❛ Do you think I am a fool? ❜
𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 / 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐒. // accepting.
“No. I think I was.” Green eyes shine with distrust (a mutual feeling, Claudia is well aware of), but with just as much sorrow and determination. There is nothing inattentive about the mage now, cannot be, not in presence of an enemy; it doesn’t matter that there is no intention to fight from the mage’s part. Claudia readies herself to react to even the smallest change that indicates any danger; the elf is swift, and in close combat she would not stand a chance. She makes no motion to threaten, though. It is standing her ground, truly, no more.
Rayla has every reason and more to doubt her, of course, which is why Claudia allows herself to be so very honest in first reply. She was the fool, crossing lines she should not, could not ever have even considered crossing --- even if believing it had been the right thing to do. She had known Callum and Ezran her entire life, not once had she wished to harm them in any way. The absurd of it! Fondness for them was entirely genuine, never once feigned (but she had a mission, an important one, given to her by one whom she trusted wholeheartedly). Only natural that she would look at their departing with the elf with disbelief, that she would want to bring them back no matter the cost; it was for them to be safer, for the realm to be safer, to keep them away from one Claudia had every reason to believe to be a danger.
The irony of it! Believing to do the best, she could have done just the opposite, delivered them to one who would indeed be a danger to the princes. IIf father told her to choose her mission over her brother, what he has done to Soren is what cements her change of heart. Claudia would never place any quest above her brother, hadn’t done so when it was time to choose --- still could scarcely believe when Soren told her of his secret mission, of order to kill the princes, to kill their own friends.
They were her friends, and they were dear to her, even now, even if they no longer saw her as such. Claudia never sought to harm them, never would.
What reason had Rayla to believe in any word she said, though?
“I care about them. Before I --- we thought what we were doing was for the best, that we had a reason to do it.” A frown; words don’t come easy, least of all to speak to one who won’t believe her regardless. “I thought you were deceiving them when in truth I was the one being led wrong. I never wanted to hurt them.”