Boulevard of Broken Dreams

Edelgard tensed when she felt a gentle shake. "It's time to wake up." Hubert's voice cut through the darkness and calmed and she nodded.   "All right." She suppressed a yawn and rested her head against his chest, her eyes shut. He was normally an early riser, but it was still a lot to ask her to get up even earlier than normal. She would get up to do the sparring but, for a bit, she wanted to lay there with him in the quiet comfort the darkness of the pre-dawn day offered.   She felt him run his hand through her hair and gently massage her scalp. She nuzzled into his chest, arms tucked between them, as she snuggled in as close as possible. She heard him let out an amused noise. "Apparently you're quite affectionate when you're still sleepy."   "Oh shut up..." she muttered but she didn't move. She had asked him for this, but she hadn't expected him to tease her like this. She didn't appreciate the teasing too much, at least on when she was still so tired. He didn't comment further and continued to run his hand through her hair. Still, she could practically sense the amusement rolling off of him. She was used to waking up naturally a little bit before dawn most days, not being woken up. It felt a bit unnatural to her to be woken up. But still, his affection was gentle and she lightly dozed on and off as he petted her head, rubbed her back, or rubbed her arm.   Eventually, though, she felt him shift and she opened her eyes. "We probably ought to head down to the training grounds. The most ardent of our guards will already be down there." She yawned and sat up along with him, nodding. She had asked for this, but it didn't mean it was necessarily easy for her. She was at least an early bird so she would wake up soon enough.   Hubert lit their lantern and Edelgard used the faint light to pick out some training clothes, then stopped to listen for a moment. "I don't hear any rain..." That was promising. Maybe they could actually go out a bit that day unless the ground was still sodden. She wasn't a fan of sitting in  wet grass where dirt could stain their clothes. With the purples she tended to favor, she did not like ruining those clothes. Purple dyes were so incredibly expensive even for the Imperial family. If she ruined a garment, it was expensive to replace it. She did have clothes she could wear other than her purple dresses and leggings, but she would really prefer to stay in them.   "We'll check how the main training grounds are. If they're too muddy, we'll go to the inside ones." She nodded as she changed, using the faint light from the lantern to pick where her clothes were. When they were on the bed, it wasn't too bad, but trying to stretch it out to the majority of this huge room, she could barely see. And with it being so late, the moon had probably already sunk beneath the horizon. This would be a serious test of her skills.   After they were both changed, Hubert offered his arm to her and she wrapped both of hers around it, her eyes having a little bit of trouble adjusting to the much brighter light in the proximity to the lantern. But once she was more steady, Hubert started leading them off. She yawned again. "Is it too early for you to be awake? If it is, we don't have to do it--"   "It's just a shift is all. I'll get used to it soon enough. It's only the first morning, Hubert. You can't expect somebody to have fully adapted to a new change in schedule the first day, can you?" She saw him shake his head. "There you go." If it's still bad after a week, we can call it off, but give me at least a couple of days to try to adapt." Plus...training while tired was a legitimate thing too. She wouldn't always be well rested if attacked by bandits or something of the like. If they attacked in the middle of the night, she'd have to be ready to go. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Training under less than optimal conditions was a very important part of realism. She had to be prepared for anything.   They arrived at the outside training grounds and stepped onto the ground which their boots sunk into. "...I suppose we'll be inside then." She could hear the grating of steel on steel. The guards would be training in mud regardless of  their own preferences. They had to be prepared for anything just as she was trying to make apparent. She was used to combat lessons being later in the day, at least later morning or afternoon. So to have such early sparring matches was hard on her, but she was willing to go for it.   Hubert led them to the inside training grounds where some guards were training. Torches did line the walls to cast a bit of light into the large room, but it was definitely hard to make out what was going on. Hubert blew out the lantern and sat it on the ground, then led them over to the practice weapons. "Good luck, my-- Edelgard. You're going to need it." He handed her a practice axe and she took it. She really was going to need it with how out of practice she was. She hadn't trained in darkness like this since Garreg Mach.   The next hour or so proved to be a complete bloodbath, metaphorically speaking. Hubert was still very well in practice and had grown accustomed to fighting in the dark. He practically lived in the shadows, so they were definitely his friends. While for Edelgard...it did bring up memories of being trapped beneath the palace. She really only had faint memories of that time, but when they were recounted, she really remembered. Hubert battered and bruised her pretty badly. And she could tell he was going easy on her. He got more than one pretty hit in on her that almost broke skin.   At the end of the hour, she slid down against the wall while breathing heavily and nursing her wounds. "You...really did a number on me." Her senses were so dull. They had once been incredibly heightened due to her extensive combat training, but they were so dull now. In the light of the torches, she pulled her sleeve up and revealed an ugly blow that was already bruising from the sheer amount of force he'd put into his practice sword. "That's gonna be ugly if we don't have a healer take care of it."   He let out an amused snort. "The healers aren't going to be too fond of me here for how much I'm going to batter you. But they're just going to have to deal with it because I'm following your orders. And to think this was going easy on you..."   She nodded. "I could tell you were. Doesn't seem like it though." She could feel another pretty nasty hit on the top of her right thigh and her left shin near her ankle. He had not played nice with her at all. She couldn't keep an eye on her opponents in the dark and her senses had dulled so she couldn't rely on hearing or just general awareness to try to figure out where he'd be. When he wanted to be, he could be incredibly nimble on his feet. The sword wasn't his primary means of attack, but he was still more than skilled enough with it if he couldn't use magic for some reason.   "Would you like me to go easier on you during these sparring sessions then?"   She shook her head. "Hell no. Treat me like you would any other sparring session. Well. Maybe a little easier like today but I don't want you to let up." She was learning a lot from these relatively rough training sessions. These much darker sessions would take longer for her to adapt to, but she was not going to give up to being babied. She absolutely would not stand for him babying her. It was one thing when she was dealing with the anxiety around the sex issues, but it was another one entirely when she was capable of learning combat under conditions she'd already learned to train under. She wasn't going to let him treat her like she was incapable of learning to fight under less than ideal conditions again.  Hubert let out an amused sound then nodded. "Very well, my-- Edelgard. Whatever you want. Is this level good though?" She nodded. "Yeah. I don't want to be babied." It was another thing with the entire chess thing. She had no idea what she was doing and the strategies were incredibly complex. She was starting to understand it, but she was still a complete greenhorn compared to him. She could only imagine how much experience he had with the game. He said he was playing at the lowest level possible but he was still completely wiping the floor with her. This was combat. She couldn't afford to be babied in combat situations. She needed to have her weaknesses punished so she could focus on getting better. "Very well. Would you like me to go get the healer, though? You're probably going to have a hard time walking with some of those abrasions." "I'll walk. It'll be quicker than going all the way up to the healer then back." She stood up but was immediately proven wrong when she collapsed against the wall. The hit she'd taken near her ankle hurt like hell and she couldn't support her weight now. She wanted to walk due to how bullheaded she was, but she couldn't even support her own weight. "Perhaps I should carry you?" She felt her cheeks flush and she sighed. He got down low and she climbed on his back. It wasn't the most comfortable thing, but it would still be quicker than him making a full round trip. This was mortifying though. She could see the guards giving them looks and she was pretty sure she heard one of them snicker. What a mess. Hubert might not be the strongest, but he was still physically fit enough for a lot of tasks. "Maybe we should just bring the healer down with us from now on..." she muttered, burying her face in his back. Though she did stop to think. "Do you know the way there...? We haven't been here that long. And we won't have a light." "I've memorised the plans for all of the Imperial family's vacation homes. I can get us there without any problem." She nodded a bit and settled against him. At least she was pretty light, all things considered. She wished she still had her massive strength but the removal of the Crest of Flames had robbed her of that. It was the one positive that came from having the dual Crests. But she wouldn't complain about having a longer life and Dimitri not having to watch her die decades before she should. He'd definitely be invited to all of the major events in her life as long as she could swing it. Hubert started walking and Edelgard felt herself a bit unsteady since she wasn't used to being carried like this. She wrapped her arms around his neck gently and settled in, feeling more comfortable with the positioning. She was careful not to choke him, though, and he didn't say anything against what she was doing. "Just relax; I'll get us there in no time," he reassured and she sighed. "Though, I suppose I have gone against my word... I said I'd never hurt you as long as I draw breath and yet, here I am, carrying you to the healer... This is your third trip there since we arrived here..." She snorted. "Hubert, there's a difference between hurting me and a sparring match. Plus, I told you not to go easy on me in sparring matches. Talk is good, but I feel like it can only go so far in sparring. Understanding where my weaknesses are through hits is a good learning experience." She wasn't upset at him in the slightest for any of this. He was following the orders she'd given him years ago. Yes, she was hurt, but she had told him to do this. How could she be upset at him for doing something she'd told him to do? She was learning a lot through taking his repeated hits even if the hits themselves could be fairly brutal. He held no punches when punishing her weaknesses. "Plus, it's sparring; getting hurt comes with the territory. I can't tell you how many times I got knocks at Garreg Mach when sparring with Caspar, Dimitri, Claude, and the rest." She was sure they were innumerable, given how intense sparring bouts could be at the monastery. Plus, the students hadn't held any punches either. They were training to go into actual combat. They couldn't afford to be nice with each other. "I suppose that is true... Still... I feel bad I made you not even able to walk today." "It's fine. I'm not mad at you; I promise." She lightly patted his shoulder from behind then returned her grip to where it'd been. "Again, I told you not to pull your punches and you didn't. You're following my orders to an absolute T. I definitely learned a lot from that match and I'll continue to do so." She should probably train with the guards too, but she wasn't sure how many of them would actually use their full strength against her. She was their Empress. one wrong slip and she could have them beheaded. They'd probably think that defeating her in a sparring match would be a slight against her. And it wasn't like she had the castle arms master with her or anything of the like... All she had was Hubert which had to be good enough for her. It was frustrating but he was still a good sparring partner. She would go pretty far with him as her main partner, but it was always good to train against other people too... Maybe she should have brought Katinka with them too. "Very well. I'll continue to follow what you've told me to do." She sensed a little bit of tension in his voice which betrayed this was kind of hard on him. He had banged her up pretty good but she wasn't upset about it. She hoped he would respect her orders. Then again, he had never backed down from them as far as she could remember. He was following them incredibly well at the moment and she didn't want to be babied. She wanted him to treat her like anybody else he was sparring with. He wouldn't have been easy on anybody else. She could remember him sparring at Garreg Mach and punishing other people just as strictly as he was punishing her. That was all she wanted so she could improve. "I really do appreciate it, Hubert... I don't want to be babied. At all. Learning where I'd get hit in a real-life combat situation is far more beneficial than just running drills all day. Though, honestly, I probably should start to do some of those too..." Relearning basic movements through drills would probably also be beneficial to her. "Maybe we could come down here later and let me do that." They were definitely finding ways to fill their time while they were here. They hadn't really figured out a schedule yet either... Then again, it was their time to do with as they pleased. There didn't have to be any sort of set timing where they did anything aside from maybe the morning sparring sessions. "Drills probably would be good for you, yes. Especially since you're so keen to be physically active and I'm...not at the moment." Being outside like that had energised her so much. She hadn't felt this alive and eager to do anything in a very long time. Her life had become monotonous and droll ever since she'd returned to Adresetia and been crowned Empress. This was so exciting and invigorating for her. She wanted to be up and doing and exploring the massive property they had. "Maybe we could come back down to the training grounds after breakfast and do that?" She wasn't saying he had to do the drills, but considering everything, he wasn't going to leave her side. He so rarely did. She knew they needed to do the chess match too, but even just half an hour of drills would hopefully help her burn off a bit of energy. Granted, she hadn't even burned off any during the sparring match... She was still raring to go despite the injuries she'd sustained. "If that's what you want to do, then we can. I'm open to whatever you want to do. Though...there is something I'd like to talk about when we get back to our room." She blinked, a little surprised by that. He wasn't usually one to tell her they needed to talk about anything. So this definitely caught her attention. Yes, he offered her counsel at times, but this didn't sound like that. "Of course. We can head back after we see the healer." She was curious what it was but considering he wanted to have it in their room, it was probably best to wait. It was probably private and he wanted to keep it between them. She would respect that even if her curiosity was piqued. Once they arrived at the infirmary, the healer was none too pleased to see her so banged up again. He chided them for being reckless in their sparring sessions but she told him what her agreement with Hubert was. He just sighed and told them he'd have someone down there early in the morning and to come get someone if they sparred later in the day instead of having this happen again. Not even the guards banged themselves up this much. She wasn't ashamed. She was learning and improving. Still, he did have some balls to chide the Empress over how she handled herself. But after that, they headed back to their room and Edelgard flopped back on the bed. Hubert sat down and she looked up at him. "So what do you want to talk about?" She was dying to know what all he had to say. "Would you mind sitting up?" She nodded and rested against him while he wrapped an arm around her. She could practically see him sweating. Her eyebrows drew together and she rested a hand on his chest. "Hubert, what's wrong?" She had never seen him look this unnerved and anxious before. She could only imagine how he'd felt when she'd been taken to the Kingdom, then kidnapped by his own father, but this was her first time seeing him so visibly shaken. She could only imagine what was going through his head right now. She hoped she hadn't done something to displease him. He wasn't leaving her, was he...? He had said he'd be with her until his last breath butt...had he reconsidered? His free hand brushed over her forehead, then his lips followed. "I can see you're going to a worst-case scenario. No, it's nothing like that. I promise. If anything...it's nothing bad. It's just...taking a lot for me to say this but...I figure you deserve to know." He put his hand under her chin and kept her head tilted back softly, then placed a warm, gentle kiss on her lips again. It lasted longer than any of the others and there was definitely something more lurking beneath the surface. She wasn't sure what it was but...there was definitely something. "I...never wanted you to know, but I...do love you. I have for many years. I think I first realised it when you were taken to the Kingdom and I was so distraught. I thought it would be wholly inappropriate for House Vestra to mix with House Hresvelg but...with the circumstances, there's no need to keep it secret anymore." The revelation definitely did shock her into stunned silence for several moments, but she nodded slowly. "I thought I was sensing something more than just your sworn vows..." He had always been gentle with her and she knew his loyalty was more than just obligation. There had always been a warmth and tenderness there that she couldn't quite place. So, in some regards, she wasn't too surprised, but she still was somehow. She did look down, resting her right hand on her left arm. "I'm...not entirely sure if I'll reciprocate at any point but...it might be a possibility. I'm not sure. I just need time." She hoped that he wouldn't think she'd be incapable of returning his feelings or anything. She wasn't trying to crush his heart or reject him. She did think it was possible but she couldn't be sure. Hubert nodded and he rubbed her left arm. "That's perfectly okay. I...just felt like I should let you know. If anything, I didn't want to sway you one way or the other but...you're intelligent; you probably would've figured it out on your own at some point. I figured it was best to let me do it on my own terms instead of being forced into a corner." She nodded and looked up at him, then took one of his hands. "Yeah... I was already detecting more than just your loyalty... It probably was only a matter of time." She wasn't super great with people, but she knew Hubet...half decently. She knew he hid a lot behind his mask in order to keep her safe and give her plausible deniability. She would probably never know of even a sixteenth of the things he'd done in order to protect and support her. She had a feeling that, outside of what she'd ordered him to do, she'd never really know of the heinous deeds he'd committed. Part of her still wished she could've gotten rid of Felix, but she hadn't want to hurt Dimitri… She frowned as she considered things though. "I know you were already planning for the possibility, but...what are your feelings on me taking consorts? I don't want it to seem like I'm trampling all over your feelings..." Yeah, he had sent the letter to his mother, but that had been before this conversation. She didn't want to seem disloyal. She was not the type of person to cheat on a partner. As long as they were open and honest about it, she saw no issues with having consorts especially to keep the family line going... She didn't want to have eight or ten children by herself… "On a personal level, I'd rather not have it happen, but on my other levels... I see the need for it. It's simply part of how the Imperial family operates. It's incredibly rare for an Emperor or Empress to not have consorts and if you do want a large family...it's the best way to make it happen. I won't stop you and I'll help facilitate it. Plus, if you never do reciprocate my feelings...it isn't fair to you for me to constrain you if you could find love elsewhere. This arrangement is purely political to shut the advisers up; I can recognise how things may not turn out what I would think would be best." He bowed his head and she frowned a bit. That was a bit of a dilemma for her... All of his points were correct. She could possibly see things turning to be romantic between them, but she couldn't guarantee it. She didn't exactly control her emotions, so she couldn't say if she would ever reciprocate his feelings or not. And she really didn't want to keep having children on her own. It honestly wasn't too uncommon for there to be one or two consorts without any romantic connection to the Emperor or Empress and for them to just be there for the sole reason of having children. Going from being a baron or viscount to being more or less royal was very tempting for some women. "It won't make you think I'm disloyal to you?" Her voice was quiet and she interlaced their fingers. She did care what he thought about this. On a logical level, everything he said was entirely true. If she could avoid needing to carry a bunch of children herself, she wanted to take the opportunity... She would much, much rather have somebody else do it. But she didn't want to completely ignore Hubert's feelings either. He shook his head. "Would you call your father disloyal to Her Eminence for taking consorts?" Edelgard shook her head. He had had Juliane's blessings to her knowledge. Juliane had been incredibly involved in the process of having consorts and had gotten along with most of the women. As far as she could tell, Helga and Anselma were two she hadn't gotten along with well. Granted, nobody had really gotten along with Helga aside from her father... She was the one woman Edelgard had left when she'd taken the throne. She didn't want that two-faced bitch anywhere near the court. "No, I wouldn't. I just don't want to discount your feelings either." She placed both of her hands on his cheeks and kissed him softly. This really was hard. This was a purely political marriage that might turn romantic but it might not. She had the possibility to find love elsewhere. But he loved her and... This was such a mess. She'd never expected this to crop up. She had honestly thought she'd never take advantage of the consort system, but here they were, talking about it. She saw it as an advantage so she wouldn't have to bear a bunch of children on her own. She would never use it to 'collect' people and build a harem like some Emperors and Empresses had done in eras past. She wanted to use it like her father had: to build a community and family that would mostly get along and bring happiness to the children that were born into it. "It is hard but I would much rather see you have the potential to be happy than possibly be constrained and miserable should you never reciprocate my feelings. You have a big heart; I don't want to stand in its way to reach its full potential." He rested a hand over hers and nuzzled into it. She could tell he really didn't want this but he was giving his blessing anyway. It was hard to see him betray his own feelings, but logic always won out with him. The legacy of House Hresvelg meant more to him than his own heart. She felt terrible but...she really didn't relish the idea of having to bear four children and spend so much of her life pregnant. She pressed another kiss into his lips. "Thank you... I promise I won't betray you, Hubert... I'll be as open and honest with you on this front as you want me to." He nodded, though she could still see the resignation and acceptance in his expression. It really did feel hard to do this to him, but...she did need to use the consort system. She would need to get the Imperial women's thoughts on it later on... She could ask Augusta about it later then ask Juliane once she and Hubert returned to Enbarr. She really hoped to use the system in a positive way like her father had, not in an exploitative manner like others had in times past. By this time, the sun was starting to peek over the horizon and she looked around. "Would you like to play something until breakfast?" She really hoped she wasn't damaging her relationship with him by this conversation. She really did appreciate everything he did for her. Though it clearly came at his own detriment. "Yes, I suppose." He put her off to the side and dug through the boards, picking out one they hadn't played before. She settled on the other side from him and he started teaching her. It was called the fox and the geese. It was an interesting game of uneven numbers with only one fox and many numerous geese pieces. Still, she could tell from how he was playing his heart wasn't entirely in it. She knew he was going easy on her, but she didn't sense the same level of enthusiasm in him as when they'd be playing previously. She wished she could do something to help him, but...she really couldn't. It felt awful... Was this how he felt when he couldn't do anything to make her feel better? After a few rounds of the game, Edelgard opted to be the one to order breakfast from a servant. After she did, she climbed in his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, forehead together. "I really wish I could help you..." She had no idea what to do. She wasn't good with people in general, let alone when somebody was hurting. And with how closed off Hubert tended to be, she doubly had no idea what to do for him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and touched their noses together, his expression still a bit crestfallen. "There's not much anybody can do at this point... It's something only time can help with." That was what she was afraid of and she wished she could do it more. She at least hadn't thrown his feelings back in his face. She could potentially see more, but she couldn't guarantee it. It wasn't like she could force herself to fall in love with him. But there was genuine care and warmth she felt toward him, so she hoped that it would indeed one day turn to love. "I know, but it's still sad... You've done so much to help me and, the one time you need me most, there's nothing I can do to return the kindness you've shown to me." It felt so terrible to not be able to do anything for him. Maybe Juliane would know what to do if she were here. She almost always seemed to have the answers. She was so good with people. Edelgard wished she could be as good with others as the former Empress was. But she was still the awkward, shy girl she'd been even at Garreg Mach. She hadn't really grown at all in that regard while at the monastery… He tucked some hair behind her ear and lightly kissed her. "And this is one reason I kept my emotions from you so often... You're almost too kind. You're going to worry yourself into oblivion over this; I know you well enough to understand that." She wished she could refute, but she knew he was spot on. She was going to worry about this until he felt better. "It's not my lady's place to worry about her vassal." "Maybe, maybe not, but it is a wife's place to worry about her husband," she murmured, keeping their foreheads together. She really did wish she could do more for him. She really did. But he was right... She was limited in what she could do. Time was the only thing that could really heal this particular wound...if it ever did. She had no idea what to do. She would be here for him as much as he'd let her be. "That is true I suppose." Despite everything, he let out an amused noise and smiled slightly. "So what all do you want to do today?" "Well, it's not raining, so maybe we could go on another walk at some point... Though we already agreed to let me run some drills after we eat. Maybe we can play some more chess, do some more magic lessons... Just kinda keep up with what we've been doing until now." She didn't see any reason to change things drastically. They were managing to fill their days pretty well. She hoped that the distraction would help him not think about it so much. She would be here for him if he wanted to talk about it in any greater depth. All she could do was be open and allow him to approach things on his own terms. She just felt so bad that he had to deal with this… "That sounds fine to me. And perhaps we could do some sparring before dinner too if you're so inclined." She definitely wouldn't argue with that. Though the healer wouldn't be too happy again. She knew she'd get beat up for the second time that day and possibly be unable to walk again depending on how badly she messed up with Hubert. Plus, another thing not helping was she weas used to her old spacing and distancing with her past height. She'd been 4'11" flat footed at Garreg Machh; she was 5'5" now. She had a slightly longer reach and slightly more weight behind all of her strikes, though she didn't have her same magical strength. There were a lot more things to adapt to in the years since she'd had the Crest of Flames removed. "I wouldn't argue with that. Though we might wanna stay inside just in case it's still muddy out." She shifted to sit down in his lap, then glanced out the window. "Would you mind if I checked the skies?" He shook his head and she went over to the window, opening the curtains. She could see, at least on this side, that the sky looked pretty clear. She would have to check the skies elsewhere to see if they were in the clear for a walk later that day. She came back to Hubert and sat in his lap. "Maybe you could check the skies while I do my drills." "I can do that. Though the healers won't be  too pleased when I come get them for a later sparring match," he mused. She could hear the smile in his voice despite the heaviness still apparent in his body. Well, it seemed like he was rebounding a little bit...or perhaps he was burying his emotions which was how he seemed to deal with things. She really did feel bad for putting him through this. But she did need consorts if she wanted to continue House Hresvelg in the expected way… "No, they won't be." She smiled and snuggled against him while he wrapped his arms around her waist. She was definitely getting into trouble with the healers, but she didn't care. She really just wanted to get her sparring skills back up to par. Thankfully, they did have potentially months for that before they had to go back to court. She would be under Katinka's tutelage again once she returned though. The arms master really had nothing on Katinka in a lot of ways. And since Annika wasn't training with her anymore, she could have teachers that were as harsh as she wanted. She thrived on strict training at least when it came to combat. She didn't want constant praise; she wanted things as they were. "Well, until breakfast comes, would you like to continue the chess match?" She nodded and got off his lap. For a little while, they made their moves and Hubert walked her through each and everyone. He was a little surprised when he saw her initial one, though, as he'd not given her any sort of direction for it. It seemed to be a pretty good move so he wasn't disappointed. When breakfast arrived, they settled on the bed and ate quietly. Afterward, Hubert took the tray and handed it off to a servant. "I think you can find your way to the training grounds on your own. I'm going to go check the skies, so I'll be back a bit later. Okay?" She nodded and squeezed his hand. "See you later." With that, she left the room and headed to the indoor training grounds. It had been far, far too long since she'd had any sort of drills... She was looking forward to running them again. ☽ Hubert watched as Edelgard left the room and he let out a sigh, running his hand through his bangs. What a mess. He had prepared for if she wanted consorts, but she hadn't expected her to do it if she ended up with him. Honestly, he had never even imagined she'd end up married to him. He hadn't even let the thought cross his mind aside from dreams that he couldn't control. It shouldn't have been like this. She should've married somebody she legitimately loved and cared about, not been forced into a political marriage. But with things ending up how they had...it was the only natural choice for her. He would check the skies later. He...really needed to go talk to Augusta first. The woman would have the sort of insight he needed...or so he hoped.