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DMCL Week 2024 - Reunion
"Claude is not actually the newly made king of Almyra," Dimitri says, but less in an authoritative demanding way, and more like when they were little kids and Sylvain had to tell him that he wouldn't actually find a fairy in the woods who would give him a griffin to ride into battle and he just sounds so heartbroken.
Sylvain felt kind of bad about that when he was a kid, and, weirdly enough, he's starting to feel bad about it now. Even though that makes no sense. Dimitri has trusted him to run the kingdom's information network, so that him and everyone else can help make better decisions on, well. The absolute clusterfuck that the land is currently in due to the aftermath of the war. Sure, it's been a good few years since then... but honestly, the war lasted much longer. And so they need to know a lot in order to help get everyone onto their feet again. Which means he has to be upfront (in his own way) with Dimitri about the things he learns, all the moreso when it comes to the neighboring countries which have definitely been eyeing up Fodlan's very weird current state.
So he shouldn't feel bad about telling Dimitri that an old friend and vital ally from the war was in fact a prince of a rather hostile neighboring nation. That is, as it turns out, pretty important information to have and act on. "Sorry, buddy," he says, sympathetic despite it all. "But it's true. Apparently Claude von Reigan's real name is Khalid, and it's undeniably him who's recently taken up the crown over in Almyra."
And honestly, that's all pretty interesting, if Sylvain may quietly admit that to himself. He's not sure who he'd talk to about this, exactly, because, well, handling the kingdom's information is kind of enough responsibility and he really doesn't want people to start having expectations. But a guy's gotta wonder, right?
Like - really, he wonders if anyone is really considering how impressive it is that Claude (Khalid? Are they on 'Khalid' speaking terms right now?) was able to live for many years in the country that he did, with no one sniffing out his true origin story. With no one realizing that there was a reason that he popped up out of nowhere like he did. No one thinking to question a bunch of little details, especially in a place as cutthroat as Leicester could be sometimes.
Not to mention that the most unforgiving interpretation of an Almyran prince sneaking around Fodlan was that he was looking for a weakness in them.... except that doesn't make any sense. He knows he's just some dumb flirt who his father would probably disown if not for his Crest, but, it really doesn't make any sense.
After all, if this was really something done by Almyra to screw them over while they were at their weakest... they kind of missed that prime opportunity a good while ago, right? Claude could have done anything but offer his assistance to Dimitri in one last hail to the saints which saved literally all of them, and which, Sylvain does have to admit, was pretty key in them getting the ultimate victory against the Empire. Without that decisive win, they would have been besieged on multiple fronts rather than what was primarily the one.
Maybe he thought that the Empire would be the far bigger threat if they won? Sylvain understands that kind of logic. Edelgard always was an all-or-nothing kind of woman; sometimes he wonders if she made the choice to push Dimitri into killing her even after all he did to try and make it otherwise. Make the victory really final. In a world where she won... He wants to think that she wouldn't have gone too wild, but Edelgard made it hard for people to understand her, too.
What were her ideas on foreign policy? On restoring Duscur, or the Empire's boot in Brigid? Relevantly, Almyra?
Anyway, there's still a problem with that as well, which is that even if someone runs with that assumption, then they would still have to admit that Almyra missed their chance. Fodlan may be in a bit of a precarious position still for the time being, but they've only been getting better bit by bit. Not as fast as maybe they'd like, but... they're certainly no longer the sitting duck they were right there in the aftermath of the war. And anyway, it would have been better for Claude to have stuck around if he really wanted to stab them in the back.
That's the question that Sylvain is wondering as he stands there with Dimitri as the two of them look out into the cold winter snow which has stretched out all over northern Fodlan for the time being, and which will last well into the spring. He's figuring that, even if he hates this sort of spy-like business, Dimitri is probably still thinking the same sort of questions...
Up until Dimitri looks up at him with his brow pinched in on itself, and says, "I have no idea how on earth I am possibly going to propose to him now."
Sylvain blinks. Does a little head movement that he's not sure the point of, nor how to describe it. Blinks a few more times in rapid succession as his brain struggles to take in this little shock of an information nugget. "Propose?" he asks.
Like, okay, sure - Dimitri did do his best to be friendly with his fellow house leaders, back in the day when things somehow seemed a lot simpler even with all the politics intrinsically involved in them all going to the Academy. Sylvain gets that. And he knows well enough that while Edelgard was always sort of distant and sharp with him, Claude was the exact opposite. Guy took a real shine to teasing Dimitri, which Sylvain understands.
He just doesn't think he understands enough to know how they got here, with Dimitri tilting his head to the side and going, "Yes, propose. I promised him that I would wed him some day, and bring an allegiance between our two countries."
Just like that, Sylvain can see a part where Claude would have found the whole thing funny, but in that sort of depressing way that maybe only guys like them would laugh about. "Okay, so," he starts, brain still kind of churning over a whole lot of information here. "When you did that promise, were you specific in which countries, like, say, Faerghus and Leicester, or did you put it exactly like that, more or less?"
Of course Dimitri used the more vague term. Of course he said between our two countries.
Sylvain takes a moment to just lean against Dimitri's nice kingly desk and sip at his wine, like that will help his brain work rather than make it worse. Now that the surprise has worn off, he can really see the weight that rests on Dimitri's shoulders - not a physical kind of weight, really. But a dull and miserable little realization in his eyes, the way he doesn't quite look back at him...
Dammit. Sylvain takes another swig of wine, which is not the proper way to appreciate wine. "Alright, so, there's a few hurdles that are going to be in the way and this might take a long time to handle," he tells Dimitri, because he thinks he's gotten just a little bit sick of one of his dearest friends having his heart broken time and time again. One decades-long mental breakdown and some change is enough for one lifetime. That's what he thinks. "But first things first: for a reunion like this, as much as he'd find it funny to see you trip over yourself seeing him in whatever counts as kingly attire over in Almyra, we've gotta nick that right in the bud."
Even with victory having landed in their laps, Dimitri doesn't really smile as much as he used to when they were all still just kids playing military back in the Academy. Maybe that's for the better. Dimitri back down was all a princely mask, the gaping wound of himself festering and oozing behind a gilded mask. Maybe it's better that, even if he can't quite show weakness anymore to just anyone (could he really ever?), he can still not feign happiness.
...Yet even still, when he sees how Dimitri's one blue eye lights up, he thinks he's glad to see him smile even a little bit.
"I always knew that I would have to excuse it with politics," he says, some more energy coming to life in him, "but I was thinking Leicester politics. Sylvain, could I have you bother some of our companions down in Leicester to look into the information they have on Almyran culture and cuisine? We will have to show that we are properly welcoming, you know."
There they go. That's a much better expression to see on Dimitri's face, some of that stubborn determination burning up again. "Sure will," Sylvain says with a grin, already knowing exactly what he'll say to Hilda. Maybe this sort of optimism will be good for more than just Dimitri, too.
Whatever weird mystery may have been behind Claude's presence in Fodlan, it's undeniable that a lot of people cared about his absence.
And sure, it's going to take a few miracles if they really do want to get Dimitri hitched to the guy, if Claude really can be convinced into it, but, hey. Claude probably won't be as hard as some people might think, at least if Sylvain could make any solid guesses about it. And as for the miracles...
Aren't the best miracles the ones made by people?
Sylvain is pretty sure of that one, and he's pretty sure of it all the way until the Almyran delegation arrives in the more temperate climate down south, begrudingly impressed by the meal set out for them.... save for one, who looks across the whole room to grin bright as a star straight towards Fodlan's king.
Sylvain felt kind of bad about that when he was a kid, and, weirdly enough, he's starting to feel bad about it now. Even though that makes no sense. Dimitri has trusted him to run the kingdom's information network, so that him and everyone else can help make better decisions on, well. The absolute clusterfuck that the land is currently in due to the aftermath of the war. Sure, it's been a good few years since then... but honestly, the war lasted much longer. And so they need to know a lot in order to help get everyone onto their feet again. Which means he has to be upfront (in his own way) with Dimitri about the things he learns, all the moreso when it comes to the neighboring countries which have definitely been eyeing up Fodlan's very weird current state.
So he shouldn't feel bad about telling Dimitri that an old friend and vital ally from the war was in fact a prince of a rather hostile neighboring nation. That is, as it turns out, pretty important information to have and act on. "Sorry, buddy," he says, sympathetic despite it all. "But it's true. Apparently Claude von Reigan's real name is Khalid, and it's undeniably him who's recently taken up the crown over in Almyra."
And honestly, that's all pretty interesting, if Sylvain may quietly admit that to himself. He's not sure who he'd talk to about this, exactly, because, well, handling the kingdom's information is kind of enough responsibility and he really doesn't want people to start having expectations. But a guy's gotta wonder, right?
Like - really, he wonders if anyone is really considering how impressive it is that Claude (Khalid? Are they on 'Khalid' speaking terms right now?) was able to live for many years in the country that he did, with no one sniffing out his true origin story. With no one realizing that there was a reason that he popped up out of nowhere like he did. No one thinking to question a bunch of little details, especially in a place as cutthroat as Leicester could be sometimes.
Not to mention that the most unforgiving interpretation of an Almyran prince sneaking around Fodlan was that he was looking for a weakness in them.... except that doesn't make any sense. He knows he's just some dumb flirt who his father would probably disown if not for his Crest, but, it really doesn't make any sense.
After all, if this was really something done by Almyra to screw them over while they were at their weakest... they kind of missed that prime opportunity a good while ago, right? Claude could have done anything but offer his assistance to Dimitri in one last hail to the saints which saved literally all of them, and which, Sylvain does have to admit, was pretty key in them getting the ultimate victory against the Empire. Without that decisive win, they would have been besieged on multiple fronts rather than what was primarily the one.
Maybe he thought that the Empire would be the far bigger threat if they won? Sylvain understands that kind of logic. Edelgard always was an all-or-nothing kind of woman; sometimes he wonders if she made the choice to push Dimitri into killing her even after all he did to try and make it otherwise. Make the victory really final. In a world where she won... He wants to think that she wouldn't have gone too wild, but Edelgard made it hard for people to understand her, too.
What were her ideas on foreign policy? On restoring Duscur, or the Empire's boot in Brigid? Relevantly, Almyra?
Anyway, there's still a problem with that as well, which is that even if someone runs with that assumption, then they would still have to admit that Almyra missed their chance. Fodlan may be in a bit of a precarious position still for the time being, but they've only been getting better bit by bit. Not as fast as maybe they'd like, but... they're certainly no longer the sitting duck they were right there in the aftermath of the war. And anyway, it would have been better for Claude to have stuck around if he really wanted to stab them in the back.
That's the question that Sylvain is wondering as he stands there with Dimitri as the two of them look out into the cold winter snow which has stretched out all over northern Fodlan for the time being, and which will last well into the spring. He's figuring that, even if he hates this sort of spy-like business, Dimitri is probably still thinking the same sort of questions...
Up until Dimitri looks up at him with his brow pinched in on itself, and says, "I have no idea how on earth I am possibly going to propose to him now."
Sylvain blinks. Does a little head movement that he's not sure the point of, nor how to describe it. Blinks a few more times in rapid succession as his brain struggles to take in this little shock of an information nugget. "Propose?" he asks.
Like, okay, sure - Dimitri did do his best to be friendly with his fellow house leaders, back in the day when things somehow seemed a lot simpler even with all the politics intrinsically involved in them all going to the Academy. Sylvain gets that. And he knows well enough that while Edelgard was always sort of distant and sharp with him, Claude was the exact opposite. Guy took a real shine to teasing Dimitri, which Sylvain understands.
He just doesn't think he understands enough to know how they got here, with Dimitri tilting his head to the side and going, "Yes, propose. I promised him that I would wed him some day, and bring an allegiance between our two countries."
Just like that, Sylvain can see a part where Claude would have found the whole thing funny, but in that sort of depressing way that maybe only guys like them would laugh about. "Okay, so," he starts, brain still kind of churning over a whole lot of information here. "When you did that promise, were you specific in which countries, like, say, Faerghus and Leicester, or did you put it exactly like that, more or less?"
Of course Dimitri used the more vague term. Of course he said between our two countries.
Sylvain takes a moment to just lean against Dimitri's nice kingly desk and sip at his wine, like that will help his brain work rather than make it worse. Now that the surprise has worn off, he can really see the weight that rests on Dimitri's shoulders - not a physical kind of weight, really. But a dull and miserable little realization in his eyes, the way he doesn't quite look back at him...
Dammit. Sylvain takes another swig of wine, which is not the proper way to appreciate wine. "Alright, so, there's a few hurdles that are going to be in the way and this might take a long time to handle," he tells Dimitri, because he thinks he's gotten just a little bit sick of one of his dearest friends having his heart broken time and time again. One decades-long mental breakdown and some change is enough for one lifetime. That's what he thinks. "But first things first: for a reunion like this, as much as he'd find it funny to see you trip over yourself seeing him in whatever counts as kingly attire over in Almyra, we've gotta nick that right in the bud."
Even with victory having landed in their laps, Dimitri doesn't really smile as much as he used to when they were all still just kids playing military back in the Academy. Maybe that's for the better. Dimitri back down was all a princely mask, the gaping wound of himself festering and oozing behind a gilded mask. Maybe it's better that, even if he can't quite show weakness anymore to just anyone (could he really ever?), he can still not feign happiness.
...Yet even still, when he sees how Dimitri's one blue eye lights up, he thinks he's glad to see him smile even a little bit.
"I always knew that I would have to excuse it with politics," he says, some more energy coming to life in him, "but I was thinking Leicester politics. Sylvain, could I have you bother some of our companions down in Leicester to look into the information they have on Almyran culture and cuisine? We will have to show that we are properly welcoming, you know."
There they go. That's a much better expression to see on Dimitri's face, some of that stubborn determination burning up again. "Sure will," Sylvain says with a grin, already knowing exactly what he'll say to Hilda. Maybe this sort of optimism will be good for more than just Dimitri, too.
Whatever weird mystery may have been behind Claude's presence in Fodlan, it's undeniable that a lot of people cared about his absence.
And sure, it's going to take a few miracles if they really do want to get Dimitri hitched to the guy, if Claude really can be convinced into it, but, hey. Claude probably won't be as hard as some people might think, at least if Sylvain could make any solid guesses about it. And as for the miracles...
Aren't the best miracles the ones made by people?
Sylvain is pretty sure of that one, and he's pretty sure of it all the way until the Almyran delegation arrives in the more temperate climate down south, begrudingly impressed by the meal set out for them.... save for one, who looks across the whole room to grin bright as a star straight towards Fodlan's king.