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Dimiclaude Week: Day 7 - Traveling
Claude loves to travel. Almost more than he loves traveling, he seems to love bringing things back to Dimitri from those travels.
It starts with Almyra first, of course, because that is one of Claude's two beloved and complicated homelands, and he has so much work to do there before he and Dimitri can stay reunited in one place. Many of Almyra's people are nomadic, having claimed their vast land in this manner and tending to it as they make their way through mountain and desert and shores. Yet there are many other places that are a bit more stationary, having found a source of water that keeps them alive, and thus serving as bases for those who wander.
Everywhere is so different... Dimitri listens in complete fascination whenever Claude drops in for a "diplomatic" visit, sliding a different object into his hands and a tale into his ears every time.
Once, a small bracelet full of colorful beads and made of some sort of tough twine that doesn't break, brought to him from a small outpost near the ocean where things grew well.
Some of the bracelet was from glass that had been treated with salt water, apparently, and Claude told him of how beautiful the view was out onto the sea. The differences between it and Fhirdiad, and Derdriu, and yet the similarities, too. "It brought me comfort, sometimes, knowing that at least we were still watching the same sun traveling through the sky," he tells Dimitri, even as he helps afix the bracelet onto his wrist. It stays on his wrist almost every day that Dimitri can get away with it, and even sometimes when he can't, hidden away in a sleeve or underneath his shirt.
The next time he visits, it's from a journey to somewhere more in the mountains of Almyra, and he brings an entire horse. She's a lovely breed, her temperament calm and her build quite sturdy. Even though she's from quite a different land than Fodlan, especially the northern areas that were once the Kingdom, she adjusts well, and gets along just fine with the others in the stables.
"There are less riders for horseback over there than in the rest of Almyra," Claude tells him when they take her out for an experimental trot around the outskirts of the city, through the farmland that is just outside of Fhirdiad. "Wyverns like to go up there to nest, and so they fly more than they run along the land, near the mountains. There was another country that actually tried to invade Almyra once upon a time, or so the stories go, but they tried to make it through the mountains over there, but the wyvern riders knew the cliffs better than they did. Needless to say, ever since then, they've been quite the proud fliers."
Dimitri makes some sort of ridiculous remark, something about how Claude must have wowed them all with his own flying skills - it is nothing special. But the way that Claude laughs, his smile from such a little compliment? That is something precious.
More things are brought with him, after that, because of course they are: an elegant tapestry of a wyvern in a clear blue sky from those known for their fine weaving and armor making who had stopped in one city Claude had visited, an elegant lance that Dimitri had almost dared not touch, an earring to match Claude's own that he never removes in much the same way that he never removes the bracelet.
Claude brings him a head scarf one day, which Dimitri suspects might end up all the rage in Fodlan if he starts wearing it in public, along with some news. "We're going up to Sreng this summer," he tells him. "Sylvain managed to make a connection for me, and I want to take advantage of things while the iron's hot."
Relations with Sreng on the Fodlan side have been tense enough, and somewhat slow going.... Although that they have been going at all has been incredibly encouraging. Sylvain as well seems happier with the role he's taken as someone heading the diplomatic efforts, making strides past his more militant father. By far the best thing that has helped push forward relations has been giving back the land their fathers took from them... But even that has still made things a little uneasy. Even Dimitri isn't entirely sure how they've managed to keep the peace between Fodlan and Sreng for so long.
With that in mind, it's not surprising that a far more distant and foreign country like Almyra has managed to step foot there before them. There isn't the difficult history that Fodlan and Sreng share. So... Things should hopefully be all right, especially with a clever man like Claude at the helm of it all.
Dimitri tells himself that, but the worry must be clear on his face. The same face that Claude kisses, before they have to appear in public again, before he has to leave.
The greatest gift that Dimitri could ever have would be to just see Claude's face again, knowing he is safe and well and whole. Yet this is Claude that they are talking about, and he could not be satisfied with only that. When he crosses the border between Sreng and Fodlan, he heads straight back to Fhirdiad. With him, he brings a massive fur rug that needs multiple people to carry it inside. It reminds him distantly of some of the beasts that have stalked Fodlan's lands before, enormous wolves which stalk plains and worms that burrow through the ground, but the fur is far more soft than he would have thought them capable of.
When they retreat to Dimitri's room that night, where the fur has been spread across his floor and is just close enough to the fireplace, Claude tells him of his journey while they lounge there in the comfortable warmth. Sreng has its own massive beasts, whom they leave alone for the most part. It's a fairly easy task to accomplish, honestly. Apparently, while they traverse on land as well as anything, their real home is somewhere even further up north in colder waters, and they simply pass by Sreng on their way to who knows where.
"Taking down one can feed a whole village or two," Claude says, their tea finished and the two of them content where they lay. "Honestly, this isn't even the whole fur. Part of the reason you aren't bothered is just because they have their own things going on, you know... and likewise. While I know that past rulers in Fodlan said they were warrior tribes, it looked to me like most of them were hunters."
"Ah, so past kings and emperors made snap assumptions about a country they never visited?" Dimitri says dryly. "I never would have guessed that to ever happen." And Claude laughs again.
With Sreng out of the way, probably the most difficult and troublesome of the nearby countries to visit, Claude soon takes to visiting others as well. Dimitri can't say he's terribly surprised. Claude's wanderlust, earning him a title as a wandering king that brings tales, trade, and new places to visit for his people, was always going to leak out eventually... And the colder months are coming, slinking down from Sreng and rolling over Fodlan's hills. When he gets a message that Claude has taken a ship from the south-west of Fodlan to go to Brigid, it's almost expected.
Equally expected is that, when the frost begins to thaw over, Claude comes up to visit him again. This time when they have a moment of privacy to themselves, Claude hands him a small wooden box that is more intricately carved than anything Dimitri thinks he's ever seen in his life. Inside are a small group of little wooden figures, far different than any statue one could find in any corner of Fodlan.
"Petra told you about the shamans of Brigid before, right?" Claude asks, even as he gently and delicately places the little line of figures along Dimitri's desk. If there's a specific order they should all be in, he doesn't tell Dimitri of it. "I had the honor of speaking with some of them while I visited."
Dimitri has spoken with them as well, practicing his clumsy Brigidúil alongside Petra and understanding truly just how hard she had to have had it while studying at Garreg Mach. They'd had translators, of course, but he'd wanted to make even the slightest bit of effort to greet them properly in a land that wanted to work alongside them properly instead of just use the islands for yet another bit of political or war time nonsense. They'd been interesting people, although he'd had to speak more with Petra and other important figures. Mercedes had seemed to get along swimmingly with them, at least.
That means he'd never gotten to truly have a discussion about just what shamanism was like, over in Brigid. It's apparently quite detailed, and learning properly about how to be a shaman can take many years. Bonding with spirits... is quite a task.
In some ways, it reminds Dimitri slightly of how wyvern riders - the ones who have had the blessing of being raised alongside their steed since both were young, especialy in Almyra - work alongside their own partners. A wyvern is not only a steed, not even only a partner, but almost an extension of one's self, and vice versa. Brigidúil shamans held a similarly intimate connection with the spirits of their islands.
"Of course, one doesn't have to dedicate their entire life to communicating with spirits to interact with them," Claude points out, lips quirked up in a small smile as the little figures are finally arranged neat as one pleases. "Most people find the spirit that is most relevant to their family, their land, or their profession, and communicate with it daily to establish a good rapport. It's not the same thing as having one be with you as a partner, but... It usually makes things easier in the long run. No one likes to be ignored, right?"
Dimitri supposes that is a fair point. Still, as he leans over to get a good look at the little figures, he does have to wonder something. "How did the shaman who make these know what spirits would be around here, then? Or... Am I misunderstanding that these have something to do with shamanism and connecting with them?" He would have thought it would have required something a little... more.
But what would he know about shamanism, anyway?
At least Claude never seems to think there's such a thing as a stupid question. All he does is grin. "That was the tricky part. I had to bring some things from Fodlan with me, especially that would be near then northern regions that were once Faerghus. And all the talking I had to do... But apparently, she managed to do it just fine. She wasn't able to communicate with any Faerghus spirits or anything, at least that's what she said, but she said that with constant attention and the proper rituals observed, they'd make fine homes for the spirits around Fhirdiad. Something like that, if that makes sense."
And it does, honestly. One can make a home for something to nestle in so long as they know who it is they're making it for, and what kind of conditions it can be in. Dimitri peers around the sides of the little figures, curious about what so much of it could mean. "And that is how she knew about spirits of Faerghus?"
"She just said that the spirits that would be best suited for those homes would come. And I did put some good faith into the idea that she wouldn't purposefully welcome in spirits with bad intentions."
Dimitri decides to put some good faith into that area as well, and so he does just as the piece of paper Claude gives to him describes. It is not very hard, honestly. As long as one properly communicates to the spirits, and makes a small offering regularly, that is enough. From what Dimitri understands, traditionally one would celebrate Brigidúil festivals and holidays with such spirits as well, that may be a little more complex... But that is in the traditional Brigidúil manner.
"Faerghus spirits will want Faerghus customs," Petra says, when she manages to make another visit herself. Claude is back making a trip into Sreng, where the tensions have eased up considerably from when Sylvain brought some Gautier people to help partake in a hunt. She's looking over the figures that Dimitri has brought with him into his study, thoughtful but smiling. "As long as you include them, they will be happy."
"That is good to know," Dimitri tells her, smiling as well. It's been a balancing act, helping countries like Duscur and Brigid while also not overstepping a line... but Petra's happiness i still quite clear. "I almost wish I could speak to a shaman myself, although I don't have the time. I really am curious about what kind of spirits may have settled into such homes."
Straightening up, Petra snaps her fingers. "That is - easy peasy, that is the right phrase, is it not? I can tell you. The design is meant to attract certain spirits. Spirits of love will be very happy here!"
Now that is not the answer that Dimitri was expecting. He blinks. "Spirits of love?"
It's a rather... romantic sort of view, honestly, and one he didn't think would be a thing, over in Brigid. He's not entirely sure if it's a thing in Faerghus, either, actually, with any of their saints. And yet Petra certainly nods regardless, choosing her words carefully as she figures them out. Dimitri understands, even if only a small amount; he's had to do the same with Brigidúi. "They find home and comfort in love," she says, hand gesturing aimlessly through the air as though she can pluck the right words out of it. "Love of... land? Of people?" Her smile brightens considerably. "I said good things of you! I am glad they have been heard."
It is nice, to know that she thinks this way even after all he did, and the things she had to put up with him in the past... Dimitri wonders if he could ever thank her enough. For now, however, they simply practice language with one another, and Dimitri reflects on the things Petra tells him about the spirits that might be drawn to those little figures, and who may potentially listen to him when he speaks to them in the mornings and nights.
One of the things he speaks of is how much Claude brings back to him. He appreciates the gifts, of course, especially with all of his time trapping him in Fodlan. For all that things have improved so much, it is still a land that was once split in three and fought against itself. There is just so much to do... especially if he desires to accomplish it with minimal bloodshed.
So it is nice, to know that Claude never forgets him even with the things he in turn wants to do. The amazing things he's accomplishing back in Almyra, done through so much hard work.
In turn, is he really offering enough to Claude? It's something that Dimitri worries about every day, even when he sends off letters to wherever Claude is next, or back to Almyra. Their relationship is so distant... Dimitri loves him still, will always love him. That is something he swore to Claude a long time ago, before their duties took up so much of their time. His love feels renewed every time he rides out on the horse he takes such tender care of who is a long way from her desert mountain home, or when he takes care in putting on a bracelet and earring every single day.
Does Claude have that same reassurance? Dimitri wonders about that, working nonstop as he establishes more secure relationships with Fodlan's neighbors, watches things rebuild bit by bit until more people can smile.
It won't do at all to be left wondering. Dimitri decides that, rather than waste away and complain to himself, he wants to change all of that. He wants to know the answer for certain.
"I am working on establishing a diplomatic visit of my own for next year," Dimitri tells Claude when he comes back from another visit - this time handing him over a knife with an ivory handle. "That is the idea, at any rate, but I have confidence that the two of us can reach such comfortable grounds at that time. I have already brought it up during our correspondences, although in the proper manner, of course."
Claude looks back at him with raised eyebrows, and something that flickers past that gaze of his which is a little harder to read. "Is that so!" he exclaims, settling down on the rug of Dimitri's room again. "Well, it looks like all my gallivanting around has finally inspired you! Is Fodlan going to be all right with its king gone?"
Ugh. Dimitri huffs, just a little. "Please. You know good and well all the work I have been doing to make sure that the various parts of Fodlan could function even if all the nobles of the country were to suddenly vanish without a trace. By this point next year, I am confident that Fodlan will be fine enough, especially with the others staying behind like Ferdinand and Felix." Of course, a star could crash land into Garreg Mach and they'd have to deal with the after effect of a natural disaster like that... But Dimitri isn't thinking about such things. Those rare messes can be dealt with, if they have to be dealt with. "At any rate, what do you have planned, for the following year? I imagine you are full of plans, quite frankly."
"Well, that goes without saying." Claude leans forward a bit, resting his cheek in one palm. "Although I guess if you'll be gone for a good while next year, then I probably shouldn't bother anyone by making a visit here... Well, maybe besides Lorenz or Hilda. I still have a long time to consider it, but I wonder what country I should make diplomatic visits to around that time...?"
"Will you consider Dagda?"
"Dagda? Well, it's true that I haven't been able to make a visit there just yet. Such a long trip across the sea really does require some thinking... The letters have been good, and they've taken to other diplomatic visits well. I suppose it really is time for me to make an appearance there, isn't it?"
Good. So he's agreeing. Dimitri takes a breath, his heart pounding in his chest. "Then, if you are so invested in knowing when I will be gone on my own diplomatic journey... May I suggest the middle of spring, when the storms are not so turbulent? That is what my own people down in the harbors off Western Fodlan, and Petra over in Brigid, have recommended for me as I travel there."
Claude stares at him, and it is a satisfying thing, if Dimitri is honest. It's not often that his lover is caught so off-guard. "Wait... It's Dagda you're going to be visiting, next year?"
"That is right." Dimitri smiles at him, the beads on his bracelet shining in the fireplace light as he moves to rest his hand over Claude's. "You are right in that seeing you travel to the various countries around Fodlan and Almyra has been inspiring. But, more than any of that... I thought I did not want to be merely someone waiting for you, and doing nothing. I have come up with dozens of political reasons and the like, for why it would be good for the kings of Fodlan and Almyra both to make a visit to Dagda, but, more than anything else... For once, my beloved star, I want to be there with you as you step foot in a new place. I want to be the one to gift you something in turn... and see the sunrise brighten the horizon over a new land. And so, with all of that said so plainly... Will you go to Dagda with me as well, Khalid?"
Claude just stares at him for a moment longer, still a little caught off guard.... Before his head ducks down slightly, a laugh rolling out of him. When he glances up, it's with a shine to his eyes that is absolutely breathtaking. It always is, when Claude smiles at him like this.
"When you say it like that... How could I refuse?"
It starts with Almyra first, of course, because that is one of Claude's two beloved and complicated homelands, and he has so much work to do there before he and Dimitri can stay reunited in one place. Many of Almyra's people are nomadic, having claimed their vast land in this manner and tending to it as they make their way through mountain and desert and shores. Yet there are many other places that are a bit more stationary, having found a source of water that keeps them alive, and thus serving as bases for those who wander.
Everywhere is so different... Dimitri listens in complete fascination whenever Claude drops in for a "diplomatic" visit, sliding a different object into his hands and a tale into his ears every time.
Once, a small bracelet full of colorful beads and made of some sort of tough twine that doesn't break, brought to him from a small outpost near the ocean where things grew well.
Some of the bracelet was from glass that had been treated with salt water, apparently, and Claude told him of how beautiful the view was out onto the sea. The differences between it and Fhirdiad, and Derdriu, and yet the similarities, too. "It brought me comfort, sometimes, knowing that at least we were still watching the same sun traveling through the sky," he tells Dimitri, even as he helps afix the bracelet onto his wrist. It stays on his wrist almost every day that Dimitri can get away with it, and even sometimes when he can't, hidden away in a sleeve or underneath his shirt.
The next time he visits, it's from a journey to somewhere more in the mountains of Almyra, and he brings an entire horse. She's a lovely breed, her temperament calm and her build quite sturdy. Even though she's from quite a different land than Fodlan, especially the northern areas that were once the Kingdom, she adjusts well, and gets along just fine with the others in the stables.
"There are less riders for horseback over there than in the rest of Almyra," Claude tells him when they take her out for an experimental trot around the outskirts of the city, through the farmland that is just outside of Fhirdiad. "Wyverns like to go up there to nest, and so they fly more than they run along the land, near the mountains. There was another country that actually tried to invade Almyra once upon a time, or so the stories go, but they tried to make it through the mountains over there, but the wyvern riders knew the cliffs better than they did. Needless to say, ever since then, they've been quite the proud fliers."
Dimitri makes some sort of ridiculous remark, something about how Claude must have wowed them all with his own flying skills - it is nothing special. But the way that Claude laughs, his smile from such a little compliment? That is something precious.
More things are brought with him, after that, because of course they are: an elegant tapestry of a wyvern in a clear blue sky from those known for their fine weaving and armor making who had stopped in one city Claude had visited, an elegant lance that Dimitri had almost dared not touch, an earring to match Claude's own that he never removes in much the same way that he never removes the bracelet.
Claude brings him a head scarf one day, which Dimitri suspects might end up all the rage in Fodlan if he starts wearing it in public, along with some news. "We're going up to Sreng this summer," he tells him. "Sylvain managed to make a connection for me, and I want to take advantage of things while the iron's hot."
Relations with Sreng on the Fodlan side have been tense enough, and somewhat slow going.... Although that they have been going at all has been incredibly encouraging. Sylvain as well seems happier with the role he's taken as someone heading the diplomatic efforts, making strides past his more militant father. By far the best thing that has helped push forward relations has been giving back the land their fathers took from them... But even that has still made things a little uneasy. Even Dimitri isn't entirely sure how they've managed to keep the peace between Fodlan and Sreng for so long.
With that in mind, it's not surprising that a far more distant and foreign country like Almyra has managed to step foot there before them. There isn't the difficult history that Fodlan and Sreng share. So... Things should hopefully be all right, especially with a clever man like Claude at the helm of it all.
Dimitri tells himself that, but the worry must be clear on his face. The same face that Claude kisses, before they have to appear in public again, before he has to leave.
The greatest gift that Dimitri could ever have would be to just see Claude's face again, knowing he is safe and well and whole. Yet this is Claude that they are talking about, and he could not be satisfied with only that. When he crosses the border between Sreng and Fodlan, he heads straight back to Fhirdiad. With him, he brings a massive fur rug that needs multiple people to carry it inside. It reminds him distantly of some of the beasts that have stalked Fodlan's lands before, enormous wolves which stalk plains and worms that burrow through the ground, but the fur is far more soft than he would have thought them capable of.
When they retreat to Dimitri's room that night, where the fur has been spread across his floor and is just close enough to the fireplace, Claude tells him of his journey while they lounge there in the comfortable warmth. Sreng has its own massive beasts, whom they leave alone for the most part. It's a fairly easy task to accomplish, honestly. Apparently, while they traverse on land as well as anything, their real home is somewhere even further up north in colder waters, and they simply pass by Sreng on their way to who knows where.
"Taking down one can feed a whole village or two," Claude says, their tea finished and the two of them content where they lay. "Honestly, this isn't even the whole fur. Part of the reason you aren't bothered is just because they have their own things going on, you know... and likewise. While I know that past rulers in Fodlan said they were warrior tribes, it looked to me like most of them were hunters."
"Ah, so past kings and emperors made snap assumptions about a country they never visited?" Dimitri says dryly. "I never would have guessed that to ever happen." And Claude laughs again.
With Sreng out of the way, probably the most difficult and troublesome of the nearby countries to visit, Claude soon takes to visiting others as well. Dimitri can't say he's terribly surprised. Claude's wanderlust, earning him a title as a wandering king that brings tales, trade, and new places to visit for his people, was always going to leak out eventually... And the colder months are coming, slinking down from Sreng and rolling over Fodlan's hills. When he gets a message that Claude has taken a ship from the south-west of Fodlan to go to Brigid, it's almost expected.
Equally expected is that, when the frost begins to thaw over, Claude comes up to visit him again. This time when they have a moment of privacy to themselves, Claude hands him a small wooden box that is more intricately carved than anything Dimitri thinks he's ever seen in his life. Inside are a small group of little wooden figures, far different than any statue one could find in any corner of Fodlan.
"Petra told you about the shamans of Brigid before, right?" Claude asks, even as he gently and delicately places the little line of figures along Dimitri's desk. If there's a specific order they should all be in, he doesn't tell Dimitri of it. "I had the honor of speaking with some of them while I visited."
Dimitri has spoken with them as well, practicing his clumsy Brigidúil alongside Petra and understanding truly just how hard she had to have had it while studying at Garreg Mach. They'd had translators, of course, but he'd wanted to make even the slightest bit of effort to greet them properly in a land that wanted to work alongside them properly instead of just use the islands for yet another bit of political or war time nonsense. They'd been interesting people, although he'd had to speak more with Petra and other important figures. Mercedes had seemed to get along swimmingly with them, at least.
That means he'd never gotten to truly have a discussion about just what shamanism was like, over in Brigid. It's apparently quite detailed, and learning properly about how to be a shaman can take many years. Bonding with spirits... is quite a task.
In some ways, it reminds Dimitri slightly of how wyvern riders - the ones who have had the blessing of being raised alongside their steed since both were young, especialy in Almyra - work alongside their own partners. A wyvern is not only a steed, not even only a partner, but almost an extension of one's self, and vice versa. Brigidúil shamans held a similarly intimate connection with the spirits of their islands.
"Of course, one doesn't have to dedicate their entire life to communicating with spirits to interact with them," Claude points out, lips quirked up in a small smile as the little figures are finally arranged neat as one pleases. "Most people find the spirit that is most relevant to their family, their land, or their profession, and communicate with it daily to establish a good rapport. It's not the same thing as having one be with you as a partner, but... It usually makes things easier in the long run. No one likes to be ignored, right?"
Dimitri supposes that is a fair point. Still, as he leans over to get a good look at the little figures, he does have to wonder something. "How did the shaman who make these know what spirits would be around here, then? Or... Am I misunderstanding that these have something to do with shamanism and connecting with them?" He would have thought it would have required something a little... more.
But what would he know about shamanism, anyway?
At least Claude never seems to think there's such a thing as a stupid question. All he does is grin. "That was the tricky part. I had to bring some things from Fodlan with me, especially that would be near then northern regions that were once Faerghus. And all the talking I had to do... But apparently, she managed to do it just fine. She wasn't able to communicate with any Faerghus spirits or anything, at least that's what she said, but she said that with constant attention and the proper rituals observed, they'd make fine homes for the spirits around Fhirdiad. Something like that, if that makes sense."
And it does, honestly. One can make a home for something to nestle in so long as they know who it is they're making it for, and what kind of conditions it can be in. Dimitri peers around the sides of the little figures, curious about what so much of it could mean. "And that is how she knew about spirits of Faerghus?"
"She just said that the spirits that would be best suited for those homes would come. And I did put some good faith into the idea that she wouldn't purposefully welcome in spirits with bad intentions."
Dimitri decides to put some good faith into that area as well, and so he does just as the piece of paper Claude gives to him describes. It is not very hard, honestly. As long as one properly communicates to the spirits, and makes a small offering regularly, that is enough. From what Dimitri understands, traditionally one would celebrate Brigidúil festivals and holidays with such spirits as well, that may be a little more complex... But that is in the traditional Brigidúil manner.
"Faerghus spirits will want Faerghus customs," Petra says, when she manages to make another visit herself. Claude is back making a trip into Sreng, where the tensions have eased up considerably from when Sylvain brought some Gautier people to help partake in a hunt. She's looking over the figures that Dimitri has brought with him into his study, thoughtful but smiling. "As long as you include them, they will be happy."
"That is good to know," Dimitri tells her, smiling as well. It's been a balancing act, helping countries like Duscur and Brigid while also not overstepping a line... but Petra's happiness i still quite clear. "I almost wish I could speak to a shaman myself, although I don't have the time. I really am curious about what kind of spirits may have settled into such homes."
Straightening up, Petra snaps her fingers. "That is - easy peasy, that is the right phrase, is it not? I can tell you. The design is meant to attract certain spirits. Spirits of love will be very happy here!"
Now that is not the answer that Dimitri was expecting. He blinks. "Spirits of love?"
It's a rather... romantic sort of view, honestly, and one he didn't think would be a thing, over in Brigid. He's not entirely sure if it's a thing in Faerghus, either, actually, with any of their saints. And yet Petra certainly nods regardless, choosing her words carefully as she figures them out. Dimitri understands, even if only a small amount; he's had to do the same with Brigidúi. "They find home and comfort in love," she says, hand gesturing aimlessly through the air as though she can pluck the right words out of it. "Love of... land? Of people?" Her smile brightens considerably. "I said good things of you! I am glad they have been heard."
It is nice, to know that she thinks this way even after all he did, and the things she had to put up with him in the past... Dimitri wonders if he could ever thank her enough. For now, however, they simply practice language with one another, and Dimitri reflects on the things Petra tells him about the spirits that might be drawn to those little figures, and who may potentially listen to him when he speaks to them in the mornings and nights.
One of the things he speaks of is how much Claude brings back to him. He appreciates the gifts, of course, especially with all of his time trapping him in Fodlan. For all that things have improved so much, it is still a land that was once split in three and fought against itself. There is just so much to do... especially if he desires to accomplish it with minimal bloodshed.
So it is nice, to know that Claude never forgets him even with the things he in turn wants to do. The amazing things he's accomplishing back in Almyra, done through so much hard work.
In turn, is he really offering enough to Claude? It's something that Dimitri worries about every day, even when he sends off letters to wherever Claude is next, or back to Almyra. Their relationship is so distant... Dimitri loves him still, will always love him. That is something he swore to Claude a long time ago, before their duties took up so much of their time. His love feels renewed every time he rides out on the horse he takes such tender care of who is a long way from her desert mountain home, or when he takes care in putting on a bracelet and earring every single day.
Does Claude have that same reassurance? Dimitri wonders about that, working nonstop as he establishes more secure relationships with Fodlan's neighbors, watches things rebuild bit by bit until more people can smile.
It won't do at all to be left wondering. Dimitri decides that, rather than waste away and complain to himself, he wants to change all of that. He wants to know the answer for certain.
"I am working on establishing a diplomatic visit of my own for next year," Dimitri tells Claude when he comes back from another visit - this time handing him over a knife with an ivory handle. "That is the idea, at any rate, but I have confidence that the two of us can reach such comfortable grounds at that time. I have already brought it up during our correspondences, although in the proper manner, of course."
Claude looks back at him with raised eyebrows, and something that flickers past that gaze of his which is a little harder to read. "Is that so!" he exclaims, settling down on the rug of Dimitri's room again. "Well, it looks like all my gallivanting around has finally inspired you! Is Fodlan going to be all right with its king gone?"
Ugh. Dimitri huffs, just a little. "Please. You know good and well all the work I have been doing to make sure that the various parts of Fodlan could function even if all the nobles of the country were to suddenly vanish without a trace. By this point next year, I am confident that Fodlan will be fine enough, especially with the others staying behind like Ferdinand and Felix." Of course, a star could crash land into Garreg Mach and they'd have to deal with the after effect of a natural disaster like that... But Dimitri isn't thinking about such things. Those rare messes can be dealt with, if they have to be dealt with. "At any rate, what do you have planned, for the following year? I imagine you are full of plans, quite frankly."
"Well, that goes without saying." Claude leans forward a bit, resting his cheek in one palm. "Although I guess if you'll be gone for a good while next year, then I probably shouldn't bother anyone by making a visit here... Well, maybe besides Lorenz or Hilda. I still have a long time to consider it, but I wonder what country I should make diplomatic visits to around that time...?"
"Will you consider Dagda?"
"Dagda? Well, it's true that I haven't been able to make a visit there just yet. Such a long trip across the sea really does require some thinking... The letters have been good, and they've taken to other diplomatic visits well. I suppose it really is time for me to make an appearance there, isn't it?"
Good. So he's agreeing. Dimitri takes a breath, his heart pounding in his chest. "Then, if you are so invested in knowing when I will be gone on my own diplomatic journey... May I suggest the middle of spring, when the storms are not so turbulent? That is what my own people down in the harbors off Western Fodlan, and Petra over in Brigid, have recommended for me as I travel there."
Claude stares at him, and it is a satisfying thing, if Dimitri is honest. It's not often that his lover is caught so off-guard. "Wait... It's Dagda you're going to be visiting, next year?"
"That is right." Dimitri smiles at him, the beads on his bracelet shining in the fireplace light as he moves to rest his hand over Claude's. "You are right in that seeing you travel to the various countries around Fodlan and Almyra has been inspiring. But, more than any of that... I thought I did not want to be merely someone waiting for you, and doing nothing. I have come up with dozens of political reasons and the like, for why it would be good for the kings of Fodlan and Almyra both to make a visit to Dagda, but, more than anything else... For once, my beloved star, I want to be there with you as you step foot in a new place. I want to be the one to gift you something in turn... and see the sunrise brighten the horizon over a new land. And so, with all of that said so plainly... Will you go to Dagda with me as well, Khalid?"
Claude just stares at him for a moment longer, still a little caught off guard.... Before his head ducks down slightly, a laugh rolling out of him. When he glances up, it's with a shine to his eyes that is absolutely breathtaking. It always is, when Claude smiles at him like this.
"When you say it like that... How could I refuse?"