Fire Emblem One-Shot Collection

A Fair Warning | FE: Three Houses

Prompt:

Evie is fed up being cast aside for someone else. She decides to confront Claude about his relationship with her naive best friend.

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The idea of making new friends was something Evie was trying her best to get used to. Ever since their arrival to the monastery, the auburn-haired girl thought it best to not get close to anyone in case they had to leave Garreg Mach one day. She had learned that her heart would be spared if she had no attachments to this place. It was the only way to prepare for the inevitable, something that her father once said after they had to suddenly leave their life behind a few years ago. Garreg Mach wouldn't be an exception to that rule.

However, it seemed as though a certain someone had forgotten that creed. Evie had begun to notice how her best friend, Wanda, spent her time with the Golden Deer house leader. Short conversations turned into casual meetings, which then turned into occasional outings together. There were even some instances where she would be late to her weekly tea parties with Evie. The excuse always involved the same culprit behind her tardiness.

"I'm so sorry, Evie! I was speaking with Claude and lost track of time!"

"I was helping Claude put away the gear from the Training Grounds."

"Claude sprained his ankle and needed help getting back to his dorm. I couldn't let him go by himself!"

Wanda was too kind for her own good, which worried Evie greatly. She wasn't blind either; she could see the softness in her eyes by the mere mention of Claude's name. If the nurse wanted to make friends of her own, fine, but the idea of her being friends with that schemer troubled her. He must have some kind of ulterior motive for befriending Wanda so quickly. After all, it was in the nature of a schemer such as him.

That's why Evie took matters into her own hands one day. The auburn-haired girl was on her way to the Dining Hall when she spotted the brunet male outside of the Golden Deer Classroom speaking with two of his fellow students. Seeing that infuriating sly smile on his face irritated her, but she swallowed her pride and mustered up the courage to go speak with him. The students had left by the time she reached him.

Evie purposefully cleared her throat to catch his attention. Claude turned around, only for his eyes to widen in surprise. Of course, the disgruntled look on her face was nothing new. It was as if the mere sight of him annoyed her. He knew that all too well, and he sometimes used it to his advantage as a way to get a rise out of her.

"Oh, Evie. What a surprise." His trademark smile reappeared on his face. "How can I help you?"

"You and I need to have a little chat," she spoke stiffly.

This certainly caught his attention. "Really? Why is that?"

"I figured it was time to be... familiar with one another." Evie crossed her arms over her chest. "Is it wrong of me to wish to know the person that has my best friend so infatuated?"

"Ah, so you couldn't resist finding out more about your rival, eh?" He winked playfully. "Alright then, I'd be more than happy to comply."

Evie was quick to glare at him. He must be quite arrogant to consider himself her rival when it involved Wanda. She opened her mouth to reply with a sarcastic comeback, but quickly stopped herself. He wasn't worth getting riled up in this manner. She should've known by now that he always said something like that to get her to burst.

"I just don't understand what she sees in you," Evie bluntly revealed, shaking her head slightly. "She's a kind person by nature, but Wanda never warms up to someone this quickly. I can't help but be somewhat suspicious of you."

"Believe it or not, Evie, it is possible for people to form friendships if they get along right off the bat." Claude shrugged nonchalantly. "I honestly don't see what the big deal is."

"The big deal, Claude, is that I don't believe your feelings toward her are as genuine as her feelings for you are," she retorted bitterly. "Everyone with eyes can see that she really likes you. Surely someone as intelligent as you had caught on by now."

"Well, you're not wrong about me catching on." He tapped his chin with a teasing smile on his face. "But... Heh, nevermind."

Evie's hands balled up into fists, ready to collide them with his jaw, but she managed to hold back. Punching a noble would be a one-way ticket to prison, even if he deserved it. Plus, there were too many witnesses. A staff member assaulting a student would cause quite a scandal for the Officers Academy. Claude also noticed the way Evie's hands were trembling and the way she was shooting him a deadly glare. He couldn't help but be a little bit impressed with her self-control.

Well, more like he was glad she had some self-control. He'd seen the way she subdued the bandit that got caught sneaking into the monastery. No way would he ever want to be on that end of the stick.

"Relax, I'm kidding." Claude held his hands up defensively. "No need to go out of your way to commit a crime."

"This isn't a joke, Claude. Wanda means the world to me and I'll be damned if I let you do to her as you please," Evie stated sternly. "Lorenz warned me about you. If you break her heart, I will break your neck. Do you understand?"

"Yeesh, isn't that a little too extreme?" He shook his head. "Why are you so overprotective of-- Oh, I think I see now."

Evie didn't like the way he said that. "What are you on about?"

"Are you secretly in love with Wanda? Am I a threat to your pursuit of her? Does that make us romantic rivals vying for the oh so tender love of our dear maiden Wanda Egerton?" Claude teased continuously, making Evie's face burn scarlet from the fluster she felt.

Goddess, give me the strength to not absolutely pummel this foolish man...

"Y-You're so annoying!" Evie shrieked. "T-Think what you will, but I still stand by my warning to you. I suggest you take it seriously for your own sake. Good day, Claude von Riegan."

With that, Evie turned on her heel and made her way to the Dining Hall. The students passing by gave her a weird look seeing how red her face was. Meanwhile, Claude leaned back against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. The sly smile Evie despised so much remained on his lips.

"She didn't deny it." He chuckled to himself. "Although, I really don't want to end up like one of those hacked training dummies she leaves behind after her training. Hmm..."