Chapter Text
“Hubert…” Edelgard spoke softly as she approached him from behind. His shoulders had hunched up, and his neck stuck out at a crooked angle as he loomed over the stacks of paperwork on his desk. The night had grown dark as he worked by candlelight.
He didn’t seem to hear her. He was utterly focused on making out the small print with what little light and energy he had left. It wasn’t a feeling she was foreign to. Sleepless nights just tended to be a byproduct of their responsibilities. But all the same, she should at least check up on him.
She walked around the desk to be at his side. “Hubert,” she said with slightly more volume as she laid her gloved hand carefully on his shoulder.
“Ghuh! Who-” He started at the sudden contact and turned to glare toward the interruption, before his features instantly softened upon recognition.
“I have to say, it's quite rare to be able to sneak up on you,” she said with a slight smirk on her face. “You’re the one with a reputation of lurking in the shadows, appearing out of nowhere to startle friend and foe alike.”
“Apologies, Lady Edelgard,” he replied, not matching her jovial tone. “It was irresponsible of me to let my guard down. Had you been an intruder, I could have been at your mercy. I’ll take care not to let it happen again.”
Seeing his face now, it was clear he was exhausted. Dark circles encompassed his eyes, and he seemed to have given himself more pronounced scowling lines around his brows.
“Well, if you’re to succeed in that endeavor, it might require some sleep. You look exhausted.”
“With all due respect, Lady Edelgard, you’re also here in the study late at night. If memory serves correctly, I believe you have an important negotiation meeting with a certain Leicester noble tomorrow morning,” he said, speaking with careful reservation. “I happen to be going over Von Riegan’s terms of agreement this very minute.”
“For the millionth time, I hear,” she sighed. “I take it just as seriously as you do. And I will be heading to my quarter to rest soon.”
“Of course— apologies for implying otherwise. Might I ask what brings you here instead?”
“Well,” she started, pulling up a chair to sit next to him. “I heard our Minister of the Imperial Household was seen looking like a corpse in the study. So I thought I should go check on him.”
“Such comments on my appearance are hardly new,” Hubert sighed dismissively as he twiddled with the quill in his hand. “You needn’t trouble yourself with concern.”
“You know I appreciate all you do for the Empire, for me. And I think It’s admirable that you’ve been able to take on extra work lately in spite of recent…personal turbulence… But-”
“You don’t need to say it,” Hubert said, cutting her off as his eyes darted away. He must truly be exhausted not to catch that. “The Quality of my work is slipping,” he continued now looking anywhere but her eyes. “It shames me to admit it, but it’s true. However, this need not worry you for too much longer. I promise you I will eliminate my distractions. I’m more than capable of the tasks ahead of me, I just-”
“Hubert!” Edelgard interrupted, feeling taken aback. “That is…decidedly not what I was about to say.”
He gave her an inquisitive look.
“I was going to say you should take care of yourself,” she tutted. “I know more than anyone that the lives we lead demand sacrifices, but you won’t be useful to anyone if we lost you in an upcoming battle due to sleep deprivation. ”
There was a lingering pause before Hubert broke it.
“Point taken. Very well, I will pay more heed to getting adequate sleep— so I may serve our efforts better.”
He rose from his chair and began to put away the parchment and pens into their respective places. She was grateful for his acquiescence… But as they went back to their respective sleeping quarters and said goodnight. Edelgard realized something bothered her about that last remark, though she couldn’t seem to articulate why exactly. The feeling of missing something important loomed over her mind on her walk back to her quarters, and she eventually fell asleep.
˳·˖✶𓆩𓆪✶˖·˳.
The following night at camp, Edelgard made her way to their usual spot. No one should have any reason to be near the horse stables at this hour. She was quite alone. She looked around, confirming for herself that there was no one in sight, before she shook the bag containing the night's table scraps.
“Are you here, little one?” she called out, giving the bag another quick rattle.
No response.
As shameful as it was to admit-- she longed for the creature’s companionship. The idea of him not showing up and Edelgard to throw away the rest of the day’s fish out with the trash saddened her.
But just then a soft mewing sound came from around the corner.
So he was here after all. The emperor bent down, making herself smaller as a cat with long silky black hair approached her holding his bushy tail high. He sank into her as they met, circling her round and round, pressing his head, back, and tail into her as it crawled.
“I missed you too, kitten.” She laughed as she gently ran her hand against the back of his head.
He purred back at her, meeting her gaze with large green eyes.
“I have something for you,” she said, reaching her hand into the bag to present him with his supper.
He ate from her hand till the contents of the bag were depleted. Then began licking at her palm, as if trying to lap up the remaining scent of fish.
“I’m sorry little one, it’s all gone now,” she said as she moved both of her hands to stroke the cat from his head to his back. He moved forward, sniffing at her face, then stuck out his tongue to lick the edge of her nose.
Maybe he hadn’t been looking for more food after all.
Edelgard felt a smile tug at the edge of her mouth as she scooped him up to bring the cat into her arms. She could hear his pure of satisfaction against her.
She didn’t have much experience in hugging or being hugged for that matter. There weren’t many others at this camp, or anywhere, that she could hug like this without causing confusion at the very least.
She wondered what reactions her companions might have to a sudden embrace from their emperor. Bernadette, while being less formal than others, would assume the act of familiarity was some sort of physical attack and run away screaming, no doubt. Petra, Linhardt, or Caspar would surely just be confused. Dorothea was affectionate with her… but, in a way where Edelgard always got the impression that Dorothea held some form of upper hand when it came to socializing. Hugging Dorothea out of the blue would at the very least result in some form of teasing… She found herself not wanting to let her line of thought reach Ferdinand.
What would Hubert do if she were to hug him?
She scratched behind the cat’s ears thoughtfully as she pondered his possible reactions. They had been a team since they were both children. Affection shouldn’t be such a barrier for them.
But it was— an unspoken line that they didn't cross.
That had suited her well enough until the officer's academy. Being around peers had led her to see that the other students behaved differently with people they called their friends.
They ate together and talked together about things that, at first, she saw as frivolous. She had watched as the other students laughed together…had fun together.
She didn’t know how to do any of those things. As the war had pressed on and the emotional toll had gotten larger, she had begun to feel envious of other people’s ability to create that closeness with others. She had found herself wondering about, and wanting closeness from someone, she could call a friend . Someone to pull her out of the turmoil of everything for even just a moment.
However, this was hardly here nor there. She was their emperor and ruler, after all. There was more at stake here than her own frivolous emotions. And if sneaking out at night to cling to the warmth of a stray cat was what would get her through her responsibilities, then it’s what needed to happen.
But, just then, her thoughts were interrupted. She heard the sound of footsteps that pulled her from her thoughts. She looked in the direction of the noise. Two figures had just emerged from around the stable bin. Even in the dark, that bright orange hair was unmistakable. Ferdinand looked in her direction before she was able to excuse herself from an encounter with the man and whoever was with him.
“Edelgard?” Ferdinand said walking closer. “What has you out here at this hour?”
“You never told me you had a cat,” said the second man, who Edelgard could now make out to be Linhardt.
How could she forget? She asked herself angrily. It was Linhardt and Ferdinand’s turn for the night watch, and the latter of those two would undoubtedly want to have his horse at the ready.
“I don’t!” She said a bit too quickly as the animal continued to rub against her side with her hand resting on top of the animal.
“Is that so? The cat does seem quite fond of you,” Ferdinand commented, now bringing his attention to the cat nestled against her.
“Are you sure you haven't been regularly bringing table scraps?” Linhardt questioned as a small knowing smirk formed on his face.
“Yes, I’m sure- I just-” She let out an exasperated sigh, relenting that she had, in fact, been caught. “Oh, If you’ve got something to say about this, then speak up.”
“Oh no, you misunderstand. I like cats as well. Especially those that live around people. You have to admire how they lure people in with their cuteness only to be waited on hand and foot,” Linhardt replied, still with that dry, tired smile plastered on his face.
“I’m not lured in by anything,” Edelgard countered, bristling a bit at the insinuation. “People don’t take care of cats just because they're cute. Cats rid us of rodents and other vermin. They are fine pets who bring much solace to their owners. As I see it, people and cats have a good relationship because we do things for each other,” She finished assertively.
“And I’m sure ‘he’ will be working up a big appetite for mice after eating all of whatever was in that bag you fed him. Tell me, do you have a name for the little guy?” Linhardt replied smugly as he bent down to extend his hand towards Kitten. The cat leaned his head towards the extended arm curiously as he sniffed Linhardt’s hand with apprehension.
Edelgard felt her cheeks burn a bit at being caught like this. It was… undignified.
“Edelgard,” Began Ferdinand when it became clear she didn’t have an answer prepared for Linhardt. “I agree cats are useful companions, but I see no reason why you should have to feel embarrassed about your affection for this — it was a ‘him’ you said?”
“I call him Kitten,” she admitted in a small voice.
“Surely none among us can match your creativity,” Linhardt added with a sardonic air to his words.
“I think Kitten seems like a fine pet to me. I also enjoy the company of the horses! Feeding them, caring for them. It strengthens our bond deeply, and we in turn work better together on the battlefield,” Ferdinand added enthusiastically.
“Well, yes… However, you actually ride out into battle with your horse. It’s productive to maintain mutual trust with working animals. I’m just indulging myself,” she huffed begrudgingly, feeling defeated. “Just don’t go around camp mentioning you found the emperor alone at night coddling a stray cat.”
Ferdinand looked at her. He looked uncharacteristically caught off guard by this — as though he was actually thinking over what was in his head before it came spilling out from his mouth.
“What is it?” She asked.
“Oh, it-it is nothing,” he stuttered. Strangely enough, it was Ferdinand who now looked embarrassed. “It is simply that... You and Hubert may be more alike than I had realized.”
Linhardt turned back to look at Ferdinand, one eyebrow slightly raised.
“Well! Linhardt! We have a Night watch to get to!” Ferdinand said, clapping his hands together stiffly as he pointed them in Linhardt’s direction. Edelgard thought she caught an awkward and stilted edge to the man’s voice that wasn't present earlier.
“Kitten, Edelgard,” He said, addressing the cat perched in her lap, who was looking up at the tall figure making loud sounds. “We will have to bid you both good evening and be on our way.”
“Goodbye, Kitten,” Linhardt said to the cat as he reached to pet his head one more time before getting up to follow Ferdinand.
Their voices got quieter as they got further away. But Edelgard had stopped listening to their banter.
What did he mean by that exactly?... About her and Hubert being alike? The connection seemed entirely random to her, though Ferdinand did appear to have possibly regretted voicing the sentiment.
Edelgard absent-mindedly scratched the back of Kitten’s head, deciding to set the speculation aside.