Chapter Text
Chapter 1
Claude hated, more than anything, the long separations.
He was the king of Almyra, and she was the queen of the United Fodlan. Her capital was in Derdriu, the aquatic capital, high in the northwest of the former Alliance territory. And his capital was in Parsa, far to the east. Journeying between the two, even on the fastest wyvern, took about a week and a half. And that was with the hope that there would be no distractions like bandits or pirates or angry nests of wyverns, or some other magical beast. And there was no promise either of them would ever be in the same place. In her letters to him, she had talked about visits to Enbarr, the rebuilding of Fort Merceus, even a diplomatic visit to Brigid. She was rarely in Derdriu at all.
Claude closed his eyes serenely, listening to his high vizier drone on and on. If he could get this over with and quickly finish his other responsibilities, in at least the next five days, he would have enough time to mount his pure white wyvern, Cherche, and visit Byleth. She was finally back in Derdriu. He would only be able to spare a week to be with her, but it would be so worth it. He couldn’t wait to rest his head on her soft supple breasts, so pillowy soft-
“Your highness, are you paying attention to me?” Nurlan barked, peering over him from his scroll.
Claude smiled, “Oh Nurlan, me? Not pay attention? Perish the thought!”
Nurlan, the high vizier, narrowed his eyes, “Oh? Then, please refresh my memory, I can’t remember, was it the fortifications in Shiraz or Bam that we needed to survey?”
Claude smiled sweetly, “Oh Nurlan, Nurlan, you are getting old. Obviously we have to survey both castles. We wouldn’t want either area to be in any danger should they be attacked by-” at this Claude rolled his eyes dramatically, as if thinking hard, “oh now I’m losing my memory Nurlan. Who exactly are we fortifying against?”
Nurlan sighed, rubbing his temples, “My king, please-“
Claude held up his arm, “I’ll have you know that I have been paying attention. I just don’t see why we need to keep up so many fortifications, especially so close to the border with Fodlan.”
“The nobles don’t feel comfortable without them”
Now it was Claudes turn to sigh. Despite his wedding to the Queen of Fodlan, despite the opening of Fodlans Locket and his declaration of a renewed era of peace, there were still many who did not trust that there was no longer any need for such fortifications. They didn’t trust the new status quo; though to be more accurate, they didn’t trust him.
Old habits died hard. In Fodlan, one could be a weakling on the battlefield and still rule. In Almyra, you didn’t need just blood, but strength. When he had returned to Almyra, Claude had more than proven his martial prowess. He had even defeated Nader the Undefeated in one on one combat, which had earned him admiration from not just many nobles but his father, the king. That was one of the reasons he had abdicated for him; the previous king was getting older and in Almyra old meant weak, and no longer fit to rule.
Most of the nobles and clans in Almyra accepted him after that. But there would be some he would never be able to convince. Those who still called him a mutt, a half-breed, a disgrace as king. Those who looked like they had sucked a particularly sour lemon when they had to bow in his presence. The ones who had probably sent all those assassins after him when he was younger and unable to defend himself. The revenge of watching them bow to him now was sweet, but empty. He would never be able to convince them and they would always be a thorn in his side.
Especially since he had married a Fodlanese bride. That really pissed them off.
“Fine”, Claude was already moving. He didn’t have much time; who knew how long she was going to be in Derdriu this time?
“I’ll survey Shiraz and Bam, finish the paper work you have been dying to have me complete, visit some of the Lydian satraps, the Karluk clan, blah blah. I’ll do all of it in five days, and then I’m doing to Derdriu to spend a heavenly week with my wife. Is that all right with you Nurlan?”
Nurlan had no choice but to concede. There was no point in arguing with his liege anyway; he was already stomping out the door.
---
It had actually taken him two weeks to get to Derdriu. Of course he ran into a wyvern nest and Cherche, bless her heart, couldn’t help but sexually harass her wild kin. It hadn’t made the wild female wyverns happy and they spent three days constantly running from them.
He landed in Derdriu in the middle of the night, patting Cherche on her face as he dismounted.
“My sweet, I promise I’ll find you a mate. Just please don’t harass the other wyvern while I’m here”
He could never be mad at his darling wyvern. After all, he was in heat too.
He left Cherche in the care of his Immortal Corps, and walked into Derdriu castle. It was the middle of the night and so quiet and he was thankful for that. No greetings, no curtseys and bows. Nothing to hold him back from what he really wanted.
Claude finally came upon the master suite. He nodded at the guard in the front who stepped aside to let him in.
It was a cool Lone Moon and a fire was crackling in the hearth, leaving a warm glow in the room. The room itself hadn’t changed much from how he remembered it, though there certainly was more books. It was a testament to Byleths intelligence, and love of reading, rivaling even his own. Five bookshelf’s filled to the brim. And, of course, a table and a tea set. He could tell it had been used tonight, he could smell the Almyran pine needles in the room. It wasn’t even her favorite tea, but he knew why she drank it. She missed him. It made his heart burn.
The one he wanted was in the royal bed, curled up on her side, wrapped in a fluffy Pegasus down comforter. He could spy her mint green hair peeking over the cover and hear her soft breath on the pillow. He missed her so much, his chest ached.
He stalked over to her sleeping body, stripping of his leather gloves, and letting them fall to the floor. It had been a month, and he didn’t care about pointless cleaning. He was so close.
He leaned over her sleeping head, watching her breath for a bit. He was always so captivated by her. The goddess who had saved him, who had made all of his dreams come true.
“Byleth” he whispered, his lips barely brushing her cheeks, “I’m back”
Byleth’s eyes shot open, causing Claude to quickly back up in fear that she would smack him on the head.
“Claude!” Byleth, always a light sleeper, was quick. She grabbed his neck, his head resting in the crook of her neck as she locked him a crushing hug. Yes, he thought, leaning into the hug and wrapping his own arms around her, she missed me.
“I had no idea you would be back tonight, why didn’t you write?”
“You wrote to me that you would be back in Derdriu this week, and I thought it would be a nice surprise to meet you here”
“Meet me?”
“I was caught up on the way”
“Bandits?”
“So many questions! Once a teach, always a teach, huh?”
She had been gripping him tightly during their exchange, relishing in bodily contact. It had been a whole month since they had felt each other. She didn’t want to let go.
Claude hummed quietly, also enjoying the contact. He could feel every mold of her body; craving more, he started kissing the crook of her neck over and over, working his way up, leaving a trail of saliva as he went. He worked his tongue into each kiss, getting a taste of her as we worked his way up to her jawline.
Byleth sighed into his kisses, eyes closed, leaning her head to offer up more of her neck. Claude was gripping her so tightly that she could feel the strong beating of his heart against her chest. It was so strong she could feel the vibrations in her own chest, past her thin night gown. She loved it; how it made her feel like she herself had a beating heart, or that they shared a single one.
They said nothing, simply relishing in the close contact that they had been denied for a month.
Claude finally reached her cheek, tracing kisses until he reached her soft velvety lips. His tongue teased open her lips, caressing her own tongue, tasting the remnants of the Almyran pine. She leaned into the kiss as well, tongues lapping at each other.
After what seemed like forever, Claude pulled away with a wet pop, a string of saliva still connecting him with Byleths mouth.
He stared into Byleths deep green eyes, reaching back to plant one last chaste kiss on her lips before reluctantly letting her go.
He undressed in silence, as Byleth looked on, a wan smile on her lips. After all this time, there was no need for either of them to say anything. She removed her silk night gown.
Claude kicked off his small clothes with a smirk, flinging them halfway across the room. Byleth giggled. On their wedding night he had dared her to throw their small clothes from the balcony onto the last few wedding guests who were still milling about, to get them to leave faster. She still remembered his naked body bolting from their bed and quickly catching her panty in the air. When he had returned to their bed, he kissed her face again and again, laughing, warning that he would punish her for taking his jest seriously.
He finally crawled into bed, covering Byleths body with his own. He laid his chest upon hers, resting upon his forearms, gazing into her eyes. He peppered her face with quick kisses, and Byleth giggled; it was their wedding night all over again.
“How much did you miss me, while you were in Enbarr?” Claude asked, green eyes sparkling with mirth.
“So much” Byleth replied, running a hand through his mussy hair, and bringing her own self up to kiss his nose, and lips.
Claude flashed a mischievous smile. “Did you miss me this much?” He had reached a hand down to fondle her mound, fingers touching the dampness that was building there.
Byleth sighed, repeating so much, so much, as Claude repeated his ministrations. He had found her sensitive nub and was caressing it, staring at Byleth as she sighed in contentment. Her breath hitched when he crooked in a single finger, and then two, three. He moved slowly, practically purring as he watched her body slowly, relax, and then unravel. He loved the heat on his palm, her heavy lidded eyes, her cooing of so much, so much. He wanted this to last.
But the night wouldn’t last forever. He didn’t have nearly as much time as he wanted. And time was ticking down, ever closer, to the end of the week. And he had already lost three days.
He removed his fingers, and put them in his mouth. His tongue swirled around the tips of his fingers and knuckles. She tasted wonderful, as usual. When he put his saliva covered fingers back inside, she moaned.
He smirked, staring at her form underneath him. He grabbed her hand and led it to his already painful erection, having her stroke him lovingly.
“This,” he breathed heavily, “was how much I missed you”
He removed his soaked fingers and leveled himself at her entrance. He teased the opening with his tip, and she moaned again, nails digging into the soft silk covers.
Claude took his time, pressing himself into her warm folds. Byleth whimpered underneath him, legs wrapping around his waist and arms around his back. He swallowed her whimpers with his mouth, rocking until he was finally sheathed inside of her.
Claude rose from Byleth’s chest to admire his handiwork. Where the two of them met, soft, trimmed green hair met his wirey brown. He loved to look at where they connected. Grabbing her legs, he made a shallow thrust, groaning as he watched himself go in and out.
“Y-ya know, I’ve been waiting for this, “Claude said, looking away from his steadily increased thrusting, to Byleths closed eyes, bouncing breasts and open mouth “for weeks”. He practically hissed the last part out.
He leaned over her again, licking the inside of her waiting open mouth. He moved a hand to rub at the neglected nub, hovering right over his increasingly hurried cock. Suddenly a hand reached out, grabbing him by the hair and keeping him there, mouth to mouth. When Byleth finally released him, he noticed tears in her eyes and his breath hitched. He wasn’t hurting her was he? But he had been so gentle…
“By, I’m not hurting you-“ The question remained unasked as Byleth rose a hand to his head, making him rest in the crook of her neck. She leaned her own head on his, sighing deeply.
“Don’t leave me”, she whispered hand clenched tight in his hair.
He raised a hand to her face, turning it so that they were face to face.
“I won’t By”, his thrusting continued faster, but his eyes never left her face, “I won’t, I won’t, I won’t”
When they finally both came, he was still whispering those desperate words to her.
---
Byleth was resting on Claudes warm chest, as he rubbed circles on her back. She was back in her favorite spot, where she could sit between his legs and keep an ear to the steady thrum of his heartbeat. It was always the perfect ending to their lovemaking; his heartbeat so strong that she could hear it vibrate in her eardrums. Again she imagined that they had a single heartbeat, shared a single form. That even though they may be separated time and time again, they would inevitably return back to each other.
How else could she have known, in her unconscious haze, to return the very same day when Claude would return to the monastery? How else could he have known when to fly his wyvern over the sea, to rescue her in Derdriu right on the precipice of defeat? How else could they have defeated Nemesis, when one mistake, one misread cue could have spelled doom?
That’s why no matter what, Byleth truly believed Claude would always return. The separations may be long, but they weren’t permanent.
She looked up at him, eyes close to sleep, lazily rubbing her back.
“How long this time?” she asked quietly.
“I have to return in four days” he whispered, hand stilling to pull her closer to his chest, “But if you’re still in Derdriu I can return in a week. And then, if no clan declares a blood feud or something, I can spend three weeks of Great Tree Moon with you. I promise.” He looked down at her, eyes full of emotion, “I will return to you”.
Byleth smiled, closing her eyes.
“I know you will”