Disclaimer: I do not own fire emblem or the characters!
WARNING: THERE IS ABUSE, MENTIONS OF SUICIDE, SELF HARM, AND A LOT OF VIOLENCE! PLEASE DO NOT READ IF THIS WILL TRIGGER YOU!
Thoughts, dreams, flashback
Year
Hubert wakes up feeling like crap. Not physically, but he still feels terrible for yelling at Ferdinand, and anger at himself for letting the secret get out. Sighing, he starts to get ready for classes.
"Wait- I just want to help-"
"No! Get out! NOW!"
Hubert growls to himself. I was way too harsh on him. After pulling his shoes on, he gets up and pushes the door open with enough force it comes off it's hinges.
"Well, shi-"
"UWAAAAAAAAAAAA! HUBERT'S IN A BAD MOOD! RUN FOR YOUR LIIIIIVESSSSS!"
"Bernadetta, please, I-"
"OH NO! NOW HE'S GONNA KILL ME! EYYAAAAAAAAAA! HELP MEEEE!"
"Bernadetta!"
"AHHHHHHH! HE'S YELLING AT ME!"
Hubert just sighs and walks away, leaving a screaming Bernadetta behind. Now even if I tried to apologize to her, she'd just scream and run away. There's no point.
Opening the door to the dining hall, he sees Seteth talking to Professor Lillie. Well, maybe I should say something about how I need a few things to fix that blasted door. "Pardon my intrusion, Professor, Seteth."
"Oh. Hubert. What is it you need?" Seteth asks quickly.
"I need a few things to fix a broken... and busted... door. Oh, and maybe a busted Bernadetta."
"Busted Bernadetta? Hubert, what did you-" Lillie starts, but is interrupted by Seteth. "Alright. I will send Flayn to speak with Bernadetta, and I will handle the door. Excuse me."
Seteth walks away rather quickly, maybe just a little freaked out.
Hubert and Lillie watch Seteth leave with a blank expression. Then the professor finally says, "What did you do, Hubert."
"You worded that like a question, but it sounds more like a demand."
"It is a demand. What. Did. You. Do."
"Oh. Well... I slammed my door open and it broke off its hinges. ... And busted in half. Bernadetta was standing out there and she started screaming, so I got irritated and left."
"... Fine."
"Fine?"
"Yes. That's a believable story. Fine."
"Okay... I'll... be.. somewhere. Goodbye, Professor."
"Goodbye."
In class, Hubert ended up putting his head down. Trying his best not to fall asleep, because he would lose his scolding rights to Linhardt, he sighs quietly.
After a while, he tunes the lesson out completely, thinking about his sister. I hope she's doing okay. Maybe I should try to go there today. No, but what about Edel- Lady Edelgard? She would not be very happy if I decided to just leave to go somewhere. I wonder if she acts like she cares to try and be a good house leader, or if she's actually concerned about me. Oh, what am I thinking? Who would be concerned about me? I'm a Vestra. A servant. I stay in the shadows while watching those in the light.
Without realizing, he ended up glaring at his desk, even after class. Until suddenly, "H-hey... u-um... H-Hubert... ?"
"Bernadetta." He says, not even looking up.
"Y- yeah... I-I uhm.. wanted to apologize... for earlier... when I started screaming... "
"Apologize? Bernadetta, no, I mean, yeah, okay. You're forgiven for whatever you think you might've done, but I should apologize as well."
"You?"
"Yes.. I shouldn't have slammed the door open like that, and I should have stayed there to make sure you were alright. I.. am sorry."
"Oh! Yeah! It's okay! I'm glad I could go up to you and say that! You... seem less scary today... N-Not that you're scary! I mean, I'm sorry, I'll just- No offense or anything-!!"
"None taken, it's alright. I am rather intimidating.. "
"No you're not! I'm just a scaredy cat! What I meant to say is that you're being so... I don't know, you're acting different."
"Different how?"
"I-I uh... didn't notice earlier today, but you seem dazed... lost in thought. Like you're... not yourself today.. I don't know.. "
Hubert doesn't say anything, afraid to let his secret out to someone else.
"H-Hey... are you okay..?"
"I'm fine."
"Are you sure...? I can stay and talk... "
"No, it's okay. I'm fine, I just need to be alone." He gets up, bows quickly, then practically runs away.
Poor Bernadetta is left speechless. I should go tell Edelgard... Then she runs off too.
Hours later, Hubert is still laying in the same position. Curled up to the farthest wall from the the now fixed door. Then there's a knock. "Hubert?"
He doesn't answer. Maybe if I stay quiet she'll just... go away. I shouldn't be avoiding Lady Edelgard. This is bad.
"Hubert? Are you in there?" She asks again, but to no avail. She looks down and tries the door knob. It's unlocked. Walking in, she sees him facing the wall. "Hubert. You're acting so strange... "
Okay, new plan. Pretend to be asleep. That might work. Did I seriously leave the door unlocked?
"Hubert? Please, talk to me. I want to know what's wrong... I need to know what's bothering you so I can help."
You can't help. It's impossible. Just go away. How did she even know I was in here? She's smart. That's right. I'm just a... her servant. We're not friends. We could never be friends. She's the imperial princess. Look at me, acting like a stupid child.
"Please, look at me. I know you're not sleeping."
Shit. Wait. How could she know?
"How long have I known you? And yet I still don't know what you could be thinking about."
She sounds like she's crying. ... Crying?? Did I seriously just make her cry?!
Without warning, he whirls around to face her. "Lady Edelgard, I-"
"Hubert! Please tell me what's troubling you! Now you can't hide it!"
Did she just fake cry to get me to turn around? Are you serious?? Now what?!
In her mind, Edelgard smiles triumphantly. If there's one thing I knows about him, it's that he can't stand seeing me upset. It was a low blow, but it's worth it to see if he's really alright. And now, seeing him look like he's almost in tears, it's obvious to her that he's not.
She moves quickly to hug him, even though he most likely doesn't want her to. When she does, however, he does the most unexpected thing and hugs her back.
"Hubert, please. Tell me what's wrong... We're friends, remember?"
"... No... we can't... we can't be friends. Ever. I'm your servant. That's final. I was born your servant, and I will die your servant. Befriending me is impossible and not worth your time, Lady Edelgard."
"Not worth my-?! Hubert, you are worth my time! We can be friends, but you won't accept it! Please listen to me when I say there are people who care about you!"
"Like who?!" He snaps unintentionally. "Who could possibly care for a low life like me?! I don't deserve your kindness, Lady Edelgard! I don't deserve to have friends! I don't deserve to even be alive right now! Don't you understand I-"
"STOP IT! You are so much better than that! What has gotten into you?! Sure, we've all done bad things, but it doesn't mean that you can't be forgiven! Hubert, you are my friend, and I care about you. I care about you so much, why do you not get that?!"
Hubert is left completely speechless, being so close to tears. Watching Edelgard cry like that is horrible, yet terrifying.
"Please accept my friendship! We've known each other for how long?! I don't understand, I trust you with everything! Everything, Hubert! Please tell me what is bothering you! I can't stand seeing you upset!"
"Lady Edelgard, stop wasting your time on me! Please leave me alone!"
"I am not wasting my time! There is absolutely nothing else I would do right now! You will never be a waste of time!"
She pushes him down so he's sitting on the bed again, then she forces him to hug her. "Please... you're so important to me... I need to help you, and I want to help you so bad... Hubert, you're worth it. No matter how much you try to convince yourself otherwise, I really do care. I don't know what is going on in that smart brain of yours, but I do know that you need me right now. So just tell me."
Hubert doesn't say anything, so Edelgard repeats it. "You are worth it. No matter how much you try to convince yourself otherwise, I really do care...!"
"It's... too much... "
"I have time..."
"No you don't.."
"Even if I didn't, I would make time for you."
"... I can't... "
"Hubert, please."
He pauses, before taking a deep breath. "I... I have a sister..."
"A sister?"
"Yes... and she... needs me..."
"... What's happening? Is she in danger right now?"
"I don't know... I'm so worried..."
"Tell me about it... please."
"Promise not to tell... promise me."
"... I promise.. "
He waits for a long time before taking another deep breath. "My... it's my... it's my father... he's... I... I..." He thinks about the screaming and crying as he was knocked into the wall. His mother's sobs as she was almost killed. Hailey... her hair torn off of her head, sitting in the middle of the bathroom covered in blood.
"I... I can't do it...! No... no... no..!"
"Hubert, what-" She's interrupted as he suddenly starts screaming and crying into her chest. All she can think of to do is hug him and try to calm him down enough so he can at least breathe.
When the sobs turn into little hiccups and sniffs, she takes let's out a breath she didn't know she was holding in. "Hubert... tell me what's happened to you." He's so traumatized by whatever it is... his father? She sighs, already knowing that the man was terrible, but how terrible?
She hears him trying to breathe, and rubs his back soothingly. "Shhh... shhh... it's okay..."
Suddenly, his head just falls to the side limply, making Edelgard gasp in fear. "Hubert?! Oh my- Please answer me..!"
He squeaks as a response, and she sighs, relieved. "Okay... I'll let you sleep... but I'm staying in here... alright?"
She lays him down gently on the bed, then she sits down next to him, gently going through his hair, trying to help him calm down. "What happened to you before...? What made you so unstable...?"
She sighs quietly, still making sure she doesn't wake him up. "You know..." She starts, laughing a little, "I don't think I've ever seen you asleep like this. You can look peaceful, can't you?"
She smiles, thinking back to when she was sick in bed, and Hubert was told to take care of her. She begged him to help her fall asleep, and he had to sing her a lullaby. She laughs warmly at the thought. He was a good singer... and it's obvious he loves to sing. Even with the front he puts up in choir practice. "... And yet you still took care of me... even though you're constantly hurting."
Year 1169(Hubert 9, Edel 6)
"Pleeeeease? I can't fall asleep if you don't!"
"Lady Edelgard, you already know the answer. I cannot. Singing a lullaby is not something I can do. Not only am I a terrible singer, but it also isn't proper for me to-"
"Oh come on! Please? Just one??"
"I-"
"Hubert... !" The young princess whined.
"Alright alright! I will! Just... what do you want me to... sing..?" He said the word 'sing' as if it was a foreign language.
"Hmm... do you know the lullaby of the moon?"
"I believe so."
"That one!"
Hubert sighed. (This will be a long night...) Taking a deep breath, he tried to remember the lyrics, and his voice came out soft as silk and clearer than polished glass.
"Distant moon, so big and bright... Softest silver glowing through the night... High atop, the mountain gold, Sun unseen, the world is cold..."
Edelgard nuzzled into the blankets, content.
"Here I wait, and here I stand, Early morning northern hour hand... Studying, in solitude... Looking for, a hidden clue.."
She smiled, gently humming along.
"I wish... to see this world through my own eyes... To calm...the elders and silence their cries..."
Her eyes started to droop.
"Because... of you I now gaze up and sing...The lullaby of the moon..."
He paused, then saw her still awake. He took a breath and continued."Found at last, I steal away... Moving faster through the silent shade... Sea of stars, like flowers bloom.. Looking for... the hidden tomb.. "
She curled up to him, feeling the warmth.
"Here I found, the crescent blade... Forged by Rakkor, surely lunar made.. Shining down, upon the earth... Now they'll see, I'll prove my worth... I wish... to see this world through my own eyes... To calm... the elders and silence their cries..."
Smiling, Edelgard started to fall asleep.
"Because, of you I now gaze up and sing...The lullaby of the moon..."
"Condemned me to death... With my last breath... Sorrow and anger... Fill my head..."
"Distant moon, so big and bright... Softest silver glowing through the night... "
"High atop, the mountain gold... Sun unseen, the world is cold... Now I know, my chosen path... Higher calling... they will know my wrath... Raise my relic blade... I will not be swayed... With the might of the moon... by my...side.."
He looked down, smiling when he saw her asleep. "Goodnight, Lady Edelgard..."
Edelgard smiles. His voice is so soft when he sings... I wish he would do it again. Looking down at him, she sings the lullaby as quietly as possible.
After she finishes, she whispers, "Goodnight... Hubert.. "
Well? What'd you think? Hate it? Love it? Please review! Oh, and all the credit goes to its rightful owners.. Look up the male version of the song to hear what I was thinking about while writing. Anyway, chapter three will be coming soon!