[ Now, that...wasn't the reaction he had been expecting. If anything, he'd been expecting her to run away from him, not towards him. If anything, he had been expecting her to push him away, not grab his hand (a gesture so unexpected that he almost shies away from her touch) and lead him away from the carnage behind them. If anything, he'd been expecting her to scream at him about how he's nothing more than a brute, about how the rumors that all people from Duscur were violent and bloodthirsty were true, but...she doesn't.
Sure, she's screaming at him, but it's to chide him for his recklessness in rushing headfirst into battle against an unknown number of opponents, all because she was concerned for his well-being. All because she was, dare he say it, worried about him. It's all so foreign to him, so peculiar, that Dedue can't bring himself to say anything in response as she rightfully lashes out at him. The only other person who's shown him this kind of compassion before was His Majesty; most of the others in Fódlan regarded him warily and would not even dare to approach him unless absolutely necessary.
What's more is that...she even called him her friend. Though it's only been a few years since the massacre of his people, it feels like an eternity since someone last said that word to him. His Majesty had once spoken folly that he had brought him to the academy with him as a friend and not a vassal, but...he couldn't possibly rise above his station and presume to think of the crown prince as an equal with him. But Lana? While she wasn't of royalty, she was still nobility, and he couldn't dare to think that a commoner like him -- or worse, a traitor from Duscur -- could be friends with her.
So, while the thought of someone considering him as a friend makes him feel happy, his heart aches because he knows that it's nothing more than a pipe dream right now. (But perhaps in an ideal world, one where nobles and commoners could be equal, one where those from Fódlan and those from other nations could coexist, one where there was no longer any stigma towards people from Duscur, he would be able to return those words to her. He would be able to call her friend.)
As she draws them to a stop and turns to look at him, he feels a twinge of guilt within his chest at her tear-streaked face. If he had known that she would shed tears for him, then...he would have been more mindful than to charge blindly into danger. The fact that he had worried her so much makes him feel worse than having her waste her healing magic on him yet again, but he sits down as instructed. But before he begins to show her his injuries, he can't help but say one thing she well deserves to hear: ]
...My apologies for frightening you, Lana. That was...rather foolish of me.
[ At least he'll admit that much. However, it's not going to be that simple, unfortunately. ]
...But you need not concern yourself with someone like me. [ There's an undertone of I'm not worthy of it in his words. He doesn't have much else to live for aside from protecting His Majesty, and he would happily give his life if it meant that the prince could live on. But Dedue knows that if something were to happen to him, then no one would care; they wouldn't even bat an eye. His death would be well-deserved, they'd probably say.
He doesn't have any family or friends anymore who would weep for him; he doesn't even have a home that he can return to. At the very least, Lana still has both of those things, so if he can protect her even at the cost of his own life, then he'd do it without hesitation. That's all he can do with his meager existence to repay the one who would deign to show him such kindness and treat him like an equal. ] And...once we approach Remire, it would be in your best interest to go on ahead. [ ... ] It would not reflect well on you if you were seen associating with a person from Duscur.
[ Especially since they're not even in the same House. Unlike those from the Blue Lions, Lana has no reason to hang around him. ]
guess you could say... we're 1273, down to rockefeller street of angst
Sure, she's screaming at him, but it's to chide him for his recklessness in rushing headfirst into battle against an unknown number of opponents, all because she was concerned for his well-being. All because she was, dare he say it, worried about him. It's all so foreign to him, so peculiar, that Dedue can't bring himself to say anything in response as she rightfully lashes out at him. The only other person who's shown him this kind of compassion before was His Majesty; most of the others in Fódlan regarded him warily and would not even dare to approach him unless absolutely necessary.
What's more is that...she even called him her friend. Though it's only been a few years since the massacre of his people, it feels like an eternity since someone last said that word to him. His Majesty had once spoken folly that he had brought him to the academy with him as a friend and not a vassal, but...he couldn't possibly rise above his station and presume to think of the crown prince as an equal with him. But Lana? While she wasn't of royalty, she was still nobility, and he couldn't dare to think that a commoner like him -- or worse, a traitor from Duscur -- could be friends with her.
So, while the thought of someone considering him as a friend makes him feel happy, his heart aches because he knows that it's nothing more than a pipe dream right now. (But perhaps in an ideal world, one where nobles and commoners could be equal, one where those from Fódlan and those from other nations could coexist, one where there was no longer any stigma towards people from Duscur, he would be able to return those words to her. He would be able to call her friend.)
As she draws them to a stop and turns to look at him, he feels a twinge of guilt within his chest at her tear-streaked face. If he had known that she would shed tears for him, then...he would have been more mindful than to charge blindly into danger. The fact that he had worried her so much makes him feel worse than having her waste her healing magic on him yet again, but he sits down as instructed. But before he begins to show her his injuries, he can't help but say one thing she well deserves to hear: ]
...My apologies for frightening you, Lana. That was...rather foolish of me.
[ At least he'll admit that much. However, it's not going to be that simple, unfortunately. ]
...But you need not concern yourself with someone like me. [ There's an undertone of I'm not worthy of it in his words. He doesn't have much else to live for aside from protecting His Majesty, and he would happily give his life if it meant that the prince could live on. But Dedue knows that if something were to happen to him, then no one would care; they wouldn't even bat an eye. His death would be well-deserved, they'd probably say.
He doesn't have any family or friends anymore who would weep for him; he doesn't even have a home that he can return to. At the very least, Lana still has both of those things, so if he can protect her even at the cost of his own life, then he'd do it without hesitation. That's all he can do with his meager existence to repay the one who would deign to show him such kindness and treat him like an equal. ] And...once we approach Remire, it would be in your best interest to go on ahead. [ ... ] It would not reflect well on you if you were seen associating with a person from Duscur.
[ Especially since they're not even in the same House. Unlike those from the Blue Lions, Lana has no reason to hang around him. ]