Thales wasn't pleased when she met with him, dressed in the armor he had gifted her. She explained the events without holding back any information, watching his expression change as he went from confident to…less than pleased.
Edelgard ended off the report rather bluntly. "I warned you."
"Perhaps I could have done a bit more research." Thales spat it out so bitterly, one would think he was paying a reluctant compliment to an enemy. "But all that means is that this cannot be solved easily. The house leaders will be a problem to contend with a bit more…naturally."
"They won't be a threat," Edelgard replied firmly. "If anything, I can use them to our advantage. There has to be something they can do that I can't without arousing suspicion."
"It would be nothing that we can't do on our own, I'm sure—but frame this repeated failure however you'd like," he said. He only paused for a moment, recovering from the news that his plan went about as well as hers. "Since you're so insistent on having a say on these things, what are your thoughts on our next course of action?"
"I don't think provoking the noble is wise."
"Would you like to elaborate?"
"Considering recent events, they likely have some idea that they have an opponent," Edelgard explained. "If we carried through on our original plan, she will know that and be able to prepare against it. There are other ways to distract them without hinting towards our objectives, and we can use Lonato in the future."
Thales considered it for a moment. Coldly, he asked, "What would you recommend be done, then?"
"Nothing," she said simply. "Let them believe it was merely a brief threat. I will find a way to keep them from Seiros's tomb so you can make your toy next month."
He smiled at whatever satisfaction that brought him. "Excellent. I shall leave these next few months in your planning, then, if you're so sure of yourself. You know how to contact my people if you find yourself in need of soldiers."
…
Their missions for the Garland Moon were given out a little quicker—by now, they likely had a better assessment of what the students could do and what was still beyond their abilities. Edelgard wouldn't be surprised if they had a list of little conflicts they didn't want to give to the knights, just so the students had something do to.
Fortunately, it sounded like Thales listened to her; there wasn't any word of trouble in the Kingdom. With any luck, they won't act if they aren't provoked. Things were already different than how they first planned.
Her classmates teased her for most of the month—her birthday fell on the twenty-second, and she made the mistake of telling them before class one morning. Even some of the Blue Lions and Golden Deer tried to offer gifts. Edelgard couldn't exactly decide of it was preferable, but most of them were deterred when they noticed Hubert's dark glares.
On the day itself, she woke up from a nightmare; she hated them—how she couldn't control them, how they always bothered her, how they made her forget she was past it. Fortunately, the nightmare didn't wake her up earlier than what she would have otherwise, so she didn't need to worry about disturbing anyone else.
Edelgard opened the door when she was ready for the day, only to find dozens of white rose garlands of varying sizes. The sight of them brought back certain memories she thought she had forgotten, mixed with the frustration and pain of the nightmare.
She didn't realize Hubert was there until he spoke up.
"I can dispose of the flowers if they bother you."
Edelgard tensed for a moment, then looked at Hubert and shook her head. "No, it's…fine, I suppose. They meant well."
Considering Hubert's expression, she wouldn't be surprised if the garlands 'disappeared' before the end of the day. Still…
"I'll put these in my room. You can go ahead."
He murmured some kind of agreement, and kept walking after a moment. Edelgard tried to bring the garlands into her room quickly so no one else questioned her. For now, the flowers found a place on the desk. It looked nice in front of her door, but inside her room it reminded her more of a funeral arrangement.
Edelgard checked the mirror again just to make sure there weren't any visible signs of the distraction, then tried to leave again. There weren't any interruptions now—a few people nodded their greeting, and when she passed by him Dimitri looked like he wanted to say more than a morning greeting, but otherwise no one bothered her until she got to the dining hall.
She located Hubert and sat down across from him. Barely a moment later, he frowned and someone came up from behind her.
"Did you see the roses, Edie, or did Hubie get to them first?"
Edelgard looked behind her to see some of the girls from the Black Eagles—Bernadetta even hid behind Dorothea.
"I saw them," Edelgard said, nodding. "Did all of you make the garlands?"
"It was a group effort," Dorothea replied breezily. "The girls made them, and Lin helped us get them arranged. The other boys contributed by promising not to give you any trouble this morning."
"We were wanting to give you something in return for your efforts," Petra reported.
"You're scary," Bernadetta added quietly, "But you're strong, too."
Edelgard offered a smile and hoped it looked natural. "Thank you. I appreciate the gifts."
The girls gave a collection of murmurs of 'your welcome' or 'any day,' then dispersed to eat. She let out a sigh when she turned back towards Hubert.
"I can't decide if this is reassuring or frightening," she admitted. "I know some are genuine, but there are others I'm not sure of. It's only been two months since the start of the school year."
"Yes, only two months have passed," Hubert mused. "But there's still ten months left—perhaps a little less depending on what we can get done before next year. There's enough time for you to identify those worthy of following your path; I can handle all the rest."
She nodded, assured in his support if nothing else—she knew he did more for her than what he shared and reported. Her thoughts, however, drifted back towards memories as she ate. Laughter and hope mixed in with her dream's blood and despair.
Maybe she would send the garlands to Enbarr. Barely anything adorned those graves; it wouldn't hurt to change that, even if she couldn't personally visit.
