[ The familiar scent of the brewed flavor hits him and he freezes for a moment at the nostalgia of it as his gaze flies first to the tea cup and then to her face. ]

You… have Bergamot where you come from?

[ The note of surprise is more than audible in his voice and Claire has just elevated herself almost to the same level of wizardry as the Professor, just for guessing on the first try. Actually, he’s pretty sure not even Byleth had managed that. It wasn’t that common a flavor back home, after all. He doesn’t know if somehow the Horizon is helping her cheat or if that’s exactly what she’d intended to brew, but either way, it’s enough to startle him that she offers him his favorite flavor from the start. ]

Uhhh… a while now, I guess. We were in our late teens when we finally met in person, but I knew who she was and the details of her House before that. Although when we were sent to the Officer’s Academy, we were in different classes. Almost everyone from the Leicester Alliance - where Hilda and our friend Claude are from - stuck together as part of the Golden Deer house. I’m from Faerghus and most of us were among the Blue Lions. Rivals, of sorts, but friendly, for the most part.

[ …Until Edelgard tossed them all headfirst into war with one another anyway. ]

We’ve gotten closer since we’ve been here, though. It’s a little different circumstances than we had to deal with back home.