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Fight! Fight! Pillow fight!
[For someone so fixated on the concept of fairness, Somnus was never known for observing formalities. The Oracle has retired after a trying day, a servant tells him, and must be allowed her rest. He brushes the night guard aside with the snap of his wrist, and it's a matter of seconds before he's striding across the chamber to where Aera slumbers. That she looks so peaceful where she lies doesn't deter him in the slightest.
His brother might scold him for his brusqueness, if he were here. He isn't.]
Oracle—
His brother might scold him for his brusqueness, if he were here. He isn't.]
Oracle—
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But she'd gone for Somnus's sake, not just because it's her duty, but because he's been a close companion for many, many years.
She knows he doesn't like her answer, but it'll have to do for now. She's got questions of her own, after all. ]
Even still... and you'd hardly be a tyrant, Somnus. Give yourself a bit more credit. [ She still doesn't enjoy the whole burning people thing, still doesn't agree with it. But it's done and over with now.
She sighs. ]
On one hand, it would work to your advantage, I would imagine. The people would feel more secure knowing that their King and Oracle were truly united as one, and what those silly old men said was true: it would solidify your reign, indeed.
[ Because who would dare rise up against a man who had the Oracle's full support? Not many. ]
Let us be frank; at some point, we are both going to need to get married, whether it is to each other or to different people. At least we already know one another and get along well enough, which is certainly another advantage.
[ ...Probably. It's probably an advantage, childhood arguments aside. ]
The thought of marrying you does not upset me in any way, but how do you feel about it? I suppose what I am trying to convene is that I wish for you to have options. You should not be forced into something that you don't want.
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Inappropriate is what he is, though this is far from being the first or most inappropriate thing he's ever done. Perhaps what's worse is how he doesn't entirely mind the proposal. ]
They cannot force me into a decision. They advise, and I deliberate.
[ In choosing his battles, he yields where his energy would be otherwise wasted. It's different from being forced. Besides, what he wants in the end is a safe and unified kingdom, which this proposal would serve. ]
If this arrangement does not upset you, let us wed.
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Even now, with the council hot on their heels for a wedding, she knows that he wouldn't force her to do this if she truly despised the idea, and she appreciates that. ]
I am glad to hear that. I sometimes worry that you will let them push you around.
[ Which is probably another good thing that can and will come out of this: she's going to be keeping a keen eye on these council members of his. The last thing she wants is for Somnus to ever be backed into any kind of corner.
But they've been through a lot together. They'd both had to participate in making the decision to go with the Gods and exile Ardyn, after all. She remembers that day in the crystal chamber very well, relaying to Somnus what the Gods had spoken to her. How they'd sat in those flowers for hours, quietly coming up with a plan on how things would work out. ]
It does not upset me in the slightest. If you wish to wed, so long as it is your decision and not anyone else's, then I agree. I trust your judgment, and you should already know there is nothing that I would not do for you.
[ At least, she hopes that helping him send his own flesh and blood to an eternity of imprisonment conveyed that message well enough. ]
Where you go, I will always follow, Somnus. Not just as your Oracle, but as someone who cares about you and truly believes in you.
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Aera doesn't need to hear that from him. Though, knowing her, she already suspects half of what he's been thinking.
They've come this far. Somnus has no intention of letting a ring of politicians push him around for personal gain. None of this is about one or ten or even a hundred people. Not even thousands. What he and Aera do now, they do for millions down the road and Eos itself. He wonders how great the hurt in Aera's heart is for it. ]
The council will be notified in the next meeting.
[ They only have each other now. There's no longer a brother or a lover. It's just them, and they don't have the luxury of stopping once everything gets to be too much. It can't just be her following him around. ]
If you decide that the union will do more harm than good, I will reject their proposal.
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At the very least, they've got one another. Partners in crime, so to speak. Perhaps this suggestion of marriage isn't such a bad one, after all. No one else could ever understand what they've been through and what they will continue to go through, anyways. ]
Very well, dear Somnus.
[ Even now, he's still giving her a chance to back out. He's letting her decide whether or not this happens, and she appreciates that more than he will ever know. But he's also asking her honest opinion on this -- after all, this isn't just about them and what they want. This is about the well being of their entire world.
She takes a step forward, reaching up to lightly place her hands against his cheeks. ]
It will hardly do any harm. There's nothing but benefits for everyone all around, I promise you. I think that this will be a very good thing in the long run.
[ Besides, they know one another well enough to know how the other works, for the most part. They've lived together nearly their entire lives, they know each other's quirks. Their personalities are vastly different, it's true, but that will end up making for a very good balance, she thinks.
Lightly, she pats one of his cheeks, before she drops her hands again. ]
It would be an honor to marry you, Somnus.
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What honor is there in a union with someone like him, Somnus wonders. He looks down at the hand that laid on his cheek seconds earlier. Aera's promises bear a great deal of weight, far more than those of anyone else he's ever known. At least the kingdom will gain some stability from this—this much, he can foresee.
Clearly, the lack of divine intervention means the gods aren't opposed to the idea, either. That belated realization more or less seals the deal as Somnus takes Aera's hand into his. Her hand is soft in his comparatively leathery palm, though that's not to say that she hasn't been through her fair share of hardships. He nods, then releases her hand and wordlessly makes his way down the open corridor.
That's all he needed to hear. This meeting has officially adjourned. ]
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Two bloodlines, both cursed and blessed by the Gods, coming together -- it was already meant to be, considering whom she was previously engaged to. But this makes sense, too, she thinks.
Somnus has always been a quiet man, and she knows he's going to depart momentarily. When he takes her hand, she merely smiles at him and gives his larger one a gentle, reassuring squeeze, as if to wordlessly remind him that everything is going to be fine, that they are going to make sure that everything works out the way it is meant to.
She nods back at him, and then he's gone. She stands there, watching him until he disappears from her line of sight, before she makes way to her own quarters.
It's weeks later when she sees him again -- mere hours after that meeting, a surge of the scourge pops up in the East and she's called to assuage the people's fears. While she's there, however, the Gods have delivered some pretty hefty news. News that's spread over Lucis like a wildfire before she can even stop it or try and get in an explanation of her own:
The voice of the Gods has been healing those afflicted with the scourge, taking the place of the healer, Ardyn. A true miracle, it's been called, that the Gods have come to bless her with this power. It's at least doing more than her words to help the people, indeed.
These newfound powers are something that she's unused to, though, and they've already taken a toll on her. There are so many people afflicted by the plague that she can't physically keep up, and the weight that Ardyn bore hits her like a ton of bricks. Even he, a seasoned healer, was having a hard time keeping up. Of course, he was taking the disease into himself, something that the Gods have assured her was not something she'd be doing.
When she returns home, she's greeted by cheers and clapping and bouquets of flowers from those outside the castle, to which she is happy to wave and smile and thank as many people as she can before she is finally escorted inside, where she can allow her shoulders to sag and all of her gifted flora can be handed off to her attendants who buzz around her, doing their best to help relieve her of at least some of her items.
She's grateful for that help, because she's got to make her way to the throne room to give her report to Somnus, and also formally announce to him the word of the Gods, all of that fun stuff. Assuming he's living in a bubble and hasn't heard the rumors, of course. And as soon as she makes her way tiredly into the aforementioned throne room, she stands at the foot of those stairs as always and allows herself a formal bow, as always, to her king.
She straightens, and when she does, she fixes her gaze on Somnus. Or rather, she tries to; he's a little bit blurry. Sleep sounds good right about now. ]
I've news from the heavens, my King. If you've time to listen.
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The day she appears before him below the steps, he searches her with a suspicious eye for signs of something sinister beneath that heavenly visage. Paranoia, perhaps. Even from here, he can spy her weariness—and for the time being, weariness is all his human eyes can see.
The sooner she retires from his company, the better. His voice, ever steady and to the point, betrays no emotion. ]
What says the gods?