Flaming homosapien

About midway through the story, after aligning with Edelgard against the church, claude finds out that shahid, whom he thought he killed, is very much not dead. Afraid of how this might affect his chances of becoming king of Almyra/unifying Fodlan, he abdicates his position and passes the crown to Lorenz very suddenly. Before he can do that, however, he has to explain to Lorenz why he's leaving and what his true heritage is.

Lorenz reveals that he already knows where Claude comes from (canonical in my mind, considering how he had Balthus collect information), which surprises Claude, because he never used that against him in a bid for power. Lorenz admits that 1. the people love Claude, and they need a ruler they can trust. And 2. Claude hasn't made any decisions he wouldn't have made, and he's starting to think a lot like Claude himself. What goes unsaid is that he was getting used to the idea of Claude being king.

More than that, Lorenz was starting to feel a genuine affection for him/like they were truly friends. However, Almyra must maintain good relations with the Leicester Federation, and there is still a war to be won. Lorenz doesn't willingly let him go, just has no choice. And so, Lorenz becomes king in wartime.

Gaining the trust of the people is really difficult. Claude already stirred up tensions by dissolving the Alliance into a monarchy, and Lorenz is not as well-liked as he thought. Over the next few years, he struggles to prop up a crumbling societal order, while also providing aid to the Empire. On top of that, Almyra becomes embroiled in a civil war, as Shahid leads defectors against Claude, who attempted (unsuccessfully) to peacefully ascend the throne. Leicester participates in one of those battles by allowing the Almyran army to flee behind Leicester lines and receive backup.

In this battle, Lorenz achieves his first renown among Almyrans by leading a band of Great Knights to charge through enemy lines and drive them back. His knights also achieve renown, including Ignatz, who provides backup as an assassin. They bring their Almyran allies back to Leicester to allow them to recuperate, during which time Lorenz forms a connection with Nader (who led the forces) and other Almyran soldiers.

While the wounded soldiers are in Leicester recovering, Lorenz has the chance to learn a lot more about them and their way of life. He also gets to see how they are treated by his countrymen (i.e. not the greatest). Most of all, he gets to see their craftsmanship. Beading, braiding (both hair and other materials), leatherwork--all of these are aesthetics that Lorenz never knew about. (Of course, he thinks of Claude's braid fondly in passing.) Before the Almyrans leave, Lorenz requests if some of them can remain a few months longer. This is under the pretense of strengthening Leicester's defenses, but also serves the aim of giving him an eye into Almyran culture. He tasks Ignatz with seeking out the craftsmen among the Almyran company left behind and having them employ their skills.

This of course adds to the strained relationship between himself and his countrymen, but because of his distinguishing himself in that battle, as well as the victories he secures after grouping back up with Edelgard's army, public perception of him begins to shift. At the beginning of his reign, he is constantly battling against the image that his father's actions have cast on their house. During that battle with Count Bergliez, Erwin used dishonest tactics to win. And while that was deemed necessary at the time, it damaged public trust.

Gloucester was once known for its style of "waking the enemy in the middle of the night to announce their presence before attacking" (not a direct quote, but similar said by Lorenz in 3 hopes). So, Lorenz, burdened by this distrust, commits to restoring Gloucester's honor. He does this by refusing to engage in certain tactics, even when he wants to/knows that Claude would have chosen them. He knows that if the Federation is to stay unified after the war is over, and truly repair relations with Almyra, he must be able to be trusted.

This choice costs him a lot, including the upper hand in some battles. It also costs him his father, during a battle with the Kingdom, Erwin chooses to honor his son by battling directly with one of the enemy generals, even knowing that they are most likely stronger than him.

The first time Claude ever comes back to Leicester is for Erwin's funeral. Of course, he is there to pay his respects to a man whom he truly admired, but also to support Lorenz. Lorenz is incredibly touched, and at this point realizes how pointed the ache of Claude's absence really was, and just how much he thought of Claude, wondered what Claude would think of his decisions.

While Claude is there, he gets to see that Leicester is already changing. Many of the Almyran soldiers in Leicester have become more-or-less full-time craftsman, creating adornments and armor for the other soldiers and for Leicester merchants. Woodworkers and carpenters have pitched in to rebuild settlements afflicted by war. The bones of half-built houses resemble homes in Almyra--familiar to Claude, and yet strange in a land that was so hostile to his home country for so long.

Noble houses like Goneril are sponsoring these craftsman for all manner of things. This of course includes Gloucester. One particular Almyran gained Lorenz's affection so much that Lorenz installed him as an apprentice for the head groundskeeper who tends to Gloucester's sprawling fields of flowers (including ofc roses). I picture Gloucester's main exports to be flowers/plants and well-trained horses lmaaoo. Anyway, Erwin's funeral is held on Gloucester land, among hundreds of radiant flowers. Among the roses arranged over Erwin's casket Claude sees fireweed, which grows in abundance in Almyra.

During the eulogy, Lorenz brings up his father's reputation candidly, and mentions that when he was young, Erwin once told him that their land and their people are as roses in a field, and the nobles who guide them must be as thorns to protect them. That is to say: ugly, unyielding, and despised by those who try to pick them. Sometimes, that includes those they serve. And while he asks no forgiveness for Erwin's actions, he asks everyone to remember him for his willingness to sacrifice for his people, down to his honor.

Later, when they have a moment alone, Claude gives his condolences and tells Lorenz he was a great man. He also apologizes for the part he played in tarnishing Erwin's legacy, even though it was the right and necessary thing to do. Lorenz tells him that he used to think that his father was self-serving--Claude too--but he understands now that Claude acted to protect Leicester, knowing that he might be viewed the way a thorn is. Now, Lorenz knows the price of honor, and that it is paid by all.

Before Claude leaves, he spends some time with Lorenz and their friends. They treat him and the small company he brought to a feast, just like he used to love, and for a night, things feel like they used to. Judith joins Claude and Lorenz for conversation, and they catch up. Claude asks her how his mother is doing, if Judith has heard from her recently, and both Lorenz and Judith are surprised that he is discussing his family in front of Lorenz. Claude admits that Lorenz "already knows at least the half of it" so him hearing is fine.

Later, they retire to a different room in the monastery (I'm envisioning Garreg Mach is still where central hub is kept) to get a rest from the festivities, and Lorenz asks Claude to talk about his family. Claude asks why he wants to hear what he already knows. But Lorenz wants to hear it from Claude's own mouth. He wants Claude for once to speak honestly. And maybe it's because of the food and the drink, or maybe he feels pity for Lorenz losing his father, but Claude does talk. He doesn't say everything, Lorenz can tell, but he talks.

He talks about his mother, her beauty and her intelligence, and fighting off men who took interest in her in his teen years. He recalls her relationship with Judith, and the first time Judith taught him how to hold a sword the right way. He talks about his grandfather, too, the occasional letters he sent to Claude in secret from afar, and the sparse visits. Back then, Erwin was just a name written in Duke Riegan's handwriting, whom he whined about at great length. And yet, he was also the name engraved on the placard of a painting Duke Riegan sent them--"gift of Erwin Fritz Gloucester."

Claude talked about studying for hours, poring over copies of documents and treatises, learning in secret all about Fodlan and the Alliance and Almyra. Knowing that he might one day be called upon to lead a place that was not home. And he spoke of it with the casualness that one recounts the founding of a country, as if it is long ago and has nothing to do with him. At least, aside from the flashes of warmth for his family.

Shahid, he talks less about. Mostly, he mentions Shahid's wastefulness, of both money and men's lives. He talks about the state that he left Almyra's throne in. This is the Claude Lorenz knows best, who holds himself at a distance from the threat of true feeling. Lorenz suspects that this time, he has good reason. At the end of it all, Claude asks Lorenz if he were in Claude's shoes, what would he do? If he had to kill his family, dismantle and rebuild his own house, would he do it? What would he think of a man who chose that path?

In the end, Lorenz says that if Claude were the one doing it, he would have to assume he had a reason. And a country cannot be split in two--either Claude kills, or he is killed. Lorenz would prefer the former.

The hint of relief on Claude's face sticks with him.

After Claude departs back to the battlefield, shit continues falling apart. Lorenz's image is improving, and the love people have for him is growing. He's quick to address crises, and excels at that, but crises keep coming. Arianrhod takes months of siege to crack. Shahid's army attacks Fodlan's Locket while the main army is away supporting the Empire, driving Lorenz and his troops back home to defend their homeland. And before they can set out again, they receive inconceivable news. The Kingdom succeeded in repelling the Empire, along with the help of Rhea and the Knights of Seiros. The Empire's main force is scattered, dying in droves, and Edelgard, forced to retreat, is missing. And now, the Kingdom is pushing further into the Empire and to Garreg Mach.

The war culminates in a final battle for Garreg Mach, where Lorenz and the Alliance stand against Rhea and the Knights of Seiros, while the bulk of the Kingdom forces press into the Empire to try to find and destroy Edelgard and the rest of her generals. Lorenz knows that losing Garreg Mach means the Church of Seiros will be able to plant their roots firmly at the center of Fodlan again, and he shares the sentiment that Claude did, which is that without the Church, there is no reason for the war to continue.

Despite their best efforts, they are not able to defend Garreg Mach, and retreat back to Leicester. However, that is not enough for Rhea, who is now on a warpath. She and her Knights march to confront them directly at the Great Bridge of Myrddin, intending to wipe them out. Before this final battle, Lorenz gathers his forces to try and prepare them for battle. There are thousands of citizens in towns just past the bridge, living their lives, not yet having received evacuation orders. If the army retreats any further, countless will die.

Lorenz tells his soldiers that no goddess will come to save the innocent. She never has before, if she even exists. They are the only thing standing between the citizens of Leicester and oblivion. No matter what happens, they must fight and keep fighting, and never stop. Because they are the only ones left that the innocent can depend on. And they will not abandon them. Lorenz promises that he, too, will not abandon them, and until the moment the last enemy falls, he will stay on the front lines with them. He gives his soldiers the opportunity to leave. That is what an honest and honorable king would do. While they are afraid, most of them choose to stay, emboldened by his words. He sends for aid from the Almyrans.

The night before the battle, he writes letters in secret. One to Hilda, who stayed with Holst to guard Fodlan's Locket. If Lorenz dies, she would be the best candidate to pick up the pieces, knowledgeable as she is about the war & their allies. Another, he writes to Claude, confessing feelings he has just barely started to understand. The letter to Claude also is sent to Hilda, folded and sealed with strict instructions to only send it in the event that he fails to come home. And then, he spends half the night awake, knowing this is probably his last night alive.

the basic plan is to stave off rhea and her knights as much as possible before they reach the bridge. but if they break through and begin to cross, leicester's army needs a new foothold. across the bridge is a small fort with multiple exits--in the crimson flower route, judith stands in the center of it at the start of the battle, fleeing after you break through and get too close. borrowed this photo from google to illustrate. that fort is lorenz's backup plan.

if they are forced back, he can make his final stand there. The fact that there are multiple entrances to the fort serve the dual purpose of luring the enemy closer and also giving him multiple paths to flee if he must be pushed further back. Once drawn in, Rhea's army would be open to being flanked by Ignatz and his troop, who lie in wait across the wooden bridges (near the top left of the map, another pic included). Lorenz sent for reinforcements, and while he doubts they'll make it, they would flank from here too.

of course, the worst happens. rhea and the knights push them back across the bridge, and as lorenz retreats into the fort, he is wounded pretty badly. he's used up most of his energy/power, and he knows he won't be able to retreat any further than this. he can barely stand. now, this is one of those parts where you'll have to bear with my mary sue-ing LMAO. in 3 hopes, lorenz has a special attack with a whirlwind of rose petals. its honestly very silly. but that got me thinking--it has to be an attack that involves something like magic.

thyrssus, the gloucester house's heroes relic, is a staff. strange that a family of jousters would come into possession of a staff, right? but if there is a history of magecraft in their family, that would make sense. so, imagine that tradition of magecraft rooted in dryad magic. normally, this kind of magic would only be usable as an aid to the growth of plants. like turning magical energy into saplings, or rejuvenating dead leaves/dried petals. as a gloucester heir, lorenz has learned this magic, but never even thought to use it in battle before. nor would there be any great applications.

however, as rhea's generals encroach on the fort, he thinks, there might be a use. thanks to the crest stone, thyrssus still possesses a great deal of reserve power. he intends to use that power to sprout a small tree, or a root. nothing huge, but something that can hold his feet steady, or he can lash himself to, so he can stay upright and focus on fighting. atp he'd just prefer to die standing up, not in a heap on the ground while his men perish around him.

his idea works far better than expected. he doesn't quite get a tree. it's more like a thick bramble imitating a tree, growing upright but crooked, with thorny protrusions. and it quickly surpasses him in height, wrapping around his legs to hold him fast. now secure, he can focus his remaining effort on the fight. stuff starts happening all at once. during this time, ignatz and raphael and other soldiers flank rhea's knights. other generals, including marianne, race to lorenz's aid. the almyrans who've been living in fodlan arrive as reinforcements, making quick time on their wyverns.

rhea's generals lead the charge, while rhea remains at a safe distance from lorenz. fun fact--in game, thyrsus has two special effects. one is to have a chance at halving numerous kinds of damage. the other is to increase the range of spells. you see where im going with this. put plainly, lorenz just won't die, and he's firing off any spells that can reach rhea.

while he's taking pot shots at her from miles across the battlefield, his generals are occupying rhea's forces, which leaves her with less protection. ignatz manages to wound her badly in a surprise attack, but not without getting hurt in return with a wound that costs him one eye. enraged, she transforms, and everything begins to truly fall to pieces.

at some point, lorenz manages to injure one of her wings with an Agnea's Arrow, which lowers her defenses a bit, but that's the last of what he can really do. he's bleeding everywhere and the edges of his vision are going dark. in his final moments of consciousness, he sees raphael die at rhea's hands and marianne transform into a demonic beast. he wishes he had more time with them, that he found the strategy to save them. maybe claude would have. and then, darkness.

the next time he wakes up, a soldier is trying to pry him free from the tree. there are still bodies everywhere, but no rhea, and he asks where she is. he asks whether anyone else survived. turns out she's dead. for weeks, lorenz has been hanging on that tree in the fort, barely alive. he should be dead by all rights, if not from wounds then from starvation or thirst or vultures, but the magic from thyrsus and from the tree kept him alive.

marianne wore rhea down as much as she could so the other soldiers could finish her off. a group of almyran gremories healed marianne and kept her alive for as long as possible. she spent six hours fighting before falling, lorenz learns from the priests who collected her corpse. i go back and forth about who actually kills rhea--but the end result is the same. lorenz wakes up to find he's slept through the apocalypse, and the taking of two of his dearest friends.

while he grieves, legends about the fight are already taking shape in Leicester. in the following months, he hears them all. the most popular is that he used a terrifying blood magic to stave off rhea. others say that wherever his blood fell, rosebuds grew. the truth is not so lovely. his only commendable trait was the wealth of blood he spent without dying.

Lets pause and put into context how crushing a defeat this is for lorenz as a noble. On the outside, the survivors see lorenz & his army as heroes who didn't abandon them. But lorenz canonically views an overattachment to honor/pride as counter to the interests of the commoners. In 3 houses, lorenz defaults to surrendering to the empire to protect those who live in Gloucester territory. In crimson flower, after you beat claude, he even says that claude's "ingenuity" is "unfounded" because a true noble would've acknowledged defeat and surrendered earlier.

In all of his supports you can tell that lorenz sees his willingness to turncoat as necessary to protect both himself and his territory from suffering undue loss/hardship. Which is why I think this au is the only world in which lorenz would stand and fight to the death. Because claude already abandoned them once, and rhea was on a warpath to take revenge on those who opposed her. To be put in a position where he was unable to negotiate, and unable to save a single person even by way of surrender, is an absolute defeat in lorenz's mind.

This is important because it is the moment when lorenz begins to realize that his time ruling the Federation is finite, and that if the Federation is to be able to make moves/be flexible as it once was, they cannot do that with him remaining at the helm the rest of his life. This lesson becomes all the more ingrained as legends about the final battle spring up like weeds. Just the way claude was, Lorenz immediately feels restricted by the narrative ascribed to him. Later, this will underpin decisions he makes in changing the Federation.

After being collected from the battlefield, Lorenz soon after has to help arrange funerals for Raphael, Marianne, and the other soldiers lost. There is no time to inform Claude, who is embroiled in the final stages of his own war. A messenger couldn't safely travel there anyway. A few months pass as claude concludes his own battles and lorenz's troops clean up the remains of the knights of seiros.

Then, to lorenz's surprise, a company of almyrans arrives, headed up by Nader. Since the original group of almyran reinforcements never came back to almyra, claude assumed the worst and sent Nader to determine who survived. Apparently, Hilda managed to get a messenger to claude after finding out lorenz was taking a final stand. That was the last they heard. Lorenz recounts to them what happened, and asks after Claude. Turns out the war is concluding in Almyra, too, after Claude killed Shahid in their last battle. That was why he could afford to send Nader out to another potential war zone.

Lorenz asks how Claude took the death of his brother, if he is alright, and Nader says something akin to, of course--traitors must be dealt with. He carries out the duties of a king without a second thought. But when Lorenz presses, Nader smiles and asks if Lorenz can keep a secret.

Before they left, Nader was told that if lorenz and the alliance survived, they should return home at once. Claude planned to hold a funeral in secret, in the mountains, with only the family, Nader, and trusted soldiers who once served Shahid and still cared for him. Lorenz asks to go with them. he may not want lorenz present at the funeral, but lorenz wants to support him all the same. While there, he can deliver the news of Marianne and Raphael's deaths in person. Some news, you simply don't send through a courier.

Nader accepts, and they set out soon after. Lorenz only brings ignatz and a few members of his personal guard. Turns out smuggling them into the territory is easy--Lorenz's name is well known, but his face is not, since he has never directly visited almyra before. They take routes that avoid soldier encampments, since the soldiers are most likely to know him, and hide out in the mountains.

They have to ride wyverns to get there which lorenz has never done. He boasts that it should be no challenge for one with his skill at horseback riding. it is a HUGE challenge for him. more than once, he falls off the back of one and has to be rescued. there is a lot of laughter at his expense, and once, nader waits until lorenz nearly hits the earth before catching him. quickly enough, though, lorenz gets the hang of it.

the ride there is brief but filled with amazement. he feels like he's looking at a war map, all the world's nooks and crevices sprawled out below him. he immediately understands why the alliance once found almyran wyvern riders so hard to drive back, & so bold in spirit. at this height, they could practically see everything. with enough training, they could, in a way, see the enemy's thoughts. Where they could move, where they couldn't, and where to push them so they couldn't retreat. He thinks this must be how Claude sees the world.

once they touch down in the mountains, of course, he complains the entire time--it's cold, the air is thin, and the gear he brought is not fit for the terrain. there's a small town near where they land, too small to even spare troops for, where nader takes him to get new boots. he is quite clearly from Fodlan, which earns him some distrust. on nader's advice, lorenz introduces himself by his middle name, which is less known, and explores the town under Nader's guidance.

most are not terribly fond of him, and the others laugh at his struggle to adapt. the older ladies like him best, and they take pity on him, giving him welcome gifts. They show him the textiles they've made--thick woven blankets, embroidered clothing, and also jewelry, made by hand with beads, metal scrap left over from other craftsmen, bits of unused leather. one of them shows him how to hold and fire a bow. she does so without knowing a single word of his language. instead, she moves his hands where they need to go, models for him how he must move. he is bad at this, too, but once he shoots his first target, she looks proud of him.

as claude, his father, and the funerary company make their way secretly into the mountains, nader leaves to meet them halfway and inform claude about their guests. he tells lorenz not to get his hopes up about being allowed at the funeral. Lorenz tells him not to bother claude with such a request: instead, he sends a fabric rose with Nader as a gift and a sign of his presence. this is the same gloucester rose that he normally pins to his clothing/armor, which he plucks off his breast to give to nader.

nader is gone for several days, during which lorenz pushes himself to interact with the people in town and learn more about them. he learns some of their language, with the help of the soldiers who stayed behind and ignatz, who turns out to have a knack for learning languages. one of the most interesting things he learns is how they address claude. each king is ascribed unique titles, instead of conferring titles by rank (such as "Your Majesty," "Your Highness," etc). in Almyra, they call him many things, but most often, "Your Radiance, King Khalid."

the name "Khalid" is familiar to Lorenz because of the intel Balthus gathered for him. "his radiance" is less familiar, but makes sense. like the sun, he is bright & dazzling. an overwhelming pain upon the eyes and mind, making all manner of tasks difficult while in its presence. he cannot help the pang of fondness.

eventually, nader returns to collect lorenz, ignatz, and the other soldiers. he says they're headed for a small encampment where claude and the funeral party are resting. to avoid extra attention, they send the wyverns ahead and proceed on foot. after another half-day of travel, they reach a craggy path leading out of the mountains to the plains below. a narrow cliff juts out above that path, and on top of it lays a white wyvern, dressed resplendently, curled up as if napping. lorenz can't see claude yet, but he knows.

as they reach the base of the mountain, claude makes his grand entrance, flying down on his wyvern. each beat of its wings makes the ground shake. its claws scrape furrows in the earth. for a moment, the beast and lorenz are eye-to-eye, and he feels a wave of deja vu. there is a keenness in its red eyes that pins him in a way that reminds him too much of rhea in her immaculate final form.

and then claude dismounts, and all thoughts fly away. lorenz has no idea what he's expecting. instead of his habitual smile, claude is wearing a pinched expression, brows furrowed and mouth pulled tight at the corners. lorenz immediately feels foolish--they must have caused him a great deal of trouble to make him that angry.

what he doesn't expect is for claude to stride up to him and embrace him. so tightly, in fact, that his ribs complain. his warmth, the smell of his sweat, of sun-heated leather and oiled armor, overwhelm lorenz. he feels alive for the first time since the battle against rhea.

claude pulls back and grips lorenz by his shoulders, jewel-green eyes flicking across his face. gaze softening, claude asks, "it really is you, isn't it?"

opening and closing his mouth, lorenz says, "who else, pray tell, were you expecting?"

claude retorts that he expected anybody, considering the fact that lorenz didn't even bother to try to send him a messenger to let him know he wasn't dead. before lorenz can stammer out a rebuttal, claude turns to ignatz and hugs him too. he says that rumors reached Almyra about lorenz dying and coming back to life, which claude found hard to believe. that made him suspect that perhaps those who slither in the dark or rhea herself disguised one of their agents as Lorenz. but when lorenz sent the rose, which only a man raised in house Gloucester would think of, claude knew the truth.

he clasps both lorenz and ignatz by the hand and tells them he's so glad they're alive. after that, he asks everyone to go on ahead so he can speak to lorenz alone. they move to another place at the base of the mountains under the cover of another cliff, watching the others grow smaller and smaller as they cross the seemingly endless plains, until they disappear into a copse of trees. claude sits on the ground and pats the space beside him. lorenz sits and immediately, claude asks how their friends fared in the fight against rhea. lorenz hesitates before replying, and so Claude starts going name by name. Is Hilda still safe? Did the battle reach her in Goneril territory?

of course he would ask about hilda first--he never disguised his particular fondness for her, and neither did she for him. he tells claude that she is well, and distinguished herself in the fight to repel shahid's army from fodlan's locket. she kept the Federation safe. abject relief shows on claude's face, and lorenz tries not to let it sting. he's fairly certain that once news of claude's victory reaches the federation and the knights of seiros are fully gone, a proposal will come from house goneril if claude doesn't send one himself.

he then asks about judith, and lorenz is proud to be able to say she survived, too, despite fighting with them on the front lines. she is on the tail end of recovery from a terrible wound, and sent a letter for claude along with lorenz when he told her about this excursion. claude makes a joke about lorenz getting chummy with judith, but lorenz can't laugh. instead, he rattles off the names of the others who yet live--lysithea, who routinely wonders aloud why she should survive when she's on borrowed time. leonie, who is kindly attending to the needs of gloucester territory while lorenz is gone, without the usual endless complaints about lorenz's method of rule. he thought she would blame him for the devastating outcome of their war, and yet, she forgave him straight away. there are other names, too, which he lists with growing dread, until he finally admits what happened to raphael and marianne.

claude doesn't cry, but it's the closest lorenz has ever seen him come to tears. they well in his eyes, never quite spilling over his cheeks. lorenz has imagined this moment before--thought he himself would fall to pieces under the guilt, cry, swear some personal penance. but seeing claude now, knowing that he just finished burying another person who must've meant something to him, lorenz pulls himself together.

he apologizes for not being able to bring claude to their funerals. he apologizes for not doing more to protect them. he would have also apologized for not being able to save them, but he says that he can't, because that would be failing to acknowledge the choice they made to give up their lives for their people. and in marianne's case, to give up their humanity.

"still, you entrusted them to me," lorenz tells him, taking a handkerchief from his pocket to dab his eyes. "i am sorry i could not bring them safely home to meet you again."

claude asks questions about their families, and how they're faring. maya and raphael's grandfather will be provided for the rest of their lives, as recompense for raphael's heroism. maya is also going to be placed into an apprenticeship with her choice of professional artisan. marianne's adopted father ... well, he has received the notoriety and accolades he always wanted. though, news of how he treated marianne while she lived began to travel, and the common folk who idolize her are becoming restless. lorenz expects he may in time need to be removed.

claude laments that marianne only ever got to be herself at the very end. he really wanted to welcome the new world with her, where she could live without judgment. he laments that he never got to know raphael more. but war takes, with no regard for honorable men's desires. he tells lorenz that it's not his fault. he did everything he could do. he fought with them until the end--"if it were me, i probably would have run, if it meant surviving."

"no, you wouldn't have. if you saw what awaited Derdriu should we fall, you would've stayed."

saying that out loud makes something come unglued inside of him. a heaviness, which drops out from his diaphragm and leaves him empty, but lighter. he shakes his head, stating that he came here to support claude, not to be comforted. how did the funeral go? is claude alright?

claude gives him a hollow laugh. yes, he is alright. and that's always been the problem. when he was the royal prince, shahid was often addressed as "Cherished One," due to his status as the king's one and only favored son. since a young age, claude knew that he would have to fight shahid. they were raised mostly separate, though claude sent him and his father letters often after he and his mother left to be taken under Duke Riegan's protection. at first, shahid responded, though that was when they were little and neither of them understood the implications of there being two heirs: one beloved, and the other hidden away in secret. when claude became a teenager and started writing shahid about diplomacy and politics, when it sounded like he might come home, shahid made a visit to him in person to show him the fate that awaited him should he dare to come back. claude doesn't go into detail, but says that maybe someday, he'll show lorenz the scars he earned that day.

more than anything, he says, he's disappointed. he always hoped that, if he played his cards right, he could find a path where they both lived. and yet, they hurtled together toward that inevitable end he knew was coming, where he laid shahid to rest in the earth.

"hard to grieve a man you always knew you were going to kill," claude murmurs, looking down at his own hands. "when the time came, I didn't falter. it should've been harder than it was."

lorenz scoffs, "if it were easy, you wouldn't say such things."

he asks, did you give him the chance to surrender? did you allow him to keep his dignity? did you kill him the way a warrior does, swift and cleanly, with the aim to prevent suffering? when claude answers yes to all of these questions, lorenz takes claude's hand in both of his. he asks, "then, what more could you have done?"

claude pauses, staring at where their hands meet, expression unreadable. he glances back up to lorenz and says, "i was hoping you could tell me that. you always have feedback for me."

"alright then. should you get the chance to kill him again, be more confident next time," lorenz answers drily, and claude's eyes widen. lorenz rushes to clarify that was a joke, that he was trying to meet one joke with another, but perhaps that was too uncouth, and--claude, miraculously, laughs. dry, raspy, short coughs, but laughter nonetheless. he squeezes Lorenz's hands, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. he promises to take that feedback into consideration.

they sit there like that for a while in silence. lorenz's heart pounds in his chest. he wishes he could hold claude, but he doubts that's what he wants at that moment. he's already pushing the envelope by touching claude--nobles will hold hands when offering condolences to a dear friend, but he and claude were never that close.

soon enough, claude pulls his hand away and asks lorenz if he's ready to go meet the others. he agrees and they stand together. claude warns him that when they reach camp, lorenz must take care with his speech. he must speak with respect--none of the usual snappy retorts. claude's father, especially, must be addressed in the proper manner. the most polite title for him is "His Eminence," and lorenz must not argue with him, challenge his words, or refuse his requests. only claude can do that and only with care, if they are to maintain goodwill.

claude informs lorenz that he must be addressed specially as well, to which lorenz interrupts and says, "Ah, of course, I will show you complete deference, Your Radiance. I could never face the women in the village again if I dishonored King Khalid, their Shimmering Sun."

claude goes owl-eyed at that, and his cheeks turn pink, along with the tips of his ears. he has to explain that only the women call him that--both the young ladies who covet him and the old ladies who look at him the way mothers do their precious youth. embarrassed, lorenz asks what he should say instead. claude suggests "Your Brilliance," which is what the young soldiers who admire him call him, and lorenz is essentially like "you wish lmao." they argue, and claude caves, warning him that people will think he's a weirdo.

lorenz would rather them think he is the weirdest man alive than admit, even through an empty honorific, that claude is "brilliant." claude begs him to keep those thoughts on a tight leash in front of his father. then they make the trek back to the encampment.

there's a lot of shit that would happen in almyra--for the sake of saving ur time and sanity i'll condense. basically, the almyrans test lorenz very thoroughly in the brief time he's there. for starters, they can smell it on him that he's generally a prick, despite his efforts. calling claude "your radiance" does two things: makes some believe he's actually infatuated with king khalid (he is), and makes others believe he's looking down on claude (which he also tends to do). Still others think he's probably just ignorant (definitely also is). but they remember how he distinguished himself in battle and repelled shahid's army at fodlan's locket, so they give him some grace.

from everything i've seen from the games, almyra is described as a land of competition, and a land of feasting/celebration. the most well-renowned almyrans win, and they celebrate their wins. of course, the most classic way they challenge lorenz is through combat. soon after meeting lorenz, claude's father says he heard tales of lorenz's prowess at fodlan's locket, and wished to see him fight.

since lorenz was told he couldn't refuse a request from His Eminence, and claude seems unable to dissuade him, lorenz agrees. he ends up in a coliseum-style battle, complete with horses and chariots, where lorenz pushes his skill as a dark mage/lance-wielder to the limits. he ends up winning that one narrowly, finding ways to get the stronger opponents to take each other out, and focusing on his strengths. in doing so, he unseats a warrior who was the reigning champion several years.

as a result, lorenz accidentally opens a couple of floodgates. first is the flood of young warriors who want to challenge him directly. second is the flood of men and women (mainly men) who take an interest in him. both wash over him when he attends his first almyran feast in the palace, which celebrates lorenz's visit and the end of war. before the feast, claude warns lorenz that he will be judged by how much he can eat and how well he can dance. and if he is challenged to a competition of any kind, he needs to win.

thankfully, this is the one time when his overinflated self-confidence comes in handy. in preparation for the feast, he and ignatz learn some classic almyran dances, and they practice a lot in secret. as a noble, lorenz grew up learning dances, and while almyrans dance quite differently, he knows that if he just practices enough and watches others he will manage. the hard part is just learning the various "parts" well enough to do them reliably. in fodlan, lorenz always danced as the lead, for obvious reasons. in almyra, the lead is determined by height or physical size alone, not status or gender, and some dances have no clear lead.

the day of the feast comes and they put him through the wringer. the eating is the hardest part, because lorenz canonically eats like a bird, in small pieces at a time. in order to appear like he's feasting, he intersperses eating between long periods of dancing and socializing. the cooks are constantly putting food in front of him to try when he sits down, so he spends a lot of time on his feet. at one point, he moves temporarily outside to the terrace, which proves to be a mistake. there, many soldiers challenge him to feats of strength and skill.

he may be a tiny bit drunk at this point, because he agrees to things he shouldn't, like catching knives as soldiers throw them, disarming them with his bare hands, or shooting objects off other men's heads (despite only just learning to use a bow). he sobers up when ignatz comes out and drags him back inside.

what the almyrans come to remember him for most, though, is his dancing. he dances for hours, and with every person who asks. and they ask, some of them over and over again. he's not as graceful as he thinks he is, but is confident, energetic, and unrelenting. most of his dance partners are men, and while lorenz internally wonders why more of the women don't fancy him, he enjoys himself plenty.

once, he gets to dance with claude. only once.

certain almyran dances involve trading partners at random intervals. during one of these, claude and lorenz end up catching each other by sheer luck. claude gives him shit and ignites his competitive streak, and they dance the whole house down until they're forced to trade again. perfectly in sync, reading and predicting each other's movements, and it's the most fun lorenz has had in a long time. it's the closest they've ever been. he spends the rest of the night thinking about how claude's hands clung to his hips.

he also starts to realize that claude has become handsy in general. almyrans lean more toward physical affection, he's noticed, and that must have rubbed off on claude. more than once, claude has placed a hand on lorenz's shoulders to announce his approach, or guided him around the room with a gentle pressure against the small of his back. while lorenz knows better than to harbor false hopes, it's really hard not to give into the yearning and wonder if there's a deeper meaning.

in the end, lorenz makes a lot of friends that night. many of them speak his language fluently, and they promise to write him letters after he goes home to help teach him their lingua franca. he leaves the feast half dead from exhaustion, but triumphant. he stays a day or two longer in order to discuss matters of political interest with claude and his father. as always, claude has a litany of goals he wants to accomplish. mainly concerning the establishment of an almyran presence in fodlan, and vice versa.

once, after concluding their business, lorenz bids claude to take a cup of tea with him. he says something about it being "unbefitting of a noble" to be a guest in claude's home for so long without once brewing him a cup and speaking of matters besides work. now that war no longer fully occupies his time, lorenz asks how claude plans to spend his future. claude says that if he gets the chance, he wants to devote real time and resources to researching the histories of fodlan--the true history. maybe there are traces left.

lorenz is surprised, and claude teases him that he should already know this--"That's why I wandered the monastery so much. You just never believed me. What was it you said back then? 'Walls and floors are not sufficient to hold my attention ...'"

turning up his nose, lorenz quips that claude shouldn't sell himself short. surely, such a task served him an additional purpose eventually. then, a bit more seriously, he urges claude to also consider what he will do about securing the house and his succession. claude admits he's been trying not to think about it, at least not until his position as king was guaranteed.

apparently, since he returned home, his father has been pushing him to consider marrying a woman from Fodlan. succession in Almyra is determined by birthright, and a child connected to Fodlan would solidify relations between their two countries. lorenz informs claude that if he is going to have his pick of fodlan's finest, he must make his proposal quickly, even if he waits to marry.

he asks if claude is interested in anyone, and claude replies with a smile that doesn't reach his eyes, "I don't kiss and tell." Disheartened, lorenz emphasizes that he specifically means hilda. she is ready to retire her axe, and there are many suitors ready to enable her.

"You know well her skill in persuasion. She would match you splendidly." "Maybe. If Holst didn't kill me first," claude answers, which is the confirmation lorenz was dreading but needs most. he has already come to accept that the world works in ways that supersede his emotions. he's known that since his youth, back when he feared the thought of marrying a commoner because the strictures of nobility, of power and proper roles, dictated that he could only choose his life partner based on status and children. even now, claude was never an option.

before lorenz can press further, claude asks him to wait. there's something he forgot about. he leaves and returns with a parcel, tied in gold thread. he asks if lorenz remembers a soldier from the feast by a certain name--and lorenz does. they danced quite a bit together. this soldier is a friend of claude's who left with a scouting party this morning to search for any remaining Shahid loyalists. since lorenz would be leaving soon, the soldier asked claude to deliver a parcel to him on his behalf.

"He's my friend, so I promised, but ..." Claude trails off, staring pensively, and when lorenz asks what's wrong, he shrugs and says, "Well. See for yourself."

lorenz opens the parcel and the first thing he sees is a portrait of the soldier, set in a simple wooden frame. beneath that, a sealed letter, and gifts. the gifts include a leather handgrip that is clearly meant for his lance, and a red beaded circlet that match the rose on his armor perfectly. he finds that an odd present for a man--at least, one whom you barely know--and glances up at claude for an explanation. claude just watches him carefully and gestures to the letter, which lorenz opens and reads. after the first several lines, he realizes the obvious.

a marriage proposal. not the first one he's ever received, but the first that his father did not help arrange. the letter is clearly written by a man with no noble background--intentionally formal, almost overly so, and more like a love letter than a proposal outlining their mutual benefit.

lorenz's mouth hangs open, and out of respect for his company, he covers it. "My word."

underneath the letter was another smaller parcel that claude pulls out for him, and lorenz unwraps it to find two daggers whose sheaths are well worn. this is a tradition, claude explains--when Almyran warriors make proposals, they hand over their weapons as symbolic tribute. it represents mutual trust, surrender, and a willingness to place their lives in their loved one's hands. normally, this part is meant to happen in person--the person proposing lays down their weapons, kneels down, bends their head, and presents a ring.

"Super romantic stuff," Claude remarks drily. "Unfortunately, he didn't have the time for that. Didn't even get to buy you a ring. But he was afraid you'd leave and he'd never see you again, so. Here we are."

"My word," is all lorenz can say, steepling his fingers together.

after a few moments, he asks claude for information on the proper way to respond to an almyran proposal. rejections are simple, claude tells him--in this case, he could have claude deliver a letter of response and he'd return the gifts. lorenz asks how accepting a proposal might differ, and now it is claude's turn to gape. he asks if lorenz is seriously considering accepting, and lorenz says that no, h must decline. this man barely knows him. but should he receive better proposals he will seriously consider them.

"So you're saying if you knew him better, you'd consider him?" Claude asks, and lorenz picks up the portrait again and admits with a wince that he is not exactly lorenz's type. claude laughs and replies that, no, he's not. noble ladies with crests are lorenz's type.

he cautions lorenz that almyra is not like fodlan--there aren't a wealth of noble houses that will want to arrange marriage with a foreigner. most of the asks he'll get will likely be from soldiers. and with lorenz's appearance, he'll mostly attract men.

"Does that really not bother you?" Claude asks him, and lorenz debates with himself about the answer. of course it is bothersome--this is entirely unfamiliar to him. but then again, his feelings for claude felt foreign to him once upon a time, too.

they go back and forth, with claude asking whether lorenz plans to just ditch his own plans for the future, and lorenz admits that so much has changed that his old dreams no longer quite fit him anymore. and they won't fit what fodlan is becoming. he makes claude swear to keep this secret, but the social order is poised to transform. If Leicester doesn't change, they risk becoming like Faerghus--too caught up in pride and the fantastical stories about the heroes that came before them. Same figureheads, different regime.

he admits that ever since he and claude discussed the idea of having commoners vote on their leaders, he couldn't get the idea out of his head. Until Edelgard's fate and the fate of the empire are settled, they must maintain the current order. But after ... he and other nobles are discussing the idea of redesigning nobility. an apprenticeship system, perhaps, where qualified leaders mentor new nobles, who may then be voted on. or a system where people with the right talents and skills are nominated and voted on in their territories. that would allow Leicester to build institutions and systems that foster noble comportment, without relying on birth alone.

nobles could also be removed from their position by a combined vote from the populace and the other nobles, meaning they must regularly prove their worth. the king, too, would be chosen by a voting system. lorenz tells claude that he has secured a promise from several nobles, Lysithea and Hilda included, that they would relinquish their titles and allow their people to choose new rulers. Once these new rulers are well-established and there are suitable candidates for kingship, lorenz will relinquish his crown, too. Of course, he'll snag a parcel of land for himself and invest his wealth wisely before leaving his position. But beyond that, his plans are uncertain.

"In any case, I see no reason to limit myself the way I once did. Commoner, noble, man, woman--if there is love and respect and we can benefit one another, I shall consider them all."

im not exactly sure what claude's response immediately after would be, but you can imagine lmao. he's probably somewhere between creaming his pants and calling the guards because this can't be lorenz that he's talking to. eventually, claude says that if lorenz can create a kingdom like that, he'd love to see it. lorenz promises that he will, and when the time comes, he will invite claude to see with his own eyes.

the next day, lorenz is set to leave. he meets with claude in secret one last time to hand over the letter of rejection for that marriage proposal. claude jokes, "I hope you were gentle with him," and lorenz replies that he was--he even encouraged the soldier to try again, once they are better-acquainted. claude seems a little distressed, claiming that lorenz is going to give him the wrong idea, but if the affection is truly felt, lorenz sees no harm in leaving the door open just a crack.

lorenz asks claude if he's sure it's okay to leave. he would be happy to extend his stay if claude could use his support. claude jokes about how he never thought he'd see the day that the legendary king lorenz hellman gloucester dropped everything to help little old claude.

"You're King Khalid, now. You've grown, and so have I. We hold the fate of the new world in our hands. So long as I, Lorenz Hellman Gloucester, draw breath, you will never face that future alone." Lorenz extends his hand. "This I swear to you."

claude clasps his hand. this time, the smile reaches his eyes. he tugs lorenz forward and puts his other arm around lorenz's shoulder in a loose embrace. "Thank you, my friend."

lorenz hugs him back very awkwardly for a while. too soon, the moment is over.

after returning home, the months pass quickly for lorenz. not sure of the timeline exactly, but has to be like ... at least a year or more before he and claude see each other again. but surprisingly, they hear from each other a lot. there are missives, of course, and couriers--but there are letters, too. lorenz sends them occasionally, checking in on claude. of course, he chooses the content carefully, knowing that someone might try to intercept the letter. mostly updates about those he knows claude would be concerned for.

he especially likes to brag about ignatz, whose artistic talent lorenz uncovered and put to use almost immediately in the aftermath of war--a veritable "Knight-Painter" just like in legends lorenz once read as a child. he is employed for all manner of projects, not just painting. he asks after claude's father, and for updates on the men he met during his visit. often, he receives no response.

on occasion, though, he does. one letter for every four or five that lorenz sends, and only responding to a handful of questions. the omissions are deliberate, as claude picks from each of the letters whatever questions please him, or at least whichever he feels he can answer. by now, lorenz is accustomed to being held at arm's length. so long as the letters reach claude, their purpose is fulfilled.

the communication tapers off entirely after about the year mark, especially because there's edelgard stuff to sort, which. dont even ask me, i didnt even think about that KLSDJFKS i think probably it ends up being like the bad end that she gets in the 3 hopes blue lions route. but eventually leicester arranges for claude and the most premiere members of the military/govt in almyra to visit and discuss matters of a more formalized/integrated diplomatic relationship.

lorenz suspects this may be the last time he meets claude as an equal. the goneril family has already prepared a proposal for claude, to which holst added his own written blessing. once hilda and holst step down from their posts, along with the other nobles, the clock is ticking for lorenz to prepare for his own replacement as well. hilda is aware of lorenz's feelings for claude--quite a few months back, she confessed to reading the love letter he placed in her care back when he fought the battle at Myrddin.

now, when informing her of her own proposal, she advises him to give claude his letter, too. she threatens him, actually, claiming that she copied it down word for word. if he doesn't tell claude, she will give him the copy. perhaps she truly thinks him so little competition--and why shouldn't she? but what she says is that she doesn't want any regrets.

"I don't want to win by default. And certainly no one wants to lose that way, either," she tells him, and--she makes a strong case. Losing by inaction is not the Gloucester way. And if Hilda wants, for once, to take the trouble of competition, then--maybe she's right. When all is said and done, maybe this can put to bed the regret.

The time for Claude's visit arrives swiftly. Earlier than expected, actually--they made faster time than originally projected, by 2 days. Lorenz is in the countryside on other business at this time. While lorenz rushes to conclude his business and return, ignatz and hilda are the ones who receive claude's party, and give him a tour. a lot has changed in leicester, since even the last time nader came.

the artwork and architecture are the biggest changes. the rebuilding efforts that the almyran craftsmen started have greatly expanded. there are stables, greenhouses, and sprawling settlements all clearly imbued with the markers of almyran craftsmanship. many of the homes are clearly unoccupied and awaiting new tenants. in the city markets, there are fodlan merchants bartering in the language claude speaks at home with his father--broken and clunky, more often than not. and in the heart of derdriu, the very masonwork of the street has changed, patterned after the riegan coat of arms.

there are also a surprising number of statues of claude. there is one outside the great hall where the noble families and the king make decisions. there is another right by the main entrance to derdriu, depicting him with his wyvern, arm outstretched to greet derdriu's visitors. children have hung garlands on the statue's hands and around his neck. there are portraits of him, too, in the local courthouse, the library, and in the barracks, along with the portraits of all those who currently rule leicester. some pieces were commissioned by the crown. others, ignatz tells him, were commissioned by individual owners, or nobles, or organizations. of course, there are also statues of lorenz as well, sometimes positioned beside or adjacent to claude's monuments.

lorenz couldn't resist a little bit of preening, claude thinks. in most depictions, lorenz has his eyes closed--a reference to his battle at myrddin, when they left him behind on the battlefield. survivors often described him as if he were sleeping, waiting to reawaken. by this point, he hasn't actually heard many of the legends about the battle. he received reports from the soldiers who partook in the battle, but of course, they saw the circumstances differently. he learns a lot more about it from hilda, and ignatz, and the common folk.

there's a lot that he learns/experiences, but the main thing is this: leicester feels a lot more like home than it used to. or, at least, feels a lot more like it was meant for him to be here. and he gets to spend time hanging out with his friends for the first time in years.

lorenz makes a pit stop in gloucester territory and receives word from ignatz that the entirety of derdriu is turned upside-down with excitement thanks to their new visitors. claude is wondering if they might steal away to meet him at house gloucester so they can meet in peace. this was apparently a warning and not a request, because within the day, ignatz has arrived at the main house with claude on horseback, before lorenz had even issued a message in response. just the two of them--no hilda, no personal retinue of guards. just ignatz and claude.

lorenz ushers them into the foyer of the main house. he orders ignatz to round up the staff to make tea, start dinner, and prepare a room for claude, since the sun will soon be setting. lorenz says that until he calls for dinner to be served, they should leave claude be. he takes claude to a drawing room nearby, where they're unlikely to be disturbed. he warns him, "Don't think you'll find respite here, either, Your Radiance. Several of my cousins yet linger on this property, and they'll have no shortage of matters to question you about."

"Come on, can't we cut the rivalry already? I'm not even competition anymore," claude snorts, and lorenz sighs in response. he may be the first gloucester to truly see eye to eye with a man of riegan blood. and only just barely.

lorenz laments that claude should visit him when he is so unprepared--surely, claude wants a preview of the business at hand, and all official copies pertaining to the agenda of claude's visit are currently in derdriu. holding up a hand to stop him, claude assures him that the last thing he wants to do is discuss politics. truly, he came here to find a moment's peace.

"Figured this might be the only time I could catch you alone, too," claude says. "There's a lot I couldn't say in my letters."

before sitting down, claude unbuckles and removes his chest plate. pressed against the inside is a stack of envelopes tied loosely together with string. claude hands them over. their faces are blank--no address, no note. when he opens them, though, he recognizes claude's handwriting. two full pages to an envelope, sometimes three, which is impressive for a man who normally writes concisely.

the first envelope contains updates on claude's father, in far greater detail than the pithy "he is quite well!" that claude sent lorenz via mail before. as lorenz skims the contents, claude explains that for every curt letter, he journaled a separate, in-depth reply. it was a nice writing exercise, he says. he almost didn't bring them. but he figured that lorenz would take offense to being ignored, especially in regards to the soldiers he asked after, whose achievements and woes claude has catalogued in significant detail.

claude bids him to wait to read until later, and jokingly, lorenz asks what is left that he could not express in this many pages, and claude shrugs and says it's not the same as just talking. There's too much posturing in the written word. Too much embellishment. among kings, every word is written for the eyes that might see it. at least the spoken word disappears, and he can hear what a person truly means.

"what a winding path you took just to say you missed our chats," lorenz scoffs. claude smiles, the corners of his eyes crinkling.

at the back of the stack is the only letter bearing an external mark. the name "Claude" is scrawled across the front in graceful script--hilda's handwriting. lorenz holds it out to claude, suggesting it got mixed in on accident, but claude doesn't move to accept it.

"Actually, she told me to bring that to you. Said I shouldn't open it until I talked to you."

immediately, lorenz knows what the letter is. he blanches, and claude must notice, because the smile on his face flickers and hardens. lorenz asks how much claude knows, how much hilda has said, and claude says she claimed that lorenz kept a secret from him. one that stretched all the way back to the end of the war and the battle at the great bridge of myrddin. "give lorenz a chance to come clean," she said.

"By now, I thought I'd earned your trust. Not that I expected us to spill all our secrets, but ..." Claude pins him with his gaze. "Should I be worried?"

lorenz can't bring himself to answer. he tears open the letter to find hilda has indeed copied his dying confession. claude tries again, asking, is it that bad? and lorenz replies, no, at least--not necessarily, he'd like to think. some might even see it as a good thing, depending on their outlook. his statements might come across more convincing if he weren't struggling for breath.

claude suggests that lorenz could let him read the letter first and they could talk, but lorenz shakes his head. "This is ... no. She copied it from memory, so, there isn't--she didn't--"

claude's hard-set expression dissolves into confusion. standing from his chair, lorenz asks claude to wait a moment and leaves for his quarters. hilda had returned the original letter to lorenz some time ago, which he nestled away in the middle of a secret book at the back of a bookshelf. he retrieves it now with shaking hands. for a long, long moment, he considers absconding with both copies of the letter. but he comes to his senses soon enough and returns to the drawing room, where he sits back down and hands claude the original letter.

"On the night before our final battle against Rhea, I sent this to Hilda with the instructions that, in the event of my death, she send this to you. The letter she gave you is a copy. This is the original, written by my hand."

"So it is something bad," claude surmises.

shaking his head again, lorenz says, "I suppose that is up to your judgment. Just--read, and you will understand. If my words offend you, let us address them here and now, so you may forget them."

at least claude waits and listens fully before unfolding the paper to read. it's a long letter, and the actual confession doesn't come until near the end. at the beginning, he starts off nothing the date and an objective description of the crisis he and his soldiers are in. at that time, he was thinking about how rhea's forces would migrate to derdriu to take the capital. he was relying on evacuation orders to get as much of derdriu as possible to goneril territory.

lorenz told claude about this plan and begged support/troops. he asked for special help locating and determining the survival of their friends' families, especially ignatz's brother and parents. he'd given ignatz special permission to flee the battlefield if the fight became insurmountable in the hope he'd be useful to recovery operations. after drily detailing his list of requests and worries, he'd paused and written about how strange it was that, even now, he was forced to rely on claude. his good will, his resources, his intelligence. his unerring determination, in the face of a world newly shorn from its gods.

when rhea first drove them back, lorenz feared the thought that he would face the goddess's judgment alone, as the sole creature responsible for leading his people. but he was not alone. even with the oghma mountains dividing them, he could feel claude. he could hear his voice, the matter-of-fact way he once described the possibility of cutting ties with the church--as if it were something that must be done, that was inevitable, and with the hardest choice made, all they needed to do was follow it until the bitter end.

lorenz wrote about how his thoughts turned to claude often, and how he wondered whether he was alright. whether he found what he needed in the Almyran plains. whether he finally found the home he never found in Leicester. there was great fear in those moments before the end. but what lorenz wrote about was the disappointment. he scrawled with an unsteady hand, "I will miss you. We are headed to a place beyond your reach, into infinite darkness, and all I can think of is how I will miss you."

not long after that is when he wrote in plain words that he loved claude, and in hindsight lorenz begrudges the unhappiness of it. there is no joy in that confession, but then again, loving claude is seldom a joyful affair. to love him is to worry, to miss him, to envy him and envy those who are around him in all the hours he is away. but on occasion, to love him is to feel joy, and lorenz wishes that he could have rewritten the letter to reflect that. he tried more than once after hilda confronted him about confessing his feelings, but he could never find the right words.

now, he watches claude read the letter, and thinks that even the wrong words would serve him better than this. as claude flips to the second page, drawing nearer to the actual confession, lorenz loses his courage and stands again, declaring that actually, sitting here and watching claude read is ridiculous. if he has a problem, they can hash it out after dinner.

with that, lorenz practically runs out of the room. he runs out of the entire house, actually, into the back gardens. roses of myriad colors bloom there, arranged in distinctive patterns. snaking through the gardens are rows of rose-trimmed hedges. he makes it halfway into the garden before he hears the door to the house slam open. when he looks over his shoulder, he sees claude standing there, wide-eyed and frantic.

"Don't," claude calls out, knowing what lorenz is about to do. lorenz turns and runs anyway.

claude chases lorenz through the hedges. running him down is not easy, but he eventually catches up and tries to grab lorenz. that sparks a grappling match and they both crash to the ground. once they're tired out, they lie on their backs panting for breath, staring at the sky.

"I can't--believe you," claude pants. "You were--gonna go to the grave, and never tell me--"

each rapid breath stings lorenz's lungs. "Spare me ... the dramatics. I was unaware ... of my feelings, until that moment. It was as much a revelation to me ... as it is to you."

"Yeah? So, when were you gonna tell me?" a few moments drip past as lorenz struggles to think of an answer, and claude says, "Let me guess: after I married someone else and had kids. At least then, if I say no, it's because I have to, right?"

lorenz turns his head and finds claude watching him, brows set hard above eyes that gleam with a knife's edge of hurt and something else. something bright, that makes the bottom of lorenz's stomach drop out anew.

wincing, lorenz mutters, "If you presume to know my thoughts so well, then why should you need me to confess to begin with?"

"If I'm wrong, then correct me."

"You are," lorenz sighs. breathing deeply, he admits, "Yes, I intended to wait until you established a family. The right wife can improve your station and grant you heirs. She can further enrich your house. Soon, I will no longer possess a house, or a title. I cannot offer you anything you'll need for your journey ahead. And I would rather lose you than ask for your love empty-handed."

a quiet scoff cuts the air almost defeated, claude tells him, "See, that's what I can't stand about you. Stop acting like you know what I need. Do you still love me or not?"

tears sting the corners of lorenz's eyes. "Yes, Claude. How could I not?"

claude turns onto his side. there is more emotion on his face than lorenz has ever seen before, though still kept in check. claude leans over to kiss lorenz, half-draped across his body, and the relief momentarily numbs the soft press of lips that lorenz waited so long to feel. they hold each other a while, mouths and hands exploring with greater insistence, until they run out of air. after they break apart, claude watches him, eyes misty and nostrils flaring as he catches his breath.

"Well, this complicates things for me," claude sighs.

he explains that hilda beat lorenz to a confession. the proposal was presented to him in front of his personal entourage. there is no way to hide this from his father, and even if lorenz submits his own proposal now, there will be great pressure to select hilda. furthermore, turning hilda down will be seen as an intentional slight against the goneril family. though hilda may eventually abdicate her power along with other nobles for the sake of the new order in Leicester, their connections will outlast their position. when presented with a choice like this, he is forced to make the choice that best reflects the will of his people and protects the budding relationships between leicester and almyra.

claude complains, "If you confessed earlier, I could easily convince my father. Even by just a couple of months. There would have been a lot at stake if I told you no."

now, though, lorenz's future is clearer: he won't possess his power and influence forever. at least hilda can bear an heir to continue the hereditary line of succession. claude promises he will try to figure something out. conspicuously, he neglects to return lorenz's confession. when asked if he feels the same, claude winces and replies, "let me figure this out first. then, i can give you my answer."

of course, lorenz takes that about as well as you'd think, emotionally speaking. what point is there in hiding feelings, regardless of their outcome? after all, if claude were unable to derive a political benefit from marrying lorenz, isn't love the only other explanation?

once he realizes this, lorenz immediately finds his center. honestly, what worried him most was the idea that his feelings would not matter. that claude would not believe them, ignore them entirely, or refuse to engage with lorenz the way he always had. of course, lorenz yearns for the eternal joining that is promised by marriage. but now, marriage or not, he no longer feels the need to fear for his place in claude's life.

as they untangle and return to the house, the staff calls them in for dinner. they take their meal in relative silence--just the two of them and ignatz, who notices the shift. afterward, lorenz leads claude to his guest room, where they linger together a few hours longer. they invariably turn to discussing politics, hands clasped all the while. claude traces the back of lorenz's palm while he speaks. neither of them address their fond gestures directly. and eventually, lorenz retires to his own room to sleep.

claude and the almyrans plan to stay only 1-2 weeks more. over the next two days, lorenz comes to a decision. on one of the last days of claude's visit, the current representatives of leicester's nobility, the king himself, and claude plan to give a public address demonstrating their commitment to a mutually-beneficial future. not only will they announce future projects, they will also celebrate with speeches, food and wine, dancing, and physical competitions to close out the evening. all of derdriu will be invited (and of course, whoever can make it from the countryside is also welcome to attend.)

this final scene is probably the one i have least figured out, so forgive me for the lack of specifics, but my thought was that they host this event in derdriu either in some stadium with a big, open stage where various folks of import (including claurenz) deliver messages. this would include people like Hilda and Holst, Lysithea's father, and any other remaining nobles, as well as important generals/figures from Claude's company. claude and lorenz are set to close out the address, with claude speaking first and lorenz giving the final dismissal.

of course, the members of the platform party all carry weapons with them to heighten the pomp and circumstance. most of the representatives from the federation's side carry ornamental/ceremonial versions, while Lorenz carries the lance he would take onto the battlefield. one detail that i forgot to mention previously was that, after lorenz survives the battle with rhea, he found thyrsus had become a husk. the crest stone broke because all its vitality was spent keeping lorenz alive. of course, he kept it, and brings this to the address as well.

claude gives his portion of the closing remarks, reminiscing on a time in the not-so-distant past when he once bore responsibility for the federation's future. he thanks the citizens for having trusted him then, and for welcoming him back so warmly now. he promises to strive hard for a future where they may all be unified--this time, through cooperation and the open mixing of peoples and beliefs instead of war. of course, he says all the right things to make derdriu echo with applause. not perfect by any stretch--at least, not how lorenz would word the remarks, but lorenz is preoccupied with what he has resolved to do.

claude announces lorenz's approach and steps away from the center of the stage to make room for him. standing there, facing the teeming throngs of his people, lorenz is overcome with emotion. gratefulness, joy, relief--in many ways, his kingship ends here and he is for once contented with the thought.

as he speaks to them, he acknowledges the uncertainty of the road ahead. for so long, the oghma mountains separated them from almyra and beyond. each boundary between Leicester and their neighbors--Empire and Kingdom included--seemed to be a crumbling wall that might tumble down at the slightest press. and while some might fear Almyra's might, once keenly known as that of an enemy, they must remember who it was that came to Leicester's aid when the gods abandoned them.

when rhea turned the whole of her power on Leicester, Almyran soldiers flew to their aid. Almyran soldiers dragged the wounded of Leicester onto their wyvern's backs to save them. many soldiers from Leicester died with Almyrans beside them, their blood soaking the earth black. and in the new dawn that followed that battle, almyrans helped rebuild their damaged land. they have shown that they are a people who keep the promises they make. if Leicester's citizens have any doubt remaining, lorenz says, they need only look at Claude. as the king of the federation, he promised to protect them, and he did. even now, he has not left them behind.

lorenz urges his people to welcome their allies with open arms and to consider how they might contribute to the promise of a unified future. the audience claps and cheers, and normally, this is where lorenz would send them away for food, dancing, and showmanship. as the clamor dies down, he acknowledges aloud that he is sure they are anxious to begin the celebration. before that, however, he says there is something left that he must say to their esteemed guest.

he turns to face claude, who faces him in turn, confused.

"Not so long ago, you and I studied together at the Officer's Academy. I made no secret that I doubted your origin and your right to your influence. I believed you could not be trusted." Lorenz takes a deep breath and forces himself to hold claude's gaze. "I was wrong about you."

he commends claude's steadfastness amongst a wealth of opportunities to run. he also praises claude's shrewdness, in both governance and battle, which once seemed lacking. that was before lorenz realized how calculated all of claude's risky maneuvers actually were. for the risks he did take, lorenz thanks him. they are not ones that lorenz would have deigned to take on his own. and he thanks claude for trusting him to lead the federation he strove so tirelessly to protect. no longer does lorenz consider him an enemy, or a rival--now, he is an old friend whom lorenz looks upon with great admiration and deep respect. beyond that, a sense of fondness that, like a rose bush, sprouts a greater number of new bulbs each season.

by now, claude's complexion is almost ashen. he mouths, what are you doing?

there is no turning back now, however.

"Your Radiance, King Khalid," lorenz says, and claude looks stricken with the recognition of what is about to happen. "There is something I must ask of you."

in the traditional almyran fashion for proposals, lorenz lifts his lance and drives it into the ground. from the inside of the belt around his tunic, he takes thyrsus, and kneels down to lay it by his other side. and lastly, he takes out the ring, passed down to him by his father, which once adorned the finger of his mother, his grandmother, and his great grandmother. holding it out to claude in his palm, he bows his head and asks claude to marry him.

the silence that follows almost chokes lorenz. though thousands of bodies press around the stage from all sides, the murmurs and whispers and shouts he expected to hear are drowned out by the sound of his pulse pounding in his ears. he is taking a gamble, he knows, hoping that claude will respond in kind.

fingertips dance across lorenz's palm and the weight of the ring disappears. he lifts his gaze just enough to see claude slipping it onto his finger. and then claude is gripping his hand and yanking him to his feet and into an embrace that crushes the air from his lungs. as the stadium erupts into roar, screams breaking over lorenz's head like waves, he hears claude speaking fragments of sweet words against his ear.

the entire rest of the evening, claude refuses to let go of his hand. the whole situation is an absolute nightmare for their personal guards. claude celebrates and feasts and dances with lorenz that night with an unrestrained enthusiasm he can't recall ever seeing before.

and once the party is over and claude's visit ends and he goes back home, his father accepts the marriage. part of the reason for this--and the reason why lorenz proposed publicly in the first place--is because of their beloved status among citizens from both countries. if claude's father were to quietly mull over multiple proposals for his son in the privacy of his own home, hilda would win out every time. he could pressure claude to send a politely-worded rejection letter--a way of silently getting what he wants without humiliating the king. a public proposal, however, cannot be refused. especially from a well-liked king, known as a hero in both Leicester and Almyra.

from there, im not super sure how things would end--like how their wedding would look and all that. but eventually lorenz would surrender his crown to the next king elect, as well as eventually giving up the majority of Gloucester lands to the next elected Count. He would find a way to keep a parcel of land, complete with a little rose garden and space for his horse.

Likely, he would go between living there and living in Almyra in the initial years after his marriage. He might eventually go to live in Almyra more permanently. But I like to think that many years in the future, after claude has made changes in Almyra's system of governance, that eventually they might retire to that parcel of land or another, where they could enjoy the peace of nature and a simpler life in their later years. whatever the case, i also like to imagine lorenz volunteering his wisdom as an advisor to claude as king (not asked for LMAO). eventually, claude will also return lorenz's confession. that would most likely come during their wedding, or after it, when they spend their first night together. i feel like he'd have trust issues about it until they were actually fully married lol.

im also a huge fan of claude/hilda, so part of me goes back and forth on whether i'd want eventually for them to integrate her, but i havent even begun to think about that shit so lol. there's also a sideplot i completely did not explore here where ignatz develops a romance with a big buff almyran woman. i really want him to have a happy ending. and an additional note that I did not include in the original thread: i like to imagine that when lorenz abdicates his throne and surrenders the title of his house, he pressures/sponsors Leonie to run as a candidate since she is a well-known figure from his territory and is deeply involved in the wellbeing of the community. She ends up winning, albeit regretfully, and is able to enact the beginnings of changes that she wished the Gloucester house would have enacted earlier.