Archive of Our Own

It had all started with that ring.

The Golden Deer had been sent on a mission to get rid of bandits that were terrorizing some small towns part of the Leicester Alliance, using ruins of an abandoned fort as their hideout. The fight hadn't been too hard, especially with their teacher at their side. Byleth proved yet again that they were one hell of a mercenary.

Once all the bandits were taken care of, they proceeded to get anything they had stolen in the goal to return it to the neighboring towns. That's when Claude had found it: A mysterious ring made of gold with runes carved into it that glowed in a faint red light. It hadn't been part of the stolen treasures, because that ring was lodged in a crack in the stone floor, covered in cobwebs and rat poops. Claude had only noticed it due to a perfectly aligned ray of light filtering through the broken ceiling that made the golden ring twinkle in the corner of his eye. So basically, a complete fluke.

He had taken the ring and brought it back with him to the monastery, intrigued by the magic he could feel radiating from it. When he showed it to the others, they were reticent about the idea of trying it on. What if it was cursed and would harm them? They couldn't risk somebody dying just because of curiosity. Then Ignatz proposed to show it to someone with better magical knowledge, maybe they would know more about its origin.

Showing it to Professor Hanneman didn't yield much success, though. It was old, mysterious magic that even the older mage couldn't figure out. Luckily for them, their little assembly attracted the attention of Seteth as he walked by, inquiring what was the meaning of everyone being squeezed in Hanneman's office. Claude said he found an incredibly old and rare magic ring with a playful smirk and showed him the said item. The second-in-command inspected the ring closely, picking it up from between his fingers before recognition flashed in his eyes as he looked at the runes around it.

“This is the Ring of Kindred Souls,” he said with a slight raise of eyebrows.

“You know what it is?” Claude asked, surprised and intrigued by the priest's knowledge.

Seteth nodded. “It is an old, minor artifact that was made centuries ago. Its whereabouts had been lost to time. Where did you find it?”

The Golden Deer leader shrugged. “Just in a crack in an abandoned fort. But how do you know about it?”

“Artifacts, major or minor, are kept registered by the church. I have read that book many times for my job,” the green-haired teacher answered, though Claude knew there had to be more to it.

“So what does it do?” asked Hilda, stretch over Claude's shoulder to look at the ring between Seteth's finger.

“It is said to allow the wearer's string of fate to become visible to the naked eye,” he explained.

“What is this string of fate you are referring to?” Lorenz's voice rose from behind Claude.

Seteth cleared his throat, turning the ring around his fingers. “It is a powerful, invisible bond that ties two souls together. It's what people refer to as soulmates.”

“So that thing allows you to see who your soulmate is?” Leonie asked, somewhat uncertain by her statement.

Seteth nodded again.

“A soulmate?” Claude asked, not familiar with the word. He had never heard anything about any kind of soulmate in Almyra.

“A soulmate is often referred to as the perfect person for you,” the priest explained. “There is nothing stronger in this world than the bond between soulmates. They are connected by souls, bearing mutual respect, love, and understanding with each other. It is a concept often used in love stories, and rightfully so. As for the string of fate, it is said to be tied to your little finger, extending to your soulmate, wherever they could be in the world, to tie itself to their little finger. It is said that putting this ring to your little finger will make it visible.”

“Fascinating. How did such a ring came to be?” Hanneman asked with curiosity, repositioning his monocle.

“It is said to have been made by a powerful mage named…” Seteth began, probably going in a long lecture about ancient history that only Seteth knew how to do. Usually, Claude would have been interested, but he felt himself zoning out as he stared at the ring, completely tuning off Seteth's story as he did.

A ring that allowed you to find who your soulmate was. A person who could love you unconditionally, understand you completely, without ever feeling rejected by them. A person that would always be to your side. It felt too good to be true. Throughout all his life, he had been judged and hated simply for who he was. And even now, in this place where he had people he could call friends, he still needed to hide a part of himself. So the idea of having someone, somewhere, who could accept Claude as everything he was. As Khalid, as Almyran and Fódlan, as a boy who only wanted to see a future where barriers could be broken and people like him could find a home. This possibility ignited something in Claude. A desire to seek that person, to feel their accepting embrace, their encouraging words. A soulmate. He had to have one, right? Somewhere in this world, waiting for him.

“…but people did try to replicate the ring, to little success. So there's no way of knowing if this is the true Ring of Kindred Souls or not,” Seteth concluded as Claude blinked out of his thoughts.

“Well, there's only one way to find out,” Claude blurted out before he could stop himself, plucking the ring from between Seteth's finger. “I just have to put it on, and we'll know, right?”

“Are you crazy, Claude? Who knows what a failed ring could do to you!” Lysithea exclaimed, stomping her feet.

He smiled his cockiest smile as he answered. “Then I'm sure you guys will be able to save me from whatever will happen!” And with that, shoved the ring on his little finger.

The ring had seemed too small for him, at first, but as he slid it on the ring fitted him like a glove. Magic rings were incredible. They all stared at his hand with bated breath as it started to shine brighter around his finger. And then, the light focused on itself and slipped off the ring, going downward while leaving an ethereal red thread behind it. It was like watching a fuse but in reverse. It slid down to the ground, before snaking between Claude's legs. It tangled itself around the feet of his fellow Golden Deer, curling around their ankles, before slithering away and out of the office.

Claude bolted after the spark of light, following the thread of fate that tied him to his supposed soulmate. Behind him, he could hear the others following him.

“Claude, what are you doing?!” Lorenz shouted. “This thread could be going anywhere in the world, you aren't going to run after it like an unconscious fool?!”

“Calm down, I'm just curious!” he said in a more playful manner than he actually felt. “I just want to see where it goes a little. If it leaves the monastery, I'll stop!” He grinned with amusement, hiding his inner desperation to know the destination of this thread.

He turned back his attention in front of him, the little fuse having picked up its pace and distancing them rather quickly. It slithered downstairs, passing some confused and curious students in the corridor as it took a left toward the inner courtyard. The thread snaked around the open area, a few cats curiously trying to poke at it before running off when the group of Golden Deer ran up toward them. The fuse vanished under the door leading to the Blue Lions room, and Claude stopped dead in his track before the closed door. The others reached him in an instant, stopping at his side to stare at the ethereal string going under the door. It wasn't coming out, even as they waited, so did that mean that… his soulmate was inside?

“Unbelievable. So they would be here, at the academy?” Lorenz said, voicing the thought that everyone shared.

“Claude?” he heard Hilda ask, something akin to worry in her tone, but he was already moving, shoving the doors open with all his strength.

His heart skipped a beat when he saw what was inside. The Blue Lions had grouped up around their house leader as they all stared with perplexity at the red string that came up to tie itself around his little finger. They all turned in surprise toward the door as Claude had burst inside. Dimitri's eyes looked down to the ring at his finger, following the string to his hand with a confused frown.

“Claude?” Dimitri said, an unspoken inquiry weighting heavily as he spoke his name.

“Dimitri is your soulmate?!” Hilda exclaimed with bewilderment, immediately sending the whole room into an uproar.

“Soulmates?! What are you saying?”

“Goddess, this is unbelievable!”

“What's happening? Where does this string come from? Why is it tied around His Highness and Claude?”

“Claude and Dimitri are soulmates?!”

“What is that ring around your finger?!”

“I can't believe it! This is too crazy!”

“Soulmates, just like in love stories?!”

All Claude could do was to stare at Dimitri, and the prince only stared back at him in the same stunned silence as he was. Dimitri? Dimitri. Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, crown prince of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus was his soulmate? His second half? The person who would understand him without any judgment? His mouth suddenly felt dry. He wasn't sure how to process this information. Him of all people? It's not that he was disappointed in any way, not at all. He had always been intrigued by the prince, feeling some sort of attraction that he didn't feel for anybody else. On the rare occasions they spent time together, Claude always felt happy, safe. It was a strange feeling that he had never been able to put his finger on. Maybe this was what being soulmates feel like?

“Silence!” Seteth's voice boomed to shut down all the commotion from the two groups shouting over each other.

The priest advanced next to Claude, looking at the string between him and the prince with a faintly surprised expression. “Interesting,” he muttered.

“Seteth, what is the meaning of this?” Ingrid asked.

“Well, it seems like Mr. von Riegan found the Ring of Kindred Souls, and by putting it on was able to find his soulmate here in the academy,” he explained calmly.

“Wait, so that thing about soulmate is serious?” Sylvain asked, eyebrows shooting up.

Seteth proceeded the explain the same thing he had told them in Hanneman's office to the Blue Lions. Their reaction ranged from shocked to concerned, with Felix looking simply annoyed at the concept just like everything else.

“So, Claude and Dimitri are soulmates?” Annette asked once everything was cleared up.

“That's rather sweet,” Mercedes, who was at her side, said softly.

Claude looked down at the ring. “Um, well…” he tried, unable to find his words despite his usual silver tongue.

He pulled the ring off, and the thread slowly faded into nothingness. As soon as it was gone, he put the ring once again, the thread lightening up again, this time all of it at the same time, still tied to Dimitri's finger.

“…That's what this ring says, I guess,” he said, feeling his face heating up.

Dimitri took a step forward, looking at him as he slowly extended his hand. “May I?” he asked.

Claude pulled off the ring again and handed it to Dimitri. The prince took it, inspecting the artifact before attempting to put it around his finger. The ring slid it like a perfect fit around it. The artifact started to glow before the little spark of light shot out of the ring, following the thread again like a fuse, this time tangling itself around the legs of the Blue Lions before slithering up to Claude to tie itself around his finger again.

“Incredible,” the prince said, staring wide eyes and the string around Claude's finger.

His eyes came up to meet him again, and they stared at each other for what felt like centuries. When he decided that he wanted to find his soulmate, it had been impulsive, pushed by a longing need to find someone that would accept him. But now that it was revealed that his soulmate was apparently the prince of Faerghus, Claude wasn't too sure what to think, anymore. Would Dimitri truly accept him for what he was? Would it be really like Seteth had said? There was also the fact that they were both the future leaders of their own part of Fódlan, without mentioning the heritage Claude had in Almyra. Now, he felt like he was at the edge of a precipice, and he wasn't sure if jumping was a good idea.

A faint smile graced the prince's face, and it was enough to chase some of the clouds that had started to form over Claude's head, as he slowly took off the ring. The red string that tied them together slowly fade from existence, invisible but still present.

“This is… quite an interesting artifact,” Dimitri said, handing back to ring to Claude.

“My turn! I want to try it!” Sylvain exclaimed, reaching over his house leader's shoulder for the ring. But before he could grasp it, Seteth had plucked the ring from Dimitri's hand.

“This is enough. Finding your soulmate shouldn't be a simple question of putting a ring and following a string. Finding them should be an experience. Meeting each other, bonding over common interests, finding yourself seeking their presence and realizing you wish to be with them for eternity,” the priest said. He hid the ring in a pocket of his robe. “I will take care of putting this artifact with the others. The church will make sure to keep it safe as the rest.”

“And what are we supposed to do, now?” Claude asked, feeling apprehensive.

“That is for you to decide. A bond can only be strengthened if you choose to do so.”

With that, Seteth left with the ring, and the two house leaders were left with what had just transpired hanging over their heads.

It didn't take long before the whole academy was aware of what had happened. It had become the main topic of discussion among the students. The future king of Faerghus and the future duke of Leicester were soulmates, confirmed by the power of a magical artifact. Of course, along with it came even more distasteful whispers about Claude behind his back. But Claude didn't feel hurt by all of it, on the contrary.

The prince had shown quite an interest in the idea of them being soulmates. He started to seek him out more often, inviting him to tea times, or simply joining him at the library or the dining hall. At first, Claude felt amazing. Dimitri had always been easy to talk with. He's so painfully honest that Claude never felt the need to be on his guard around him. He could spend hours just being around him, talking about everything and nothing. But slowly, some kind of guilt clawed its way inside him. He felt like Dimitri only decided to hang out with him because of what that ring had revealed. Maybe Seteth was right, finding your soulmate by ways of magic wasn't as satisfying as finding them on your own. That it would make it all feel more like an obligation rather than a true relationship.

One night, as they were both reading in the library way past their bedtime, Claude wasn't able to keep his worries to himself any longer.

“You think I'm with you only because the ring said we were meant for each other?” Dimitri said, summarizing his rambling.

Claude twisted his braid around his finger, a nervous habit he had developed as a child. “Well, isn't that what happened? I mean… Before all this, we did talk with each other from time to time, but nothing more. Now, you're spending all of your free time with me.”

The prince frowned slightly. “Does it bother you that I always seek for your company?” he asked, a hint of hurt in his voice.

“What?! No, no, no! Not at all!” Claude quickly cleared up. “I don't mind having you around. It's actually quite… relaxing. But, ah…” He pulled at the braid a little. “I don't want you to feel forced to be with me because what a magical ring said we were…”

A hand was gently placed on his free one, drawing his attention back to the prince. Dimitri was smiling softly. The kind of smile that made Claude feel like he had somehow swallowed butterflies that were now fluttering in his stomach.

“Claude, I don't spend time with you simply because I feel some kind of obligation toward my soulmate. While it is true that I've been a lot more… well, more forward about wanting to spend time with you since we've discovered that we were soulmates, it's actually because I felt like I now had a reason to be seeking your company,” he explained, his cheeks lightly dusted in pink. “I've always enjoyed the brief moments we had together, before, but I was always worried that it would cause problems with us being leaders of different houses… and countries. But now, I guess I feel like I have a good excuse to do so. And I want to strengthen that bond we have. I… I hope you do feel the same way…”

The butterflies inside Claude had suddenly multiplied in the blink of an eye. Just like always, the prince was so honest in his way of speaking, so open about how he felt, that Claude could do nothing but believe every word he said. And those words made his whole world light up, forcing a genuine smile on his lips.

“I, uh, yeah! I'd love it too,” he answered honestly.

The smile on Dimitri's face widens a little. “Oh, I like this a lot.”

Claude blinked, a bit taken aback by the strange response. Dimitri must have noticed because he chuckled lightly.

“Your smile, I mean. You're smiling all the way up to your eyes. I don't think I've ever seen you smile so truthfully, before. I really enjoy this.”

Claude felt his face heating up even more. He had no idea how to respond to this. His smile grew wider against his will, and he muttered a thank you to his soulmate.

Their bond kept growing closer as the weeks went by. Their friends were soon calling them lovebirds and other names of such, despite them not being in any kind of romantic relationship… yet. They never really tried to deny those claims, either.

Both of them suffered from insomnia. Minds too heavy to find the comfort of sleep. So instead, they would find each other. Walk outside in the night, listening to the nocturnal sounds of nature and watching the stars, or curled up in the warmth of the library with books on their laps.

One night, as Claude had been tossing and turning in his bed, trying to find the sleep he desperately needed, a soft knock came to his door. Dimitri was revealed on the other side of the door, asking for the company in his restlessness once again. But this time instead of going somewhere else, Claude invited him to lay in his bed. Maybe they could chat until exhaustion became too heavy for them. The bed wasn't made for two people, but there was just enough room for them to sleep comfortably while pressing against each other. They chatted for less than an hour before the warmth of Dimitri's body and his soft voice lulled him to sleep.

In the morning, they realized they missed their first classes.

In the morning, they realized they haven't slept this peacefully in a long time.

It doesn't take long at all before it becomes another habit of theirs. Claude's room becomes almost abandoned as he started to be in Dimitri's at all times – partly because his room was a total mess of books and parchments that had devolved to the point he couldn't even sleep in his bed.

They would talk together, sometimes for a long time, sometimes for a short one. Dimitri would fall asleep while listening to Claude ramble about something, or Claude would fall asleep listening to Dimitri telling him stories. None of them are ever offended, always feeling warm happiness at the sight of the other asleep next to them. After that, falling asleep yourself seems like a simple question of closing your eyes.

There is one night where Dimitri cannot sleep. Where his heart is heavy and his mind too stormy for him to be lull to sleep by Claude. That night, he opens up to him, telling him about the Tragedy of Duscur in much more details than Claude would have ever asked. He listens intently, rubbing his thumb on the back of the prince's hand. When he is done spilling everything, Dimitri thanks him for listening, for believing him – because he totally does – and says how much opening up to his soulmate feels liberating.

Those words weigh on Claude the next day. He can't stop thinking about what Dimitri said, about his deepest secrets. About the ghosts, and his fears, and his scars. It builds up until he also can't take it anymore. The very next night, he's the one spilling everything out. His true origins, his childhood, his real name, his heritage, his dream. It's not easy. He can't bring himself to look at Dimitri, after a while. He can't stop the words from leaving his mouth, but he's still scared. He's shaking, he knows he is. But when he finally runs out of words, staring at the wall beside him, he feels the bed shift a bit, and a soft and warm hand on his cheek, turning his head so he looks at Dimitri again.

The prince is smiling, it's so fondly, so pure, that Claude feels the heaviness in his heart vanishing. His hand slides from his cheek, down his neck and shoulder, following his arm until it gently holds his hand.

“Khalid is a very pretty name,” he whispers. “Can I use it when we're in private?”

“I really don't mind being called Claude, you know,” he said after a moment. “Khalid has… a lot of bad memories attached to it. While with Claude, I made quite a few good ones that I already cherish.”

Dimitri's thumb rubs the back of his hand. “Then I'll make sure to make happy memories with Khalid so you can love your name again.” He leans in, touching his forehead with his. “Except if you explicitly don't want me to call you that.”

The butterflies are back, their wings fluttering with the force of a whirlwind in his stomach. He's breathless as he stares in those blue eyes.

“Yes, you can use it,” he finally manages to coax out after a few long minutes.

Dimitri smiles again. “Khalid,” he whispers as he leans in closer, their lips meeting in the middle.

And it feels so right, like finally meeting his destiny.

It started again with that ring.

After reuniting with their lost teacher, the two of them and the rest of the Golden Deer started to clean up the monastery in the hope of restoring it into an inhabitable state. And maybe it was truly fate that Claude stumbled again on the golden ring with glowing red runes laying on the floor.

He picked up the artifact, turning it between his fingers as he felt his heart clenching with sorrow. Dimitri… It had been a few years already that he was dead, and yet Claude still found himself longing for him.

He's not dead!

A small part of him still wouldn't accept it, denial holding strong and preventing him from moving on. A sad smile formed on his face as he remembered the day he had found that ring and chased down his soulmate to Dimitri. After that, their time at the academy had been blessed. They fell in love, shared their deepest secrets, danced together at the ball until it ultimately fell apart with the war…

Dimitri had became unnerved after Edelgard revealed herself as the Flame Emperor, muttering and mumbling angrily that she was the culprit, that it was all her fault. Claude was only able to chase away those dark thoughts for a few hours at a time, doing all he could to reason and support his soulmate.

When they had to leave for their respective countries, they had a hard time letting go. They promised they would reunite soon. They kissed. They hugged. If Claude had known he would never see his soulmate again, he would have left with him. Damned be the Alliance.

Maybe it was out of nostalgia, or maybe it was out of desperate hope, that Claude slid the ring on his little finger again. He didn't expect much. What could a ring made to find your soulmate do when your soulmate was gone? The surprise he felt when the ring illuminated and the red string of fate appeared around his finger was indescribable. He followed it with his eyes, turning around as it snaked behind him and out the door of the dark room he was in. He had a lump in his throat and his heart felt like it was going to explode as he took a single step toward the door.

Then another one… and another… until he was sprinting madly after the thread, following it with desperate hope. He dashed through the monastery, ignoring anybody and everybody trying to stop him. He ran and ran until he reached the wyvern eyrie. There, he found his white wyvern, Natya, tangled in a mess of red thread that was intertwined around her antlers and limbs as she tried to shake off the mysterious item. He looked around, noticing the thread snaking away from her into the outside. Without thinking, he rushed to her, putting his feet to climb on her saddle when a hand grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him around roughly.

“Claude, what are you doing?!” Lorenz exclaimed, his expression irritated.

“The ring… The thread… Dimitri!” was all he managed to explain as he tried to climb on Natya's back again.

But Lorenz wouldn't have any of it and pulled him back down again. “Dimitri is dead, Claude! You need to accept it!”

“The ring is working! So he must be alive!” he all but shouted, emotions welling up in his chest, threatening to spill through his eyes.

“You don't know that! What says that it won't lead you on until it just ends! Or worse, it leads you to a corpse?! His corpse!”

“Then I'll bring him back here so he can be buried properly,” he said, his voice like the calm before a storm. His eyes empty, but full of mixed emotions at the same time.

Lorenz slowly let go of his shoulder, looking at him with a mixture of pity and shame. “Is that what you need to do to move on?”

Claude clutched at the rein of Natya as she tried to nose her master curiously. “Maybe.”

The purple-haired noble sighed. “Fine. Then go. But you better be quick. We cannot permit ourselves to stay sit for weeks waiting for you to be back.”

Claude nodded firmly. “Thank you, Lorenz. I'll be back in a week, promise.”

He climbed on Natya and signaled her to fly up. The white wyvern deployed her wings, looking at the strange strings again before rising into the sky with the same determination as her master.

He flew for days, stopping only when Natya needed a rest. He never took off the ring, even for a second, staring at the red thread glowing softly in the dark as he leaned on his wyvern's side as she slept.

And finally, he saw the sight he was looking for. In a field of Faerghus, he found a man. Blond hair, blue cape lined in fur, following the red thread just as he did. The man stopped and looked up at him as he dove down and landed. He practically jumped off the saddle the moment they touched the ground and he ran up to the man.

“Dimitri?!” he called, his heart hammering his chest. “Is that you?”

The man looked worn out. Dirty and greasy blond hair falling in his face, an eye patch on his right eye and dark bag under his left one, the blue of his iris dulled and empty. The black armor was scratched all over, the blue cape tainted in dried blood. He smelled like death. But there was no mistake as he looked at the red string tied around his finger.

“That string…” Dimitri said, his voice much rougher than it was before. “Why are you calling me to you? What is your reason? To haunt me, too?”

Claude frowned, taking a step toward him as you would do to a scared wild animal. “No, I… I wanted to find you. Mitya, I thought you were dead. I missed you.”

The man tensed at the mention of his old pet name. He growled lowly, like an angry lion. “Do not call me that.”

Claude tilted his head. “Why not?”

“I am not your Mitya, anymore. My only purpose is to avenge those who died.”

“This isn't true, I know it. You're my soulmate, remember? This magical thread proves it,” he said softly, lifting his hand where the ring rested.

The exiled prince turned his gaze away, mumbling under his breath things that Claude couldn't hear as his grip on his spear tightened.

“Come with me, Mitya. You wouldn't believe it, but Teach is back! We're going to work together and end this war.”

His attention was drawn back at the mention of Byleth. Even if they had been teaching the Golden Deer, they had managed to touch the heart of many of the students of Garreg Mach. Even Dimitri's.

“Impossible. They died…” he whispered.

“I thought you died too, and there you are,” Claude responded.

The man fell silent, and Claude took this occasion to step closer to him. Slowly, not a sudden movement.

“I'm sure they'd be happy to see you again, too.”

He extended his hand slowly, but Dimitri stepped back as it would burn him.

“No,” he growled. “I cannot.”

Claude forced a smile, though it came out sadder than he wanted. “Please, Mitya. I missed you. I want you by my sides, again.”

“This isn't the time for mindless romances, Claude!” Dimitri spat, anger bubbling under his skin.

If Claude was hurt by his words, he didn't show it. “But we can fight this war together. You, me, Teach, and the others. We're back at the monastery. We're going to restore it and prepare from there.”

“No, I can't. I… All I do is hurt people. I cannot…” he began, before devolving into more maddened mumbles.

“No, I know you don't. You've always been so friendly, so selfless,” he said softly, trying to put at ease the unstable man.

“Not anymore!” he roared. “I'm nothing more than a shell, a vessel for the restless spirits to exact their revenge! Because of me, people suffered! Because of me, Dedue died!” His voice turned into a pathetic whine. “He died to save me. He put down his life for me…”

Claude felt a pang of sadness at the sight. He knew how much Dimitri cared for his vassal. How much he wanted to rectify things, to help him, to give him back his home. But all came crumbling down when Dimitri was accused of a thing Claude could never believe he had done. He knew Dimitri was innocent, but he still paid the price.

“Then don't waste the life he gave you. Help us.” It was a dirty tactic, Claude knew that. Using Dimitri's guilt and sadness to rally him to his side. But he only needed to bring him back to the monastery. After that, they could work on helping him.

Sadly, his scheme didn't work as the exiled prince only grew angrier. “I will avenge him when Edelgard's head will be at the tip of my lance! She will pay for everything! For Duscur! For my father! For Glenn! For Dedue!”

Claude knew it was a bad idea to confront an angry Dimitri, especially in that state. But he felt his own frustration rising after years of bottling up his own emotions about Dimitri's death. He wanted him back. He wanted his soulmate back. With him, at his sides.

“This won't solve anything! Stop being such a stubborn ass, Dimitri, and come with me!”

He reached out to grab his wrist, but it escaped his grasp before he could close his fingers around it. The next thing Claude knew, he was seeing stars as the back of the gauntlet impacted with his cheek. The hit was strong enough to throw him to the ground. Distantly, he could hear the growls of Natya as she wanted to protect him.

He shook his head, clearing black and white spots dancing before his vision. His cheek felt warm, and his glove came back with droplets of red when he touched it. He looked back up to see a horrified looking Dimitri. He looked like he wanted to help him on his feet and run at the same time. In the end, he opted to grind his teeth and look away.

“You see. I only know how to hurt people.”

The Alliance leader pushed himself back on his feet, looking at his soulmate with deep sadness and pity. “It's okay,” he said. “I will help you.”

“No, I do not want your help.”

“You can't say that! Remember, we can always come to each other for--”

“Khalid, please!”

Claude bit his lip. It had been so long since he heard that name from his soulmate. The name that he had learned to love again because of the very person standing before him.

“I can't leave you alone here…” he tried again.

“You have a war to lead. You cannot stay here. So leave.” It was firm, final. He kept his hardened gaze away from him.

“There's really no way to convince you?”

“No.”

He sighed. A deep, heavy sigh. He didn't want to leave. Not without Dimitri. But he knew he couldn't change his mind. There were no ways. And he had promised Lorenz he would be back in a week. He already took 4 days to find him.

“I'll go, but on one condition,” he said, his tone not leaving any room for argument.

Dimitri looked at him again, awaiting his demand. Claude slid the ring off his finger, feeling somewhat saddened when the red thread disappeared. He reached into his shirt, pulling out a necklace he had. It was the Riegan Crest dangling around a chain of gold. He unhooked it, slid the ring into it, and closed the chain again right after. He picked the necklace between his two hands and lifted them a bit to show Dimitri.

“Keep it. If you ever want me to come to you, put the ring on and wait for me. I'll come running. I promise.” And with that, he extended his arms higher, silently begging for him to accept.

Dimitri stared at him for what felt like forever before he bent down, allowing Claude to slide the chain around his neck. He took a step back and observed the medallion joined with the ring now laying on Dimitri's chest.

“And don't go dying on me, okay?”

The exiled prince didn't answer to that. Claude sighed again, wanting to hold his hand and kiss him, but deciding against it as he felt his cheek stinging in the wind.

“I love you,” he chose to say instead before turning away and walking back to Natya who waited for him in a ready to pounce stance.

He climbed on the saddle again and looked down at Dimitri who stared off into the grass, silent. He signaled Natya who rose into the sky, Claude's eyes never leaving his soulmate as he got higher and higher, then, as they flew away and Dimitri slowly disappeared with the field, the tears finally started to roll down his cheeks.

Upon his return to the monastery, he shared the news that Dimitri was alive, but he couldn't convince him to come back with him. They could all see how heartbroken he was and thankfully chose to not press further. They had a war to fight and they didn't have the time for their leader to fall apart.

They keep fighting, the battles are hard, and Claude is plagued with the fear of losing someone close to them. He stays up for days in a row, planning strategies for each battle, unable to find rest. He thinks about Dimitri all the time. Where is he? Is he okay? Is he alive?

Their army finally manages to secure the Great Bridge of Myrddin, reunifying their nation as the Imperial army is forced to retreat into their territory. Right after their victory, Judith comes to inform him of an army rushing through the Alliance's territory, flying the banners of House Blaiddyd. Claude can feel his heart about to explode. According to her, they are going toward Gronder Field, where their spies had reported an Imperial army, using the Ordelia territory as a way of passage.

Before Claude can even react, it happened. Hilda gasped, she looked shocked. Claude frowned, puzzled at her sudden outburst, but she points down at him.

“Claude! Your hand!”

He looked down and felt the air being punched out of his lungs. The red string of fate, glowing warmly around his finger. Dimitri. He was calling him!

Without a moment of hesitation, he started barking orders. They were to march toward Gronder Field immediately to meet the two other armies.

When they arrive, the battle has already started. The two armies are clashing together, blue versus red. He tells the others to stay on standby and he flies off into the fray before anybody can argue, following the thread into the battlefield.

He finds Dimitri roaring like a wild beast as he skews people with his lance. Pulling out his bow, he shoots down enemies getting too close to him. The prince notices him and he lands at a reasonable distance. He isn't sure yet if they are allied or not.

“You came,” Dimitri says.

“Of course I did. I promised you, didn't I?” he said with a reassuring smile.

The unthinkable happens as Dimitri smiles back at him. He still looks worn out, but he seems better than the last time he saw him. Claude's smile widens as he reaches down with his hand. His soulmate marches toward him and grabs his hand, hoisting himself up into the saddle behind Claude – freezing only for a second when Natya growls warily at him. Once Dimitri is settled behind him, they fly up again – Claude not missing the way Dimitri holds onto him a bit tighter – as he shouts loud and clear:

“We fight the Imperial army! Together! Charge!”

And with a war cry, the Alliance army joins the fray. With the two armies together, they are able to push back the Imperial army. They fight with Edelgard, the three house leaders reunited, but this time it isn't a simple mock battle. Dimitri loses his calm, determined to kill her, almost losing his life in the process, but Claude refused to lose him again. Dimitri seemed to see his fear through the thick cloud of rage inside him. She got away, but they won and came out alive.

Seeing Dedue alive was another surprise. The Duscurian had escaped with his life and had found Dimitri a few weeks after he did. Together, they had built an army to fight Edelgard with. Dimitri had put the ring in the hope that Claude would come after him, which he did.

After the battle at Gronder Field, Dimitri's army joined the forces of the Alliance army. They followed them back to the monastery to settle down. Dimitri stayed by Claude's side the whole time, never leaving him, almost like a shadow. He still managed to convince the prince to take a well-needed bath, because there was no way he was going to sleep at the sides of a man that smelled like death. With a new set of clothes and armor, hair tied loosely behind his head, he looked much more radiant.

Dimitri refused to take off the ring again, keeping it at his little finger at all times of the day or night. The only answer he gave to the why of it was a simple, “So I never lose you from my sight again.” Claude figured he just needed the reminder while he still struggled with his – literal – ghosts. Nonetheless, people got used to seeing the magical thread tied to them or laying around the monastery when they were forced apart by their duties. It was a nice reminder for everyone that love could still exist, even during the war.

It took a lot of talking and arguing, but they finally managed to convince Dimitri of putting aside his quest for Edelgard's head to instead march toward Fhirdiad under his banner to retake the throne that was rightfully his. Along the way, they picked up the students of the Blue Lion House in their army. One by one, their friends would join them. Byleth was to thank for that, their dedication to every student of the academy pulling its weight to convince them to join their army, as well as Dimitri just being present and alive.

They unraveled the conspiracy surrounding the accusation put upon Dimitri and conquered Fhirdiad. Finally, after years of exile, Dimitri was crowned king.

After such an arduous campaign, they all decided they should take a few days of rest in Fhirdiad before gathering all the forces of the Kingdom and Alliance to attack the Empire. There wasn't much Edelgard could do, anymore, except waiting for them to make their move.

Claude was standing on one of the balconies of the castle overseeing the city. The sky was clear from clouds, allowing the beautiful curtain of stars to stretch over their head and shining their heavenly lights upon them.

A shiver traveled through Claude's body. As much as Fhirdiad was beautiful, it was so much colder than he had ever experienced. And he thought Garreg Mach had cold nights compared to his home.

Two strong arms wrapped themselves around his chest from behind, warm fur tickling his neck as lips pressed against his hair.

“If you're cold, you should come back inside,” Dimitri said softly. “My chambers are warm and ready.”

A chuckle escaped Claude's lips. “Is that a scheme to get me into your bed, Your Kingliness?”

“Yes.” Still as honest as ever. And the way Claude could feel him smile against his hair told him the king was very well aware of this fact.

Claude brought his hand up to place it over Dimitri's, their soulmate bond glowing together as it tangled by itself around their hands. He let out a breath, watching the cloud of vapor escape his lips and dissipate in the night sky.

“Well, I don't see how I could say no to that,” he said with a smile.

The new king didn't hesitate a second to pick him up as if he was his newlywed bride. Claude yelped at the sudden shift, blood rushing to his face as he clutched at Dimitri's neck. The latter had an amused smile that he had missed seeing in those five long years without him. Claude smiled brightly back at him, green eyes sparkling under the stars.

“I missed that smile,” Dimitri said softly, echoing his own thoughts, before turning around and carrying him back inside the castle toward his quarters.

That night, Claude discovered a new possessive side to his king, and there was no way for him to hide all the marks he left on his body. Not that he cared in the state of total bliss he was in, afterward. And if people stared at those marks, no one mentioned anything.

…

War is never fair. Even when they've won, it hardly feels like something worth celebrating. Together, the Kingdom and Alliance pierced through all of the Empire's defense until they reached Enbarr to face Edelgard again. Dimitri, in his endless kindness that he had tried to bury, decided to spare his step-sister. But she chose that things couldn't end like this, and she fell to one of Claude's arrow when she pulled a dagger on his soulmate.

Before they could even breathe, the true culprit, their real enemy, rose. Nemesis, back with his Ten Elites, ready to fight despite the war having ended. Together, with all the friends they made along the way, they fought the ancient evil and banished him again. They had won once and for all.

Celebrations were held, mostly so the people of Fódlan could finally start smiling again as the dark days were put behind them. It felt almost unreal like in Claude's mind he could never imagine the war ending one day, despite working so hard to do so. But Dimitri's smile was all he needed to feel at peace too.

They discussed it long and hard. Nobles and leaders, all around one table, trying to figure out how to go from there. Of course, those who held the most power were the victors of the war. They threw ideas for a while, argued with a few angry nobles until they finally settled on what path for the future awaited Fódlan.

Byleth would become the new archbishop to replace Rhea and would work to dismantle the Crest system and reform the church with the help of Seteth. Hopefully, it would give some kind of peace to Edelgard.

Dimitri would continue to be king, but instead of only Faerghus, he would lead the entirety of Fódlan. The others would help, though. Dedue would take care of Duscur after it would be liberated. Lorenz, Hilda, and the other Golden Deer would help him take care of the Leicester region, and those of the Black Eagles that were still alive promised to help with the Adrestian region.

And Claude… It was time for him to go back home.

Dimitri had been aware that it would one day happen. Claude had told him many times of his dream, and he knew it would necessitate for him to return to Almyra, one day. He admitted to Claude that he was a little worried about him. If Claude tried to challenge his way to the throne, it could get quite tricky. And another part of him didn't want to let his soulmate go. He wanted to keep him forever, never letting him leave. But he knew it was not possible. Claude was a free spirit that needed to go where he was called. He couldn't make his dream come true if he stayed in Fhirdiad.

Nevertheless, he couldn't let things stay like they were, and before Claude could leave, Dimitri presented a ring to him, the Blaiddyd ring, and asked for his hand in marriage. How could Claude possibly say no to his pretty blue eye and his soft hopeful smile? He accepts, and they promise to marry each other the next time they meet.

The morning of his departure, Claude wakes up with the other side of the bed empty and, to his surprise and puzzlement, the red thread gone from around his finger. Worry grip at his guts as he gets up and dresses up. He leaves his bedroom in the Riegan estate that he shared with Dimitri for his last day in Fódlan and starts looking around his mansion for the king. It's so strange, to not being able to simply follow the string of fate to his lover. Now, he feels almost lost.

Dimitri was nowhere in the mansion, and time was ticking by. He needed to leave soon if he hoped to get to the capital of Almyra before the end of the day. So it's with a heavy heart and distracted mind that he packed his stuff and got ready to leave.

He left the mansion, pulling Natya out of her personal eyrie to head to the port where he would say his final goodbyes to his friends. The sea is calm, not a single cloud in the blue sky, perfect weather to fly away.

“Khalid, my love!” a voice exclaimed, immediately flooding Claude with relief.

“Mitya! Where were you? I woke up and you weren't there!” He looked down at his hand. “What happened to the Ring of Kindred Souls?”

“I'm sorry. It took longer than I thought, I wanted to surprise you,” Dimitri said, handing him a small box. “It's for you. Before you go.”

Claude took the box that was handed to him with a puzzled expression. Dimitri was grinning, beaming, like a child proud of his accomplishments. He was adorable, like that. He looked down at the box again, opening it, and couldn't help the gasp that escaped his lips.

In the box was a golden necklace, the same he had given Dimitri, a long time ago, along with the ring. He had kept it around his neck, too, all this time, and despite all the battles it was still in perfect condition. But that wasn't what surprised him the most. No, it was the modifications that had been done to it. On the Riegan Crest medallion, a silver piece had been added, combining the golden Riegan Crest and the silver Blaiddyd Crest in one unique symbol representing their union. Under the new intricate piece, a small hook had been added under the moon piece, holding the Ring of Kindred Souls in its grasp.

Claude stared at it, eyes tearing up and a smile on his lips. Dimitri's hand reached into the box and pulled out the necklace, sliding it around his neck carefully.

“I wanted to give you something else, other than my ring, so you would always remember our bond. I understand that, as much as I wish otherwise, we cannot have this red string between Fódlan and Almyra. So this will had to do.”

Claude's voice cracked as he responded, “It's beautiful. The Crests piece, it's amazing.”

Dimitri smiled softly. “Promise me that if you ever need me, you'll put the ring to your finger. I will come to you, I swear,” he said, echoing a promise that was made to him what felt like a lifetime ago.

“Yes, I promise,” he said through tears, before putting his arms around Dimitri's neck to hug him tightly. “And also the day I will come back to you, I will put it so you know I'm coming.”

“I'll be waiting for that day with impatience, then, Khalid von Riegan.”

They kissed lovingly, enjoying their last moment of intimacy before their friends arrived. There were a lot of hugs, a few tears shed, and many encouraging words as they all said their goodbyes to him.

He jumped on Natya's saddle, feeling his wyvern getting restless as if she could feel that she was going home, soon. He exchanged a few more words, smiling brightly at all the friends he made in Fódlan, and then he was flying away.

Turning around, Claude… no, Khalid could see them wave. Despite his smile, he could see tears rolling down Dimitri's cheek, and he felt his own tears spilling out in response. He already missed him. Missed them all.

But it wasn't forever, he reminded himself as he clutched his new necklace in one hand. He would work hard, earn his place in Almyra, and together with Dimitri, they will break down those walls that separate them so they can be united again. Their bond is stronger than anything, and reach farther than even the light of the sun.

As long as they are connected by the string of fate, they are destined to meet again.