AUTHOR'S NOTES: Edelgard's inability to teach Petra the language was never really explained, beyond that she seemed remorseful that she was unable to do so. Hubert may have had more free time than the future Emperor, but he strikes me as someone far more interested in staying at Edelgard's side, and Petra's drive to 'impress' him comes from wanting to be seen as an equal—something that would be harder for her if he became her mentor, and it seems Hubert is also aware of this.
Happy Reading!

PART ONE: GREY SKIES

CHAPTER 005: A WAY OUT, A WAY UP

=Enbarr Royal Palace, Adrestia, 2nd of Great Tree Moon, Imperial Year 1176…=

The Anniversary Gala had gone on for long enough that it crossed the midnight border into the following morning, and while Petra was generally a morning person, she was not about to try and sleep with someone knocking at her door—or with the apprehension and fear that she might be facing retribution for what she had done. Even after learning who it was, it still took Duke Gerth more than 20 minutes to convince her to open the door.

"As I have been saying," he repeated for the sixth time, "I assure you that no harm will come to you, Princess. It is necessary for me to speak to you, however, and ideally I would like to do so in person rather than calling through the door."

Petra still did not like hearing her language from the lips of the Adrestians, but it was better than not being able to communicate at all.

"Alright…" she sighed, and unlatched the door, "come in."

Duke Gerth stepped inside and shut the door behind him.

"I am not going to apologize for what I said or did." Petra's little face was as stern as her words.

"I am not asking you to," Gerth replied to her slight surprise, "I was obviously sent here to tell you not to do that again, and while I won't condemn the act myself due to my understanding of how Ludwig provoked you, I am warning you out of concern for yourself and your well-being."

"What do you mean?" Petra's opinions of hearing her language from this man's mouth were definitely softening. He was different from the others.

"What I mean is that I do not think he would take as well to a repeated offense, even if he did provoke you again—which he very well may try to do." Gerth warned, "He has power nearly to that of the Emperor, and as such he absolutely has the power to make your life—or the lives of your people—very miserable."

"I will not bow to him." Petra shook her head in defiance.

"I am not asking you to." Gerth gently placed his hands on Petra's shoulders, "I am simply asking you to be careful. You are a hunter and a warrior's daughter, are you not?"

"I am." Petra nodded. "Why?"

"Then you know when to attack and pursue and when to flee or to hide," Gerth advised her, "I have little doubt you could knock the man off his feet again with speed like yours, but he is a man with friends in high places, and while he is no threat by himself, especially without his weapons and armour, he has the resources at his disposal to cause you great pain."

"I understand." Petra sighed. "I will try not to let it happen again."

"That's the spirit." the duke smiled gently. "And now the nobles can get off our backs about what you did, while you also gain awareness of what they do. It's as close to a winning situation as we can get here. I have my limits due to the political climate here in Adrestia, Petra Macneary… but I am on your side. I do not wish for you to be kept here forever."

"What do I need to do?" Petra may have been misinterpreting the remark but she did not care.

"Study, learn, grow," Gerth advised, "gain as much skill and knowledge from this place as you can. When you're a little older, I will see if I can get you into the Officer's Academy at Garreg Mach Monastery for your accomplishments. It is the finest institution of its kind in Fódlan, and I think that with those skills on top of the ones you have learned from here and from Brigid, that it would prime you even better to become the queen you were meant to be."

"You consider me queen?" Petra looked shocked, but also somewhat relieved.

"In a manner of speaking, yes." Gerth replied. "I do not believe Brigid's vassalage will last forever, and the older you grow, the more likely your time will come to ascend the throne."

"That is why I must get stronger," Petra asserted, "it is not just the bloodline that determines a ruler in Brigid—it is also determined by strength and intelligence."

"Were that it was so simple here." Gerth almost smiled in amusement, but he did not let his mind wander too far. "But I can see the passion in your eyes. I will not stand in your way."

"You are not standing in my way," Petra gestured, "you are here, and my way is forward. I was often told I was wise beyond my years despite my age, and that is why I must get strong to match. I must live up to that expectation."

"Of that I have no doubt," the duke hummed, "but I have kept you long enough, Petra. I will inform the others that you have been duly warned about your behavior tonight, and they and their bruised egos will be none the wiser. Good night."

"Good night," Petra nodded without asking further questions, watching as the man left her room and gently shut the door behind him. Like many things, this gave Petra a lot to consider, and she mentally evaluated how much she was willing (or unwilling) to trust that man. He seemed to be supporting her interests, but did he have an ulterior motive as well? Was he playing this game the same way he was, where everything he did was all leading to one grand scheme.

Petra changed out of her stuffy finery and back into her loose nightclothes, curling her little toes against the floor again. The rich red carpets felt strange against her bare feet compared to the wood, sand, or woven rugs from back home, but she was slowly acclimating to it over the months that she had been here. She put out the lights and crawled into bed, thinking about everything that had transpired: how Ludwig von Aegir had insulted her home and her father, and how she had retaliated and caused a scene. She wondered if there would be fallout from that incident, or if Duke Gerth would be able to successfully placate the offended individuals to ensure that she and her people did not come to more harm. She thought of Edelgard and how surprised the young princess had been when she had first heard Petra speak, however clumsy it may have been. She needed to keep studying, and see if she could use the training grounds to improve her martial skills. She may have only been 11, but that had never stopped someone in Brigid—and thus she was determined not to let it stop her in Fódlan either. Through thick and thin, Petra Macneary's motive remained unchanged: Everything she did, she did for Brigid.

=Enbarr Royal Palace, Adrestia, 7th of Horsebow Moon, Imperial Year 1176…=

Months came and went, and soon Petra found herself celebrating her 12th birthday in a manner not unlike how she had spent her 11th—with little fanfare or attention. By this point she had gotten a strong enough grip on the language to be able to start forming sentences, although after multiple attempts to talk to the nobles around the palace, she was cautious about who she spoke to. If they did not want to hear her "ugly words", then she would feign ignorance; act like she did not understand a thing they were saying. She would save her first real sentences for Edelgard—something she had been carefully planning for months. She wanted the future Emperor to see her growth; to see that the representative of Brigid was someone to look at with respect and admiration.

She had been fortunate enough to get access to some of the training grounds despite her youth as well, although naturally was only given access to dull wooden training swords or knives that could barely cut through paper. There had been a few nights where she had snuck out of her room with her hunting knife, and no one was the wiser, but at this point, those wild fantasies about murdering everyone that stood between her and Brigid were mostly behind her. Logistically her 12-year-old mind couldn't find a feasible way to make it happen, and after over a year of being here, she had developed smaller goals alongside her main goal of elevating Brigid's sociopolitical status. Among these was a desire for Princess Edelgard to see her as an equal rather than as a puppet ruler of a vassal state. She did not know Edelgard's true opinion on the matter yet, but that was all the more reason she wanted to learn the language well enough to speak properly. It was one thing to understand what was being said, but being able to listen to and carry out a full conversation was a goal that she felt was still not quite in her reach.

On top of that, she wanted to impress Hubert—she had no interest in him for anything other than perhaps friendship, but he always stared at her with such a critical eye that she felt like he was trying to intimidate her. She knew Edelgard might cut her some slack or at least be polite about it if she stumbled on a rod or mispronounced something, but did not feel like Hubert would be near so kind.

On the other hand, perhaps that was for the best. Consolation and comfort had their uses, but sometimes a good strong critique would be far more beneficial. Even as a child growing up, Petra was not immune to criticism, and she was not about to let her age be a barrier from knowing when she needed to improve, even if she was trying her best.

Sometimes, one's best was simply not good enough. Such had been the fate of the Brigidi and Dagdan forces who had been routed by the Empire two years prior. It did not make her father any less of a proud warrior, but in this case, it had also cost him his life. Petra was not about to let those responsible simply get off the hook, but she knew in her current state she was not nearly strong enough or clever enough to formulate a scheme—but she remembered. The people of Brigid would always remember.

And so, her closest friends were books and wooden swords in the meantime. The scornful nobles no longer scared her, but many filled her with a sense of disgust. She may have had ugly words in their eyes, but they had ugly attitudes, and ugly words could be refined over time. She listened to the way people spoke, ensuring that she would pronounce new words and phrases correctly, and studied the books she read with vigor. Soon she had moved on from books denoting Brigidi words and phrases and how to say them in Fódlanese, and had gone into reading actual Adrestian literature written entirely in their language.

From an outsider perspective, there seemed to be little to no rhyme or reason to what Petra opted to read. Nothing she browsed was off-limits, however, and since she played by all of the rules and regulations set upon her by the authorities in the palace, there was little they could do to stop her from reading what was otherwise harmless text. While neither one of them ever confronted her about it, Hubert and Edelgard had both noticed it.

"I know you're going to suggest she is up to something, Hubert," Edelgard shook her head, "you don't need to beat around the bush with me."

"Far be it from me to do such a thing, your Highness," Hubert's lip almost curled upward, "but a well-read and well-educated enemy is much more formidable than an illiterate one."

"Do you still suspect that she'd try to stage a solo coup or assassination attempt on everyone in the palace?" Edelgard almost laughed at the thought of the prospect.

"Hardly," Hubert shook his head, "but what the people of Brigid lack in numbers they make up for in skill and cunning, and I would not put sabotage above them in some form. Petra Macneary is absolutely a threat even if no one else in this palace is willing to believe it."

"If that is so, then I want that 'threat' as an ally, Hubert." Edelgard insisted, "She is 12 years old and has shown no signs of hostility to either of us. What she thinks of the other nobles is not really my concern—not even Duke Aegir."

"Dangerous words to be speaking out loud this soon," Hubert warned, "but I understand your approach, Lady Edelgard—and your time will come."

"As will his," Edelgard insisted. "As will everyone's. Petra Macneary is playing a waiting game the same way I am, Hubert. I am not 100% certain, but the way she behaves adds up."

"And what do you suppose her end goal is?" Hubert voiced his curiosity.

"Beyond freeing Brigid, I am uncertain." Edelgard admitted, "And while I am hesitant to say it, I do not know how she wishes to go about doing that, other than that I am almost certain that it remains her objective to this day."

"It sounds like you ought to speak with her—or confront her." Hubert advised, "Let us see how honest the little princess is, and where she stands—versus where she believes she stands."

"I will see to it at my earliest convenience then." Edelgard declared, "alas, when that may be, I am uncertain, but I will find time."

And find time she eventually did. So long did Petra spend trying to prepare herself for an interaction with the future Emperor that she had overlooked the possibility that Edelgard would seek to try and interact with her first. She was not used to being disturbed while she was studying in her room, and the few times she did have company it was usually just Duke Gerth or someone else checking up on her. Since nothing she did ever appeared to be out of line ordinary, she was otherwise left alone.

"Oh, Princess Edelgard!" Petra was surprised at seeing an unusual guest. Her room was mostly tidy, although there were numerous stacks of books on and around the small desk she had in her room, as well as a few personal effects and items scattered neatly around the different walls and corners. "You are having comeliness for my… you are coming to me? What do you have the reason… what is… your reasoning?" Petra's speech was clearly still a bit clumsy, but her implications and the point got across well enough that Edelgard actually looked a little surprised.

"So you've gained a better understanding of the language here," she nodded approvingly, and it brought a subtle smile to her face to see Petra's eyes light up.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, balling her hands into triumphant little fists, "I am having understanding! My understanding is not having the perfection yet… but on one of the mornings it will be having more goodness than now."

"Yes, there is still room for improvement, but you are able to understand me, and that is impressive as things stand, Petra." Edelgard smiled. "That is what I actually came to check on."

"This room can be having improvements?" Petra looked around, "what is impressive about the way we are standing? Please be forgiving me… I am having some little bits of confusion."

"Ah," Edelgard stifled a light chuckle, "'as things stand' is a turn of phrase; when some words have a different meaning than they usually do. It just means "in the present"; "at the moment", or just "here and now", if that makes more sense."

"That is making many more of the senses." Petra nodded. "You are having my thanks. Did you have need of me for other things?"

"I suppose I should be truthful," Edelgard sighed, "there have been whispers. People are suspicious about what you are doing with all these books."

"I am doing much of reading and very much of studying," Petra explained with a shrug, but her expression was sharp, and Edelgard saw the same fierceness in her eyes that she had seen the first day the little princess had stepped across the threshold of Enbarr's royal palace. The maroon colored ink lines on the corners of her eyes added to the sharpness, causing Petra to look angrier than she was, even when calm. "If there are people that have suspiciousness about what I am doing, you can be telling them that I am doing teaching for myself. I have much necessity to be doing this because no one else has want for teaching me. So I am needing to be teaching myself instead."

"I understand that, and I will do what I can to make sure Duke Gerth and the others understand it too." Edelgard put her hands on Petra's shoulders. "I support you, Petra. I am on your side here, not the nobles' side. Keep learning; keep gaining understanding. It will only do you more good as time goes on."

"I will keep gaining understanding." Petra smiled, sliding her hands to Edelgard's wrists, gently coaxing her hands from Petra's shoulders, where she took them in her own. "I am promising."

A few other warm words were exchanged before Edelgard had to take her leave, and despite learning of suspicions against her, Petra seemed content. She had the approval and support of Edelgard, and that was what mattered. Her goal was the same, and she would not be deterred.

"For Brigid…" she gazed at the ceiling as she drifted off to sleep later that evening. "I find strength to carry on."