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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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As time goes by, Flayn sees less and less of Claude - or Khalid, as the people here call him. (She's trying hard to remember to use that name; she's just known him as Claude for so long that, well... old habits die hard.)
It's understandable, she thinks; this is his home. Not only that, but it's his court, and he's a member of the royal family - of course he has many duties to tend to. She knows she can't expect him to see him as often as she'd seen him around at Garreg Mach (although even that wasn't terribly often, given that they were in separate classes). Still, it's a little lonely.
So she keeps herself busy, too. She practices her Almyran, she acquaints herself with the others in the palace that she does see more often - servants and guards looking to practice speaking Fodlan's language, Fatima (who she has a lot of interesting conversations with regarding magic and medicine), and others in Tiana's circle who have probably been sent over from time to time to keep her company on her behest.
Today, she's decided to work on her language practice out in the gardens. It's nice out here, and she's managed to get her hands on the same book (a children's book of fables, which is a little bittersweet; she remembers Seteth making up fables to entertain her, when she was young) in both languages - she starts by reading it in Almyran, only opening up the book from Fodlan when she encounters a word or phrase she doesn't recognize.
She's concentrating very hard! She probably wouldn't notice if someone were to, say, approach from behind her. Or even in front of her, given that her eyes are on the book and not her surroundings...]
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He might have lost the war but he didn't leave without friends and allies. He'd been a leader in Fodlan and had considerable connections, ones that he was more than willing to share if people would just listen to him.
... And some of them do. He manages to convince some of his brothers and sisters to listen to him, some who are in positions of leadership themselves or married to people could be useful. But then there are the ones that he has no relations to. The capital is located centrally but closer to the east.
The leaders in the eastern cities and villages are further removed from Fodlan. They know less and care less for their neighbor to the west. This works in his favor. Their indifference is easier to appeal to, meaning their expectations are fewer. Of course, this means working harder, starting from the beginning, having to explain more things, and just trying to get them to care at all but he can see that he's making progress.
The leaders in the west are trickier. Closer to Fodlan and always taking the brunt of Fodlan's attacks, they're apprehensive at best and disdainful at worst. Some of the leaders refuse to negotiate and would rather advocate attacking Fodlan while it is vulnerable and weak. They won't, of course; at least, not outright; not without the king's permission. So instead, they speak against Claude, become his greatest critics, and refuse to give him much time at all.
This is fine. He's no stranger to challenge. He can work with this. He just has to come up with the right scheme...
All of this is to say he's been busy and while he's tried to check in on Flayn, it's obvious that his time is split. When he does manage to catch a break, he's more than willing to check on her. He helps her with her Almyran, he shows her around the palace and the gardens, using the different paintings and statues and banners to explain the history and customs of his homeland. He rarely talks about what he's been doing beyond a few passing comments-- another general that is driving him insane these days, an official who feels entitled to his time because they married his sister or something along those lines. It's all boring! At least, that's how he tries to frame it when he updates her.
Today, he catches Flayn reading. He recognizes the cover and the illustrations almost instantly and he smiles to himself. Creeping over her shoulder, he speaks suddenly,)
Ah, I remember this one. I was wondering if you'd find it.
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[Flayn drops the books.
She also, to her credit, snatches them out of the air. More specifically - she casts a very low-level wind spell to catch them for her, and then grabs them before they fall, breathing a sigh of relief as she checks them over and inspects them for damage. So far, so good - the wind formed a cushion for the covers, so it didn't blow any of the pages away.
Phew.]
My apologies! I was lost in thought...
[It's a little embarrassing to be caught out like this, but at least he caught her reading; that's respectable enough. Right now, her job is to learn and to find a place in the Almyran court. She's not shirking those duties by being here.
Although she does feel a little bad that her life so far has been more or less leisurely, while his has been busy. Although he tells her that most of his interactions with the rest of the court are boring, she knows he's working hard. How infrequently they're able to see each other is proof of that.]
It has been quite some time since I last read it. Having them side by side to compare is making it rather easy to learn! Although, I must confess I am a little worried about getting the pronunciation quite right...
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He lets out a laugh, loud and bright, a hand on his hip as he watches her save the books from a fate not nearly as bad as some of things he's done to them,)
Haha! Don't worry about it.
(Ah, but she's studying. She's always studying these days, he thinks and in some ways, it reminds him of himself when he was younger. He was never the strongest child in the family being on the smaller and thinner side compared to his older siblings. He'd always been one of the brighter ones, though, his nose always in a book or eyes on a map, his head always swimming with schemes and ideas.)
Yeah? Maybe I can help.
(Just going to take a seat on a wide bench, one of many laid out around the palace and the gardens for tea and leisure.)
My father used to read to me when I was younger... I'd listen and try to copy him.
(His father. That lion king of a man who can sometimes be seen and heard around the palace, always boisterous and busy, like he doesn't have time for anyone but the generals and officials speaking to him. Not unlike Claude in that sense but at least he doesn't have to chase down and corner his audiences for attention.)
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But what else is there for her to do but study, really? First things first is properly learning the language; she can hardly find a place for herself in the court or help him with even the smallest of his many plans if she can't understand what people are saying around her. Sure, some have been nice enough to translate for her when needed, but...
Isn't it better to be able to tell what people are saying for herself?
She takes a seat on the bench next to him after a moment, her expression curious.]
Did he? [It's a little hard to imagine - in that it's difficult to picture Malik staying still long enough to read a book, from what she saw of him at the festival and from the whispers she's heard around the court.] That is a little like how my father taught me how to read. He would recite while I looked at the pages, and...
[She hesitates. It's a little difficult to think of Seteth, even now, but it's a nice memory.]
...well, it made it quite easy to learn what symbols made which sounds.
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Ah. This really isn't the direction he expected this conversation to go but not one to let things end on a low note, he's quick to recover.)
Well, let's see. It's been a while since I've done some light reading.
(Let's go have a seat somewhere yes. He's also definitely making this sound like it's no problem for him to help. It really isn't! If anything, it's an easy way to spend his break. It's been awhile since hes' really been able to spend time with her, too, something he's sorry for. Nothing quite says "be my guest" like... leaving said guest alone for long periods of time. Yes.)
Just relax and enjoy.
(He'll read the story for her, slow and clear.)
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But she gets it. He came back here with a purpose, and bringing her along wasn't part of the plan at first. He's already done so much for her that asking for more of his attention feels like too much, especially when he has so much going on.
For now, the times they've run into each other are enough. This is enough, and she settles down to sit with him once they find somewhere to read, making herself comfortable. He speaks Almyran slowly and clearly, and she finds it easy to focus on the sound of his voice and the story he's telling. She even understands most of it, which is pretty exciting!]
What a lovely story! I can see why it is a favorite of so many children.
[...she says, in Alymran, once he's finished!!]
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It's easy enough to follow along and he simplifies some of the more dramatic parts so they're easier to understand. It's definitely a fairytale with a lesson to it, a reminder to always be proud of who you are.
When he finishes the story, his eyes widen slightly at Flayn,)
It was one of my favorites.
(He speaks fondly, like he's remembering something warm,)
You've been studying. (He gives her a wink,) I think you're ready to go out and have some real conversations with people.
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[Flayn perks up at that, and smiles brightly at his wink.
It's not that she hasn't been talking to people - she has! But it's mainly been the servants here in the palace who don't mind talking to someone from Fódlan. It's a little strange; the people sent by Tiana and Claude are kind enough to her, but they treat her with a certain amount of deference since she's a prince's guest. The people who just work in the palace and general or work directly with Claude's relatives, on the other hand...
Well, she hasn't spoken much with them, and that's probably a good thing.
Either way, while she has been socializing as best she can, there's only a limited amount of socializing she can do this way. So the thought of going out into the city to talk with people is exciting! Even if that might not be exactly what he means.]
I have been studying very hard, it is true! I would truly enjoy the chance to go out and meet more people, though...
[She wants to see more of Almyra - more of its cities, and more of its people. She likes what she's seen so far. Getting to know them with firsthand experience is much, much better than learning about it out of books.]