I wish. [ Is that a note of wistfulness in his tone? It’s hard to tell, and he’s back to chuckling a moment later anyway, brushing any of that away. ]

There were some students at the Academy that I considered very much off limits and Claude was certainly one of them. He ever tell you he’s basically a prince? Or he would be, if the Alliance did things like rulers instead of governing by a council. His House heads it, though, and he’s the heir.

…Of course there was never any harm in flirting. And here… well. Politics and old traditions don’t really apply here anyway.