep in her step she continued on, deciding to stop by the gardens in the middle of the monastery to relax.

However, any thoughts about approaching her problem with dignity were completely thrown out the window when she saw Flayn in the distance sitting in Hubert's lap, 'innocently' cuddling into his chest and napping as he sat on a bench and read a book.

"That tramp!" Edelgard shrieked, and she stomped her way toward the two students in complete anger.

She's literally thousands of years older than him! She probably practiced that ploy of innocence on hundreds of unsuspecting men, needling her way into their hearts only to take them for a ride and then dump them! And Hubert's going to be next. All for the sake of her never-ending lust.

Edelgard wasn't sure where that last part came from, but she couldn't care less at the moment.

Hmph. That cougar! She's just like Manuela towards Professor Byleth. She can't get someone in her own age group, so she has to settle for a young, vibrant boy instead.

She shuddered slightly at the thought of Manuela. The former songstress was over 10 years older than the Professor, but with one sway of her hips and a coo in his ear, the man followed her like a lost puppy.

When she had confronted him about it some time ago, he had merely shrugged his shoulders and said, "Manuela's intelligent, she's a talented fighter, and she has huge breasts. She's literally my perfect woman."

I remember walking away in disgust after hearing that answer from him… Edelgard thought to herself, cringing at the memory. And now, if I don't act soon, something similar is going to happen to Hubert!

So with a fierce determination in her eyes, Edelgard continued to stomp her way towards Hubert and Flayn, ready for whatever lame excuse would come her way.

Author's Notes

Everybody having fun? When this idea came into my head, I just knew I had to write it! May's fic did a wonderful job of starting Hubert and Flayn's relationship, so I wanted to progress it just a bit further. But then the idea of having Edelgard and Dedue as a couple permeated my brain as well, so they were incorporated into the story! This is going to end up being a three chapter fic; chapter one focused on Edelgard's perspective, chapter two is going to focus on Hubert's perspective, and chapter three will be the eventual confrontation between the two of them. I've already started work on the next two chapters, so I'm hoping it's not months and months between updates. In fact, chapter two is nearly complete, and chapter 3 is probably about a quarter finished.

I plan to sprinkle just a tiny bit of BylethxManuela within the next two chapters too. And in case you don't know, the term "cougar" in this context means an older woman who purposely goes after a younger man. Which is clearly what Manuela and (apparently) Flayn are doing. :p

I have an unfortunate announcement to make: at the end of this multi-chapter fic, I'm going back into Fanfiction retirement. I originally retired in June 2019 with the final chapter of my 50 chapter RoyxIdoun fic, and then didn't write anything again until April 2020 with a Metroid fic. And since then, I've been periodically releasing more Fire Emblem fics until now. I still hopefully plan to write one or two one-shots in between, but once this fic is done, my plan is to stop. Life is too busy to continue writing. But we'll worry about that sappy stuff later. Look forward to the next chapter of this fic in the future!