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Imperial Year 1185 ➳ Flayn
(Derdriu fell and the burgeoning league of nobles known as the Leicester Alliance was disbanded. Annexation by the Empire had gone... surprisingly smooth, almost as if it was meant to happen. Of course, it didn't go without some problems. People are complicated, especially when morals and loyalties are involved.
Ordelia and Gloucester were the first to give in and together, the two houses led much of the transition. House Riegan was no more and Edmund easily conceded once they realized there was no point in fighting. All that remained was Goneril which had long been the strength of the Alliance. Holst Goneril was no fool. Even he could see that he was against all odds and he would have to give in. They knew this at their last Roundtable meeting, when Claude had gathered them all together for their final meeting and explained their options.
This isn't the Alliance's war. If Derdriu falls, they give in to the Empire. Resisting would destroy their lands, lead to suffering, and despair. They'd done well for five years, protecting their neutrality. They'd held their own for so long that their territories had become sanctuaries for those fleeing the war's destruction. He'd thanked Goneril for protecting their borders and Edmund for helping with the financial burden of taking in so many refugees. He'd thanked Ordelia for helping them save as many people as they could and he'd even thanked Gloucester for all of his support balancing these extra responsibilities.
Wouldn't it be a shame if all of their efforts went to waste because of something like pride? As nobles, their duties were to the people. Protect them. Evacuate Derdriu, prepare for battle, lure the Empire in deeply to avoid widespread casualty and destruction and if that isn't enough... If Derdriu falls... protect the people. Surrender. As the Alliance's leader, he would either die in battle or step down and in turn, the duty would fall on Gloucester to lead the others through what happened next.
But the empire had killed his sister. They'd killed Hilda. And Holst wasn't going to let that go easily. Gloucester and the other nobles had tried to reason with him and little by little, he'd begun to relent.
This was fine. The Empire didn't have to worry about Goneril who would inevitably give in. Edelgard wasn't a cruel Emperor nor was Byleth Eisner. They would led the Duke grieve. His lands were the furthest from the Empire and would take time to assimilate anyway. In the meantime, they would move on to crushing the Church and the Kingdom.)
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(He says it easily, like it's already been decided how long she'll stay here at the very least. Is he wrong, though? As impressive as Byleth and Edelgard are, it will take more than a year to really get Fodlan. )
That's the nice thing about the new year. A new one always comes.
(Time keeps going. The world keeps moving.
When she looks up, he's looking out at the garden but he isn't ignoring her. He's just never really done well with being open and even now, it's difficult for him to really meet others directly. He can hear her smiling and if she'd bothered to really look at him for that moment, she might have noticed he was also smiling, small, warm, and with his eyes.
It'll take a lot to bridge their nations but he believes in it.
... And it's nice to hear someone else believe, too.)
Don't mention it. (He's not the type to turn his back on someone in need.) And if you have any trouble, let me know.
Like learning some Almyran. (He shifts some, turning his attention back onto her properly,) How about "thank you."
(And he says a word next, something definitely not from Fodlan but simple enough. He'll say it and once more, slowly for her to try.
It's around now that a servant swings by to drop off a tray with some wraps for them and to refill their tea. He raises his cup to his lips. He isn't going to say anything so...)
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He isn't wrong. It will be a while - even with the war over, it will take quite some time before Edelgard and Byleth have everything settled enough at home to even begin thinking about diplomatic relations with Almyra. If she knows this, then Claude certainly does, which means he won't suggest it too soon.
But even if they were to have Fódlan settled more quickly than that, even if Claude was to reach out to them, it would certainly take much longer than that to convince Edelgard not to have her killed the same way as Rhea.
(Especially with Those Who Slither in the Dark being a persistent presence, there - but Flayn doesn't know much about that just yet. That's a problem to discover and deal with in the future.)
She doesn't quite catch the look on his face before he turns his attention back to her, and then when he does, she's more focused on getting the pronunciation of the words that he's teaching her just right. She mumbles it under her breath, first, and thinks that she'll be able to practice it a little more before she really has to use it -
But then there's a servant appearing to bring them food and refill their tea, and well, there's no time like the present, is there?
She tries to catch the servant's eye, smiles, and speaks:]
Thank you.
[...it's in Almyran, and her accent is distinctly Fódlan, but hopefully it won't sound too strange?
She isn't quite able to stop herself from glancing at Claude out of the corner of her eye to gauge if she's done that well or not.]
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Claude tips his head, acknowledging the exchange and signaling that the servant can leave for now. He then sets his cup down soundlessly on the tray and smiles at Flayn,)
"Good." (A simple phrase in response followed by explanation,) That was good. (Perfectly understandable. ) You'll have more chances to practice, too.
(And she'll only get better.)
There are people here who will understand you. Tomorrow, you'll meet some of them.
(Friends of his mother, retainers that have supported her and looked out for him growing up.)
Some of the guards will know, too. They pick up things on their assignments... so it's always been one of the more popular languages for them. (If you understand the enemy, you stand a better chance against them, after all. But these days, tensions have been dying down. Almyra hasn't attacked Fodlan in years and there's been a shift away from battles and fighting to more scholarly and artistic pursuits. Something like the beginning of a renaissance of sorts. Even he'd been surprised when he returned and saw how much things had changed. It really is the perfect climate for his plans.) Actually, some of them might want to practice with you.
(And he makes a note to speak to Nader and re-arrange some of the posts in the palace to let this happen. New year, new posts.)
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She murmurs the word to herself, trying to commit it to memory, and then looks up when Claude speaks.
She smiles again, delighted. Learning something new is always exciting.]
I will be looking forward to it.
[...the chances to practice, and the chances to talk with more people.]
Oh, do you think that they might? That is sort of exciting... I have never helped someone practice a language before.
[inb4 a whole bunch of Almyrans start speaking very, very formally because she does.]
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(Once Edelgard's war is over and Fodlan's locket is inevitably torn down, there will be a need for people who can communicate with both sides. There's already a budding interest in Almyra within certain circles and if he can foster those and help them grow, he'll be better prepared on his side when he's ready to make his return.)
It's easier when both sides want to communicate or have some other motivation. (Like wanting to understand the enemy's commands so you can react accordingly but hey, it still counts. He won't begrudge the soldiers that made the effort.) What do you want to talk about?
(He tilts his head slightly to one side. He might have agreed to take Flayn under his protection but the truth is... he really doesn't know much about her. They didn't interact much when they were students and even then... well, he would say the two of them were probably among the school's more curious mysteries.)
We never talked much before.
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The answer to that is everything, really, but that seems like a cop-out. There are so many things that, even after all her years, she doesn't know. Living a sheltered life under Seteth's watchful eye has left her with quite a lot of knowledge from books (and even that is limited) rather than from firsthand experience.
At the monastery, she'd spoken with her classmates and the professors about anything she possible could. If she heard that one of them had experience with something she'd never seen before, she'd never been able to stop herself from asking about it - Manuela with the opera, Ferdinand with his armor, Byleth with their secrets... She is well aware that her own worldview is about as narrow as it's possible to be, but it's not like she wants to keep it that way.]
I would like to hear more about what life is like here. Not just for people who live in the palace, but... for people who live in the more distant parts of Almyra, as well.
[She looks thoughtful.]
...I want to hear about other people's experiences. Yours, as well, if you are willing to share them.
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(He can't help but smile. It isn't exactly what he'd asked-- really, he wanted to know more about her interests. What did she like to do? Did she have any hobbies? If he thinks about it, he can only really recall her as a talented healer. Though, he does recall her dancing rather impressively at the White Heron Tournament so at least now he remembers she's a dancer of sorts.
And yet, this answer is somehow... better than what he expected.)
I'm surprised. We didn't get to talk much before we came here but... there aren't many people from Fodlan who would say what you have.
(No one would be interested in Almyra.)
Most people seem to think they know all they need to know about Almyra. (And all of it was wrong, mind you.) Well, you know what they say: "Wise is the one who knows nothing."
(Helping himself to more snacks,)
First things first... I should probably explain some things.
(Where does he even begin. He'd practiced this a few times before, running through what he would say in his head while Flayn was asleep but now that she's up... well, he seems to be a bit caught off guard,)
Do you remember what I told you on our way here? My mother is from the Alliance and a long time ago, she left Fodlan to elope with my father. It's probably obvious considering we're in a palace and all... but my father is the Malik, the King of Almyra.
(His mother had run away from home to marry a king.)
And here, they know me as "Khalid," the eighth prince of Almyra. Hardly significant as far as the line of succession goes.
(At least, for now. His actions in the war back in Fodlan had certainly improved his standing some but it's too soon to really tell by how much, not when they'd arrived at a time when the court was dismissed for the new year celebrations and little could be discussed.)
I don't usually stay at the palace. (Much of his childhood had been spent training with Nader, camping in the wilderness, staying in a small and humble apartment on his own, and occasionally spending time with his family at the different palaces and seasonal homes during special times of the year. He'd probably be at one of those homes right now if the situation was so unique right now.) But in light of things with our old neighbor...
(Fodlan.)
I'm needed here to help understand the situation.
(Among... other things but he chooses to not overload her with too much information when she's just woken up.)
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So, she leans forward slightly, her eyes bright and curious, as Claude begins to explain, and sips at her tea as he does.]
That is rather odd, though... I cannot think of many within Fódlan who have actually visited Almyra. How could they possibly know?
[...well, some have visited the border for battle, but -
That really isn't the same thing at all.
What he says next certainly derails those thoughts, though. There is a lot about Almyra that people clearly don't know - the identity of the members of the royal family, for one. Had Rhea known, over the course of the year Claude was a part of the Officers Academy?
She can't imagine that she did. Surely she would have at least mentioned it to Seteth. Surely she would have at least overheard something it, even if it had not been mentioned to her...
No, she thinks. Rhea is not exactly a blabbermouth, but if she had known, others would have. The rumors about Claude would have been very, very different.
Perhaps more unpleasant than they already were, in fact.
She mulls that over, then sets her teacup down with a nod.]
I see. Ah—
[...hm. Where to start.]
Is there anything that I can do to be of assistance with that...?
[She should, perhaps, but more startled by the fact that he's royalty.
But whether he's Claude or Khalid, whether he's the grandson of Duke Riegan or the son of the King of Almyra - he's still himself, isn't he? He's the same person who brought her to safety and is looking out for her even now.
In her mind, it doesn't change too much.]
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(He takes a bite of a piece of candied fruit and mulls for a moment.
The honest and simple answer is yes. Despite how things turned out in the end, Flayn had been a member of the Black Eagle class. Even if it was years ago and they went their separate ways, Flayn is more familiar with those who currently hold power in Fodlan. She knew Edelgard. She knew the Adrestian elite. She knew the Black Eagle Strike Force. She might even know some of the key players from the Kingdom given the Holy Alliance. But most importantly she knew Byleth. Had known Byleth. )
... Don't worry about it right now. You've been through a lot and you just woke up, you know? You seem fine now but being in a new land can be... shocking, to put it lightly.
(On this, he can speak from experience.)
Catch your bearings, make yourself at home, and worry about yourself for now, okay? (And he quickly holds up a finger to stop her in case she wants to say something along the lines of-- (Ahem, changing his voice to speak as primly as he can)) "But I can not. I must do something."
Yeah. (He figures she'd say something like that. Or is thinking it at least. He smiles lightly, trying to keep the mood light still,) I'm sure you'll find something to keep you preoccupied. The truth is, I probably will need your help later but at the moment? I've got it taken care of.
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In the end, even Edelgard - it didn't seem like she'd been expecting their teacher to join hands with her. She had, in the end, but the choice she'd made had been a surprise to them all. How well could any of them claim to know Byleth Eisner, really? The choices she'd made - from joining Edelgard in the first place to not hunting Seteth and Flayn down in the immediate aftermath of that battle, although she certainly could have ended them before they'd made it far, are baffling to her.
...but she can try to help. What's the point in having survived so long if she doesn't?]
But I—
[Claude cuts her off with exactly what she's about to say, and she falls silent, her eyes widening slightly and her cheeks faintly flushing with embarrassment. Maybe he knows her better than she thought he did, or maybe she's just predictable.
She manages a slightly awkward smile in return.]
...very well. When you do need my assistance, I will gladly provide it... but for now, I will... get used to being here, and make myself familiar with this place and its people.
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Good.
(She seems to be going along with it easily enough. He's not really sure if he'd be able to put up much of a fight if she wanted to argue it. She's just so cute and earnest, you know? He'd feel mean turning her down.)
So here's how it's going to work. (As ever, he has a plan,) We'll get you checked out as soon as possible. I can't be there with you but like I said, you can trust Fatima. I'll let mother know you're awake, too, and you'll meet her tomorrow. It's been a while since someone from home visited... she can't wait to meet you, you know?
(And knowing his mother, she'll probably use their conversation to figure out which retainer to lend Flayn while she stays. Likely Fatima since they would have met by then but he knows better than to speak for his mother. She can speak for herself when they meet tomorrow.)
Tomorrow is for celebrating. We'll talk business and all of the boring stuff after. So if you think of anything you want to ask or need, let me know, 'kay?