#rupert von vestra

[quillfulwriter]

Words: 950 | Rating: T

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[askhubertvonvestra]

Kid Hubert: Father said we're not to cry.

Adult Hubert: That's because Father is incapable of human emotion. You are 10. Cry if you feel like it.

[askhubertvonvestra]

Oh that’s a relief Hubie. I hope that you treat any future kids that you have in the future much better than your father ever did.

That... is a large margin. Don’t misunderstand me, I will make every possible effort to being a better parent than my father was. But there are times when the sheer ineptitude of his caregiving strikes me as if for the first time.

If you’ll excuse me, I’ve business to tend to. Thank you for your kind wishes.

[askhubertvonvestra]

Pats Hubert on the back very gently. Hubert don't beat yourself up on that memory. How were you supposed to save here at that age. You were a child Hubert so don't blame anybody but those who took her away. Gives him a big hug then quickly lets go of him because you know Hubert's a grumpy gus when it comes to receiving any types of affection and comfort.

...Hm. I saw the warnings. I was aware my father began acting differently, and I misattributed it to the passing of my mother. I had years to see the truth of the matter, and I didn't. Perhaps if I'd been fully ignorant, I might have pardoned myself. But I did see, and I chose not to pursue the truth. What resulted from that is my failing, and I'm merely taking accountability for that.

They might not have taken her had I acted. Had her father been warned, or my father revealed for the traitor he was, there is a chance that events may have been altered. That the Hresvelgs might have survived, even in part.

But you can be certain I blame those who stole her away all the same. They will be held accountable as well, and with more ruthlessness for their attempts to elude the consequences.

Still... your attentiveness to my personal space is appreciated.

[askhubertvonvestra]

Lord Vestra, you often speak of your bond with Her Majesty Edelgard. But what about the previous emperor, Ionius the IXth? Given what happened between your father and Her father, I imagine that your relationship with Emperor Ionius was quite... complex. Did you two ever get closure on the regrettable incidents which occured on the Insurrection of the Seven?

I... do, yes. What we share is a significant aspect of my life.

Emperor Ionius IX, may he find rest with our victory, withdrew into himself after the incident that led to so many tragedies for House Hresvelg. Prior to that, I was welcome at the table to eat with the royal family and often present in their measured free time. With them gone, well, we had no reason to see one another. I suspect even the sight of me was enough to cause pain, particularly as I grew and began... to have more of a resemblance.

I cannot say he blamed me, exactly, although he had every right to. It merely weighed on him to see me alone as a reminder of all that had gone wrong in his attempt to diminish the nobility's power.

By the time Lady Edelgard returned to the Empire, all of his children were in the clutches of Those Who Slither in the Dark. He knew I was able to see them as often as those twisted creatures allowed, and I made a habit of checking with him before a visit where I was able. Whether it was a concealed gift or a message, His Majesty always had some manner of kindness to extend to his children.

We never spoke outside of those moments. It wasn't personal. As I mentioned, there were myriad reasons why he kept his distance, and I respected that.

[I'm gonna chime in here to say I think Ionius IX knew Hubert blamed himself, but he was so mired in grief... What could he say?? If it hadn't been his family, I think he could have helped Hubert. But it was and that's a lot for anyone to carry, so he just wasn't in any shape mentally to comfort Hubert. But Hubert does tend to read into these things and see his own self-loathing, oof.]

[askhubertvonvestra]

Hey Hubert. What would you say is the most physical pain you’ve ever been in? Mental pain?

I can’t fathom what would drive any logical person to ask this of someone else, so I will keep it simple for you. There is no pain I have experienced, physical or otherwise, that has been sufficient to stop me in my pursuits. I wouldn’t recommend anyone make the attempt to test my limits where that is concerned.

[Well, Hubert took that as a threat, so here we are! I’ll take over for our favorite shadow. In canon, I’d say the most physical pain he’s been in would probably be during his investigations of TWSD, because he usually ends up in their midst doing grim tasks like in his paralogue. They try to intimidate him with these assignments he’s sent on, so they probably got increasingly nightmarish as he went because of course he’s undaunted by it all. It’s not a fun time.

As for mental pain, that’s a close one in canon... But I’d have to say it was discovering his father’s betrayal of House Hresvelg. It’s fairly clear from how intensely he hates the late Vestra Sr. that he used to admire his father as all the Vestra legacy stood for. That all came crashing down on the day of the Insurrection, and Hubert was just 10. So many horrific things followed his father’s betrayal, which would’ve just compounded his pain from it all. That’s an emotional wound that won’t ever quite heal well.]

[askhubertvonvestra]

Did you ever get your butt spanked by your father when you were a kid Hubie?

Nothing so mundane as that. Hanneman would say if your child is old enough to reason with, you needn’t hit them. And if they’re not old enough, why would you hit them? But my father was not of the same disposition. Not after my mother’s passing, at any rate. I don’t remember any physical repercussions before then.

In the time following my mother’s death, my father employed more of his own... parenting tactics. I was not a child to be disciplined, but an agent to be tested and punished. The force he did resort to is not something I would care to say aloud. That was ages ago now. Best to let it remain that way.

[quillfulwriter]

Warning: Based on the concept of a whipping boy for royalty in history, so there is non-graphic violence.