Boulevard of Broken Dreams

The next day, the sun began its usual climb over the horizon and Edelgard shifted, stretching a bit as the sunlight hit her eyes. It was strange to think that she was a mother now in the sense of having children. She thought she'd have nine or so months to adapt to the idea... But no, she had Bettina to take care of now and soon Jusef, her friend. If anything, he should've arrived in the middle of the night. He was probably being held in some room somewhere, most likely scared out of his mind. She frowned as she thought about it and shook Hubert awake. "Hubert... We should check to see if Jusef arrived or not." She couldn't help but worry. Hubert at least hadn't been the one to find the boy so that would make it a lot easier to hopefully not have a bad first impression on him. She really, truly hoped that the boy wouldn't be terrified of Hubert as so many other people were. He would be his father from now on... It would take time to build the bond between Bettina and Hubert, considering their first interaction. Hubert stretched and yawned, nodding a bit. "I would assume he arrived sometime during the night. You know how effective my eyes and ears are." She truly did. Very little would stand in the way of the people Hubert brought out to do his dirty work (at least when he wasn't doing said dirty work himself). Yeah, that poor boy had to be terrified if he was there. They quickly dressed then Hubert got into contact with his men. One of the servants pointed him in the direction and he nodded. They went down to a servant's room in their quarters where a boy lay asleep on a bed. But as soon as he heard the door open, he jumped up and glared at the pair. "Where is she?! Someone said you had Bettina! You better let me see her or-- or else!" "Or else what?" Hubert asked, chuckling a bit, though it was a dark sound. Jusef stiffened a little bit. "Yes, we have your little friend and she's officially a member of House Hresvelg now. We had somebody bring you here because her having somebody to lean on would be good for her. I'm Hubert von Hresvelg, the new Emperor of Adrestia." "I'm Edelgard, the Empress." Compared to Hubert, she was much softer. Even though he was attempting to be more personable, she could still see the fear in Jusef's eyes. Hubert was never really good at first impressions. So much for her hopes of them bonding and Jusef not being terrified to hell and back of Hubert. "Both of you will be members of House Hrevelg from now on." "What? How does that work? How can you just say that?" "Oh, he has spunk; I like him," Hubert said. Jusef was clearly terrified, but he wasn't backing down. Whatever the relationship, it was clear that Jusef was incredibly protective of Bettina. Honestly...they could probably use that to their advantage. If Jusef had the right temperament, he might honestly be better in House Vestra and work as Bettina's protection just as Hubert was to her. She would wait to make that call, though. She wanted to see them first and not make any immediate judgement calls. "Actually, how would you feel about learning how to protect Bettina?" Apparently Hubert was having the same thoughts she was. Jusef puffed out his chest. I'd do anything for her if possible." Of course, he was a child... He wouldn't really have any idea of what being a member of House Vestra would entail. She'd let Hubert have time with him to gauge where he was and if he'd be able to handle the dirty work of helping run the Empire. Her own first child would at least have one protector from House Vestra if Hubert's sister had any children around the same time… "Well, we'll see where that leads. For now, though... Welcome to House Hresvelg. You are now part of the Empire's family." Hubert smiled at him, though he was still clearly unnerved. Yeah, Hubert...really wasn't very personable even when he tried to be. He wasn't even attempting to intimidate Jusef, but he was still doing a fantastic job of it regardless. "Let's get you cleaned up then you can see Bettina." The boy was absolutely filthy just as Bettina had been the previous day. A small bag of clothes sat next to him, obviously having been picked up by whoever had gotten him. He hadn't put any of them on though. Jusef looked at them combatively but gave a small nod. He definitely had quite the backbone. If he ended up having the proper temperament to join House Vestra even if just in spirit....Bettina would have quite the protector. He definitely had quite the spirit despite having lived on the streets. He was a lot sturdier than Bettina was in terms of temperament on initial appearances at least. He might still be scared for all she knew. Hubert was obviously terrifying him, but aside from that… "Honestly, it may be best to head back to Enbarr, loathe as I am to admit it. You're pregnant which is what the advisors wanted. Plus, I know you would benefit greatly from having Her Eminence's support. The other women would also be of great help to you. It's your decision but...it may be the best course of action. We have no teachers here and it would take close to a month to get any here. You'll be well along by time that happens. But again, it's your choice. The less I'm around right now, it's probably better for the children. They're terrified of me and won't want to approach me much." Edelgard frowned. She'd need to bring Mirjam with her if they left. There was the letter they had sent but... It might still take time for any decision to be made. "I wasn't expecting to end up with two children at all. The extra support would be nice." The Imperial women would know better how to handle these children than her. She was shooting in the dark here and really had no idea what to do or how to support these kids. She felt like she was suffocating a bit with how uncertain she was for everything. "We'll have to take my partially completed garments back to Enbarr with us. Though I suppose I can spend time with Helen and Ueli..." That would be nice. They were their own support for her in their own way. But she might not be able to go out that falconry season with the pregnancy... She wasn't sure. "It's your decision, my-- Edelgard. Whatever you feel is best. You don't have to decide now. If you want to wait a few days and see how they're doing, that's fine. It's just a suggestion." Edelgard nodded, not entirely certain. She just... She didn't know. She would definitely need help because these kids were probably traumatised by their time on the streets and Juliane and such would have a better idea on how to handle traumatised children. If she had memories of her time after the Crest experiments, that would be one thing, but those had faded long ago... She was trying. She really was. But she already felt overwhelmed by suddenly having to take care of two children. "Honestly it might be best. I'm not sure how to support traumatised children. MOther Juliane will have a better idea... Plus, the sooner we have it set in that they're now part of the Imperial family, the better." She frowned. "Yeah, it probably would be best to head back." She really hadn't expected to head back this soon, but the advisors had gotten what they wanted. Plus, having two adopted children would hopefully shut them up as well… "Very well. Let me make all of the arrangements and we should be able to head out within a few hours." Hubert got up and bowed, then left. Edelgard sighed. Life was such a weird thing. She hadn't expected to have two children, but now she did. She was definitely in way over her head. She wouldn't push the kids into too many lessons off the bat. Reading and writing, maybe some light combat, horseback riding, manners. And magic theory for Bettina. She would feel vulnerable without Hubert by her side at all times since he had been there with her through so much... She was so rarely out of his sight. Now they'd be separated most of the day... But she would have the Imperial women if nothing else which was...something, at least. It wasn't too much longer after that Jusef came out and looked around. "Where's tall, dark, and scary?" "He's making arrangements for us to go back to Enbarr. We'll probably be leaving by noon or so." "Wiat, what?" Edelgard rubbed the back of her neck. "I wasn't expecting to suddenly have two children to take care of... All of this is new for me whereas the Imperial women, all of my mothers, have more experience. I felt like I needed the help." She wasn't going to lie to his face and say something stupid. She wanted to foster a relationship of open honesty between the three of them. She hoped that Bettina and Jusef would come around to her eventually. Understandably, they were guarded. Though Bettina was already pretty clingy to her... Probably out of lack of anything familiar. Jusef frowned. "So you just see us as burdens?" She shook her head. "No. There's a difference between seeing you as burdens and realising I need help. I just need help because I'm not really used to being around children your age. All of the Imperial women from last generation have been through it multiple times. If I need help, I can ask them. Plus...I need a support system as well. And you guys can be supported as well. All of the Imperial women are very kind in their own ways. Mother Katinka can be a little...rough around the edges, but she's not a bad person." She wanted the children to bond with their new-found grandmothers as well... Juliane would probably want to spend time away from the throne to get to know her new grandbabies. "Sure doesn't sound like that to me." Jusef folded his arms and looked down. Yeah, living on the streets no doubt had to get to a person... It probably caused all sorts of trust issues for all she knew. She was pretty sure that was the case. She didn't think he was a burden, nor Bettina. She just needed help. Plus...it would give the kids some space from Hubert as well. He was their new Emperor so he needed to spend time on the throne. Thankfully, he was already well aware of how the throne functioned and how everything dealt with it. The advisors were going to be shaking in their boots when he took over... They thought they'd have a few months, but oh boy, that wouldn't be the case. They were going to have to put up with a cunning, shrewd man that knew how to see through their bullshit and wouldn't put up with it in the slightest. She patted Jusef's head then hugged him. She wasn't really sure what to say to him, but yeah... She could at least hug him. However, she blinked when she heard him start to sniffle. He clung to her and she got down to his level and held him close. It didn't take long for him to start sobbing into her shoulder. Yeah, she wasn't too surprised by this... He had a lot to deal with over the past twelve or so hours. His life was in complete upheaval and he was probably just putting on a brave face for himself and Bettina even if she wasn't here. "There, there... It's all right..." She rubbed his back and spoke gently. He really deserved better... All children deserved to have good parents, warm homes, and lives full of love. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case for a good chunk of them... She couldn't make everyone's lives better, but she could at least give these two a better life. He sobbed hard into her shoulder and she held him close, moving over to the bed and pulling him up into her lap. He clung and sobbed terribly. She wasn't surprised he'd been putting up a brave face. He had to be absolutely terrified and Hubert hadn't been helping matters at all either. He tried, but he just was not very personable with anybody that wasn't her. She just... She felt so bad for the poor boy. Hubert had terrified him beyond words despite his brave face. Still... If he could show that kind of spirit in the face of difficulty, though.. Then he probably had a good chance of being Bettina's protector. He was only eight right now, though. He had been on the streets for only Divine knew how long and was suddenly whisked away by shadowy people in the middle of the night. That had to be terrifying for a child. Eventually, Hubert returned with Bettina in tow, though the little girl looked terrified. "Jusef?" she asked. That was more than enough to get Jusef to stop crying and he turned around. He got off of Edelgard's lap and ran over, hugging her. "Bettina! I was so worried when you disappeared yesterday! Don't ever leave me again!" She shook her head. "I won't!" Edelgard looked at Hubert with an amused smile.That definitely reminded her of them from what memories she retained. Plus... he was entirely too loyal to her even now. She knew he would never leave her alone if given the choice. Unfortunately, he would have to be on the throne by himself for the next nine months because she'd stress out far too easily and put her children's lives in danger because of that... She hated leaving Adrestia but she knew she needed it. "How about we get some breakfast you two?" She asked with a smile. Jusef's eyes widened. "We can get food?" Edelgard nodded. "Whenever you want, you can go down to the kitchens and get food. I won't stop you." The kids looked at each other. "Woah..." Bettina said. "Crazy," Jusef returned. "So how about we go?" Edelgard offered a hand to each of them and Bettina nodded, grabbing one of Edelgard's hands. However, Jusef took Bettina's hand. A moment later, she looked scared. She just smiled warmly at him and stood up, starting to head down to the dining room. The next few weeks would definitely upset her eating schedule yet again, but there was no other real choice. She felt a bit in over her head and needed the help of the Imperial women. Juliane would most likely know what to do since she had dealt with Edelgard post-Crest experiments. And she could introduce them to Annika, Ueli, and Helen... She hoped they would forge a close relationship like she had with the royal falconer. He was a good man that she did her best to make sure had the best life possible. When they entered the dining hall, Jusef's eyes went wide and he looked around. "Woah... This room is huge." "It's mostly for big banquets, but it'd be a bit of a pain for the servants to bring so many plates to the room," Edelgard explained. "I've seen big banquents in Enbarr, and these rooms can be filled with nobles...though it's rare for vacation homes to have full-on banquents. There's a nice little nook in the Enbarr palace for use to eat in privately." Though once she started having kids... yeah. They'd need to use the banquet hall. At least if she wanted to have full-family dinners. Those had been rare among her family even before Anselma's exile just because the younger kids could be so fussy and Helga liked to start issues. It led to infighting between the women. Everyone just took their meals at different times. She hoped that wouldn't be the case when her own consorts arrived... Well. Potential consorts. She wasn't necessarily looking for love; she just needed women to help her with childbirth and having children. She wasn't sure if any of them would say no to her or not... She was just looking for people she could get along with above all else so that way they could raise their children to be good, solid people. Just like Juliane had done with her. "Wow really?" Jusef asked. Edelgard nodded and sat down. She had the two kids sit on her right and Hubert sat on her left. "When I officially ascended the throne, nobles from all over the Empire came to congratulate me. The main hall of the palace was packed to the brim of nobles... And the banquet hall is about three, four times the size of this one." It was absolutely massive, but it needed to be able to hold hundreds of people due to events like royal weddings or coronations. Most nobles came over from their lands for the month or so of celebrations that surrounded such big events. She was not looking forward to the royal wedding... She was socially anxious and awkward as hell, so being around so many people would both drain her and make it apparent just how awkward she was. "You'll meet a lot of the nobles in a couple months because of mine and Hubert's wedding. You two will be expected to be there." She frowned. Oh boy, their manners... "We'll really need to drill you guys in courtly manners before then." They were only children, but Imperial children were held to a stupidly high standard unfortunately… Jusef made a face. "Why do I need manners? Isn't life enough?" She shook her head. "You two are members of House Hresvelg now. You need to eventually be well-mannered, well-spoken, well-groomed, and such." she saw Bettina picking at her short hair in despair. "Don't worry, honey; we'll get your hair growing out more before you know it. Hubert can use a spell on it to help it grow." ONce they got back, there'd only be a couple months until the wedding... Yeesh, she was really pressing for time. She felt bad for putting so much pressure on two young children, but there were expectations to uphold. "We'll give you a couple different manners lessons through the day once we arrive in Enbarr." She wouldn't punish them with long sessions. They were young and deserved time between in order to take a break. Play, get some energy out... It was cruel to put children in lessons all day when they just wanted to run around and play. There were expectations they needed to uphold and it would reflect negatively on Hubert and Edelgard if they weren't at least up to some sort of snuff. Jusef sighed. "That sounds boring. Why?" "Because nobles are all about appearances. You're noble now, so you'll be expected to uphold the apperance of House Hresvelg. Yes, it's stupid. Yes, it's shallow. I'll be the first person to admit that nobles are full of themselves and it's unfair how they handle things, but you just have to learn to deal with it..." She hoped they were young enough they could still learn manners and appearances. They were about seven or eight. Still young enough to be pliable, but old enough that they'd probably struggle to some degree since they had been on the streets for who knew how long. She hoped they'd be able to make the transition smoothly. "Dumb. That sounds so dumb!" Jusef said. "That's because it really is but there's not much we can do about it." She sighed and shook her head. What a mess. SHe needed to teach these children basic manners and they were pressed for time to at least get them basic eating. Jusef spoke his mind which would earn him both enemies and allies. She knew that all too well... She would need to teach him to temper his tongue and not have so many outbursts but there wasn't much she could do about it right now. She needed to gain his trust and confidence first. He had cried in front of her, but he was obviously just bottling everything up. Bettina let her emotions show a bit more which would also put her in danger in the courts. Again, she understood all too well. "I don't wanna deal with it." Jusef folded his arms. "Well, you can either go back to the streets or stay with us." She wasn't trying to manipulate him. That was just the bare truth of the matter. She couldn't really force him to stay but...he had better know what he was going back to if he didn't want to deal with this. Or he would have to become a servant and deal with the nobles... Either way, he would be dealing with nobles. Jusef's shoulders sagged and he sighed. "I don't wanna go back," he whined. She couldn't blame him. She couldn't really remember it too well but she knew what it was like to be without warmth, comfort, and food for several years. It hadn't been fun. She didn't blame him one bit but it was definitely difficult. Yeah, it was hard, but it was the bare truth of the matter. "Or you could become a servant for House Hresvelg. You'll still have room and warmth and food if you do that, but you'll have to work hard. Or you can have it easier and be a member of House Hresvelg where you'll have to learn to deal with dumb, stuffy nobles and their silly puffiness. Which sounds better to you?" She wondered if Ueli and Helen would take him in or not... Annika was going to be married soon enough but still... Maybe they'd be willing to take him in. "I don't like the sound of either...but I guess I'll take the dumb, puffy nobles." He sighed. She didn't blame him. She could only imagine how hard it was to be a servant. They had to work hard day in and day out for the rest of their lives in order to make others happy. not that being a noble wasn't fraught with its own set of difficulties. She knew all too well what noble life was like. The advisors were so hard to deal with and they might not really accept Jusef and Bettina. But if they wanted to say something against it, well, Hubert would have a thing or two to say to them. "Like I said, I'll be the first to admit nobles are dumb and puffy and annoying. You aren't the only one way to think like that." She petted Jusef's head. Hubert let out 'pff' noise with a hard puff of air. "They're a pit of noxious vipers," he said, obviously not amused. Bettina and Jusef looked at each other, then at Edelgard. "How can you love someone that's so scary?" Bettina asked. She petted Bettina's head. "Well, keep in mind I've known him for most of my life. I've seen most of his sides. He's not scary all the time. He can be sweet, gentle, loving, warm, and kind too. You'll get to see it in time. I promise he's not like this all the time," she assured. Yeah, Hubert would have an uphill battle of befriending the kids and getting them to like him. She felt bad for Jusef and Bettina, but she knew he could be more than he appeared to be... But he was also what he appeared to be. He was a terrifying man that wasn't afraid to hurt, maim, torture, and kill if it was in the name of loyalty to Edelgard and protecting her. Hubert looked over at the kids. "Bear in mind, my upbringing was much different than most people's. From my youngest years, I was taught to be ruthless and loyal only to Lady Edelgard. Nothing else mattered to me. It didn't matter if I was personable or not. I am capable of kindness like she says; it's just not my initial mode of acting. You will see the softer side to me; I promise. It's just not in my nature to be friendly and kind up front." He looked at Bettina. "That's why I grabbed you like I did. You were doing something that could've hurt Lady Edelgard by pick pocketing from her. That's why I grabbed you. But now that you're here, I won't be so harsh." His voice was a lot quieter and softer than it usually was, but it only made sense here. He was attempting to make it clear he wasn't as scary as the kids thought he was. Bettina nodded a bit and snuggled into Edelgard's side. "O-Okay... But why do you call her that...? Don't you two love each other?" She and Hubert exchanged glances. "Well... Noble life is a lot more complicated than commoner life. Commoners can generally marry whoever they want to, but a lot of time because of politics, nobles have to enter what's called an arranged marriage. Basically, they often marry people they barely know or have never met. As long as bloodlines continue, that's what matters most. We can explain more about that when you two get older. Right now, it's not a concern. You're just children." Of course, children could sometimes be put into arranged marriages... She was glad she hadn't been arranged to marry anybody. She'd overheard Ferdinand talking to Bernie one time about how Duke Aegir had attempted to arrange him to Bernie of all people… "As for me and Hubert... Well, yes, in a way. He does love me romantically but I love him in a way that's closer to appreciation and care." She knew that it hurt him that she didn't reciprocate his feelings. It wasn't like she could just force love, though. She really wished she could straight-up say she loved him, but emotions just didn't work that way... She couldn't force herself to love him. She may never reciprocate. But she knew she had someone that would love, cherish, and be loyal to her no matter what. She could get the respect and care she wanted in a marriage. She knew a lot of people didn't even get that… She was definitely lucky Hubert cared about her so much. "That sounds horrible... Not getting to marry someone you love." Bettina frowned. "It's not the best, no, but not all marriages like that are bad." She petted the little girl's head. No, it wasn't the worst situation in the world... She would always get love, kindness, respect, and care from Hubert. It seemed like the minimum asking, but considering how some nobles could be... Adrestia was especially known for how brutal its court could be. Yeah. The nobles in the court weren't exactly known for their kindness and care. Hubert was just as vicious as the next noble, but he was deeply capable of such warmth. Bettina nodded a little bit but looked down. "Will I have to be in an arranged marriage?" she asked quietly. "I can't say for sure. I'll try to avoid it, but House Hresvelg is known for marrying off its many, many heirs. I was low down on the line of succession, but my siblings all died, leaving me the only person capable of taking over. The advisors just put too much pressure on me, so I had to turn to Hubert." She couldn't promise Bettina and Jusef wouldn't marry in a manner similar to her. She would try to prevent it, but with how advisors could be, there was no guarantee. But they were children right now... She would try to shield them as much as she possibly could. "I'm going to have to get some consorts soon though." "Consorts?" Jusef asked. Edelgard nodded. "It's typical for Adrestian Emperors and Empresses to take on people outside of the core marriage--consorts. My mother was a consort. Juliane, the former Empress, was the main core marriage with the rest of my siblings and I being born outside of it. But with how the Adrestian system works, all children born outside of marriage as long as they're official consorts are considered heirs." Affairs were another thing entirely though. But considering an Emperor or Empress could take on as many consorts as they wanted to, affairs were fairly rare. It was only the domain of the Emperor or Empress, though... Other nobles couldn't take as many partners as they wanted to--simply too much of a headache to keep track of bloodlines. House Hresvelg had been everywhere over the continent--she was pretty sure there were members in Dimitri's line and Claude's line somewhere as well. With as many heirs as the house produced, it really wouldn't surprise her... Almost every house in the Empire had ties to House Hresvelg at some point. "None of this makes any sense..." Jusef shook his head. She squeezed his shoulder. "Yeah, it's all really complicated and I'm not expecting you to understand it all now. Politics is a mess." They would have to understand it in due time, but for now, it wasn't a big issue. They finished up eating and Edelgard led Bettina back to her room. "All right, Bettina, you need to get packed up. Jusef, you should already have things packed. We'll be leaving in a few hours. After you're packed, feel free to play." She smiled at them. They were kids. Kids needed to be kids. The two nodded and went into the room before closing the door behind them. She went back to her and Hubert's room where Hubert was already beginning to pack their things. She sighed. "I expected to stay here longer but...I do miss being in Enbarr." She probably wouldn't make liberal use of the vacation homes unless needed. A lot of Emperors took vacations and it was one reason there were fifty or so dotted around the Empire. She was very much a homebody and found being away from Enbarr kind of exhausting in its own right. Though she knew she wouldn't be able to be on the throne until after she'd recovered from childbirth. It was hard to accept that she wouldn't be on the throne for nine long months, possibly closer to a year, but it was for the health of her future children. She was trying. She really was. But it was just so hard to accept she was pregnant now. She would start showing before she knew it... She didn't want this at all, but she simply had to accept her lot in life. It was all she could do. Hubert walked over and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a hug and kissed her head. "You're worried about something." She nodded. "I'm just worried Adrestia won't be the same without me." Between Juliane, Augusta, and Hubert, she knew things would be fine but...it didn't make it any easier to accept the fact that she had to be off the throne for so long. She was trying her best but yes, the stress of the throne would very possibly impact her health while pregnant. Her being off was really the best solution. That way she wouldn't possibly miscarry one or both of the twins. She just... She felt like she was abandoning Adrestia. Hubert kissed her head again. "Don't worry about the throne or anything like that... Your main worry right now is making sure you stay healthy and carry our children to the best of your ability. I do regret I won't be around to support and protect you, but I'll protect you and your name in court. Those advisors won't know what hit them." HIs tone was dark which normally would've scared somebody, but she knew it came from a good place. Hubert did have a pretty good heart most of the time... He was just absolutely terrifying to most people. She nodded. "I know. I know it'll be fine between you, Mother Juliane, and Mother Augusta, but it's still hard to accept." She sighed. She really just felt like she was abandoning Adrestia. It felt so terrible. But...she did have two new children to bond with that would need her love and support as well. They would likely be stressful in their own right. She would have to deal with their various issues that came from being in the streets... It was a rough life and had to come with some level of trauma. "Focus on Bettina and Jusef and yourself right now. Let us take care of the throne," he said, tone a lot warmer and softer. "I know... It's just hard." She sighed before leaning up and kissing him. "Let's get packed." No point in putting it off.