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a crimson light
Fandom: Fire Emblem Three Houses
Character(s): Hubert, Flayn
Pairing(s): Flayn/Hubert
Genre: Drama/Fluff
Word Count: 1,050
Rating: PG
Warnings: None
Summary: Flayn joins Edelgard's side. Hubert eventually gets used to the idea.
Notes:
Hubert has never believed that Flayn was the age she claimed to be, but she seems even less like a child in this moment. She carries herself with an impossible dignity and shows no sign of fear when she meets Hubert’s eyes.
“You understand our goals,” Hubert says. “And your part in our preparations.”
“To destroy the power of the church and the nobility, and to remove Rhea,” she says. “You worked together with the Agarthans to kidnap me and take my blood.”
Is that what their name is? Certainly easier to say than ‘those who slither in the dark’. “Knowing that, why would you ally with us?”
“My aunt has not been herself for a long time. Knowing what she has done to other people, to the professor… you are not wrong to want her out of power.” She takes a breath. “I ask that you capture rather than kill her - as long as she is out of power, your goals should be served equally well. In exchange, I will tell you all I know, and assist you to the best of my ability.”
Hubert trusts none of this. Information is valuable, but so is not being an idiot and letting someone who has every reason to want to destroy you on your side.
But he looks to Edelgard, and she gives a tiny nod.
“You should be grateful,” he says. “If your information is good, we might spare you. Start talking.”
Flayn looks to Edelgard and inclines her head a tiny bit. “Thank you. …Let us begin with introductions. My name is Cethleann.”
If Hubert didn’t expect Flayn to betray them at any moment already, he would have assumed she’d do so as soon as Byleth disappeared.
But Flayn stays. She gives them useful knowledge about both the Nabateans and the Agarthans, though she has a thousand year hole in her knowledge from when she was in isolation. She does not take the field in battle, but she tends to the wounded.
It’s unsurprising that the Agarthans find out about her presence, though certainly neither Hubert nor Edelgard told them anything. Edelgard negotiates: her information is useful for defeating Rhea, who is the far larger threat; she can be dealt with after the war; the call on whether to keep her alive for now is hers and not theirs. Hubert does not need to be instructed to begin testing Flayn’s food for poison.
Despite all that, Flayn keeps her head held high.
“I hope Father is well.”
Hubert turns to her; five years with no signs of betrayal and he’s finally able to take his eyes off her without concern for a knife in the back. “You are on opposite sides of a war.”
“I know that,” she says. Her mouth sets in a grim line that doesn’t suit her. “But he is still my father. He does not approve of Seiros’ actions any more than I do, I know.”
Hubert snorts. “Bold words speaking of a man who is her loyal second.”
“If Edelgard began to walk a path you disapproved of,” Flayn asks, unphased, “would you leave?”
…Being compared to Seteth of all people stings, but she has a point.
Being fussed at by Flayn chafes more than it stings.
“It is terribly late,” she says, arms folded. “How long do you intend to work?”
“Until the work is done.” He doesn’t even turn towards her as he turns a page.
“You are well aware that the work is never done!” She huffs. “You are in need of sleep, Hubert.”
“I can go without sleep without major consequence,” he replies.
“Hm… I seem to recall someone saying the same to me, who was it…” Flayn pretends to think. “Oh yes. It was Aunt Seiros telling me that a lack of sleep would not impair her judgment.”
…arguing that it’s different when it’s him would just be another way of admitting defeat. Hubert puts out the candle.
“Hello, Aunt Seiros,” Flayn says, quiet.
Rhea snarls from the other side of the bars. Flayn doesn’t flinch. “Ungrateful child…! After everything I’ve done for you, you’d side with the ones who stole Mother away-”
“That sword is not Sothis. Sothis is dead.” She keeps her voice level. “I am sorry that Father and I did not recognize how much you were suffering before, how much you were unwell. But I simply cannot allow things to continue this way.” She looks to Hubert. “…The sleeping draught.”
Administering a sleeping draught to Rhea is not easily done, even with her drugged to keep her from transforming. Hubert’s hands are bitten several times, but eventually he gets the potion down her throat. Rhea spits curses at him and Flayn until she passes out on the cell floor.
“…Goodnight. Have sweet dreams.” At last, Flayn’s voice starts to tremble.
Hubert doesn’t know what to say, so he doesn’t say anything.
Convincing Seteth that the Empire had not been holding Flayn hostage all this time, that she willingly joined them and refused to leave, might be more difficult than convincing the Agarthans not to kill Flayn right away had been. And that didn’t even work, judging by how many times Flayn’s food was poisoned.
“You know as well as I do that Seiros was not in her right mind, Father,” Flayn says. “She set fire to Fhirdiad! With its citizens still inside!”
“I’m not arguing that she has needed rest for a long time now,” Seteth says. He’s looking at Hubert rather than at Flayn. “But these… people don’t have your best interests at heart. You’re being taken advantage of-”
Flayn huffs. “You have not changed at all. You are always like this with boys I like!”
…what?
Seteth splutters for a moment, looking about as startled as Hubert feels. “That and this are different…!”
“It is exactly the same. For the last time, I am old enough to choose who I spend my time with! Thank you for visiting, Father, you may return once you can treat me like an adult, goodbye!”
Flayn whirls on her heel and takes Hubert’s hand to drag him away. Hubert is too busy recontextualizing every interaction he’s ever had with Flayn to resist.
If he didn’t already know Seteth wanted to kill him, he definitely does now.