Fire Emblem: March Prompts

Strawberry Sweet Secrets

She knew he was hiding something.

Claude von Riegan (now Eisner von Riegan) was an anomaly to all who met him. Many distrusted him due to his appearance and lucrative past, and yet he was able to charm them in unexplainable ways. He always had schemes baking in his mind - ways to make the Alliance thrive and their armies victorious. Easy smiles graced his face, never reaching his eyes when he dealt with officials and unfamiliar faces. His skills with the bow shocked even the most experienced archers in Fódlan; hell, he was able to shoot a bullseye while flying at top speed hundreds of feet in the air. The man was an enigma, and one of - if not the most - dangerous and powerful men in the Alliance.

However, his outward persona hardly reflected his inward. His smiles were genuine to his friends (a fact that wasn't true at first) and he was able to let his guard down around them. He enjoyed slow, long rides on horseback, organizing feasts, treating his wyvern like a puppy, and writing poetry. Whenever he felt stressed or overwhelmed, he would light some incense and meditate for however long he pleased. His eyes would light up when talking about new plants (although, said plants were usually for his poison-making hobby). And unlike most nobility, he was quite skilled in the kitchen.

This secretive, sly duke was really a dork in disguise.

Especially towards his new wife.

Byleth trusted her husband, of course she did. He was the one person she truly felt comfortable around and vise versa. She knew he kept his secrets close for a reason, but after their marriage, she had hoped he would open up a bit more -- which he actually did. In the week and a half they've been married, he'd opened up to her about a few things (granted, she always speculated some of the truths, but it was refreshing to hear them straight from his mouth). However, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing.

She always suspected there was more to his identity that he let on.

And that suspicion was confirmed thanks to a little slip of the tongue.

Claude and Byleth had to return to Riegan territory for a few days thanks to a sudden demand for a Roundtable Conference by Count Gloucester. He was apparently upset over the fact that Claude got married without informing the court. Byleth was not looking forward to hearing his nonstop complaints for an hour and a half like he did last Conference. They hoped their friends were able to convince the other lords about the benefits of their union.

As soon as they entered the estate, they were greeted by Claude's retainer (and old combat instructor) Nardel. That was when she was given the slip.

"Wasn't expecting you back so soon, Khal.....aude." Nardel not-so-subtly corrected his slip.

Claude's muscles tensed (which she could not only see but feel, as their arms were linked) and his brow suddenly became more sweaty. She knew the retainer had a habit of calling Claude kiddo, but kiddo didn't start with a ka sound. If he'd known Claude for the entirety of his life, then why would he call him by the wrong name?

Unless...

Her husband was quick to ignore the mistake and engage in small talk, while she remained silent and contemplated. She knew he was Almyran, he made that a well-known fact to her - he even started teaching her a bit of the language - so the fact that he had a very Fódlani name struck her as odd. Years ago, he blatantly stated that Claude made a good fake name.

How in Sothis's name did she marry someone so smart but so inconceivably stupid at the same time?

She would poke into his past later.

...

"Hey." Byleth draped herself over Claude's back as he finished washing up for the night.

He chuckled at her actions. "Hello."