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Green eyes catch blue fabric billowing in the wind. He eyes its owner—it’s his fellow house leader, Dimitri, who stands preoccupied with talking to his small cluster of friends. Claude takes a mere few glances, not wanting to be caught in the assumed act of ogling over the prince when he isn’t looking (because someone like Hilda would never let that go.) With how Dimitri carries himself and how he runs a hand through his blond, flaxen locks to brush them out of his face—he’s the epitome of a fairy tale prince. And Claude would admit that, yes , Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, the crown prince of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, is easy on the eyes.
However, it’s not the dashing looks that Dimitri was blessed with that piqued Claude’s interest. It’s really how Dimitri talks so… so easily with the others. Claude’s heard and known that the relationship between Felix and Dimitri is strained—perhaps more strained than both Ingrid and Sylvain combined. Though, from what Claude understands without truly eavesdropping; Dimitri doesn’t let it bother him and actually seems to somewhat agree with Felix.
He finds the interactions between the two extremely familiar.
Claude’s known that Dimitri is too soft-hearted. Though, him and the prince could be more alike than he thought. Claude’s seen that princely facade start slipping once or twice, but it’s never truly revealed. The archer himself, wouldn’t let that slip up happen. He doesn’t know Dimitri’s case, but Claude had grown up with insults thrown at him in every direction. Words were spat at him like venom and he was quickly accustomed with digesting such verbal poison. What should’ve worn down his edges were only sharpened every time. Those people who looked down on him only became another reason to reach out for the dream he’s always wanted.
Although, the expanse of the night sky stretches far and wide. Claude doesn’t mind having the stars alone to himself sometimes. But sometimes it’s still rather lonely.
Because if he really thought about it, there was never really was “one” star in the sky. And he remembers the little prince of Almyra thinking, “How come the stars have friends, but not me?”
Just having one person he could trust could’ve been good enough for him. But everyone saw who he was first rather than who he was. A prince of Almyra? Some parents would nudge their kid in his direction to get involved with the royal bloodline. Others would do the opposite, steering their child away because they didn’t want to interact with someone like him .
And well, Claude was used to it. He didn’t really have close friends his age until he arrived at the academy and met people like Dimitri, Edelgard and the Golden Deer. But, it can’t stop Claude from wondering. Wondering what would’ve changed and what would’ve stayed the same.
Claude tears his eyes away from Dimitri, who seemed to wave off his friends and head over in his direction. To make himself look busy, he kneels down, pulling at blades of grass to make it seem like he was yanking weeds out for his daily chores. It seems like almost an eternity, but he hears Dimitri’s footsteps come closer, the metal clanking lightly against the cobblestone floors until suddenly—they stop.
“Hey your Princeliness.”
The sound of surprise coming from Dimitri assures Claude had spoken the right words to the right person and it leaves Claude a little amused with Dimitri’s reaction.
“I—hello, Claude. I saw you over here alone and decided to accompany you. Don’t usually two people work together with this chore?”
“Hilda was supposed to accompany me, but well, if you know her…” He glances up at Dimitri, who seems to ponder for a second before taking into realization what he meant.
“Oh! I understand. Then if you don’t mind, I would like to aid you. It’s much more efficient with two people on the job.”
Claude watches as Dimitri kneels down and quickly pulls out a weed with ease. Minor crest of Blaiddyd really did seem useful in something as mundane as this, huh? He laughs though, noting that Dimitri’s willingness to help was a sheer opposite to Hilda’s.
Once or twice, their shoulders bump together and they don’t talk much. It’s awkward, for Claude really didn’t actually have any chores to do, but at this point, he had to commit.
“So, must be nice, your Princeliness.” Claude yanks a little too aggressively at the weed he had been poking around for a while now.
Dimitri looks at him with those eyes, those eyes that would rival the blue of the morning sky above them and tilts his head curiously. “What do you mean by that, Claude?”
Jealousy, is it? Claude chews the inside of his cheek. Jealousy over Dimitri having the company of childhood friends seems childish, however the feeling in the pit of his stomach won’t go away.
“Y’know, having friends at your side ever since you were young,” Claude responds, eyes flickering to the mound of grass and weeds that he’s thrown off carelessly to the side.
Dimitri doesn’t resume weed-picking, but instead, looks down at the ground beneath them almost solemnly. “Perhaps so. With everything like the Tragedy and simply growing up, it’s hard to maintain such friendships.”
Claude doesn’t really have much to say about that. He knows Dimitri lost so many people in that disaster, but he doesn’t know well enough to truly comment on it. The conversation had really taken a turn for the worse though, with the atmosphere between them feeling even heavier than before.
“Though Claude, apologies if I’m treading too far, but with the way you phrased your words... it sounded like you did not experience the same.”
He wishes that Dimitri didn’t say that. Claude likes to keep to himself here at the academy, looking more into people than people looking into him.
But Claude considers and thinks. He thinks again and thinks again. Finally, he lets out a long exhale before trailing it with a small laugh.
“Yeah, didn’t really have any growing up. Like you said, it’s hard to maintain friendships.”
He can see Dimitri’s eyebrow crease slightly before reaching out again to tug at a weed.
“That’s quite a shame because I think I would’ve loved to be your friend as a child, Claude.”
The prince, all in all, is full of surprises. Claude didn’t quite expect such a response like that, but Dimitri is, well, Dimitri . The boy that people say is too kind-hearted to be a king. But these words aren’t fake, aren’t a lie and aren’t meant to just make Claude feel better. They’re genuine and Claude isn’t used to genuine. Those words make his heart flutter in his chest and it's a feeling he isn't sure he likes or dislikes.
He can feel his face burn and Claude finds this the worst time to get flustered by Mister Prince Charming himself. But Claude takes in a deep breath and looks at Dimitri straight on with a smile.
“I think I would loved that too, Dimitri.”
Claude’s life had been him weeding out the bad ever since he was young, but maybe he’s at that point in his life where the evil is gone and he’s left with the good.
And well, maybe in another life, another world or another timeline, there’s a young Claude sitting out on a hill, staring up at the starry sky with a young Dimitri right next to him.