"I see you survived the battle after all, Professor." Hubert's tone suggests this is an unexpected disappointment.
There's a narrowing of Hubert's eyes as he sees the woman who opposed them five years ago looking as unchanged as the day she was thought to have perished in the battle for Garreg Mach. His left hand erupts in black-purple flame in preparation to strike her first, and swiftly, before seeing to the immediate evacuation of Edelgard back to the safety of the Empire. The relief on the Emperor's face and the mix of consternation and wariness on the Professor's is enough for the mage to be prepared to do away with her.
Permanently this time.
He waits for Edelgard to step forward again and places himself between the two to keep Byleth out of reach. If nothing else, he has been and always will be Edelgard's shield. Should the Professor choose to pursue her, he will hit her and it will hurt.
"Good to see you are well, Hubert." Byleth replies without missing a beat or bothering to address the hostility directed toward her. There's a noise behind him and, if there weren't a direct threat to their lives in front of him, he'd almost suspect that Edelgard was choking back a laugh.
There is much he would like to say to her regarding her ill-advised decision to meet them on the battlefield as enemies. About how he had been well aware of the danger she presented, how she would never be anyone they would remotely trust or care to recruit for their cause, and how he should have killed her himself before the battle at Garreg Mach when he had the opportunity. After all, her death would have released Edelgard from this sick fascination that distracts her from her tasks at hand and holds her back from her true potential.
The magic around his hand intensifies. The spell is almost ready to fire off in a matter of moments from now as he analyzes where his best chances of maximizing damage will be. If he isn't able to kill her here, Hubert will ensure the wound will be sufficient enough to disable her. If he really finds a suitable target on her body, he may even be able to ensure another five years without her interference. It's no matter, really. He can always finish the job when Edelgard is asleep.
The Professor's hand rests against the hilt of her ill-begotten blade in response to the flare of magic. Her blade rouses at the touch and glows the color of live embers. That accursed weapon seems to pulse in time with her heartbeat: steady and calm in spite of the danger she's in. Her chin tucks in, her weight settled firmly in the balls of her feet as she prepares to meet him on the battlefield. Which of them has the upper hand in terms of speed and accuracy of a strike is up in the air as far as Hubert is concerned. A complicated and rather unfortunate risk if he underestimates her battle competency after missing for so long, but a necessary one if he is to get the Emperor out of here unscathed.
"Where are the others?" Her voice still carries the ring of authority that he'd become accustomed to during the intervals where Manuela was incapacitated and the Professor filled in. He would almost be impressed by how little she's changed if it weren't so abnormal.
"Hubert." Edelgard's voice is at his elbow and he feels her hand against the crook.
There's a cruel twist to his smile. "You know very well I will not answer to the enemy."
"Hubert." Her tone is more insistent now and he has to focus to keep the spell from sputtering out when Edelgard pulls on his arm.
Byleth's eyes narrow and she seems to sink lower in preparation to strike. He lifts the hand Edelgard isn't currently holding back and aims.
"Hubie!" Dorothea's voice is unmistakable in both irritation and quality as she loudly calls for him.
Edelgard looks relieved even to Byleth's eyes. She glances Byleth's way and notices the former mercenary trying her damndest not to look amused as she mouths 'Hubie?' at her. She immediately looks away and files through her memories for the most unpleasant one she can think of to keep her composure. If she doesn't see Byleth's amusement, she won't crack herself.
Edelgard studies something particularly fascinating on a tree limb nearby. It was difficult to believe the series of snowstorms that would be assailing the region here within a week and much of this would be covered in snow taller than she stood.
Hubert mutters something very unlike him under his breath. If she is approaching their position, then that means-
"Hubert! I hope you are well prepared to face a reprimand to match the severity of your actions."
Ferdinand. Hubert says something that definitely sounded like 'goddamn it.' from where Byleth and Edelgard are standing. One of them is bad enough. Put Dorothea and Ferdinand together and he has the single most irritating combination of people he can possibly think of. Other than, of course, the woman in front of him and perhaps Claude.
There's the snort of a beast and, a few seconds later, the young diva and Ferdinand enter the scene as though playing the part of something straight out of one of her beloved operas. Dorothea's green eyes fix directly on Hubert and narrow in displeasure. Anyone with half a wit would understand that Edelgard's retainer is in for it by the look on her face alone, much less the matching scowl from Ferdinand himself.
"Whoa, Dorothea!"
The diva has leaped off the horse and hit the ground running, her magic eating away the snow impeding her path, and flings herself delightedly into Byleth's arms with a squeal. Byleth has to release the hilt of the blade to catch her and looks appropriately surprised by the sudden greeting.
"Professor! You're alive!"
Hubert, Ferdinand, and Edelgard all share a look. They're not sure if they're insulted by Dorothea's clear disregard of personal safety and the mood in the clearing or if they're a little jealous that the songstress hasn't greeted them with such enthusiasm and delight. Both, as far as Edelgard is concerned, with the added bonus of envying her freedom to express herself as she pleases.
She wants to throw herself into Byleth's arms like that too.
"It's good to see you too, Dorothea." Byleth manages to untangle the woman's hair from her pauldron before setting her down, carefully. Glances to a stunned Ferdinand as well with a nod of greeting. "Ferdinand."
Hubert weighs the consequences of using Dorothea as a distraction to launch a sneak attack. Edelgard might not react in time, but Dorothea herself is more than capable of retaliation- and would in more ways than one- and he is not thrilled with the idea of dealing with the idiot on the horse either.
"Hubie, put that away." Dorothea orders.
He gives her a withering look that has proven effective on anyone but her. She lifts her chin in response, as though she is the noble and he the commoner. The snow melts around her and the Professor a little faster than he'd like and he suspects the flickers he sees around her feet are flames from magic.
"As she says, Hubert." Edelgard's voice, filled with the same echo of authority, cuts through the air.
The spell dissipates and some of the tension drains from the five of them. Dorothea, pleased with herself, blows a kiss to Edelgard and drags Byleth back to the rest. "It's been so long, Professor! You simply must tell us where you've been the last five years and how you managed to find Edelgard."