[She moves as if to turn her head away from him, but... Edelgard cannot seem to muster the will to pull her face away from his hand as he cradles her cheek and brushes away her tears as they fall. She's unable to hold them back now as he continues to try and fight for her. For them.
I need you.]
No, you do not. I am sure with the professor and your friends you will be just fine when I am gone. Let this end here.
[ Let it end here, and then move on to a battle where one has to kill the other? No, he refuses. For one, she hasn't told him everything she knows-- she cannot tell him everything she knows in her current state. But, most of all... ]
How could I ever be just fine with your blood in my hands?
[ He has enough stains as it is, names he didn't know, faces he'll always remember. But Edelgard would never be just one more, not before he knew what he does now, and certainly not after tonight. ]
The Professor, my friends... I would not have made it this far without them by my side, it is true. [ He continues to stroke her cheek, pausing only to try to find wisdom in his heart. ] They are all precious to me, and I will be grateful for their support until the day I die. But...
[ His other hand will join its twin, hold her face between his large palms. Thumb away tears that insist on falling. ]
But they are not you, El. No one could ever replace you.
[ Who she was to him, once. Who she still is to him now. ]
[She already made it clear it did to her. Stating that his words kept her heart strong enough to survive. She's always cutting her own path where she can. Sure she could have just waged war on Rhea with no reason to it, but she spun the motive to liberate the people of Fodlan who felt the burden of their societal castes that revolved around crests.
Her end goal to carve the Agarthans out of Fodlan and spare the following generations seems impossible now, and she just wishes to die along with her dreams.]
[ There's an arch to his eyebrows for a second, but it fades with a sigh, and understanding dawns upon him with a smile so feeble it barely tugs at the corners of his lips. ]
Have you... only just realized it?
[ The year they spent together, his last days of youthful innocence, his first and only love... It had been the time of his life, the kind of happiness someone can only hope to be so lucky to experience even once. If his words had given her strength to survive, then the hope to see her again had done the same for him, in many ways. Could she really not see it?
A rueful laugh joins his smile, a shake of his head tipping his tears down his cheeks. What a fool he has been. ]
I suppose that dagger truly must have been a poor choice to convey my feelings properly. I am not sure I know how to do much better now, but...
[ He leans in, his forehead on hers. ]
You do not have to shoulder this burden alone, El. Let the path you cut be ours to walk together.
[It scares her to think how long he held a candle for her. How guilty she feels now knowing she had forgotten him so easily... though perhaps "easily" is unfair to herself considering the trauma she went through. She had thought that maybe he considered their year together sweet, a nice reprieve from royal life, but...
To be clutching to it like a lifeline, as she did, even though he's had so many friends support him... the professor support him... she doesn't understand it.]
I am not sure where to go from here. The path I cut ends where you win, Dimitri.
[ It might be hard for her to understand, but while it's true he has many friends supporting him along the way, he's also lost so much-- so many. He could not bear the thought of losing even one more person, least of all one who once meant so much to him; one who always would. ]
It only ends if you cut it alone, El. We can press on ahead, together.
[ It's because he has his friends and the Professor by his side that he learned the real meaning of forgiveness; it would be terribly unjust, not to offer her the same acceptance. To let her die alone chasing a lofty goal, like he otherwise would have.
(He never wants her to feel alone again.) ]
As for where to go from here... we can make that decision together, as well. [ He dares to continue to stroke her wet cheeks with his thumb, to give her a small smile through his own dwindling tears. ] There is more you need to tell me, and even more we must discuss. And I suspect these desolate mountains do not make for a suitable place for such a lengthy conversation.
If I do not make it back to camp Hubert will assume the worst.
[And yet her hand rises to rest over his as she nuzzles her cheek into his palm. The red in her face now unclear if it stems from the wine she got drunk on or the recent crying. Either way the chill of the mountains, despite the warm month, makes her old scars ache. Her body would be happy to retreat anywhere warmer. Even wrapped up in furs when she lived up north she had always complained of the cold. A southern flower through and through.]
[ She is so vulnerable like this, so soft with her cheeks against his palms, seeking the warmth that pours from underneath leather. He almost-- no, he doesn't want to part, and almost doesn't have the strength to.
Eventually, he will; for now, he indulges, just a minute longer. ]
Then we will send a messenger for him as soon as we arrive. [ He thumbs the sides of her face, fond and hopefully reassuring. ] We may then arrange for a meeting, perhaps on Imperial grounds with a small retinue, as a show of good faith. I am sure the Professor will not disagree.
[ What will come of this meeting, well, time will say. For now, he chooses to focus on the immediate next course of action, plan it together as they go, one step at a time. ]
I know I ask much from you as it is, but...
[ When he finally pulls away, it's so he can unclasp the cloak he wears, then drape it over Edelgard's shoulders, tucking her much smaller figure under layers of fabric and fur. It's mostly meant to keep her warm, though it should make it easier to stroll in with the Adrestian Emperor in tow if she's wearing Kingdom colors. ]
For now, have faith in us.
[ As the friends they were, the rulers they are, and whatever else they could be. ]
[His cape surprises her. Slowly, as she tries to process what is going on, Edelgard's hands lift to pull that large cloth-and-wolf-pelt piece around her. It's definitely warding away the cold of the mountain, which she appreciates.]
You... You don't think I should return back to my camp and we can set a meeting from there?
[She doesn't think about it, but Dimitri is probably right: taking her back with him is the best way to ensure his hope reaches fruition. If Edelgard were to go back Hubert would convince her out of it by morning. After all, even before the parley, she was set on a certain path. The only thing the meeting with Dimitri confirmed was... how hard she would have to work to convince him to deliver the final blow.
Perhaps Adrestian Wine was not the best idea for Edelgard's plans, but it certainly worked out for him.]
[ At her question, his lips press into a thin line before parting open again, as though buying himself time to find his words. ]
I... would prefer if you did not.
[ Adrestian Wine or not, he can't stop her from doing whatever she really wants, but he's not ignorant of how much of an influence Hubert has on her, and how he could potentially undo the progress that has been made tonight. ]
There is much more you have not told me, correct? For now, I think you should find some rest, and in the morning, we may continue our discussion.
[ Dimitri knows he alone can't hope to be enough to keep her on this new path, so his intention is to rely on the Professor's guidance, and on the same kind understanding his friends have previously shown him. Collective effort is the only way to pull through this. ]
[ She's so... pliant, so vulnerable like this it honestly makes him feel bad about the circumstances of her dubious consent-- but that, too, is all the more reason why he wishes to keep her close, to make sure their resolution will keep after a good night's rest, long past the effects of inebriation.
The following morning might be the most decisive of this war so far, a king and an emperor negotiating peace terms; tonight, they can just be themselves, and whatever they still mean to each other. ]
It is a long ride until camp. [ He tugs on his cloak to make sure it won't fall off her shoulders, and the sight of her much smaller figure all but buried in his furs brings a smile to his face. ] Do you think you can keep steady on your own?
[ It's a silent offer, to share a ride with her if she needs the support. ]
[With a huff Edelgard swats away his hands that are probably just trying to help her.]
I will be just fine.
[Famous last words. With her hands tightly pulling his cloak around her shoulders she stomps over to the horse. Honestly with her size and the overly large cape it looks like a child having a tantrum...
Just wait until she tries mounting her horse! Between balancing to get her feet in the stirrups and trying to keep the furs on her shoulder... well it's an absolute mess and she falls on her own ass.
[ Edelgard, please, we just came all the way over here to finally agree on not killing anyone, can't have this death by horseback fall now!
Lucky for her, Dimitri isn't the I Told You So type, so he stays mostly quite through his watching this magnificent display of stubbornness from the corner of his eye-- mostly, because he does heave a sigh when she inevitably flops down on her imperial hiney. Does that sting more than her pride? He has to wonder.
Still, he is much too soft for his own good, so he leaves his own mount aside for a minute to lean over her with an extended hand and no words whatsoever-- no admonishment, and no overt concern, either. It's a delicate balance to not set her off. ]
[At least this bout of childish stubbornness is more alike to the El from his memories. Even her reluctant acceptance of his hand while she avoids eye contact might ring a bell.
[ Ah, yes, that is indeed very reminiscent of the El he used to know, so he'll take her avoidance as his cue to direct an all too fond smile at her, knowing he's safe from her scrutiny.
But that doesn't solve the problem immediately ahead, and while he could easily hoist her up into his arms and then load her up on her mount, well-- even he knows she has her pride. Tricky, tricky balance, indeed. ]
Would you accept my help, then?
[ Granted, he hasn't shared exactly how he plans to help, but. He does what he must. ]
[Perhaps it is better to accept his help rather than embarrass herself further. Good thing it is only the two of them here. She would demand to be killed on the spot if anyone else had seen.]
[ Nope, they have just agreed on no more unnecessarily killing, no backsies now-- and that includes no more inadvertent attempts on her own life, if Dimitri has any say in it. And right now, he does.
With her consent properly dispensed and not another single word, he hooks one hand under her knees and the other around the small of her back, scooping her arms with the effort of someone who picks up a feathery pillow while making their bed in a still sleepy haze: automatic and easy, if not entirely focused.
And if that haze persists, if his eyes linger on hers and he forgets a breath and a beat in his chest with her pressed so close to him... well, perhaps he, too, has only himself to blame. But can he really be assigned fault for wishing to keep her right here in his arms, safe from her own shortsighted pride and the ill intent of others? ]
[Edelgard had assumed that Dimitri were to get down on one knee. To hold his laced hands to provide a life up on to her own horse.
Not... this! Whatever this is! The indignity of it! Like she is some swaddled babe in the arms of a guardian. What an embarrassment! She's frozen in shock for quite a bit, but it is not long before she uselessly wriggles like an indignant toddler: kicking her feet and squirming in his arms.]
[ ... ah, well. That surely puts an end to his reverie, doesn't it. ]
I am helping you. [ The plain and simple truth, his eyes still fixed down on her and rather unfazed by her (childish, maybe, but oddly endearing) protests-- he does keep a strong grip on her, after all, no risk of another prideful fall. ] You did agree to it, did you not?
[ Did he omit some small part of what he had in mind? Maybe. But it doesn't matter! All that matters is that he'll be loading her up onto her mount-- or, well, he'll be trying to. She'll scare the horse away if she keeps this up! ]
[And now she's staring up at him silently as she imagines his large torso pressed flush against her back as the horse makes its way back to the kingdom. Wrapped in his cloak, warm and tucked safely against. him. Surely she'd nod off and he'd probably laugh at her.
How awful! What a terrible thought! To be gazed upon so fondly by an enemy! Could she even bear it?]
[ Edelgard is in luck(?) for the moment, as Dimitri is currently too preoccupied with the issue of her startled mount to pay attention to any compromising stares. A distrustful horse can be a danger in its own right, but with an obviously inebriated rider taking the reins... hmm. It's not a prospect he's comfortable with.
He is, however, unabashedly comfortable with carrying her, so do forgive him if he takes a moment longer than absolutely necessary to come up with a solution to his self-inflicted conundrum? It's... for the sake of Fódlan. ]
Would you be opposed to riding with me?
[ Under different circumstances, with her body in his arms and his face so close to hers, this could almost be suspected of innuendo. ]
Do you really think I am that incapacitated that I cannot ride my own horse? I made it all the way here.
[It's not a "no" but it is a form of protest. Though to be quite fair Edelgard wasn't half as drunk when she got on the horse because she had a bit more to drink on the journey here.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
I need you.]
No, you do not. I am sure with the professor and your friends you will be just fine when I am gone. Let this end here.
no subject
How could I ever be just fine with your blood in my hands?
[ He has enough stains as it is, names he didn't know, faces he'll always remember. But Edelgard would never be just one more, not before he knew what he does now, and certainly not after tonight. ]
The Professor, my friends... I would not have made it this far without them by my side, it is true. [ He continues to stroke her cheek, pausing only to try to find wisdom in his heart. ] They are all precious to me, and I will be grateful for their support until the day I die. But...
[ His other hand will join its twin, hold her face between his large palms. Thumb away tears that insist on falling. ]
But they are not you, El. No one could ever replace you.
[ Who she was to him, once. Who she still is to him now. ]
no subject
[She already made it clear it did to her. Stating that his words kept her heart strong enough to survive. She's always cutting her own path where she can. Sure she could have just waged war on Rhea with no reason to it, but she spun the motive to liberate the people of Fodlan who felt the burden of their societal castes that revolved around crests.
Her end goal to carve the Agarthans out of Fodlan and spare the following generations seems impossible now, and she just wishes to die along with her dreams.]
no subject
Have you... only just realized it?
[ The year they spent together, his last days of youthful innocence, his first and only love... It had been the time of his life, the kind of happiness someone can only hope to be so lucky to experience even once. If his words had given her strength to survive, then the hope to see her again had done the same for him, in many ways. Could she really not see it?
A rueful laugh joins his smile, a shake of his head tipping his tears down his cheeks. What a fool he has been. ]
I suppose that dagger truly must have been a poor choice to convey my feelings properly. I am not sure I know how to do much better now, but...
[ He leans in, his forehead on hers. ]
You do not have to shoulder this burden alone, El. Let the path you cut be ours to walk together.
no subject
To be clutching to it like a lifeline, as she did, even though he's had so many friends support him... the professor support him... she doesn't understand it.]
I am not sure where to go from here. The path I cut ends where you win, Dimitri.
no subject
It only ends if you cut it alone, El. We can press on ahead, together.
[ It's because he has his friends and the Professor by his side that he learned the real meaning of forgiveness; it would be terribly unjust, not to offer her the same acceptance. To let her die alone chasing a lofty goal, like he otherwise would have.
(He never wants her to feel alone again.) ]
As for where to go from here... we can make that decision together, as well. [ He dares to continue to stroke her wet cheeks with his thumb, to give her a small smile through his own dwindling tears. ] There is more you need to tell me, and even more we must discuss. And I suspect these desolate mountains do not make for a suitable place for such a lengthy conversation.
no subject
[And yet her hand rises to rest over his as she nuzzles her cheek into his palm. The red in her face now unclear if it stems from the wine she got drunk on or the recent crying. Either way the chill of the mountains, despite the warm month, makes her old scars ache. Her body would be happy to retreat anywhere warmer. Even wrapped up in furs when she lived up north she had always complained of the cold. A southern flower through and through.]
no subject
Eventually, he will; for now, he indulges, just a minute longer. ]
Then we will send a messenger for him as soon as we arrive. [ He thumbs the sides of her face, fond and hopefully reassuring. ] We may then arrange for a meeting, perhaps on Imperial grounds with a small retinue, as a show of good faith. I am sure the Professor will not disagree.
[ What will come of this meeting, well, time will say. For now, he chooses to focus on the immediate next course of action, plan it together as they go, one step at a time. ]
I know I ask much from you as it is, but...
[ When he finally pulls away, it's so he can unclasp the cloak he wears, then drape it over Edelgard's shoulders, tucking her much smaller figure under layers of fabric and fur. It's mostly meant to keep her warm, though it should make it easier to stroll in with the Adrestian Emperor in tow if she's wearing Kingdom colors. ]
For now, have faith in us.
[ As the friends they were, the rulers they are, and whatever else they could be. ]
no subject
You... You don't think I should return back to my camp and we can set a meeting from there?
[She doesn't think about it, but Dimitri is probably right: taking her back with him is the best way to ensure his hope reaches fruition. If Edelgard were to go back Hubert would convince her out of it by morning. After all, even before the parley, she was set on a certain path. The only thing the meeting with Dimitri confirmed was... how hard she would have to work to convince him to deliver the final blow.
Perhaps Adrestian Wine was not the best idea for Edelgard's plans, but it certainly worked out for him.]
no subject
I... would prefer if you did not.
[ Adrestian Wine or not, he can't stop her from doing whatever she really wants, but he's not ignorant of how much of an influence Hubert has on her, and how he could potentially undo the progress that has been made tonight. ]
There is much more you have not told me, correct? For now, I think you should find some rest, and in the morning, we may continue our discussion.
[ Dimitri knows he alone can't hope to be enough to keep her on this new path, so his intention is to rely on the Professor's guidance, and on the same kind understanding his friends have previously shown him. Collective effort is the only way to pull through this. ]
no subject
[Edelgard rights herself, and pulls his large cloak around her even tighter.
Unfortunately her being a full foot/30cm shorter than him means a good portion of the hem and lower cape will drag.]
no subject
The following morning might be the most decisive of this war so far, a king and an emperor negotiating peace terms; tonight, they can just be themselves, and whatever they still mean to each other. ]
It is a long ride until camp. [ He tugs on his cloak to make sure it won't fall off her shoulders, and the sight of her much smaller figure all but buried in his furs brings a smile to his face. ] Do you think you can keep steady on your own?
[ It's a silent offer, to share a ride with her if she needs the support. ]
no subject
I will be just fine.
[Famous last words. With her hands tightly pulling his cloak around her shoulders she stomps over to the horse. Honestly with her size and the overly large cape it looks like a child having a tantrum...
Just wait until she tries mounting her horse! Between balancing to get her feet in the stirrups and trying to keep the furs on her shoulder... well it's an absolute mess and she falls on her own ass.
Come morning she'll swear never to drink again.]
no subject
Lucky for her, Dimitri isn't the I Told You So type, so he stays mostly quite through his watching this magnificent display of stubbornness from the corner of his eye-- mostly, because he does heave a sigh when she inevitably flops down on her imperial hiney. Does that sting more than her pride? He has to wonder.
Still, he is much too soft for his own good, so he leaves his own mount aside for a minute to lean over her with an extended hand and no words whatsoever-- no admonishment, and no overt concern, either. It's a delicate balance to not set her off. ]
no subject
When she's back up she pouts:]
I would probably be fine if I could just get up.
no subject
But that doesn't solve the problem immediately ahead, and while he could easily hoist her up into his arms and then load her up on her mount, well-- even he knows she has her pride. Tricky, tricky balance, indeed. ]
Would you accept my help, then?
[ Granted, he hasn't shared exactly how he plans to help, but. He does what he must. ]
no subject
[Perhaps it is better to accept his help rather than embarrass herself further. Good thing it is only the two of them here. She would demand to be killed on the spot if anyone else had seen.]
no subject
With her consent properly dispensed and not another single word, he hooks one hand under her knees and the other around the small of her back, scooping her arms with the effort of someone who picks up a feathery pillow while making their bed in a still sleepy haze: automatic and easy, if not entirely focused.
And if that haze persists, if his eyes linger on hers and he forgets a breath and a beat in his chest with her pressed so close to him... well, perhaps he, too, has only himself to blame. But can he really be assigned fault for wishing to keep her right here in his arms, safe from her own shortsighted pride and the ill intent of others? ]
no subject
Not... this! Whatever this is! The indignity of it! Like she is some swaddled babe in the arms of a guardian. What an embarrassment! She's frozen in shock for quite a bit, but it is not long before she uselessly wriggles like an indignant toddler: kicking her feet and squirming in his arms.]
What is the meaning of this?!
no subject
I am helping you. [ The plain and simple truth, his eyes still fixed down on her and rather unfazed by her (childish, maybe, but oddly endearing) protests-- he does keep a strong grip on her, after all, no risk of another prideful fall. ] You did agree to it, did you not?
[ Did he omit some small part of what he had in mind? Maybe. But it doesn't matter! All that matters is that he'll be loading her up onto her mount-- or, well, he'll be trying to. She'll scare the horse away if she keeps this up! ]
1/2
Agree to this?
[At this point he might as well just cart her over to his horse and cradle her while they travel back to—]
no subject
How awful! What a terrible thought! To be gazed upon so fondly by an enemy! Could she even bear it?]
no subject
He is, however, unabashedly comfortable with carrying her, so do forgive him if he takes a moment longer than absolutely necessary to come up with a solution to his self-inflicted conundrum? It's... for the sake of Fódlan. ]
Would you be opposed to riding with me?
[ Under different circumstances, with her body in his arms and his face so close to hers, this could almost be suspected of innuendo. ]
no subject
[It's not a "no" but it is a form of protest. Though to be quite fair Edelgard wasn't half as drunk when she got on the horse because she had a bit more to drink on the journey here.]