Work Text:
EdelClaude Week 2024 Day 2: Prompt "Union."
Edelgard lit a few aromantic leaves in a brazier and hung it over her hammock. Mint, the cool scent stilled the churning mind for Edelgard. The constant rolling of the ship had done few favours for Edelgard, every perceptible shift, subtle or great, was a reminder that a weak wooden beam or a strong enough storm could spell a cold and dark end to everyone on board. Edelgard usually had a breathing exercise for this, aromantics were expensive and one could only carry so many leaves and petals to burn. Unfortunately, tonight Edelgard found herself in a prolonged dispute with Claude.
The two of them slept in separate hammocks, hooked up to opposite sides of their room. Some of the sailors joked that the two had problems in a shared bed, which was true but not for the reasons crusty old sailors would claim to be. The two had a habit for drawing lines and negotiating terms and conditions that it spilled from their rivalries to their affections. Edelgard had too many memories of being stuffed into a cell with writhing bodies, Claude had too many memories of assassins falling upon him in his bedroom. So, the two of them decided on the hammocks for the duration of their voyage. There was a bedroll, four in fact. Each layered on another was almost as comfortable as a proper mattress. They had agreed on a weekly conjugal rest, as they would inevitably have to get accustomed to sleeping together. This was not one of such nights, and while they would both refuse to admit it that was a good thing for tonight.
"I am just saying," Claude said, feet dangling in the air as he sat on his own hammock, heedless of Edelgard's motions. "This will be easier to sell as an act of political convenience than as a moment of passion. You're the Emperor of Fódlan, I'm the King of Almyra. We both talked about resolving the dispute between our nations, people will think this was a match made in heaven."
Edelgard tried to suppress a smile. It was endearing how much Claude kept up with this.
"Then declare me a consort, it would have the same affect" Edelgard sighed, if only to hide a chuckle. "Almyra is right next door to Fódlan, the only nation where the news could have reached before them is Sreng. Perhaps Brigid, given Petra's efforts to tie her kingdom into Fódlan's affairs. The Emperor is no longer a position to be inherited, so the Emperor should have no business forging marriage-pacts with dynasties that still use inheritance."
Claude rolled his eyes, Edelgard tsked at that. They had been at this for days. Ever since the topic of marriage was brought up between them. Claude said that his people would resist another queen from Fódlan, so Edelgard simply suggested that she be taken as a consort. For reasons beyond Edelgard, the concept twisted Claude into knots.
"And you're telling me that a former Emperor would have no influence back in Enbarr?" Claude gesticulated his hands so forcefully that it slightly shifted his hammock. "You have friends in court, literal friends from your school. You know the laws and institutions inside out because you helped make them. You would be my chief consultant on the matter of Fódlan, anyone would have to be obstinate to not see that."
Edelgard pursed her lips, not at Claude's argument but more at what she was going to say.
"People are obstinate," Edelgard spoke gently, as though the words on her tongue were something dangerous and poisoned. "How many tried to kill a child because he had the audacity of being the second son of their king from the wrong mother?"
Claude opened his mouth and then closed it with an audible clack. Edelgard frowned, she should not have struck so deep like that.
"I appreciate where you are coming from, Claude." Edelgard smiled diplomatically. "Not many would have a husband that would fight his own kingdom to declare a woman his wife. However, love is not bound to marriage, not to me at least. My mother was a consort and I believe my father and her had a loving relationship. I understood the political necessity of it all, and I bear them no ill will for it."
Claude looked down for a moment, Edelgard thought that her words had no affect on him. Then his eyes returned to meet Edelgard with a renewed vigour. "Was it really so easy? You had absolutely no doubts as to the relationship between your mother and father, nor doubts shared from anyone else?"
Edelgard's brow furrowed at that. Perhaps Claude had a point, some did question as to whether or not Anselma and Ionius truly loved each other, but Edelgard insisted that such gossip was nothing more than trash carried by the wind. It was love, it had to be, to think that Anselma would throw so much of her life into a loveless affair would be ridiculous to claim. It would be too heartbreaking to believe.
"When people called my father a fool or my mother a coward or myself a mistake, I had one thing they were too damned blind to see," Claude laughed, ruefully at the cruel figures from his past. "My parents loved each other. A love that was wise and courageous and could never be a mistake. Their love was my shield and sword, the surety of it was unbreakable."
Edelgard heard the words and the implications of them; Edelgard would never have the sheer certainty Claude had simply because her parents were never bold enough to push their relationship into a public matter.
"Love is an act of faith, and trust," Edelgard took in a breath. "How many times have we gotten into fights like this? How many times have we doubted the other? Nevertheless, I believe you love me, no matter what. And you must believe that I love you in turn. I have to put faith in the love between my mother and father, or I would have no business in seeking love at all."
"Then have trust in us to overcome!" Claude's lips quivered and head shook, passion turning his face into a churning sea. "I love you, and I want the whole world to know that I love you. I cannot abide turning us into something secret, something to hide, I have kept enough secrets to last several lifetimes and I will not keep this. It hurts, Edelgard, the thought of it hurts."
A silence filled the air between them. Something uncomfortable stirring about. The realization that this was not about the importance of marriage or political expediency, but about love itself. Claude looked away, trying to find something on the wall to catch his attention. Edelgard looked at her hands and folded them together.
They talked the only other way they knew how, with actions. Edelgard hopped off her hammock and her bare feet met the wooden floor with firm and purposeful steps. Claude caught on quickly and did the same. The two of them met at the middle of the room, each with their share of the bedrolls in hand. Edelgard spread out one layer and then Claude splayed out the next, then Edelgard for the third and then Claude for the fourth. The two lay down and entwined themselves in each other.
Whatever they would decide, whatever the future had in store, they would always have this.
They fell into a peaceful sleep for the rest of the night.