🐎🌨 — It had been twenty minutes since their depature from the winter lodge; both Edelgard and the archbishop upon their horses, dressed appropriately for the weather. Whether the fact that they had rode together initially was intentional or not, they kept upon the same path; never quite filling the air with chatter, and instead choosing to keep their musings to themselves. The sun peeks through thick, white clouds overhead— a gentle dawn, casting its rays upon the snow.
If Hubert were to know of this little trip, he would certainly be appalled— alone with the archbishop, upon a mountain trail. In what state of mind could Edelgard have possibly been? She can’t quite bring herself to dwell on it; if Hubert would keep the explanations behind his actions to himself, then she would do the same. Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer, as they say. And perhaps the archbishop was no enemy to her yet— but that would change with time. She didn’t have enough moments to doubt that.
“Lady Rhea,” Edelgard breaks the long-held silence, fog rolling from her lips and into the crisp, morning air. “I suppose I should thank you for allowing this excursion. The scenery here is quite wonderful.”
“The expanse of the mountain range is certainly impressive...” Her gaze travels towards the stretch of trees, thick with firs and pines; the smell of dank bark permeates the air ever so slightly. She looks back towards the archbishop; a new expression upon her face— something one could’ve mistaken for mischief. “So, how about a game? Let’s make it a race: the first to the edge of the forest wins.”
The look in her eyes is confident, set deep into lavender hues with a fierce competitiveness. It’s an expression told to be a shared trait of the Hresvelg line, one passed through generations— and Edelgard is no exception. A small smile curls the ends of her lips upwards, head tilted slightly as she urges her mount slightly on. “Shall we?”
Ever since the near disaster at Remire Village Rhea had decided that no House Leader should go on even a short hike without the protection of church faculty. That was one of the reasons she had come along on this outing to Charon territory in the first place. When Edelgard, leader of the Black Eagles, had requested an early morning ride Rhea had opted to join her rather than summon one of the church guards from their temporary posts here. Seteth had worried, of course, but Rhea had been adamant that if the heir of Adrestria felt she wanted to ride and see this side of the Ogham Mountains then she should certainly be allowed. That was what they had erected the Officer’s Academy for, was it not? She had gone over the trail inch by inch with Seteth and assured him she was just as capable of protecting Edelgard as any of the knights.
Thus, the activity had been approved and Rhea was glad for it. There was something about the etiquette being under another person’s roof and roaming their halls that was simply exhausting. She had been looking forward to this time to spread her wings, so to speak. The Hresvelg child had been quiet for the ride except for in the very beginning when they had discussed and agreed upon their general direction. Rhea was fine with that, thankful even that she could breathe in deeply and hold the crisp mountain air there as she went over her morning prayers upon horse rather than at one of Garreg Mach’s altars.
Edelgard seemed deep in thought herself when Rhea turned to check her progress. She rode at a slow cantor, gaze lifted toward the heavens. There was, she supposed, a seriousness and contemplativeness to the child that Rhea had not seen in the Hresvelg line for many an age. Interesting, she thought idly, perhaps that Hanneman man’s theory of crest inheritors sharing dominant personality traits with their crest originators had not been entirely without evidence; but then again, Rhea had never met the other current Hresvelg children.
She came back to herself at Edelgard’s thanks, nodding magnanimously even as she still took in the words. “Of course,” she replied and guided her horse a bit closer so that they might be at a better distance to converse, “all of the Houses have shown much progress this year and this was an opportunity we felt you were all ready for. I am pleased to hear it has been beneficial to you thus far.”
Rhea followed Edelgard’s gaze to the treeline, unsure if the comment had merely been made based on decorum. They still had some ways to go on the mountain path because they had been taking such a slow and steady pace. When she felt eyes upon her again, however, Rhea could not mistake the intent there and upon the realization of that intent she felt surprisingly eager. It had been some time since someone had looked upon her as a challenger.
“A game,” Rhea repeated, drawing the word out. Edelgard’s small smile and fierce gaze did not change and the archbishop found herself nodding in approval. She adjusted once more so that her horse might come to stand beside Edelgard’s. Rhea gauged the distance to the forest and back before turning to Edelgard again.
“I shall accept, although you must understand I am strictly off hours now.” She was thankful once again that the path she and Seteth had set for the ride was far enough away from the manor that they most likely would be seen partaking in such a challenge. Rhea pulled the reigns into position and snapped her fingers as the Major Crest of Seiros manifest in the air before them.
“The disappearance of the crest shall be our count. I look forward to seeing your skill.”
