Disclaimer: Have not finished reading either of their routes, so take this with a huge grain of salt. Please don't spoil anything for me.
Disclaimer 2: I have an obvious bias
A physical fight between Gilbert and Vlad sees Vlad coming in with an extreme advantage in the form of his superhuman speed, strength, and stamina. While Gilbert has more formal (military) and informal (books) expertise in combat, Vlad has literal centuries of knowledge and experience to draw on. But I don't know how often Vlad has ever needed to evoke any particular combat tactic or technique, because he usually just mows over human or lesser vampire combatants. Then again, even if he's out of practice, there's no reason for him to have to resort to methodical combat because of the sheer scale of that power indifference. If he hypothetically did have to, I'm sure he could slip into any formal battle stance at the drop of a hat.
The threat that Gilbert brings is his genius, his knowledge, careful planning, and frickin pureblood-annihilating bullets. I wouldn't be surprised if Gilbert somehow got his hands on the very weapon that scarred Vlad. But he would never fight Vlad in a setting where Vlad has room to zip around with ease. So it would have to be some sort of cramped and labyrinthine location. Somewhere with the potential to disorient Vlad. Speaking of which, Gilbert is an illusionist, so that's something else he can employ. But it would be ideal for him to get the battle over with as quickly as possible because there's no way in hell he can wait for Vlad to just randomly fall asleep... Or maybe he can :')
But what about Vlad's sleepytime dreamland brainwashy geas powers? All Vlad has to do is get close enough to Gilbert to whisper into his ears. If this happens, Gilbert would either break out of the hold with ease or do what Leonardo did in the stageplay and pretend to be under Vlad's control. All the while designing a truly diabolical trap around Vlad.
Practically speaking, I don't think Gilbert would ever take on Vlad to begin with because of how high his chances of losing in a one-on-one brawl are. He would instead attempt to incapacitate or imprison Vlad in more a roundabout way. Spiking Faust's syringe, spiking the strawberries on that shortcake, etc.
Inspired by a post by @redheadkittys from a long time ago and @vvvavaaa's detailed analysis of suitor vs suitors
Author's Note ~ This fic is pretty much just because I could. lol I hope you enjoy!
Warnings ~ Mentions of main character death, talk of war, depression/anxiety (MC), separation anxiety, trauma, hurt/comfort
You raced through the castle at top speed, passing confused maids and ignoring Clavis when he goaded you as you passed. "Excited for something, little rabbit?" He cackled as the wind from your speed tousled his hair. But not even Clavis could ruffle you feathers today. Nothing else mattered, because he was back.
Your lover was to return today from a bloody battle at the border between Rhodolite and Obsidian. He had been away for three months and the castle had seemed vacant without him, despite the fact that the other leading faction of royals had remained in their absence. Chevalier's faction was due to march out the next day to finish the war while Leon's returning faction would stay at the castle to guard it against any possible attacks.
Your only concern was a certain auburn-haired prince, with eyes as rich as red wine and a smile that could send even the tamest women into a tizzy. When he told you those three months ago that he would be leading his troops with Leon's faction into war, you were terrified. You had clung to him like a child, willing him by prayer alone not to go, even though you knew that as a prince, it was his duty, and that he would not abandon it. He had reminded you not to worry before he left, and that he was stronger than he looked. That had earned a giggle bubbling from your lips, because Jin Grandet looked like one of the strongest men in the world: towering above most of the other princes, and muscular from head to toe. He was masculine and angular, and at a glance looked as though he could take on a bull and have a fairly good chance.
His assurance helped you, but it didn't chase away the many nightmares that conjured images you dared not imagine in your waking moments, and Jin would wake with you almost every night to fix tea for you and stroke your hair until you finally settled back into his broad chest to sleep. The nightmares only worsened after Jin left with his troops and the other princes. They became more frequent, happening every time you drifted off. You became like the waking dead, zombified during the day, slogging through the castle with severe dark circles under your eyes, unable to properly focus on Sariel's lessons. But instead of a lecture from your tutor, he wordlessly set up a cot in his office so that you could rest while he watched over you, waking you if you showed signs of stirring in your sleep.
He wasn't the only one, either. Luke would bake honey cakes with special sleeping herbs in them to help you doze peacefully, and often let you sleep on his legs in the garden. Nokto often took you with him to parties to help you focus on something besides Jin, and Clavis had even transformed his pranking style into things that would actually make you laugh, like somehow managing to fill your entire room with party balloons between your half hour naps, or stuffing dinner napkins in the toes of your shoes to make you think your feet had grown overnight. You even received a modicum of kindness from the Brutal Beast. You would trudge into the library to search for a book assigned by Sariel and find it and several others that were of the less instructional persuasion in a neat pile at your favorite reading spot. The three months without Jin had been insurmountably difficult, but you had survived because of the other princes and Sariel.
You made a mental note to get a gift to thank each of them later as you reached the front doors of the palace and wrenched them open. Leon was front and center in the returning throng, and his troops followed him up the path. You sprinted down the steps to reach the gate that the palace guards were creaking open, and waited for Leon to reach you. The closer he got, the more worn down he looked. You noticed a few scratches littering his handsome face, and as he rode through the gate and dismounted near you, you saw the ache in his eyes. They had taken quite a beating.
Leon strode up to you and wrapped you up in his arms. "Good to have a hug from you again." He sighed, the weight in his voice not escaping your notice.
"You too, Leon. I'm glad you're okay." You rubbed his back a few times before releasing him just in time to see Licht ride through the gate, his soldiers following behind. Thankfully, Licht seemed mostly unscathed, but the darkness in his eyes told you that his body was the only thing that didn't sustain damage. Yves and his soldiers came trotting afterwards. "Oh, Yves!" You exclaimed once you caught sight of the bloody cloth that covered the side of his head.
He looked down at you from his horse with a pained expression before glancing back at Leon behind you and jumping down. "Yves, are you okay?!" You cried, getting closer to the dressed wound.
"I'm fine!" Yves sputtered, but then his gaze darkened. It was only then that you took a pause and glanced around. Yves's soldiers were still filing through the gate, but there seemed to be so many more of them than you remembered. Only seconds passed before you took in the different colored uniforms.
"Hey, where's Jin?" You turned to Leon, confusion in your eyes. When his gaze slid away from yours, you turned to Yves. "Yves," you breathed, feeling your heart begin to thud ominously against your ribcage. "Yves, where is Jin?"
"Emma, I- I tried! I did everything I could! I-"
But you had gone deaf to his explanations. Your eyes had found the soldiers in the rear of the procession, carrying a body bound in heavy cloths with grim expressions.
"No..." You whispered, as if to yourself. "NOOO!!" A scream erupted from your heart with so much force that you felt it crack inside of you. "No no no no no! Jin! JIN!" Leon and Yves surrounded you, doing their best to shield your eyes from the soldiers with Jin's body, but it was no use. Your world had already splintered into pieces, and your wails of mourning were heard all throughout Rhodolite.
~
You gasped, shooting straight up in your bed with tears streaking your cheeks in rivers of anguish. Your breathing was labored as the image of Jin's body wrapped in cloth haunted the space just behind your eyes, and your vision clouded over as the oxygen you consumed lessened with each incoming breath. You were on the verge of slipping into unconsciousness when a strong hand took hold of your shoulder and pulled you into a warm chest. You turned your head to find your lover with a concerned half-lidded gaze on you. "Jin," you murmured, your hands flying to his skin, touching him all over to make sure he was real. But touching him wasn't enough, so you swiveled in his grasp and settled yourself onto his legs before continuing your panicked exploration of his body, warm and alive and safe, here with you.
"Did you have the nightmare again, sweetheart?" he asked gently, his hand coming up to brush your hair from your eyes. You only nodded as you continued to feel him, finally bringing your head to his chest and settling your ear against his heart.
Boom boom, boom boom
You sighed, at last allowing some of the tension to leave your muscles. Jin wrapped his strong arms around you and pulled you close, dropping tender kisses on the top of your head as his hands caressed your back. "Jin is okay," you muttered under your breath. "Jin is alive, he is okay. He came back from war two weeks ago with Leon's faction. He is okay." You repeated the phrases like a mantra, willing your heart and mind to remember them and believe them. Jin's hold tightened around your shaking body and he leaned in close to you.
"I'm okay, baby. I didn't leave you. I'm here, I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere."
After you cried several more unshed tears and shared countless deep, aching kisses with your lover, you were able to slip into slumber against his chest at last, listening to his heartbeat well into the world of your dreams.
~
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