[ When his laughter begins to spark in that familiar way that it does, she waits for him to verbally admit that his admission to being royalty is a joke. Expects it, actually, to the point where she has a quip readied to volly back to him about how attractiveness isn't mutually exclusive to being nobility or royalty for that matter. Rather, it has everything to do with how she has a hard time fathoming him being as royal as Edelgard and Dimtri are.
So much of their relationship never lingered very long on the serious; she didn't have a taste for it and he was happy to oblige in many ways because serious often came hand in hand with truths he wasn't prepared to tell her. But when what she expects doesn't come to pass, her own amusement ebbs away, replaced by disbelief.
The truth clicks into startingly clarity before her. A king. Claude was going to be a king. Or at least trying to become one. That's why he had left all those letters addressed to Byleth and another to Holst - to ensure that his relations with Fodlan would remain intact upon his return to Almyra to claim his birthright. His birthright. She knew it. She knew there had to be a reason that he would leave Fodlan after fighting for it that wasn't entirely to do with homesickness. More importantly, she knew the man speaking so calmly before her: Claude wasn't nearly as selfless as he made himself out to be sometimes. All his talk of dreams, the things he hoped to accomplish in the future, everything he had wagered - all of it were pieces to his larger plan. Her brows wrinkle and then - ]
What the fuck?!
[ It's uncommon for her to swear. Not that she thinks it as unsavory or that she was too delicate for it (although maybe there's a little bit of that mixed in there) - rather she had always thought there was a time and place for curse words to have a larger impact. And if there was any scenario it would be this one. More disbelief and confusion flies from her, but not in anger or indignation despite her look on her face. ]
What do you mean you intend to lead? You're a prince? But what about Shahid? What if he tries to kill you?! Why wouldn't you just stay in Fodlan if you wanted to lead - if you have to do it all over again that's so much work!
[ ...Because that's clearly also something to consider. ]
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So much of their relationship never lingered very long on the serious; she didn't have a taste for it and he was happy to oblige in many ways because serious often came hand in hand with truths he wasn't prepared to tell her. But when what she expects doesn't come to pass, her own amusement ebbs away, replaced by disbelief.
The truth clicks into startingly clarity before her. A king. Claude was going to be a king. Or at least trying to become one. That's why he had left all those letters addressed to Byleth and another to Holst - to ensure that his relations with Fodlan would remain intact upon his return to Almyra to claim his birthright. His birthright. She knew it. She knew there had to be a reason that he would leave Fodlan after fighting for it that wasn't entirely to do with homesickness. More importantly, she knew the man speaking so calmly before her: Claude wasn't nearly as selfless as he made himself out to be sometimes. All his talk of dreams, the things he hoped to accomplish in the future, everything he had wagered - all of it were pieces to his larger plan. Her brows wrinkle and then - ]
What the fuck?!
[ It's uncommon for her to swear. Not that she thinks it as unsavory or that she was too delicate for it (although maybe there's a little bit of that mixed in there) - rather she had always thought there was a time and place for curse words to have a larger impact. And if there was any scenario it would be this one. More disbelief and confusion flies from her, but not in anger or indignation despite her look on her face. ]
What do you mean you intend to lead? You're a prince? But what about Shahid? What if he tries to kill you?! Why wouldn't you just stay in Fodlan if you wanted to lead - if you have to do it all over again that's so much work!
[ ...Because that's clearly also something to consider. ]