"...It is, yes." Edelgard agrees, a fond look on her face. "I didn't expect to be able to enjoy something like this with her so soon." The end-goal of course was to implement her reforms, find a worthy successor who would carry her work forward, and retire, abdicating both her crown and throne to that successor. Then she and Byleth would be able to live as they pleased, without the demands of Empire coming between them. And they could have something more real than the rings on their fingers. It was a fantasy Edelgard had dreamed of, but had never hoped to reach for herself, until only a short while ago. Now she wanted it more than anything; but there was still work to be done, so much work. In many ways, fighting the Church had been the easy part. Now the real work of reintegrating Fódlan and making the change she'd long desired a reality...and Hubert's war in the shadows against Thales and his cult, the cancer at the heart of the Empire that needed to be cut out. She had not expected to enjoy any sort of real domestic bliss with Byleth before she was thirty, at least. In a way, Avalon was a dream come true for her, despite the circumstances.
"I'm sure we'll adapt. You're fortunate though, that so many of your compatriots are here already." Edelgard replies with a smile. Avalon did seem to have a fondness for Claude's version of things if the number of Golden Deer was any indication. "How have things been with the other Deer here, if you don't mind me asking?" Claude, Dorothea, Flayn...it was a good group for Marianne to find herself in.
"I don't discuss it often. In truth, I was somewhat self-conscious about it for a long time." Edelgard admits. "And I certainly don't claim to be Ignatz's equal. But Hilda? I didn't know that." Hilda was one of the few students who resisted joining the Black Eagles, and Edelgard did not know her well. Apart from their school days, the last time she'd seen the younger Goneril had been...at Deirdru. She remembered hearing Marianne—her world's Marianne, the Black Eagle—voicing concerns about having to fight her once word came in she'd been placed in charge of the Goneril forces fighting for Claude. That's right, the two of them had been rather close, even after Marianne transferred classes.
"I appreciate the sentiment, but I doubt my counterpart would have accepted." She says with a shake of her head. "Set on the path that I was, I kept myself...closed off, especially to people outside of the Black Eagles. It was easier to deal with things that way. I expect the same is true of the Edelgard of your world." It's a shame, especially after finding out they shared something in common, but a sad truth nevertheless. "I've been working on a few pieces since I arrived, if you'd like to see them later." She offers. "What kind of painting did Hilda enjoy? I'm curious. I had never pegged her for the type." Painting, even with care did tend to get a little...messy by times, and Hilda gave ever indication she tried to avoid messes as much as possible, if only to avoid the work of cleaning up afterwards.
no subject
"I'm sure we'll adapt. You're fortunate though, that so many of your compatriots are here already." Edelgard replies with a smile. Avalon did seem to have a fondness for Claude's version of things if the number of Golden Deer was any indication. "How have things been with the other Deer here, if you don't mind me asking?" Claude, Dorothea, Flayn...it was a good group for Marianne to find herself in.
"I don't discuss it often. In truth, I was somewhat self-conscious about it for a long time." Edelgard admits. "And I certainly don't claim to be Ignatz's equal. But Hilda? I didn't know that." Hilda was one of the few students who resisted joining the Black Eagles, and Edelgard did not know her well. Apart from their school days, the last time she'd seen the younger Goneril had been...at Deirdru. She remembered hearing Marianne—her world's Marianne, the Black Eagle—voicing concerns about having to fight her once word came in she'd been placed in charge of the Goneril forces fighting for Claude. That's right, the two of them had been rather close, even after Marianne transferred classes.
"I appreciate the sentiment, but I doubt my counterpart would have accepted." She says with a shake of her head. "Set on the path that I was, I kept myself...closed off, especially to people outside of the Black Eagles. It was easier to deal with things that way. I expect the same is true of the Edelgard of your world." It's a shame, especially after finding out they shared something in common, but a sad truth nevertheless. "I've been working on a few pieces since I arrived, if you'd like to see them later." She offers. "What kind of painting did Hilda enjoy? I'm curious. I had never pegged her for the type." Painting, even with care did tend to get a little...messy by times, and Hilda gave ever indication she tried to avoid messes as much as possible, if only to avoid the work of cleaning up afterwards.