I have been trying to write ideas I've had for years, and I have just not really been feeling it. I haven't been able to sit and do much of anything that I've wanted, and then this idea came. And I'm going to admit, I'm a little mad at myself for not having had this idea sooner. Three Houses is almost two years old, and it just recently occurred to me to write Gilbert tutoring Dimitri's little prince, especially when I've been thinking of a few things with Dimitri's son? Yeah, a little slow on this, but I hope it comes out well.
Life was different for everyone in Fodlan after the war that served to unite the entire continent. For a knight who was once known as Gustave Dominic, then Gilbert Pronislav, then back to Gustave Dominic, it was almost like a second chance at life. He had long regretted his inability to protect the royal family of Faerghus, and yet he again found himself faithfully serving his young king, Dimitri. His steps towards reuniting with his family were a little more tentative, but in his years of serving Faerghus, he was able to reach out to his wife and daughter more frequently.
He worked tirelessly to offer assistance to the king in anything he needed, no matter how trivial, for many years. It might have been his age, but it felt like time moved quickly. King Dimitri had gone from devoting his entire time to his kingdom, to courting a young woman, to his wedding which had somehow wound up being both intimate and beautiful despite the throngs of people clamoring for a sight of the king with his new queen. And soon to follow that was the birth of a young prince.
Gustave had been honored to be one of the first to meet the prince after his birth. As he had entered the king and queen's bedchambers and saw the king positively beaming at the small bundle in his wife's arms, the thought had crossed his mind that it should have been King Lambert, Dimitri's father, to have such an honor. Then he had wondered to himself if Dimitri had reached out to him as a sort of father figure. Feeling guilty by the thought, he had brushed it aside.
Prince Alexei Rodrigue Blaiddyd seemed to grow into a charming little boy overnight. His mother and father were loving and doting to their little prince despite their duties to the kingdom. Watching Alexei grow made Gustave feel rather nostalgic. Everyone said the boy looked just like his father, though Gustave saw a bit of Lambert in him, as well. It also made him miss his own family, and for the first time in his life consider retiring home to live out the rest of his years in quiet.
It took him quite some time to consider bringing up his retirement to the king, but before he could, Dimitri approached him with a request. "I would like you to tutor Alexei."
"Me, Your Majesty? It is an honor to even be considered, of course, but why me?"
"I feel you are the perfect choice. Alexei has grown up around you and trusts you. You have known and served my family for years. I can trust you with my son. Anyone else I could trust him with is far too busy." A chuckle rose in the king's throat as he considered something. "If Felix were up to it, he would be very likely to teach him to fight only with a sword because he could."
"Do you not wish for him to learn to use a sword?"
Dimitri considered it for a moment and said, "I would encourage my son to learn a variety of weapons if possible. I would not care what weapon he is most comfortable with. I just do not feel that Felix would offer him anything but a sword. Furthermore, while I feel he will not have any reason to pick up Areadbhar, I would like him to know how to use it should the need arise."
"I understand." The king had no shortage of people to teach the young prince, and many of them held different skills. There was Duke Fraldarius with his use of swords, the king's retainer, Dedue, with his use of axes, and an entire academy of mages should the boy show some skill with magic. Not to mention the many others that had joined the king's army. Far too many people to name would jump at the chance of training the young prince. As a former Knight of Serios, Gustave had tried his hand at multiple weapons and could teach the little prince at least the basics in many forms of weaponry.
"It is not just weaponry, however," Dimitri continued. "Handwriting, etiquette, mathematics, history... I know you can handle those, as well. That is not to say that I won't have a hand in my son's lessons. I will do what my busy schedule allows." Dimitri smiled as he added that he would love to handle the riding lessons himself.
Gustave nodded his head and promised that he would do everything he could to make sure both the king and prince were content.
His lessons began the following morning. It was the queen who brought Alexei to him, though some mornings it was the king who brought him to Gustave. Other mornings, the little prince found him. On more than a few mornings, Gustave joined the royal family for breakfast before taking Alexei for the day. He was a sweet boy, always listened, and never backtalked. There were times when he became frustrated with a lesson, and when that occurred, Gustave learned quickly to distract the boy with something else and let him return to the problem later with a clear mind. Gustave also learned to keep a bag of candies on him. The promise of something sweet was an excellent motivator.
Gustave was also pleased to note that Alexei's parents were far from inattentive, not that he expected anything else. Each night, Dimitri would ask how Alexei's lessons had gone. More than once, Gustave would look up from his teachings to find that one of his parents had passed the room and stopped to peek in at the boy's progress. Gustave even found himself with the occasional free day, as the king and queen would try to clear their schedules to have the day, or at least a few hours, with Alexei.
Like his father, Alexei showed a preference for lances, along with an eagerness to at least attempt to learn every weapon. His favorite part of the day quickly became early mornings, as that was when Gustave would take him to the training ground to practice with wooden weapons. It soon became obvious that mornings were nearly everyone's favorite part of the day, as it often felt like the castle came to a stand still to watch the little prince's progress. It was intimidating at first. All eyes were on Gustave and how he trained Prince Alexei. Surely there was jealousy and judgement behind some of those gazes?
No, Gustave realized several days later, all eyes were on their prince as he twirled his little training lance, stabbed straw dummies with his wooden sword, or spectacularly missed his targets with his small bow and arrows. It was endearing hearing the cheers of seasoned guards as Alexei gave the dummy a good hit or the sympathetic groans and words of encouragement when he attempted archery.
Many days, when it came time for a midday meal break, Gustave was often asked, "Do we have to stop? Can't we come back after lunch?"
"I am sorry, Your Highness, but you know you have other lessons in the afternoons." It pained Gustave to say such, but it was the truth. At least Alexei left the training grounds with hardly any fight.
The prince's afternoons were mostly spent inside, perched on a chair, his short legs kicking under the table as he bent over parchments and books. There was no chalkboard, no other students, just Gustave and the young prince. He was eager to learn, though some lessons were more enjoyable than others. With sums, the prince was quick to count on his fingers, and more than once he would take Gustave's hand to continue his count. Histories were not as fun and typically involved Gustave reading to Prince Alexei and quizzing him on what he had just heard. Sometimes, he would have the little prince to read to him instead. Alexei was more interested in hearing about Gustave's own exploits, and those of his parents, than he was about hearing things that occurred decades or centuries before. The prince's penmanship was decent for a child, but he grew bored practicing his handwriting over and over again. He showed little interest in music, but he was excited to try his hand at painting.
His lessons would carry on until it was time to eat again. After their evening meal, Alexei would be returned to his parents unless they were both far too busy, which very rarely happened.
Though Alexei was Gustave's only charge, the occasional arrival of another child broke their routine. The friends and allies of the king and queen were also starting to grow their own families, and when visits happened, whether it be business or out of the desire to see old friends, lessons were put on hold. While many were polite and waited to address Alexei, there was one small girl who could not contain her excitement. One would hear the child before even seeing her, and she had little care for what was going on at the moment of her arrival.
It happened often enough in the training grounds. Gustave and the young prince would be working on his form when the sound of running footsteps and a happy cry of "Alexeeeeiiiii!" would meet their ears. The girl was little more than a blur as she'd tackle the prince, knocking the boy off his feet and causing his wooden weaponry to hit the ground with a clatter.
"Good morning, Tasha." The young prince would always remember his manners and greet her, even if he was pinned to the ground.
Gustave greeted her as well as he tried to help the children to their feet. Tasha returned their greetings but her full focus immediately went to Alexei. Gustave stood by and watched as Alexei showed Tasha how to stand while wielding a wooden lance or how to hold a bow.
"I told her to stay with me." Gustave turned to find himself facing the young Duke Fraldarius. It was always the same when the two of them visited: Tasha would find some way to make her way directly to Prince Alexei while her father would lament that he asked her to stay by his side. He was very protective of the girl, and no one could blame him. He had lost his brother, his father, and was now a young widower. Despite his losses, he carried on as well as once would expect and kept the daughter who looked just like him as close as he could.
Gustave assured him he would watch Tasha as carefully as he did Alexei. It did not take much to convince him that Tasha would be safe, though he often stayed longer than perhaps he should to watch the children practice with whatever weaponry the prince was using when Tasha arrived.
"A little clumsy, aren't they?" he remarked once.
"They have to begin somewhere," Gustave replied.
Whenever Duke Fraldarius would leave, he would walk over to the children and crouch to their level. He would always assure Tasha he would be right inside the castle before kissing her forehead. He would also tousle the young prince's hair before going about his business. Gustave would try to hide his smile as Alexei attempted to return his hair to its formerly neat state.
The next half hour or so would involve Gustave not only teaching the two children some basics of attacking with the little wooden weaponry, but also answering whatever questions would come from the young girl's mouth. He did not mind, as she was a sweet child, but he feared there was little he could do for her. She was already showing a skill for magic, and he felt there were others better suited for her needs, including his own daughter. However, despite her magical prowess, she wanted to keep up with the prince and was excited to have the chance to use wooden lances and swords.
After the short lessons he offered to Tasha, Gustave would try to guide the children inside. He would often put them in front of a couple of easels. Even though he put an old sheet on the floor, and had the children cover their nice clothing by having them wear old shirts that once belonged to the king, there was the occasional instance of paint getting somewhere. It was easy to clean up, and it did keep the two of them busy.
While it did come off as a bit lazy to him to give them paints, Gustave found himself feeling his age more often than not. Some nights, he would finish his evening meal, wish the royal family a good night, go to his own chambers, bathe, and fall asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. No one would ever hear him complain, however. Despite his age, he always looked forward to the next day and the time spent with the little Blaiddyd prince.