Golden Wildfire: Sides of a Coin

by DreamlandRose

Summary:

Claude closed his eyes to think. “I mean, you’ve been isolated your whole life, right? And I guess I just thought, you know… if I wrote you a letter, you’d have proof that someone truly cares about you.”

“Oh.” Shez blinked once. Then again. And again. “Really?”

“Maybe. Or maybe I did it to pique your curiosity so you’d come and hang out with me a little longer. Who knows?”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

5 times Claude writes Shez a letter, +1 time he doesn't. (Spoilers for Golden Wildfire.)

Notes:

This was written without prior knowledge of anything that happens in Scarlet Blaze or Azure Gleam (I haven't finished either route yet, so I'm still not sure whether that actually matters - gonna say it anyway just in case, lol).

The “Coming Clean” paralogue happens offscreen, and the “A Place to Belong” conversation happens later here than it does in the game.

I personally was dissatisfied with Claude's special accessory and final letter, and even more so with the conclusion of what was otherwise a fantastic route. This is my attempt to shoot both wyverns with one Failnaught.

Chapter 1

~ ~ 1 ~ ~

 

Claude watched from the corner of his eye as the new girl stepped tentatively into the Golden Deer classroom, stopped to scan the room, and ultimately decided to head for the back row. An empty chair just happened to be sitting right next to him; naturally, she followed suit.

“Hey there, Shez.” Claude uncrossed his arms from behind his head and sat up straighter as she took her seat. “Good to see you found your way.”

“You say that as if there aren’t only three classrooms in this building.” Shez hooked her bag on the back of the chair. “But… thanks.”

Her bangs fell at an angle that covered her entire face – Claude couldn’t help but wonder what it’d be like to look into both of her eyes at once. “How are you feeling? Good? Nervous?”

She laughed, a shaky chuckle that answered the question in and of itself. “A little bit of both, honestly. I’m looking forward to getting some personalized training, but… I’ve never really been to a proper school before.”

“Really? How come? If you don’t mind me asking, of course.”

“I grew up in a tiny village in the middle of the mountains. So I didn’t learn all that much, and whenever I did, it was from my mom. I can read and write and do math… sort of… but that’s about it in terms of book smarts.”

“I see. I guess this whole thing is pretty new to you, then.”

“Yeah. The monastery is huge, and there are so many people here. It’s a little jarring.”

“Well, on the bright side, there are tons of people you could make friends with, right?”

“Friends, huh.” Shez paused. “…Where I came from, I was the only kid my age, and I never really talked to people from outside either. I got along with Captain Berling’s group, but they always felt like close colleagues rather than friends per se. In terms of making friends the way you guys do it… I’m not sure if I actually know how.”

“Ah. I’m sorry to hear that.” Claude smiled. “Don’t worry. Just take it at your own pace, and we’ll do our best to help you feel at home.”

But leaving it at that felt wrong somehow. There was something more he still needed to say. “And if it helps–”

“Good morning.”

Professor Jeritza’s voice boomed through the classroom. The masked man at the podium shuffled a stack of papers. “I was speaking with Professor Hanneman about the lesson plan. My expertise is limited to physical combat, but he insisted that I spend today instructing you on the subject of Crests. Let us begin. Crests are bloodborne manifestations of the unique powers bestowed by the goddess, which were first granted in ancient times to individuals such as the Four Saints, the Ten Elites…”

Before long, Claude’s focus vanished into thin air. Jeritza’s slow, apathetic droning gave him a knack for making even the most fascinating topics sound dreadfully boring. Claude tried to busy himself by taking notes, but even that was proving difficult – how was he supposed to record what he was learning if he frankly wasn’t learning anything?

He glanced at Shez to see if she was having any trouble. She seemed to be gazing intently towards the front of the room, though he couldn’t tell if she was deeply absorbed or staring off in space. Either way, it didn’t seem like she was in the mood to whisper or pass notes.

So instead, Claude flipped to a new page in his notebook and started writing a letter.

 

Dear Shez,

This is Claude. Sorry if this is a little surprising. To be completely honest with you, I wrote this during our first period class because I couldn’t focus and I needed a clever little disguise to make it look like I was taking notes. School isn’t always this dull, I promise. In fact, there’s a lot to do even outside of classwork and training. I’d be happy to show you if you want.

Anyway, how was the rest of your first day? I know after first period, we had that seminar from Seteth about how to take care of the wyverns. Seteth might seem a little intimidating sometimes, but he’s actually quite nice. Just don’t ever get him started about his sister Flayn. One time he saw me while I was holding the door open for her – you should’ve seen the look on his face…

 

Claude wasn’t usually a huge fan of letters – they were often a bit too tedious and formal for his liking – but this one was oddly enjoyable. Perhaps it was because he’d only been halfway through the class period when he started, but Claude found himself writing for longer than he’d expected, already looking forward to the look on Shez’s face when she read it. He finally managed to end the letter just as Jeritza started to conclude the lecture:

 

In any case, I hope this was fun for you to read. I know it was fun for me to write. And if I didn’t say it before, welcome to the Golden Deer House!

From Claude

 

Right on time, Jeritza closed his book with a firm snap. “Today’s cleaning duty falls to Marianne von Edmund and Ignatz Victor. Good day.”

As soon as the professor left the room, an audible, distinctly Gloucesterian sigh of exasperation rang out from the front row. “Raphael, what did I tell you about sleeping so boorishly through the enriching lectures prepared by our instructors?”

“No clue,” said Raphael with a hearty yawn. “I slept through that too.”

“Go easy on him, Lorenz,” Hilda chided. “Can you look me in the eyes and tell me that snooze fest was ‘enriching?’”

Lorenz faltered. “O-of course I can! For I am none other than Lorenz Hellman Gloucester!!”

“Uh-huh. Then why did you just look everywhere except at me?”

Beside Claude, Shez let out a soft snicker. “Your house is… an interesting bunch.”

“Hey, what’s life without a healthy dose of shenanigans?” Claude stood up and stretched. “Though, I guess you’re not really used to that kind of attitude.”

“Not really. But…” A grin spread across her face. “I can’t say I hate it.”

“Oh, Shez!” Hilda waved her arms. “There you are. What did you think of Professor Jeritza?”

“Me? Oh, uh… I guess he’s alright. He kinda has this mysterious air about him, like he’s really nice but also isn’t…”

Shez turned around to address the little group. Before moving to join the others, Claude took the chance to quietly slip the letter into an open pocket of her bag. From there, it was just a matter of waiting.

That night, after the informal Golden Deer welcome dinner, Shez approached Claude as he was relaxing by the fishing pond. “Hey.”

“What’s this?” He raised his eyebrows. “Still haven’t gotten enough of me? I’m flattered.”

Shez scoffed and shook her head, though he could tell she was fighting back a smile. “Don’t get your hopes up. I just wanted to ask you about that letter in my bag.”

“Letter… letter… couldja be a little more specific?”

“You know, the one you wrote instead of even trying to listen to Professor Jeritza.” She sat down on the barrel next to his own. “I definitely had the same problem, though. If it wasn’t for that peach pastry on his desk, I would’ve been out like a light.”

“Ah, so that’s why you were stuffing your face with peach cobbler at dinner.”

“Hey, I wasn’t being that sloppy. And don’t think I didn’t notice you getting that fish soup all over your chin halfway through.”

“Really? I thought I covered it pretty well.” Claude absently rubbed his chin. The realization that she’d been watching him so closely was giving him an indescribable feeling. “You’re pretty sharp, Shez. You’d make an awesome tactical schemer if you ever felt up to it.”

“I don’t know about that. If I became a schemer, I’d feel frustrated about not being able to outsmart you.”

“Whaaat? Who says you couldn’t outsmart me?”

“Come on, Claude. You knew I was nervous before I even said two sentences. And that was when you had your guard down. I can’t even imagine what you could come up with on the battlefield.”

“You mean this morning? Nah, nothing tactical about that. I just wanted to check in and make sure you were holding up okay.”

Shez flinched. “Oh yeah. You still haven’t told me why you gave me that letter. I mean, I know you said you were bored, but… you could’ve just doodled or something.”

“Hmm… that’s true.” Claude closed his eyes to think. “I mean, you’ve been isolated your whole life, right? And I guess I just thought, you know… if I wrote you a letter, you’d have proof that someone truly cares about you.”

“Oh.” Shez blinked once. Then again. And again. “Really?”

“Maybe. Or maybe I did it to pique your curiosity so you’d come and hang out with me a little longer. Who knows?” He threw in a wink for good measure.

She seemed to regain her composure at that. “Either one’s fine by me. But you know, it’s been a while since I heard anyone say something like that so… openly.”

“Well, you’d better get used to it. Being kind to our friends is the Golden Deer way.”

“Is that so? Seems like I have a lot to learn from you guys.”

“You’ve got the whole rest of the year. Plenty of time for you to catch up.”

“Catch up…?” Shez tilted her head. “Is that the right term for this context?”

Claude suddenly had an idea. “It’s the right term for this one. Race ya!” He jumped to his feet and dashed toward the dormitories.

“H-hey!” Shez reacted quickly, breaking into a sprint after him. “Wait!”

The night air was exhilarating, especially when it whooshed around him in powerful gusts. He heard Shez burst into laughter behind him, and despite his efforts to stay collected, he did too.

Chapter 2

~ ~ 2 ~ ~

 

Dear Shez,

I hope you’ve been well. Do you recognize my handwriting? It’s Claude von Riegan from the Officers Academy. I guess our old alma mater doesn’t even exist anymore. It’s a shame. I know the whole continent went to hell and all that, but it would’ve been nice to get my diploma…

I have an important request for you, and I’m prepared to compensate you well. For security reasons, though, I’d rather tell you the details in person. You know the meeting hall where the Five Great Lords hold most of their roundtable talks? Meet me there at your earliest convenience.

Sheesh… look at me using fancy words like “earliest convenience.” I bet that’s Count Gloucester’s fault. If you couldn’t tell, I’ve practically been living in that meeting hall. Can’t get anyone to agree on a thing. Maybe you can help me out with that on the side? (Kidding, of course – or am I?)

But in all seriousness… even if you have absolutely no interest in my request, it’d be great just to see you again. What do you say?

From Claude

 

After he passed the last letter on to the messenger, an overwhelming anxiety seized Claude and refused to let go, growing stronger still as the days went by without a response. The strange thing was that none of the other letters filled him with such turmoil. The effect was limited only to the letter for Shez.

He heard back from Leonie first, an enthusiastic agreement to fight for the Alliance. Then, one by one, most of the other Golden Deer also vowed to return, although Lorenz decided to keep his distance for the time being in light of his father’s political situation. But even before he received their letters, Claude had never doubted for an instant that they’d respond to him, nor had he doubted that the majority of them would leap at the opportunity to fight together.

With Shez, though, he couldn’t stop his mind from wandering to all the worst possibilities. He’d hear back from her saying she didn’t want anything to do with him. Saying she’d already joined forces with Edelgard or Dimitri, and would be out to kill him soon. Or worst of all, he wouldn’t hear from her – instead, he’d get a reply with some stranger’s handwriting informing him of her death.

But it didn’t make any sense. Shez was a formidable fighter, arguably the strongest out of all his old classmates. She would’ve had to face a tremendously powerful enemy before she even began to struggle in combat. Not to mention, she’d settled comfortably into the Golden Deer House within days of her enrollment at the academy, and she felt like part of their little family just as much as any of the others did. Why was it that he had unwavering faith in all of his friends except her?

What he hadn’t expected was that he’d feel even more confused the moment he looked out the window of the Five Great Lords’ meeting hall and spotted a familiar purple-haired woman, her red scarf fluttering as she waved at him. He felt a sudden lurch in his chest, as though he’d just fallen out of a tall tree – it startled him almost to the point of physical pain, but above all else, he was relieved that he’d no longer have to struggle to hold on.

I always knew she’d come back.

Wait. What?

The roundtable squabbling felt muffled in his ears as his thoughts raced. Now he felt surer than ever of his bond with Shez and her commitment to the Alliance… even though he’d been questioning it for what felt like an eternity? And now that she’d actually appeared before him, all of that uncertainty was melting away like ice in the sun.

But even then, it felt like it was already being replaced with a new sort of urgency. Like he didn’t dare let her out of his sight for too long, for fear that one of his old worries would come true. Even though he still felt completely sure that they wouldn’t…

He was the leader of the Alliance, and he’d even begun to hope that he could someday forge a brighter future as the country’s king. He was a strategist, a level-headed tactician with a crystal-clear mind even in situations of life or death. What was going on?

Chapter 3

~ ~ 3 ~ ~

 

A firm knocking sound roused Claude from his sleep. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. “What... who is it?”

“It’s me. Sorry to bother you, Master Claude.”

When he blinked the last of the drowsiness away, he looked up to see Nader, one hand resting on the desk. “Nader. Is something wrong?”

“You could say that. See…” He looked outside the tent before continuing, voice lowered to a whisper. “I received a message from your old man. We’ve got a problem in Almyra. They found out that Prince Shahid died in the Alliance – uh, I guess it’s the Federation now. Apologies.”

“Don’t worry about that. What’s this about Shahid?”

“They figured out he’s dead, and the whole place is going mad real fast. Er, not because they miss the kid himself. It’s just that he was the only heir they had left, and now everybody’s looking high and low for someone else who could inherit the throne.”

Claude sighed. “Let me guess – they can’t find anyone.”

“You got it. They’ve gotten a few contenders, but all of those guys are too distant to really count as legitimate. Because of that, some people have started asking about Prince Khali–”

“Couldn’t you have waited until morning to tell me this?” Claude pretended to yawn. “If no one’s in immediate danger, let’s get some sleep and then talk tomorrow. Alright?”

“…Sure.” Nader cast him a worried look. “I’m really sorry, kiddo. I just thought… you’d want to know,” he finally said, before turning and leaving the tent.

Claude stayed where he was, knowing full well he wasn’t going to fall back asleep.

“This whole situation rings a few too many bells,” he muttered to the grass.

Yes, the same thing had already happened to him before with the Riegan bloodline, when the last two known heirs were dead and missing respectively. By sheer chance, he’d been identified as a bearer of the Minor Crest of Riegan and whisked to Leicester in the blink of an eye. And now there was a chance he’d be dragged away from the place he called home once again, this time to solve the issue of the Almyran throne...

Fódlan and Almyra. Two countries separated geographically by Fódlan’s Throat and symbolically by Fódlan’s Locket. Countries who each refused to see the other as anything but a land of vicious cowards. Not long ago, despite generations of hatred and warfare between their homelands, two people from opposite sides of the mountains built a bond strong enough to transcend the immutable boundaries before them – and their love had been rewarded with a rift that tore the two nations farther apart than ever before.

And then Nader wonders why I don’t reveal myself.

Claude moved to his desk and picked up a sheet of paper and a quill, suddenly overcome with a desire to talk to his favorite mercenary.

Ever since she signed on as a Federation commander, he’d begun thinking of Shez even in times when he didn’t have an apparent reason to, and although he saw her every day, he often felt like their meetings were still too short. She did nothing but help him with this or support him through that, steadfastly fighting by his side no matter how many times he revealed that he’d lied about something yet again. He wanted to know more about her and understand who she truly was – and somewhat to his own surprise, he wanted her to know him too.

 

Dear Shez,

Did you sleep well? Unfortunately, I can’t say I did. Nader barged into my tent in the middle of the night just to say he was proud of me. I guess he’s still a little overexcited from our last battle. Or maybe he went drinking with Holst again. Probably both.

I’m sorry if I’ve been asking too much of you lately. I’ve been making a lot of decisions on my own, and kind of just pulling you along with me. You’re under no obligation to stay here if you ever feel like you’d be better off somewhere else. Though… I can’t help but feel like I can count on you to stick around. You’ve got this way of making everyone want to trust you – I guess I’m no different.

What do you say we go on a little adventure tonight? Just me and you. Doesn’t have to be anything elaborate or dangerous – we could even just find a clearing and go stargazing. I just thought it might be nice to relax, get some peace and quiet, and go a whole conversation without changing the course of history as we know it. If you’d be up for it, of course.

From Claude

 

He pushed the letter under her tent just before the sun rose.

And sure enough, once the rest of the base camp had fallen into a quiet slumber, Claude spotted Shez standing outside her own quarters, looking around expectantly as though she was waiting for someone. She’s waiting for me, he thought, feeling strangely delighted as he went to meet her. “I see you read my letter.”

“I did. I thought about going to your place, but… well, I kinda wanted to see if you’d come and find me instead.”

“And here I am. What did I tell you, Shez? You’ll outsmart me in no time.”

“I dunno if I’d call that… oh well.” Shez waved it off. “Where are we headed, King Claude?”

He made a sweeping gesture. “Where would you like to go, Queen Shez?”

“Me? Hmm…” She crossed her arms. “Well, we probably shouldn’t go too far from here, right? And we don’t want to tire ourselves out and end up oversleeping tomorrow. So… how about we just go stargazing for a while? Like you said in the letter.”

“Sounds like the mind of a stra-tegist,” Claude sang, earning him a playful shove.

As it turned out, their current campsite was within walking distance of a nice flat meadow, one with a rather impressive view of the night sky. Claude and Shez sat side by side on the soft grass, taking a moment to enjoy the atmosphere.

“Good call, Shez,” Claude commented. “This was the right way to go.”

“You were the one who suggested it, Claude. I just went along with you.”

“Aw, come on. Give yourself some credit for once. You’re brilliant, both on and off the battlefield. I hope you know that.”

“That’s just how it is for an average merc. My employer gets all the credit. As for me… I don’t really ask for anything other than a livable wage.”

“Well, you’re not just an average merc. You’re a top-tier commander, and more importantly, you’re my friend. I want to be fair to you in every sense of the word.”

Shez turned to him with that bright smile he’d come to adore. “What is it with you and treating me differently than what I’m used to?”

“What can I say? Breaking outdated traditions and starting better ones is my favorite pastime. You know that about me.”

“I do. In fact, I think I’m starting to like it myself. Breaking old traditions, I mean.”

“Are you now? That just makes my day. Or night, in this case.”

The earliest star had already appeared overhead – the Blue Sea Star, the one that matched Claude’s birth month. Little by little, more stars began twinkling around it. Some had already disappeared long before their light reached his eyes, while others were going to remain in the sky for the rest of his lifetime.

I wonder when Shez’s birthday is.

“Hey, Shez?”

“Yeah?”

He kept his eyes on the stars. “I’m not really sure how the future’s gonna go, but… I might have to leave Fódlan someday. What would you do in that scenario?”

“If you leave, you mean? I’d probably go with you. Especially if you end up staying there for a really long time.” She spoke as if she already knew where there was. “Why?”

“That’s what I’d like to ask you.”

“Huh?”

Claude shifted to face her. “Why would you come with me?”

She was already looking at him. “Because I work for you?”

“You don’t have to. I’m sure people in Fódlan will be falling over themselves to hire a former Federation general. You could work for someone in a less precarious position. Someone who can just be honest with you without putting the entire continent in danger.”

“I could, if I needed to. But I’ll be fine. I don’t have any real ties to anyone in Fódlan, and my other jobs haven’t been nearly as interesting as this one. Besides, if I stayed behind…” Shez broke eye contact. “I guess, you know… I’d miss you. I mean, I’d miss Lorenz and Hilda and everyone else if I left, but that wouldn’t be so… unbearable.”

They both fell quiet. There was a strange feeling of tense anticipation in the air, like neither of them was quite sure who should speak next. Claude wanted desperately to say something and yet he wanted, perhaps even more desperately, to hear Shez say something. And in either case, he realized, that “something” was the same.

It was unmistakable.

“I see,” he managed once the moment had passed. “That’s a good point. Honestly, I’d miss you quite a bit myself.”

“Oh. So it’s not just me.” Shez already looked more relaxed. “In that case, we’ve got no choice but to stick together.”

“Just the way it should be, my friend.”

But even after the two of them returned to the base camp, Claude’s mind kept drifting back to that last word. It still felt right, but suddenly it didn’t feel like enough. His bond with Shez ran deeper than that – at least, he hoped it did.

He’d been hoping for quite some time.

Hiding the truth was second nature to Claude. His feelings were just another secret he needed to keep from everyone, another jump he didn’t dare make unless he could be certain he’d land safely on the other side. It was how he protected his loved ones. How he protected himself.

So he continued to talk with Shez the same way he always did, analyzing their conversations to try and get a better sense of how she felt.

“Why’d you choose the Golden Deer anyway?” he asked her later that week, when they were eating dinner together. “Back at the academy.”

“Hmm.” She rested her head on her hand. “I remember thinking you guys definitely seemed like the friendliest house. The other ones felt a little… off-putting, I guess. Especially the house leaders and their yes-men.”

“Can’t argue with you there. I suppose it was between Dimitri’s icy glare, Edelgard’s… well, icy glare, and my warm and inviting smile.”

Shez laughed. “Actually, yeah. That’s about right. And I decided I’d go with the guy who cracks jokes and throws feasts and doesn’t have a sidekick who actively wants to kill me.”

“I know exactly who you’re talking about. I was never a big fan of those guys myself, honestly.” Claude chuckled. “I’m glad you chose me, Shez.” He looked carefully at her. “I hope you’ll choose me again in the future.”

“What, you mean as my employer? Of course I will.”

Her answer was calm and immediate, without a hint of a fidget or blush or anything strongly indicating that she might’ve been hoping for something more. So Claude decided against elaborating any further, opting to wait a few months while the Federation focused on the war.

I’ve lied for longer.

Chapter 4

~ ~ 4 ~ ~

 

Fódlan’s war was simply refusing to end. Rather, the losers were refusing to end it.

After the clash that Claude had hoped could be the finishing blow, the Kingdom army and the Church of Seiros split up, the latter group retreating to the Tailtean Plains of all places. He’d paid enough attention at the academy to know that Tailtean was the site of one of the most significant battles in the Seiros scripture. Rhea meant business – and that meant the next battle was going to be a tough one.

Claude had been pacing back and forth in front of a map he’d set up on the war table, trying to figure out exactly what the Church would have up their sleeve, when he heard a familiar voice around the corner. “Still at it, huh?”

He lifted his head, smiling when he saw Shez next to him. “If it isn’t my favorite mercenary. How are you feeling?”

“Ah, you know. Could be worse, considering what happened.” She hesitated. “Hey, Claude? Are you still okay having me around?”

“Huh?” Did I say something weird? “Where’d that come from? Of course I want you with me. That’s not going to change.”

“I attacked you guys. I almost killed you.”

“That wasn’t you. And you don’t have to prove it or whatever – I trust you.”

“Even so…” Shez looked at him with worry. “I can’t hear Arval anymore, but there’s a lot I still don’t know about what happened. I don’t think I can say for sure that it won’t happen again.”

“Well, we’ll just have to keep our fingers crossed,” he said. Then paused. “But even if it does happen, I’ll keep on trusting you. Like, as soon as you start chasing me with a glowing sword and saying you’ve ‘wanted my blood for centuries,’ I’ll know something’s wrong.”

She cracked up at his horrible impression of Epimenides.

Claude grinned. “I’m serious! And then I’ll think, ‘Oh no, what happened to my beloved mercenary?’ because, really, you’d be in more danger than me, right? So I’ll just make sure I don’t get ‘struck down by the fury of Zahras’ and then, you know, I’ll find a way to bring you back safe and sound. And I’ll still like you just as much as I always have.”

Shez spoke again when she’d managed to contain her laughter. “I appreciate that, Claude. Thank you.”

“I’d do that and much more for you, my friend. I won’t let you think otherwise.”

“If that’s how you feel, then I’ll just have to trust you right back. And, on that note…” Shez stepped closer and held out her hand. “This is for you.”

“Hmm?” Claude leaned in to get a better look. She was holding a silver whistle. “A whistle?”

“It’s a merc whistle. We use it to signal our group members, so they can follow the sound to find us. I only have the one, but… I want you to keep it. It could be like my way of promising that I’ll always be there for you.” Shez seemed to be smiling lightly. “If you’ll have me, that is.”

Claude stared at it for a moment. A promise made in private, voice soft and sincere. She’ll always be there for me.

Granted, friends said such things to each other all the time.

“Well… if you’re sure,” Claude said at last, reaching out to accept the gift. Shez pressed it into his hand gently, as though she shared his fear that the moment would shatter any second.

Or perhaps she was simply being careful with her one-of-a-kind gift.

He smiled. “I promise I’ll take good care of it.”

In the end, no matter how many times he mentally replayed the conversation, Claude couldn’t be sure that she intended anything more than a gesture of friendship. So he decided on giving her a similarly ambiguous gift in return, and letting her interpret it as she saw fit.

~

Dear Shez,

Thanks for the whistle! I’m honored that you’d give me something so special. So I figured I’d give you something special of my own.

This here is a collection of notes about some of my favorite poisons. Back where I came from, testing new ingredients was one of the ways I used to pass the time. I tried some of the mild solutions on my brother when he went overboard with the bullying, and I used the stronger stuff on thugs or bandits if my life was in danger. (Unfortunately, it did get to that point a few times.)

I hope this is of some use to you. But even if it isn’t, I’d prefer it if you kept it. I feel like it’d be safest that way.

From Claude

~

Perhaps it was a declaration that he was willing to share his deepest secrets with the person he admired, trusting her with his more vulnerable side. Or perhaps it was a bit of a gag gift presented to a friend as a way to lift her spirits during hard times. It was whichever one Shez wanted it to be, and he would happily accept either outcome.

So her actual response upon receiving the gift caught him completely off guard.

“…I see,” Shez murmured, nodding slowly. “I, uh. Yeah. Thanks.”

And she simply turned around and headed back to her tent.

What was that?

She continued to fight alongside him as usual, even using the basic wind spell he’d recently taught her. But somehow, their daily conversations seemed subtly awkward and guarded, as though she was leading him in a dance around something he couldn’t see.

Finally, as the Federation army drew closer to the Tailtean Plains, Claude asked her if she still planned to stay with him.

“As a friend, right?” Shez grinned – but it wasn’t the one he recognized. “Of course. At least, until the war is over.”

“It could be like my way of promising that I’ll always be there for you.”

Before he could stop himself, he pressed the question again. “Wait, that’s it? You’re just gonna up and leave as soon as the fighting’s done?”

She looked to the sky. “Who knows?”

Shez wasn’t the type of person to back down from new opponents or high stakes. As far as he could tell, the only other thing that could’ve changed her opinion in such a short time was…

But as things stood, he wasn't going to risk telling her the truth. He couldn’t.

So he kept hiding. He’d wait until the battle at Tailtean was resolved and the last of the dust finished settling, giving her more room to speak freely. And then he’d tell her how he’d been feeling ever since that first day with her at the Officers Academy.

Until then, he’d do whatever it took to keep them both alive.

Chapter 5

~ ~ 5 ~ ~

 

Dear Shez,

I hope you realize just how significant of a feat we accomplished yesterday. The archbishop’s dead, and the way Seteth and Flayn were talking, it didn’t sound like either of them would be coming back. With the Central Church out of the picture, it shouldn’t be much longer before Dimitri throws in the towel. Then again, he’s never been good at knowing when to give up, has he?

Our task may be unfinished, but we’ve made quite the dent. And that’s something to celebrate. I can’t count the number of times you pulled me out of the fire. Or just listened patiently as I complained about one annoying thing or the other. So, if I hadn’t properly said it before – I want to say it now. Thank you. Thank you for everything.

I couldn’t have written the story of my future without you. If it’s alright, I’d really like you to be a part of it. What do you say, my beloved mercenary?

Yours,
Claude

 

When he was satisfied that he’d written a slightly less ambiguous message than the last, Claude delivered the letter to Shez’s tent, in the early hours of the morning when the stars would still be shining for a little longer.

After sunrise, though, he was visited by Judith. “Congratulations on taking down the head of your academy. You always were a rebellious one, boy.”

“It’s just like I used to tell you, Judith. I knew my mischievous ways would help me change the world.”

“I didn't believe it then, and I almost don't believe it now. For better or worse, you never fail to amaze me.” Judith stopped. “Actually... I came to tell you something. I wanted to thank that mercenary girl for putting up with you all this time, but we can't find her anywhere.”

Claude blinked. “You mean… she’s gone?”

“The tent’s there, but it’s completely deserted. I asked around camp – no one’s seen a trace of her since we got back after the battle. Though, we do know that she made it out alive…”

“At least, until the war is over.”

“The only thing I found was this.”

Judith held out a piece of paper. The top line read “Dear Shez” in his handwriting. If she’d left the night before, there was a good chance she hadn’t even seen it.

“Who knows?”

“I didn’t know what it was. I just grabbed it and read it, thinking it might be a death threat or some such. I never would’ve imagined… my little Claude…”

“It took me a while to figure it out myself. If I had just–” Claude shook his head. There was no way to finish the sentence without inducing a dizzying surge of regret.

“You did what you could. And the war hasn’t exactly helped matters.” Reassurance from Judith was rare, reserved for the moments when she knew he was struggling. “For what it’s worth... she seemed quite happy with you.”

But that was before.

“Master Claude!”

Nader ran up to them clutching a scroll. “Message from your father. The Almyrans are moving to attack the Federation.”

“What?!” Claude and Judith exclaimed at once.

“It’s all over the place,” Nader continued. “People are getting so panicked about the future of the country that they’re drawing up conspiracy theories. The most popular one says Prince Khalid is being held hostage in Derdriu, and the Federation king killed Shahid to force Almyra into negotiating for Khalid’s safe return.”

“What a load of nonsense,” Judith scoffed. “They can’t even recognize their precious prince when he’s right in front of their faces.”

“So they’re headed for Derdriu?” Claude asked hesitantly.

“Nothing’s for sure yet,” Nader said. “All we know is, there’s a pretty big horde of soldiers chomping at the bit to swoop in and rescue the prince. Tons of civilians too.”

“Anything’s possible when you piss off an Almyran horde,” Claude admitted. “Send word to House Goneril and have them increase their defenses at the Locket. Houses Edmund and Gloucester don’t need to send backup just yet, but they should be on their guard as well.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Nader bowed and departed.

“House Daphnel is ready to assist you,” Judith added. She lowered her voice. “Your Majesty… should I call you by a different name?”

“Judith, please. Just call me Claude, same as always.” He tried to lighten the mood. “Though, you’re more than welcome to stop calling me ‘boy.’”

“No can do, I’m afraid. I’ll let go of both or neither.”

“Okay then. Claude it is.”

“You got it, boy.”

Claude shot her an annoyed look, to which she barked out a laugh. “Well, anyway, you can count on us. Just give the word and I’ll be there. And…” A few seconds passed before she spoke again. “…stay strong, alright?”

Without waiting for an answer, Judith left. Claude reached into his pocket and took out the small silver whistle. Despite several attempts, he’d never gotten it to make a sound. “…I’ll try.”

Chapter 6

~ ~ +1 ~ ~

 

Dear Shez,

Where How are you?
It’s me.
Are you
Do you
I’m sorry if
I hope you’re

 

Finally, Claude sighed and set down his quill. Even if he eventually found the right words for his feelings, he had no idea where Shez could have gone, or even whether she was alive. He often told his scouts and recon units to keep an eye out for her during their travels, but every time he inquired about their findings, the answer was the same.

It had been over a month since the last time he’d seen Shez. The war still showed no signs of ending, with Edelgard and Dimitri caught in a deadlock while Claude was stuck waiting around for a hypothetical attack from the Almyran populace. As obnoxious as that was, it was just too risky to send forces to the west and leave Derdriu vulnerable. Even an unorganized mob could take the city in the right circumstances – and the fall of the Aquatic Capital could endanger the entire Federation.

“Don’t you think this is rather unbecoming of Edelgard?” Lysithea asked him once, a positively furious scowl on her face.

“How so?”

“We went all the way to Garreg Mach to defend Edelgard in her time of need. But she has yet to even acknowledge the situation we’re in. That’s hardly the way a reliable ally should act.”

“I know what you mean. But remember, we didn’t march on Garreg Mach just to help her out. It was right up the alley of what we were already planning to do.” Claude let out a long breath. “Edelgard doesn’t have much to gain from coming all the way to the eastern border and getting involved in an unnecessary conflict. In fact, it’d make things harder for her if she had to deal with both Almyra and the Kingdom at once.”

It was certainly making things harder for him.

As Claude discarded the incoherent attempt at a letter, he heard the voice of a Federation general from outside the palace walls. “Enemy forces sighted! They’re crossing the mountains!”

Holst, Judith, and Nader swiftly took up positions at his side while the remaining Federation forces mobilized to defend the capital.

“Holst, what happened?” Claude asked. “How’d they get past the Locket?”

“I underestimated them,” Holst groaned. “I didn’t think they could possibly break through without a proper commander at their lead.”

“Didn’t you have orders from the king himself to increase your defenses?” Judith asked, raising her eyebrows.

“I was quite certain that my presence would be sufficient to scare them off.”

“Well, what’s done is done.” Claude looked out at Fódlan’s Throat in the distance, the mountaintops now obscured by a sea of wyverns drawing closer by the second. “For now, let’s focus on stopping them from getting any further.”

The only thing worse than an angry Almyran mob is an angry, emboldened Almyran mob.

Despite the protests from his guardians, Claude rushed outside and began firing arrows, aiming only to ground the wyverns or disarm their riders. One by one, wyverns clumsily descended downward, and Almyrans with arrows in their shoulders shouted curses upon the Federation king as they fell back to get their injuries healed. Not one of them seemed to know who he actually was.

“It’s in your best interest to give up while you’re behind,” Claude called to one of the more heavily-armed wyvern lords.

“Your pleas are useless. You killed my nephew!” The wyvern sped towards him and the man raised a tomahawk. “For Cyril!”

Before he could react, something black flashed before his eyes and he heard a sharp clang. The axe landed a few feet away, split cleanly in two. The Ashen Demon was holding his sword out, his free hand guarding Claude.

“What the–” The wyvern lord gaped at the mercenary. “The Ashen Demon?!”

Claude grinned. “Seems like your reputation goes beyond Fódlan’s borders, Byleth.” He faced the wyvern lord. “And for good reason.”

As the lord reached for his next weapon, Byleth warped into the air and slashed at him. In one clean movement, the man’s torso had been slit.

Phew… I’m glad to be on Byleth’s good side.

Wait.

Byleth??

“Attaboy!”

Captain Jeralt rode in on horseback, lance at the ready. He beamed at his son. “You just get tougher and tougher every day.”

"I still have plenty of room to improve.” Byleth reassumed his position. “Let’s go, Jeralt!”

And the two charged forward into battle. The foot soldiers quickly began to fall around them, with some greener fighters abandoning their weapons and running away at the sight. It was a wonder how such a disorderly group could make it past Fódlan’s Locket.

“Don’t worry, Claude.” Hilda landed next to him. “I promise I’ll never let my brother go foraging on his own ever again.”

“Foraging? Don’t tell me…”

“It is as it sounds.” Lorenz rode up to join them. “The current head of House Goneril was unable to man the fortress due to a preoccupation with…” Lorenz winced. “…an abhorrent mixture of poisonous mushrooms. He has barely recovered as of this morning.”

Claude groaned. “Of course.”

“Well, we’ll be fine!” Hilda held up her fists. “We’ve got the toughest fighters in Leicester on our side. Oh, and a little while ago, I went ahead and hired some mercenaries just in case. I even got Jeralt’s Mercenaries to help us out!”

“Yeah, I noticed. Thanks for doing that, Hilda. We really–”

“Watch out!”

Claude spun around. A silver arrow missed his chest by mere inches, narrowly deflected by a glowing sword. The archer glanced at his empty quiver, growled at the swordswoman in red, and flew away.

A flash of purple hair, bangs covering his rescuer’s entire face. “Be careful, would you?”

And in another flash, she disappeared.

“That…” Claude stared after her. “Was that…?”

“I know!” Hilda clapped gleefully. “Isn’t it awesome? She and Leonie are both part of Jeralt’s band! We should really catch up with everyone when this is all over.”

After taking down what seemed like countless wyvern riders – most of whom lacked the skill to back up their audacity – Claude spotted the woman again in the midst of the chaos. She reacted quickly to enemy movements, sprinting to her allies’ defense and holding the Almyrans back with basic wind magic.

Shez.

But something was odd. Her colleagues were being far more ruthless, striking down as many Almyrans as they could reach. Shez’s attacks were few and far between, almost nonexistent unless an ally’s life was in imminent danger. Even then, she struck to protect ally and enemy at the same time, going no further than driving the Almyrans to retreat. It was completely different from the typical mercenary fighting style – and there was no discernible reason for her reluctance.

“What are you doing?!” Leonie demanded when Shez blocked her finishing blow to a group of horseback riders. “They’re gonna get away!”

“I know,” Shez responded curtly before resuming her defensive maneuvers.

Is she…?

Fódlan and Almyra. Two countries separated geographically by Fódlan’s Throat and symbolically by Fódlan’s Locket. Countries who each refused to see the other as anything but a land of vicious cowards. Despite generations of hatred and warfare between their homelands, two people from opposite sides of the mountains built a bond strong enough to transcend the immutable boundaries before them…

“Listen up!”

Claude’s voice rang out loud and strong before he even processed the fact that he’d spoken. But there was no going back. As the people of Fódlan and Almyra alike awaited his next words, he pushed through. “I, Claude von Riegan, king of the Leicester Federation… concede. You were right.”

A resounding murmur echoed throughout the battlefield. Beside him, Hilda and Lorenz’s jaws threatened to fall off their faces.

“It’s true. Prince Khalid is in the Federation. He’s been here all this time.”

The Almyrans began clamoring triumphantly, their voices combining into an unintelligible mess of noise. Claude tried to speak over them. “But I can promise you that he’s safe and sound. Drop your weapons, and we’ll arrange for Khalid to go back home. All I ask is that you wait just a little longer. If you ever think it’s taking too long… starting today, House Goneril will abandon its defense of Fódlan’s Locket. Feel free to come back and wreak as much havoc as you want. Deal?”

Most of the mob seemed satisfied with the offer. Little by little, the Almyrans started heading back towards the mountains, singing to their victory as they flew. The moment the last of them had departed, the interrogation began.

“Claude, what is the meaning of this?!” Lorenz hissed.

“Why are we to abandon the Locket?” Holst exclaimed. “Have you gone mad?”

“Don’t tell me we really do have an Almyran prince locked up somewhere?” Hilda whispered.

“It’s okay,” Claude breathed, trying to stay calm. “I’ll explain everything soon, I promise.”

But there was something he needed to do even sooner.

Claude pushed past the rapidly-growing crowd, searching the city and its outskirts for Jeralt, Byleth, Leonie, Alois, a flash of purple, anything–

“Wait!”

The familiar red scarf disappeared behind a tree, and when it didn’t reappear, Claude stepped around to the other side. She was standing still, her back to him. “Shez…”

“I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I tried to stay out of your way, I really did. But I saw all those people trying to kill you, and… never mind. If the Locket’s open, House Goneril won’t be needing us anymore. So–”

“Please, don’t leave just yet. There’s something I want to tell you.”

Shez remained motionless.

“I never said it properly in the past.” Claude took another step towards her. “I didn’t want to risk losing you. But… well, I guess I can’t play it safe all the time. That would make me no different from the nobles who used to bicker all day at the roundtable.”

She tentatively turned around. And just like that, the words that had eluded him for so long finally appeared.

“This isn’t about your power, nor is it about mine. I mean this from the bottom of my heart and with all that I am: I love you, Shez. I’ve been in love with you for years. I’m sorry I didn’t say anything before. And… I’m sorry that I let you down.”

She stared at him, mouth slightly ajar. Her silence worried him for a moment, but it was quickly replaced with the loveliest smile in the world as she threw her arms around him. “Aw, Claude… I love you too.”

“You… really?” He almost didn’t believe it. “We are talking about the same kind of love, right? Like… the ‘more-than-friends’ kind?”

“Yeah, we are,” Shez laughed against him. “I mean, I love you in a bunch of other ways too, but that’s the biggest one.”

“Wow…” Claude returned her embrace. It was surprisingly comfortable considering all the metal armor they were both wearing. “How’d you even do that?”

“Do what?”

“You said it so easily.” Claude briefly closed his eyes. “It took me forever to build up the courage.”

“Are you kidding?” Shez pulled back, though she stayed close. “It was easy now because you said it first. I’ve been wanting to say it for a long time. I just couldn’t get the words out.”

“Well, that makes two of us, my beloved mercenary.” Claude smiled. “I missed you so much, you know that?”

“I do now. I missed you too, so it’s–” She gasped. “Oh, shoot. I’m so sorry.”

Claude looked at her. “You okay?”

“Yeah– oh, no, it’s not that, it’s–” She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry for leaving out of the blue. I didn’t even– I must’ve completely… misunder– wait…”

He chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.”

She took a deep breath in and out. “Okay, so… you gave me that poison thing, right? What was that all about, anyway?”

“Well, you gave me a whistle and I didn’t know what to make of it. So I figured I’d try and test the waters, see if it was real or if I was just imagining things.”

“You’ve gotta be kidding.” Shez smacked her forehead. “I thought it was because you hated me.”

“What?? Why in the world would I hate you?”

“I don’t know, I just thought… I read the letter and I thought… you usually gave poison to people who bullied you or put your life in danger, so…”

“No no no, that wasn’t supposed to be a weird hint or anything. I just wanted you to know more about me. I felt like my secrets would be safe with you, or something like that.”

“…Ohh.” Shez hid her face in her hands. “I thought you felt like you’d be safe if I got poisoned.”

“Shez, do you have any idea how I’d feel if you got poisoned?” Claude took her hands in his own. “They might as well have poisoned me.”

“Same goes for me if you ever got hurt.” Shez sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“Nah, it was my fault. I should’ve been way clearer.”

“I wasn’t clear enough either. I just gave you the whistle and left it at that. To be honest, I was kinda hoping I’d give it to you and you’d think it was a–”

Shez abruptly stopped. “…Never mind. I’ll save that for later.”

“Oh?” Claude smirked. “Save what, exactly?”

If he wasn’t mistaken, Shez’s face was looking a bit pink. “There’s something I wanna ask you, but I should probably wait until things calm down a little.”

“I agree with the waiting part, but… what if I wanna ask you first?”

“You already beat me to this one. How else am I gonna make it even?”

“Don’t tell me you’ve been keeping score all this time.”

“Alright, I won’t.”

“…You can be quite hard to read, Shez.”

“I learned from the best, Claude.”

Finally, they simply started laughing. There was a certain feeling of nervous relief, of unfamiliar nostalgia, as though everything and nothing had changed at the same time. Claude had never dealt with anything like it before – but he and Shez could rise to any challenge, old or new. Of that, he had no doubt.

“Now then.” Claude took her in his arms. “As you know, I’m gonna have to leave Fódlan pretty soon. It might be a while before I can come back. What are you gonna do?”

Shez gazed up at him. “I’ll go with you, obviously.”

He gently brushed her bangs aside. “Just how it should be, my love.”