[ Dimitri has practiced how to be a prince—the least savory parts of him need to stay buried, or his entire country looks weak. That doesn't make his niceties artificial, far from it, but appearances need to be maintained.
He doesn't doubt that Claude is the same way. Besides the obvious secret of his origin, they must project an image befitting leadership, no matter what thoughts and secrets really lie in the murk of their minds. It's been nice not having to worry about it on the train—they can leave titles and pretenses behind—but even so, he finds himself stiff-shouldered, trying to shut some corner of his mind away at Claude's words.
Can they really trust each other? He wants to, but the darkness of the car points out how dangerous that is. It is a level of vulnerability that even he's unused to. ]
You know I am not really a prince here.
[ But maybe that's what's really frightening about this place. It's not his thoughts as Crown Prince that are being broadcast here, but the very personal pieces of his mind that make up Dimitri, the person.
A thought crosses his mind then, but it doesn't sound like Dimitri's inner voice at all; rather, it's like it's speaking to him. It's a scoff, a reaction to Claude's thoughts. A ghostly whisper.
You? Innocent? ]
...Something about this place unnerves me. We should stay alert. [ Even if most of his trepidation is coming from his connection to Claude. ]
no subject
He doesn't doubt that Claude is the same way. Besides the obvious secret of his origin, they must project an image befitting leadership, no matter what thoughts and secrets really lie in the murk of their minds. It's been nice not having to worry about it on the train—they can leave titles and pretenses behind—but even so, he finds himself stiff-shouldered, trying to shut some corner of his mind away at Claude's words.
Can they really trust each other? He wants to, but the darkness of the car points out how dangerous that is. It is a level of vulnerability that even he's unused to. ]
You know I am not really a prince here.
[ But maybe that's what's really frightening about this place. It's not his thoughts as Crown Prince that are being broadcast here, but the very personal pieces of his mind that make up Dimitri, the person.
A thought crosses his mind then, but it doesn't sound like Dimitri's inner voice at all; rather, it's like it's speaking to him. It's a scoff, a reaction to Claude's thoughts. A ghostly whisper.
You? Innocent? ]
...Something about this place unnerves me. We should stay alert. [ Even if most of his trepidation is coming from his connection to Claude. ]