We love you, Mrs Underwood, more than Sharks love blood!

'I love that woman. I love her more than sharks love blood!' 

- a chilling, cold, some might call creepy way in which Francis (Frank) Underwood describes his feelings about his wife, Claire. 

Claire - the icy bitch from House Of Cards. 

I simply love Claire and Frank for the sheer unassuming ease between them. 

Having completed 2 seasons on binge-watching, I am now at a point where I have begin to feel that Frank and Claire symbolize what defines a near-perfect marriage of sorts.** 
**Not to say that this is the only way a marriage should be - but sure as hell it makes a very intruiging couple. 

Claire and Frank symbolize partnership with complex power dynamics. Both are accomplished individuals in their own might. However none could have made it without support from the other. Both have their own interests and agenda and are mindful of those. They compromise on their own interests only when it makes absolute sense to both - there are no emotions involved other than a sense of absolute committment to each other. They both know that each have their own secrets and desires and yet offer unwavering support while fully acknowledging that there is a unknown side to the other person. 

All of this may sound like 'Yeah... big deal... thats just garden-variety'. No... there is a lot more to it. I will try to describe but not sure how good I will be able to. Anyways... here are my two cents: 

First off - lets look at why claire married Frank. She gives an insight while doing one of the creepiest things she has done so far (watch it to find out :) ) to dying former bodyguard of Frank: 
“You know what Francis said to me when he proposed? I remember his exact words. He said, ‘Claire if all you want is happiness, say no. I’m not going to give you a couple of kids and count the days until retirement. I promise you freedom from that. I promise you you’ll never be bored.’". 

An indeed - their marriage is way past the meet-cute thing which goes in some. It is miles away from 'routine'. It much more. It is about a connection that is way deeper. 

Frank values his relationship with Claire too much - Claire is shown as a cold, calculating woman who complements Frank completely. Frank is a power-hungry monger who is out to take revenge for he believes he was cheated. Frank manipulates people, lies, cheats, forges partnerships, pretends to offer supporting shoulder to colleagues - all in the name of achieving his goal. Claire, on the other hand, runs a not-for-profit and is hungry for power too while maintaining her identity. She helps Frank everywhere and in return gets the same support from him. Together they do a tad-fine job of integrating their desires and wants within their marriage. While there is a sense of identity, partnership and respect for each other, there is also a dark side of unpredictability. They both are mindful of that and show respect for each others dark-side as well. 

At the onset of 1st episode of Season-1, Frank encounters a major setback and is angry and furious at himself. He spends the whole day in solitude while Claire keeps trying to contact him (knowing that it promised as a big day for him). When he returns back home, Claire remarks 'We have never avoided each other, Francis! And we cannot avoid each other - not when it is this big!!'. 

Frank apologises to her and promises that he will fix the situation. Claire's response to this caught me by surprise. She says 'If we avoid each other then we are in free-fall' and lastly 'My husband apologises to no one - not even me!'.  

There are two things at play: 
1. 'We have never avoided each other' is not the same as 'We tell each other everything' - there is no burden on either. However since she and Frank are integrated right at the core, his setback also is a setback for her, both personally and professionally. 

2. Her other statement about Frank should not apologize affirms her strength and belief in him and that she would not let Frank feel sorry for the setback and not allow failure as an option. That is Claire being tough! 

They have depicted Claire's dark side (of sorts) and the way the whole situation plays out is quite chilling too. In one instance Claire helps Frank massively while compromising her work. When she asks for his help and Frank declines and instead still presses her to help some more and she gets furious. She doesn't even frown and instead plans for a revenge. She goes all out to sabotage a bill that Frank is lobbying hard to get passed in the Congress - while making it appear that she is doing what Frank has asked her to do. That is cold and calculated. 

Post this act, she disappears from the scene and goes to her former lover for few days. She finds comfort with her lover and avoids Frank - doesn't take his calls and neither respond to his messages. She willfully goes against her stand of 'We never avoid each other'. However it doesnt take her long to realize that she values Frank much more than anyone. She returns back when she senses that he needs her in handling a crisis. 

The deep-rooted understanding, acceptance and fondness for each other is emphasized when they resume their normal lives without any misgivings at all - it is just shown as a simple well-mannered acceptance. 

In one of the initial episodes, Claire returns home from her former lover's hotel room and tells Frank they just had dinner together. Frank's response is just a silent acknowledgement and not a wild-rage as anyone would expect. 

Claire remarks 'He is staying at the Mandarin' and Frank goes 'And you?'. 
She smiles and says 'Of course here!' and leans on his shoulder. 

This exchange shows that Frank has always known about her lover and is open to the idea that the affair might still be on! Neither Frank nor Claire are apologetic of their desires. Instead they are fully aware and accept each other. This may be partly due to mutual fondness and also probably for the fact that the desires are not conflicting to their goals. 

During one of the episodes in second season, someone leaks a story to the press about Claire's affair along with some pictures. The Underwoods are furious and since there is too much at stake for them, they make Claire's lover toe the line. When he protests and shows refusal to cooperate, she openly threatens to 'bury him' if he doesn't comply. Frank emphasizes the point further by saying 'Do not mistake the history you have shared (with Claire) for the slightest understanding of what our marriage is, or how insignificant you are in comparison.'. 

After sorting it out with her former lover, they then plan a revenge against the guy who orchestrated the leak. Frank tells his henchman "I want him obliterated," and Claire chips in saying "More than that. Let's make him suffer!" Frank gets turned on by this and remarks to the audience "I don't know whether to be proud or terrified. Perhaps both!". Their successful marriage is not based on pride and/or terror - it goes more than that.  

At a point in Season-1, Frank begins an affair with a journalist - with clear intent of controlling her. He and Claire have a short conversation on it and Frank concludes by saying 'Whenever you want me to end it'. And Claire responds 'I know, Francis'. The mutual understanding and freedom to indulge is explicit all the while acknowledging that the priority will never shift from each other.

In House of Cards, they have not yet shown any intimate moments between Frank and Claire. The only shade of intimacy is a shared nightly-cigarette where they talk about things ahead.

Indeed, for most of the people, it's difficult to understand what their marriage is! I am simply in awe of the sort of chemistry shown between Frank and Claire and obviously her's is a much complex character than Frank.  

I will just end this post by saying this: 

We love you, Mrs Underwood, more than Sharks love blood!