Boulevard of Broken Dreams

It was dark when Edelgard woke, but not of her own accord. She felt thrashing next to her and rubbed her eyes. A small flame lighted nearby, dully illuminating the bed. She could see Bettina thrashing in her sleep and saw the look of worry on Hubert's face as well. "I know that all too well..." she muttered. Her voice carried due to how quiet it was. She really didn't need to speak too loudly, especially since they were in a bed and not really that far apart. "It would appear as if she suffers from something similar to you if you're not staying with someone," Hubert whispered. Edelgard nodded and sighed, then gently shook Bettina. "Bettina... Honey." She narrowly dodged a hand flying into her face as the girl writhed then stilled. Her eyes opened and she looked around. "Huh? What's going...? Where am I...?" The little girl blinked drowsily. "Do you remember yesterday evening?" Bettina started at Edelgard, then recognition sparked in her eyes a few moments later. "Oh, right... You took me in off the street." She frowned and looked at herself. "I'm so filthy." "It's all right. We'll get you a bath when we get back to the vacation home. Though...with as late as it is... I wonder if we could head back now and be there a bit before noon." She normally hated to wake her staff, but in this case, it felt like there was no real other recourse. Bettina was thrashing about and keeping her awake. She wasn't this bad when she slept on her own, or at least she hoped she wasn't... She wouldn't know. She just...couldn't sleep with Bettina. The girl had narrowly socked her and possibly caused her a broken nose or something similar. That wouldn't be safe for the children inside of her. She didn't think Bettina was violent normally. It just seemed like dreams might bring out memories of her previous life... Poor scrap. "I'll go wake them then." Hubert put out the small flame and got out of bed, heading out of the room. That left Edelgard alone with Bettina who looked down. She could see it in the scant moonlight that came through the windows. Just enough to illuminate the room dully. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty... I woke you two up, didn't I?" Bettina sniffled a bit. Edelgard wrapped her arms around her new daughter and pulled her into her lap. "It's fine, Bettina, sweetie. I just wasn't expecting a fist to the face... Did something bad happen to you before you were on the streets?" That was met with resounding silence. Well. It wasn't like she could blame her. They were strangers, after all. Just because they'd taken her off the streets didn't necessarily mean Bettina would trust her immediately. So all she did was rub the girl's back and arm. Poor thing really deserved better... She wished she could eradicate homelessness, but getting schools built and books printed on a mass scale was proving enough of a drain on the Empire's coffers even with the Church's help. She was doing everything she could but once the planning had gotten out of her hands, all she could do was wait and hope that the plan would pay dividends especially in the future… Eventually, Hubert returned and motioned for them to follow. He actually picked Bettina up and she started but didn't move. Probably out of terror. Hubert would've had her head earlier for attempting to steal from her. It would take time for that relationship to build up... Hubert was pretty terrifying, but he was a big softie underneath everything. He could be soft, gentle, and oh so very sweet around the right people... He would have to show Bettina that side of him before she would feel comfortable around him. She hoped that just him being kind and soft with herself would be enough… She followed Hubert out of the room and left the key on the front desk for the innkeeper along with payment. They got into the carriage and Hubert sat Bettina across from them. He wrapped an arm around Edelgard and she rested against his side, closing her eyes. Yes, this was comfortable. They were still in their pajamas, but that was fine by her. She really wished to be in bed, curled up next to him, but they did need to take care of the little girl… Eventually, the sun rose and Edelgard drifted off in Hubert's arms, occasionally jostled by the carriage but not enough to keep her awake for too long. Though he shook her gently. "Come on, my-- Edelgard. The house awaits." She yawned and nodded, then looked over and saw Bettina. The little girl continued to thrash and twist in her sleep, mumbled words coming across her lips. Edelgard wondered what it was about, but she felt a little wary of approaching after nearly getting nailed in the face earlier. "Bettina honey." She raised her voice just enough that she hoped it would wake her. The little girl snapped awake and looked around wildly, taking a few moments to register what had happened. She nodded and stretched a bit. Hubert got out first, helping both Edelgard and their new daughter out of the carriage. Bettina's eyes widened when she saw the manor house. "Woah... Are you sure that's not a castle..." Edelgard chuckled. "No, honey, it's just a manor home. The actual castle in Enbarr is much, much larger. We'll head there in a couple of months." She could practically see the gears in Bettina's head turning as she registered and processed the statement. "I really am a princess...?" Edelgard nodded and smiled. "Yes, you are. You can't inherit the throne, but you are a princess." Unfortunately that would have to go to her own children, whichever one was born first. She just hoped and prayed something like her own tragedy would never befall her children... She would be absolutely destroyed if she lost a child, let alone ten. She really didn't understand how Mother Juliane could remain strong through losing ten children. Edelgard offered Bettina her hand and the little girl hesitantly took it. Edelgard smiled and led her to the master bedroom. "How about that bath, then a good meal?" Bettina was pretty much skin and bones from how little she'd eaten over the past...however long she'd been on the streets. She really needed some hearty meals to get on her feet again. Bettina nodded and Edelgard started the tub, frowning a bit. "What temperature do you want the water?" "Warm if it's not too much to ask..." "How about you feel the temperature then tell me if it's good for you or not." She was still beyond incredibly sensitive to heat which made it hard to take baths. She needed lukewarm water at absolute hottest. She let Bettina feel the water and adjust the temperature until she was happy with it. Then again, Bettina was probably old enough to handle the bath herself. "I'll help you with your hair if we can detangle it, but if not, we'll cut it off when we get out of here." Bettina frowned, obviously not wanting to cut her hair. Edelgard could vaguely remember a similar conversation at one time, but she couldn't remember any specifics... It was so hard for her to recall anything. "Okay, Your Majesty." "Nuh-uh, none of that. I'm your mother now. If you want to call me by my name, you can. I won't force you to call me 'Mother' or something like that, though." That was a bridge to be crossed if and only if Bettina wanted to. But she was her guardian now, so Bettina could at least call her by name. Bettina frowned further but nodded. "Okay. Um. Edelgard." The girl dispensed with her clothes and climbed into the tub. It didn't take long for the water to become absolutely filthy from how long the girl had gone without a bath, but Edelgard simply waited. She knew how to wash herself at least, but she started tugging at her hair, Edelgard stepped in to help. She wetted Bettina's hair and started trying to use the comb to detangle her shoulder-length hair, but that was an exercise in futility. "We're gonna have to cut it, won't we...?" "Unfortunately yes, but Hubert can help you regrow it faster." A soft whine came from Bettina and Edelgard patted her head. "I know he seems scary and, well, he is. He does a lot of nasty stuff but it's all for my sake. He's not as bad as he seems. I promise you can be soft, sweet, gentle, and one of the kindest, most loyal people you'll ever meet. I promise he isn't as bad as he seemed when he caught your wrist." She patted the little girl's wet head again. "It seems hard to believe you..." Bettina got out and Edelga had her a towel, letting the bath drain. Yeah. She understood that. She couldn't really remember their first meeting since she'd been so young. But he was good, kind, and warm with her. She hoped he would transfer over that into their children. He would probably be the one to discipline them when that was necessary since she really didn't have it in her to be able to say no to a child. She would probably spoil Bettina and he would be the one enforcing boundaries... She knew all too well what it felt like to lose damn near everything. Of course, Bettina had lost literally everything while she herself had only lost her family... She still had status, comfort, food, shelter, and everything else. But she'd lost the only friends she'd had in the world at that point in her life aside from Hubert. "You'll see in time." She offered Bettina her hand after the little girl got dressed again and headed back into the bedroom. Hubert had arrived and gotten dressed which...reminded her she needed to as well. She went over to the closet and got a free-flowing dress out and put it on. Light and airy, but fine enough for today. They would probably just be spending the day with Bettina and not much else. "Ah, I see you couldn't get her hair detangled, my-- Edelgard." She shook her head. "I tried. It's basically one giant mat." Hubert looked at Bettina which made the little girl tuck against Edelgard. "Well, we'll have to cut her hair, but I can help it grow out faster. What length do you want it, missy?" He smiled at her, hsi tone warm and gentle. It was still a little strange to see Hubert being this gentle but she wouldn't complain. He was well capable of being a big softie when he wanted to be. "Um... A bit longer than shoulder length..." It was much shorter than that right now due to being so matted. "Well, I can apply a hair-growth spell after you bathe while it's still wet. It'll only take about two, two and a half months. Unfortunately, it can't go much faster than that. I helped L-- Edelgard regrow her hair when she was about thirteen. Sound good?" He smiled at Bettina who nodded a little. "Unfortunately, it'll be cropped close to your head for a bit, but I promise it'll be grown before you know." "Would you rather me cut your hair?" Edelgard asked. The little girl nodded, and she felt her shaking slightly. Not that she could blame her. Hubert hadn't made a good first impression, but she understood why... Bettina had been attempting to steal from her. Hubert was loyal and would do whatever it took to keep her safe. And, well, someone attempting to steal from her was not welcome... But she was a child. He'd definitely gone a bit overboard… Edelgard sat Bettina down on a chair and worked her fingers through her hair, slowly cutting her long hair off. Eventually, it all drifted down to the ground and Bettina looked in the mirror. Tears leaked down her face and Edelgard wrapped her arms around her from behind, rubbing her shoulder. "Bettina, it's okay. It'll grow back. I really do understand liking long hair, but it'll be back in a month or two. I promise. It'll be back before you know." "I can apply the spell now," Hubert pointed out. "It's best done when the hair's wet." Bettina looked at Edelgard with wide eyes. Edelgard smiled reassuringly then moved away from Bettina. Hubert gently rested his hs on Bettina's head and applied the spell. "It feels...warm," she muttered. "A lot of spells do. As long as they aren't being used in an ill way." He kept his tone neutral, though Edelgard knew all too well what was going through his head. She could only imagine what a spell felt like when it was being used for torture. She really did not want to think about it too much, though. It was unpleasant. She would let him have his torture and dark deeds that he kept out of her eye. Part of her would really rather not know what all he was capable of when he was being truly sadistic. Thankfully, the implication seemed to go over Bettina's head. "So what do you want to do today, honey?" Edelgard asked as she offered the little girl her hand. "Um. Unno. Not used to having much to do that isn't gatherin food..." She frowned. "How about we start teaching you to read and write along with some manners?" Bettina was a princess now. She would be expected to maintain a certain level of decorum in court. Even adopted children would have roles, even if she couldn't take over the throne. Her own children likely wouldn't inherit the Crest of Seiros, simply due to the odds. Out of eleven children, she was the only one that had had the Crest. Even if she had the same amount, there was no guarantee that any of hers would have it. "Um, okay. I guess." "I'm sorry honey... We don't really have anybody for you to play with." Maybe she could see about adopting a child from an orphanage when they got back to Enbarr. She really hated the idea of Bettina being alone. By time her own children were born and old enough to play, Bettina would likely be too old to play with them... Granted, Tobias was more than willing to play with her despite being fifteen years older. She glanced at Hubert who offered her a signed message in his intel language. I'll see about another child from the village. I'll send a messenger to investigate. She nodded. She hated the idea of Bettina being alone in a world of adults... She'd been there as a teenager. It was miserable. She couldn't imagine how much worse it had to be for a literal child who would just want to play and run around. Maybe she had a playmate or two from the streets that would be good to bring with them… "Did you have any friends before this?" "Um, there was Jusef. That's about it... Nobody much liked me." Edelgard glanced at Hubert who gave a small nod. Then they would find this Juseph kid and bring him to be Bettina's mate... And also their son. She came into this expecting to be a mother, but not like this. Oh well. Life had a funny way of changing things around... "But I guess I should learn to read, huh?" Edelgard nodded and petted Bettina's now-short hair. "Yes. You'll need to be able to read if you want to do anything in court. Even if you can't inherit the throne, you'll still have a place in it." She hoped the rift of not being actually related to her wouldn't cause a rift between Bettina, eventually Jusef, and her biological children. She really wanted them to all get along… "I guess we should get started then." The little girl seemed absolutely resigned. It was important for her to learn to read, yes, but it wasn't like they had any toys or anything to her knowledge... There were the board games, of course, but she wasn't sure if the strategy games especially for something like chess would interest such a young child. "Can you step out for just a minute, honey? I need to ask Hubert something." Bettina nodded and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her. Edelgard looked at him. "Can you see if there are any toys around here? I remember being able to play as much as I wanted to as a kid. Expecting her to spend four months doing nothing but learning is cruel. And of course, find that boy she mentioned if possible." She was in way over her head here. She had no idea how to deal with kids. She'd thought she'd have time before actually becoming a mother and get used to her kids as they grew up, not suddenly having to parent a traumatised seven-year-old. Then there'd be Jusef who would likely be similarly traumatised... Divine, this was such a mess. She was doing her best but she already felt like she was messing up terribly. "Of course, my-- Edelgard. I'll send someone to the village to investigate immediately, and I'll have someone look around to see if there are any toys here. Most royal vacation homes do have several playrooms for the younger children, so there ought to be plenty of toys around... It's just a matter of finding them is all." "Okay. Thank you." She took Hubert's hand and pulled him down to her level, giving him a kiss. He offered a sheepish smile in return, then headed out of the room. Hopefully he'd find those playrooms. She didn't want Bettina to feel like she'd traded one bad situation for another. It would be so unfair to not allow her to just be a child for four months. With that done, she stepped outside of the room and offered her hadn to Bettina with a smile. "C'mon, let's head to the library." Bettina nodded a bit and started to follow Edelgard. Though something occurred to her as they walked. "I hate to restrict you, but, until you get a feel for this place, can I ask you not to wander off by yourself? Hubert's off finding some playrooms that will hopefully have some toys for you. We'll get you set up in a bedroom near ours and hopefully bring some of those toys to you. You can come to our room, but it'd be too easy for you to get lost. And you probably won't feel like asking the servants for help, will you?" Bettina shook her head. "Prolly not... They're commoners like me, aren't they?" She nodded. "Yes, they're commoners. But you're not one anymore. You're royalty." Of course, she couldn't expect that shift to happen in Bettina's thinking immediately. The little girl would probably continue to think of herself as lower for quite some time... It probably wouldn't be until they got back to Enbarr that it'd fully settle in that she was, indeed, now royalty. Bettina made a face which Edelgardgard couldn't blame her for. Yeah... It would take time for her to fully accept the change. It wasn't everyday one went from street urchin to princess. "But 'kay... I won't wander off." "Thank you. I'd rather not potentially lose you." The manor houses were large enough. The castle in Enbarr was even larger. She hadn't been allowed to wander too much as a child for the same reasons. She usually had a nanny or other caretaker with her. Or Hubert. Hubert had learned the castle before he'd even met her. She could only imagine it was because his father was so strict about him learning information. He never complained about it to her, but she knew that Viscount Vestra was a strict man that had no room for failure. They arrived at the library and Edelgard took Bettina over to the children's section. She managed to find a couple books for teaching kids to read and picked them up along with a couple of children's books. They settled into a rhythm over the next few hours of Edelgard starting to teach Bettina, then offering her a couple words to try to pronounce. They practiced writing and reading, though, of course, not much progress was made due to the fact that it was only their first session. Once finished, Edelgard picked the books up with her free hand and took Bettina's hand in her other one. They headed back to the family wing where Hubert waited for them in the master bedroom. "We found the playroom and brought quite a few toys back, Bettina." He smiled at her and the little girl looked up at Edelgard, obviously weirded out. "Yeah, it'll take a bit of time to get used to. Him smiling can be creepy, given his normal demeanor," she agreed. She was used to him being kind and soft with her, so she wasn't too weirded out. But considering the first impression he'd had on Bettina... Yeah, it definitely made sense she'd be weirded out. He led them to a room a couple doors down and opened the door. The room was now full of all sorts of toys and Bettina looked around with wide eyes. "I can have all of these...?" "Well, they'll need to be left here, unless you end up with a couple favorite ones. But until we leave, they're yours to play with." She had never been here before, but she could recognise some toys from her childhood, or at least ones that were similar. She wasn't entirely certain they were the same, but they definitely looked familiar. They would let Bettina take a couple if she really, really got attached to them, but they couldn't take all of them. And plus, she would have a playmate in Jusef soon... Hopefully he'd be brought back by time sunset rolled around. Though, speaking of... It was starting to get a bit late in the day and she definitely needed to eat again. "It's about time for dinner. how about we head down to the dining room and get something to eat?" Bettina was still rail-thin and it'd take time to put meat back on her bones. She felt so bad... The poor girl had obviously really struggled to find food on the streets. She knew all too well what being starved felt like. Bettina nodded a little. "Okay." Edelgard offered her hand again and the little girl took it. She smiled at Hubert and offered him her other hand. Hubert gladly took it and they headed down to the dining room. It felt a little odd to be doing such, since they'd taken all their meals in their room for the time being. But they would need to work on Bettina's table manners so...it was probably better to start taking their meals here. They settled at the end of the long table and Bettina looked around, eyes wide. "Were there really enough people to take up this whole table?" "It's a banquet table... Sometimes the Emperor or Empress would invite other nobles from the surrounding area to have meals with them. And with as large as Imperial families can get... Yes." She hadn't seen it before herself yet...but she knew she'd have to in due time. "Wow..." Bettina looked around, eyes wide. Edelgard couldn't help but smile a bit. She seemed like a bright young girl, curious about the world around her. She would hope to nurture and foster that. She would give Bettina a few days to settle in before starting to get her lessons and teachers. But for now... She would sit in on the girl's lessons since it was going to be nasty and ugly if the teachers weren't kind. She wasn't sure what all they had for teachers here, honestly... Probably few. It was a vacation home, not really meant for long-term dwelling. Maybe a couple months of a year, but the crew was mostly just enough to keep the place maintained. If needed... Well, Hubert would provide an ample enough teacher for the few months they'd be here until the wedding. She knew he knew his history and everything inside and out. Whereas with her memory issues... She definitely wasn't going to be able to teach her any of the subjects she'd learned at Garreg Mach. It just wasn't going to work out too well. Her recall was incredibly limited at times… Edelgard chuckled a bit and sat down next to Bettina with Hubert on Edelgard's other side. "So what'll we eat?" the little girl asked. "Whatever the cooks bring out." Her body was already a little upset from getting off the small, six meals per day, but it was worth it. She had gotten a girl that seemed to be lovely even if it'd take time to build her confidence and make her understand she was a royal, not a commoner anymore. She felt bad Bettina couldn't inherit the throne, but the laws of the Empire were clear. One could adopt as many children as they wanted, but they were not fit for the line of succession. They had to contain the blood of the First Emperor in order to take over the throne. Bettina...did not have Imperial blood. Neither would Jusef. It was the children she'd give birth to that would be favored in terms of most things... She hated that it'd probably breed resentment of some sort toward the actual children but... She would love Bettina just as much as any other child. "We won't right now, but we'll have to focus on table manners at some point, Bettina. Manners are very important for court," she said. Stopping a starving child for eating just to instill manners was something she didn't want to do. They could practice them at times when she wasn't eating. It just felt incredibly cruel to stop a starving child from eating to instill propriety into them. Maybe after meals they could spend twenty or so minutes working on manners. Not tonight, but soon. Bettina frowned. "Really? Well I don't know no manners, Your Majesty." "You can call me Edelgard," she reminded gently. She wasn't trying to overwhelm Bettina but she would remind her until it got through to her that they were family now, not just random strangers. Well. Right now, they were random strangers, but she hoped that, in due time, they would become close and Bettina would trust her and Hubert like parents. That was the entire point of this... She really wished Bettina would be able to stand with her head held high in court and go to Garreg Mach one day... The girl wouldn't be just a pawn for her to win political favor and breed more children from House Hresvelg or whoever she ended up marrying. No, she wouldn't put Bettina into an arranged marriage unless she agreed to that and wanted it for some reason… Bettina looked unconvinced but nodded. "And don't worry about not knowing much right now, Bettina. You're a child. You'll learn everything you need to by time you're ready to go to Garreg Mach." Well. Assuming she wanted to. But the school definitely came with prestige and accolades. She still remembered taking her first life there... Not pretty. She still felt her stomach churn and roil, but it was a military academy. What else could she expect? Of her siblings, she was the only one to go there... Tobias and her other older siblings should've gone, but her father simply hadn't wanted them to attend. She'd forged important relationships there, namely with Dimitri, and those bonds would be important for the future of the Empire... Bettina wouldn't be heir apparent unless something truly horrible wiped out the rest of her children, but she would still be able to hold high positions in court and help shape the future of the Empire for many decades to come. "There ain't no way I'll ever be able to go there." Bettina frowned. "I'm too dumb. Dumb as a box'a rocks." Edelgard shook her head. "You're no dumb, Bettina. Just because you can't read or write right now doesn't mean you're stupid. Most people don't know how to read or write...though I'm hoping to change that in the coming years." The schools were still being built and the Church was training a massive amount of priests and clerics that would be able to fill in as teachers across the Empire. And Rhea had approved a strange device that had earlier been considered heretical... It could print books much faster than woodblock printing which was good... They would need books to replace ones that were falling apart across the Empire as consecutive years of children came through the schools. The entire initiative was costly, but she hoped it would pay off. Higher education could help people move in society... She knew that much. "I couldn't do anything you were asking me earlier." Bettina frowned and Edelgard kissed her head. "Reading and writing are a skill like any other. Have you ever ridden a horse before?" Bettina shook her head. "Well, if you can't ride a horse because you've never done it before, you can't expect to read and write because of the same thing, right?" Bettina frowned and nodded a bit. "I had to learn to read and write too. I wasn't stupid just because I didn't automatically know how to do that." Yeah, not being able to master skill due to doing it all of a grand total of once didn't make someone stupid. Bettina probably just had a hard time because she'd spent so much time on the streets... She would definitely need to have her confidence built and helped be lifted over time... She hoped she could give Bettina the love she needed to become a better, brighter person... One that would work for the betterment of the Empire over time. "I guess that makes some sense... But will the other kids make fun of me for not being able to read or write?" "Other...? I haven't had any children yet, Bettina. I imagine some of my compatriots from Garreg Mach and other noble houses are having children, but for the nobles around my age, they wouldn't have had children your age yet. And you won't be in court or anything, not until you're older." Court would not be a good place for a sensitive child like Bettina seemed to be. She wasn't going to push her child into court before she was well and truly read. Court had traumatised Edelgard herself quite badly. She still struggled to trust people due to the issues court had forced on her. And, well, that wasn't going away anytime soon. "I am pregnant right now, but I haven't had children yet." "Oh okay... But how do you know? I've seen pregnant ladies before... They usually have a bump." She pointed to Edelgard's lower abdomen. "It doesn't look like it." "Hubert and I used a spell to put some babies in me. It won't be for a while until you start seeing the bump." She at least had time until they really started developing to the point she'd be able to see and feel them. She really didn't know much about early pregnancy aside from what her matron had told her. A lot wasn't known about early pregnancy or how children were truly conceived… "That's...possible?" Edelgard nodded. "Magic can do a lot of things, Bettina. I used it to wipe someone's memories while I was at Garreg Mach." Hubert didn't let her live breaking Felix down. He lightly teased her about it sometimes when they were alone. She didn't really remember it because she'd been beyond stressed out, but he wouldn't let her forget she had done that. She'd broken his legs and arm and Hubert had thrown him into a shallow ditch. "Wow... That sounds interesting. Can I learn?" She looked really excited. Edelgard nodded. "Of course. The only thing is that magic has a lot of theory behind it and that can be hard to learn. You need to learn to read and write before you can truly delve into the more complex size of magic. Hubert can teach you some basic spells that don't require intense theory behind them. Things like some basic elemental spells such as fire and ice and such." Bettina's smile vanished and she looked at Hubert hesitantly. Yeah, she really didn't blame Bettina for being afraid of Hubert. He was terrifying even though, so far, he was proving to be a very good husband. Granted... It did help she'd known him basically her whole life so she knew how he was underneath that hard shell. "I'm relearning the magic theory I've forgotten since graduating Garreg Mach. Maybe you'd like to learn with me?" Edelgard offered. It would probably be quite a while until Bettina could truly calm down around Hubert and accept his help without being absolutely terrified of him. Edelgard hadn't been hard on the girl; Hubert had been. But he'd been doing his duty of protecting her… "O-Okay..." Bettina snuggled into Edelgard's side and she wrapped an arm around the little girl. Yeah, that was gonna be hard... She couldn't blame her though. She really did understand how most people saw Hubert. And he wanted it that way. She wouldn't say anything against it, though... He would be the shadowy, ruthless Emperor while she could be the soft, gentle Empress that championed the people. They would play their roles and they would play them well. The court really had fucked up when they pushed her into marrying someone... Her first choice would probably always be Hubert if pushed into a corner. "We'll have magic lessons after lunch each day then." She smiled down at Bettina, still holding the little girl close. They were starting pretty much from scratch, so it wasn't a huge deal for Hubert to go back to square one for her. It wasn't like they'd spent weeks and months redoing theory lessons and it'd be a headache to go back to square one. She really didn't mind restarting from scratch for Bettina's sake... The girl had an interest in magic and they'd see how quickly she adapted and learned... It'd be interesting to see what she would do and who she'd grow to be in due time. Bettina nodded and slid into Edelgard's lap. She patted Bettina's head but slid her back over to her chair. "When the food comes, it'll be hard for both of us to eat if you're in my lap." She wasn't trying to be cruel. This was a massive change for the little girl so she had to be scared and upset. It would just be really difficult to eat if Bettina was in her lap. Not that she'd be able to sit there long once the bump started forming... She had twins inside her so she'd be showing probably sooner than most. Bettina pouted but nodded and the food soon came out. As expected, the little girl lacked any real courtly manners, digging into her food in a somewhat wild way, but considering she'd also been starving on the streets, it made sense that she'd devour whatever was placed in front of her. Edelgard couldn't help but feel bad for her... She hoped that her desire to make reading widely accessible would make a difference in generations to come. It would be a long time until they could really get a feel for how the program worked for people and the changes it'd make for society… “You truly are a bleeding heart." He chuckled softly and kissed her forehead and pulled the covers over them. "Now how about we get some seep?" Edelgard nodded and laid down, closing her eyes. What a day... What a day... She hadn't expected to be a mother to an older child until her own children reached that age. But soon, she'd have two children to love and to to cherish...