#dialfred

i actually wanna start in their b-support because i think that adds some important context.

diamant: It's funny... I never thought I'd end up crossing swords with a rival prince outside of a battlefield. [...] It's nice to think that the two of us will come out of this war as friends. alfred: Hate to break it to you, but I'm not so sure that's possible. Things won't always be like this. diamant: They won't? alfred: Afraid not. By the time the war's over...we'll be even better buddies! diamant: Haha! I like the way you think, Prince Alfred.

i think it’s very important to note alfred’s response here. i don’t think he’s a stupid as fans tend to think he is. sure, he can be an airhead, and is definitely a muscle-focused brute, but he’s just as much the crown prince as diamant is. i see a lot of people, in general, downplaying how he actually behaves in game for the “cute uwu sunshine flower boi“ trope (this is a post for another time). “i’m not so sure [we’ll still be friends post-war] is possible“ is such a grounded in reality line. alfred is thinking forward to the future- a future where brodia and firene don’t consider each other allies. it’s possible he was alluding to his illness, as well, saying that “i will die before we truly consider each other best friends“ (this is another post for another time).

of course, he can see diamant’s concern, and recovers rather quickly.

to that end: we know that diamant is much more fragile than he really lets on. it’s emphasised throughout the game. there are so many examples of this textually- explicitly, even!- that are very obvious in his character traits.

diamant, to leif in their a-rank bond: The truth is, I’m not as confident as I may seem. I’ve never told anyone that─not even Alcryst. 

diamant, to ike in their a-rank bond: Improving my kingdom, surpassing my father as king… I’m not sure I can actually do all of that. 

diamant and lucina’s a-rank bond conversation quite literally outlines the anxiety he has in regard to his kingdom’s welfare:

diamant: If Brodia’s remaining forces fall, the kingdom could be destroyed. I can’t bear that thought. lucina: I know how hard it is to leave soldiers behind. For their sake, we must claim a swift victory. Brodia will not fall into ruin, Diamant. Never will you suffer the same anguish that I did. diamant: Thank you, Lucina. That’s reassuring. You may never claim a throne…but you are a great leader.

and that’s not even every single instance in his bond conversations with the emblems, or in his supports.

and... wait... doesn’t that remind you of something?

alcryst, in his c-support with diamant: I can't offer an even match—my skills pale in comparison to yours—but I'll learn what I can. How am I supposed to win against the prince of Brodia? Yes, I am a Brodian prince, but I'm not THE Brodian prince. I'm not you, Diamant.

gee, it’s almost as though the anxiety runs in the family.

but what does this have to do with his a-support with alfred?

well, if there’s one thing that seems to set his anxiety off (aside from his perceived perfection, which is a topic i’ve already covered enough as it is already), it’s the potential of war between the different countries of elyos, and how that directly conflicts with his moral statement on how war is bad and only profits those in power. he can’t help but harp on about it every chance he gets:

framme: Prince Diamant… You said you wanted to bring peace to the world, but… Is that really true? Then why does Brodia keep attacking Elusia? I read the histories of both kingdoms. There are helpless citizens in Elusia that fear Brodia. When you talk about ending war, do you really mean conquering Elusia? Is that peace? diamant: Brodia…is a kingdom of warriors. It does have a regrettable history of seizing territory by force. And it is true that some people in Elusia have been hurt by─and have grown to hate─Brodia. That’s an undeniable part of my kingdom’s past, but I won’t let it be part of our future. It may not be easy, but I mean what I say. There will be change.

timerra: Hey, between you and me…do you think peace is really possible? diamant: Ah. That’s a big question…and one I often worry about myself. Ultimately, as leaders, I think it’s our duty to believe that peace is possible. If we won’t fight to secure that kind of future for our people, who will? 

diamant: Brodia has a lot to answer for. Offering a token like that gem is the least I can do. ivy: It's true. Brodia has invaded our lands many times. I often wonder how my people would have fared without that suffering and bloodshed. diamant: My father was focused on our kingdom's affairs when he began expanding our territory by force. That singular focus is how things have always been done in Brodia...but that needs to change. My father is no longer here, but his influence remains. Change will take time. If there's an easier way, I haven't found it yet.

and so on.

okay, so why does he worry about breaking the non-aggression pact in the first place if he’s so adamant about keeping peace between the countries of elyos?? his support reads:

diamant: As you know, the kingdom of Brodia prioritizes military might above all else. Our kingdom is home to many ambitious people. That might explain those priorities. Our culture also teaches that it's honorable to gain things by force. Thanks to Queen Ève, our two kingdoms have signed a nonaggression pact. However... alfred: You're saying you can't promise it'll last. diamant: That’s right. alfred: What do you think will happen? diamant: I have my own hopes, but I won't just force them upon my kingdom. The will of my people must come first. I have to fight for whatever future serves them best. 

so what’s the big deal? he practically says “hey, uh, yeah, about that non-aggression pact... sorry, but we can’t promise we won’t try to attack you in the future“

but i ask for you, dear reader, who’s gotten this far, to turn your attention to his and citrinne’s support chain.

citrinne: [the nobles are] eager for a response. I've been sent here to ask you directly about your stance on future military campaigns. These nobles are acquaintances of my family. As a noble myself, I can't ignore their demands. diamant: ... [diamant’s textbox pauses here before continuing to the following text] War is profitable. The nobility is expecting to line their pockets for years to come. I, on the other hand, do not intend to wage any wars during my reign as king. citrinne: I'm so glad to hear that. The nobles won't like it, but you can leave them to me.

this ends up getting diamant (and citrinne) into hot water in their b-support:

citrinne: The nobles did not care for your response. I must be cautious in my exchanges with you. Rumors are quickly spreading that my family has been colluding with Brodia’s future king. 

naturally, this gets all nice and wrapped up in a cute little bow in their a-support:

diamant: Don’t panic. I didn’t mention you at all. I made it clear that I won’t wage any wars, but will prioritize a prosperous future for Brodia. That should put a stop to the rumors, right? No more whispers of collusion.

now, i know the focus here is on the accusation of collusion citrinne has levied at her, but i think it’s important to note that the nobles did not care for diamant’s response. furthermore, his end note explicitly discusses how the nobles dis not like diamant’s plan for brodia for the future:

As the new king of Brodia, Diamant ordered a halt to all invasions and worked to reform his people's attitudes on Elusia. Some nobles resisted Diamant at first, but his vision for the future earned their favor. By exporting ore, Brodia was able to shift to a booming, trade-based economy.

let me emphasise this: the nobility does NOT like diamant. at the very least, not at first. he even says how he regrets having to lean on the nobility for financial support... but unfortunately, he will have to burn that bridge when he gets there in terms of dealing with having this held over his own head as brodia’s crown prince.

diamant, to alfred in their c-support: I was drafting requests for funding to send to Brodia's nobles. Our military needs support. Any loans will be used as political leverage in the future. I'm worried...but out of options. 

through this series of textual evidence, we are presented with two facts:

diamant is just as anxious as alcryst about his rule as king and how he envisions fostering peace as his father’s son (he’s just much more apt at hiding it than alcryst).

the nobility does not like him, in spite of his status as crown prince.

so, inevitably, when alfred steps wrong as says “yeah... we’re not gonna be best friends forever“, diamant is very prone to going into overdrive and overthinking this singular sentence... which snowballs into “i don’t think brodia will honour the non-aggression pact“.

diamant’s thoughts and worries about if he will actually be able to lead brodia into a peaceful future- profitable for his country, without relying upon being aggressive in war- quickly spiral out of control because, even if he knows logically it is not true, it doesn’t mean that he recognises it emotionally. alfred tries to reassure him, and it works, actually! it works by breaking him out of that spiral and reminds him that “not everyone wants war, and there will be plenty of opportunities to be loved by your people in peace times, too.“

alfred: I understand. I'm in the same tight spot. That said, everything'll be fine. You've got nothing to worry about. diamant: How can you be sure? alfred: Well, I mean... Everyone from Brodia seems so nice. I can't speak for the whole kingdom, but all the Brodians I've met were nice enough. I don't think they'd want a war over nothing. I think things are gonna work out. I trust the good folks of Brodia that way. diamant: You trust in the goodwill of others? Even the citizens of neighboring kingdoms? alfred: People are people, no matter where they're from. Is trusting in them so bad? diamant: Haha. No, it's not bad at all. In fact, trust might be the most important quality for a leader to have.

"people" can mean "the common people", but given how diamant struggles with the noble court... he likely means the nobles that want to use his need for funding as leverage against him, who want to pit him and citrinne against each others, who don't share his profitable future without war.

alfred can recognise that diamant is having a tough time worrying over his status as prince- about if he'll be liked, if he will rule well, if anything fleeting will ever last- because he understands him as a crown prince to another crown prince. they may not have the same exact struggle, but alfred intimately knows the impermanence of promises, legally binding or otherwise (this is a post for another time).