It isn't as though Aera hates Somnus. She's a spitfire when she wants to be, it's true, but she has no hate in her heart for anyone, even him. But she is angry, and hate and dislike are vastly different things. She hasn't liked Somnus for many years, and she knows that the feeling must be mutual, the last few conversations they'd had were so forced and harsh. Even when he'd burst into the chamber during the middle of the ceremony, he'd been distant and she had been, too.

He's right about one thing, though: she'll have some sort of revenge on him. It's not the same, of course, as what Ardyn would surely want to do with him. She doesn't want to really harm Somnus, or kill him or anything of the sort —— it is not in her nature. At one point, she'd looked so forward to being family with this man; she'd always enjoyed their gentle, amusing bickering when they were younger, and he always regaled her with tales of his feats on the battlefield that kept her on the edge of her seat for hours.

They could have been good friends, they could have worked hand in hand to find a far less harsh way to combat the Starscourge. They could have, should have been able to work together with Ardyn to make sure that things didn't get out of hand. But that wasn't meant to be, despite the answer she'd been given from Bahamut.

She almost feels guilty at how amused she feels at the mere fact that she knows her presence must be a little unsettling, if not intimidating. Not because she's some sort of hideous creature or someone who could easily take him down, but because of how things ended rather abruptly between them. And of course, her beloved Ardyn.

It's that amusement that has her tugging on his arm, urging him to walk with her. And of course he would bring her death up. Of course he would. "Well, that makes two of us. If I close my eyes, I swear to the Six that I can still feel your blade on my back... it feels like it was just mere hours ago that you thought it would be a good idea to turn on Ardyn."

That's not nice, and she knows it. But he started it by bringing up the fact that she's dead, and she can't help it. "It must bother you that I am here. You must have been very happy to be able to get rid of someone who would oppose you and stand in your way... but we can talk more about this later. Surely this is not the distraction that you were so desperately seeking. Hm, let's see... let us speak of happier times, shall we? Oh, I know! Your sixteenth birthday party, when our families came together to celebrate your coming of age."

It's a real shame that there's such drama between them, honestly. She thinks that they could have all been a very happy little family. She thinks that Ardyn would have been an amazing dad and Somnus would have been the uncle that all of their children would have loved to go running to to hear all of the stories he'd be coming home with and ask him if he brought them gifts from his travels. These are all the things she'd dreamed up in her head, this was what their future was supposed to be like.

But fate and a throne, a chair, and jealousy got in the way of that and that dream crumbled around her in one act of finality when she hit the ground, dying. There would be no happy future, at least not for her, no children or family, but even then she'd hoped that Ardyn would at least get that. Even Somnus, for that matter.

"No. What it makes me want to do is stop and slap you, really." Truth be told, though, it has helped just a little. Being angry at him and annoyed is a welcomed distraction from the whispers and voices around them. "But I don't need to do that. Because I know when the two of us are through here, we will inevitably do what we have to to stay away from each other, yes? Tell me, is it you who sits the throne, or my beloved? Because if it is you, I will not call you Majesty. Despite what you or anyone else may think, you are no King, and are most certainly not mine."

If he really wanted that, he would have kept the conversation to his sixteenth birthday as she suggested. But of course he wouldn't do that, why would he? She hates feeling like this, she doesn't feel like herself by feeling like this. But that stupid smile of his is infuriating, and the fact that she had even a slight hand in this... it hurts.

"Ardyn could never be a monster. And he was never afraid of people disliking him, he was afraid of not being able to help enough people. He always put himself before others, a lesson that YOU never learned. You always took the easy way out, which caused more pain and suffering in the long run. Burning people alive... you say Ardyn is a monster? The only monster capable of being so heartless stands before me right now."

Aera has to bite her tongue to keep herself from snapping back at him immediately. He's let her talk, and she won't bring herself to cut him off, especially since they've now taken to rubbing one another's face into the dirt, so to speak, but it's hard. Especially when right now they should be paying more attention and trying to keep the situation outside of their personal issues from getting out of hand.

"Ardyn is chosen, it has been ordained by Bahamut. You stole the throne because you are jealous and petty... and yet, I cannot even bring myself to be completely angry at you, because this is also my fault. I made the mistake of trusting you, I truly believed that you would finally accept defeat. And because of my mistake... your brother paid the price. What did you do to him?"

He dislodges their arms, though, and she grits her teeth. This isn't going to do, and she is not letting him walk away from her. She's hot on his heels when he decides to just storm off, her voice growing just a little louder to make up for the slight distance.

"Somnus Lucis Caelum, your brother was to sit the throne, not you. You were the Gods second choice at best! You have some nerve... you've always been jealous of Ardyn. Why? What did he ever do to you? I deserved what I got. I deserved to die for what I did, but he did nothing wrong!"

He'll have to forgive her if she's a little upset. She's pretty sure she has every reason to be mad at Somnus right now, considering how used she feels at the moment. Used, and very, very upset. Not just at him, but at herself, for allowing herself to fall into his stupid little plan so easily, for allowing him to snatch away the throne from Ardyn and throw everything into chaos.

He hasn't answered her question yet, either, on what Ardyn's fate ended up being after everything went black and silent on her end. That makes her a little nervous because she knows how Somnus is, and he is very good at dodging and avoiding the subjects that either do not interest him or he knows will get him no where fast.

"Of course you don't. Of course you would not wish to speak to someone whom dares challenge you," she snaps back at him easily. "You do not deserve to be listened to! And yet..." And yet, she played a major role in all of this, unwillingly, and she needs to own up to that. She knows that, despite how angry and frustrated she is right now. It was because of her that Somnus was given some kind of opening to go after his brother in such a way, after all... that thought repulses her. She was her beloved's undoing, and it's something she's going to have to live with and deal with.

She catches up to him and grabs his hand, tugging at him briefly to get him to stop, or at least slow down a little bit.

"Wait a moment, Somnus... wait. Stop. Please," she starts, reigning in her temper for the moment. This is not the place, nor the time. She can yell at him and argue with him later, but right now is not a good time, considering the circumstances and their surroundings. "I do want to yell at you. More than anything, really, but I am beginning to realize that is a very bad idea right now."

Letting his hand go, she gestures at their surroundings. "I have no conclusions other than the fact that I was a fool to trust you at home. But right now, we are not at home... we are here. And whether we like it or not, we are together. If we wish to continue on forward, then we need to work together. I will say this now, though... while I no longer trust you, I wish no harm to come to you. I wish nothing but love and light for you here in whatever world we currently find ourselves in, because at home I can assure you that, King or not, you will find that life will not be quite that idealistic."

It's not a threat aimed at him, either. It's a fact; being a king isn't an easy task, and especially in the troubled times that they face at home. She knows that there is a prophecy, though she's unsure of how exactly that's going to play out now, not that it particularly matters while they are here. Kings need to be steadfast and true, and put their people in front of themselves, it is not just a pretty throne and a title and a crown... she hopes that he realizes that, too. She hopes that he realizes just why she's so upset and angry and frustrated. But mostly, she hopes that they can just find a way to co-exist peacefully here.

She does not care if he is tired of it or not. She's got a whole lot of things she really wants to unload on him right now, and part of her would very much enjoy reaching up and smacking him for pulling the stunt that he had. But that rage, that anger isn't good for anyone, nor the situation that they're currently in. And it is that thought alone that has her stopping in her steps and allowing him to proceed forward.

She can't change what happened, she can't change the way she feels about Somnus now. But she can try to be better from what had happened, because carrying that anger, that grief here isn't going to help her in the big scheme of things.

What he says is true, though. He will pay for his sins, just as they all do in some way, shape, or form, but she's got a terrible feeling. Not about his fate, but about those who will come after Somnus. They will be the true victims of all of this nonsense, she's afraid, though she very much hopes she is wrong.

She doesn't bother to walk after him, and she's hardly listening anymore. Except for that last bit. Anything else...? Her shoulders slump slightly as she considers. She can't say this unless she actually means it, otherwise it would be absolutely pointless. Which is why she sucks in a quick breath before she blurts it out:

"I forgive you."

She can see his sudden shift in personality as her words hit him like a cinder block to the face. That's not what she'd anticipated or even wanted. Somnus tends to hear only what he wants to hear, he puts his ego ahead of most everything as far as she can recall, but he's stopped dead in his tracks and he's on his way back to her.

This was not at all what she'd had in mind when telling him that she forgave him. It was more for her own benefit, to let go of something that happened so that she could move on. But here he comes back, and quickly, too.

Aera stares up at him, taking in his expression.

"But I do, and I have. You did not kill me, I killed myself. I was happy to be able to do that for Ardyn. It was your blade, but the decision was mine and mine alone. Just as it is my decision to forgive you."

His words are annoying, and it's a fight to keep that from showing on her face because it's not a lie and it's something she already knows. It was her decision and she can own that, but it's the way he says it that really irks her. He has no idea what it is like to love or be loved, and in a way that's... actually really sad.

"It was not a foolish decision. It was a decision made out of love, and one that I would willingly make again and again if it meant saving the love of my life. Though, had the tables been turned and Ardyn's blade had been aimed at you, I would have done the same for you as well. The love I felt for you may have been different than what I feel for Ardyn, but it was still there."

She looks off to the side, because she does still love this man like the brother she'd never gotten to have. They'd made wonderful memories together growing up, and she can recall so many times that he'd made her laugh or smile, playing out in fields of flowers and even a few times that he'd tolerated her teaching him how to do something silly like make a flower crown or how to identify different subspecies of flowers.

"My life meant nothing, and it still means nothing. A life without Ardyn would not have been a life worth living. Killing him would have killed me as well in one way or another. He was my everything..." her voice cracks, and she reaches up to quickly wipe at her eyes as they begin to fill with tears.

"I don't care what you did to me. Killing me was a mercy, compared to living without Ardyn. I just... will never understand your motives. But you never answered my question, Somnus. What did you do to Ardyn? Did you kill him?"

And this is why the Gods deemed her worthy enough to be Oracle. It is why they deemed Ardyn a worthy king, because Ardyn would have done the same for her, she's sure of it. It's what people do when they care so much for someone that seeing them get hurt is unbearable.

What's really sad, is seeing all of that go over Somnus's head. She's not entirely surprised, but it's still a sad situation all around. It's unfortunate that he doesn't understand, that he can't understand, and she truly does hope that will change some day. That he will marry and have children and love them above his own selfish needs.

Her expression tightens again, however, at his admission, and she shakes her head.

"That's not true. Ardyn could never be a monster... but Somnus, do you not realize what you have done?" She looks up at him again, reaching up to lightly take hold of is cheeks in her hands. "You have doomed your entire bloodline..."

She isn't trying to win at this point, because there's nothing TO be won from this. Everything has been completely flipped upside down both at home and here, and he's already blowing her mind with all of this information he's feeding her.

Her hands drop from his face, and she shakes her head and turns away from him, clearly upset and hurt at the very accusation that Ardyn could do something so heinous. Granted, she'd been in the throne room when their fight began, it was the first she'd ever seen Ardyn draw his weapon and... well, Somnus came at him first. She can only imagine that her death threw him over the edge.

"That cannot be... Ardyn was not meant to be a monster, he was meant to be a savior. The crystal rejected him? But Bahamut himself informed me that Ardyn was chosen. I do not understand... I do not understand any of this. Ardyn was meant to purge the scourge from our star... if that has changed... then a new Savior will need to be sought."

Which is what gets her to turn around, a look of deep sadness written all over her face.

"Somnus, do you not understand? The Gods will need to bestow a new Savior. What happens next... I know not, but it cannot be good. And who knows how long that will take?"

Aera would very much like to know what Bahamut was thinking in general. Her faith in the Gods had been pure and straight, through and through. It still is... but the disappointment, the slight betrayal she feels shows on her face. Not in Somnus, she's already made that apparent. But in the Astrals themselves. She just can't understand why this happened, but she'll spare Somnus from her verbal anguish and repetitive questions.

Mostly.

"But that was my job, Somnus... did they really distrust me so? Did I not do everything they asked of me? Ardyn as well. Did we not do their bidding just as foretold?" Her head shakes again, and she buries her face into her hands to hide the oncoming tears. This can't be right, NONE of this is right and she just... doesn't understand any of this. At all.

She wants to snap at Somnus again when he continues, she wants to grab him by the shoulders and shake him until he understands just what he's done. But he's too thick, his ego is far too precious and he just isn't getting it.

"...You are not the chosen, Somnus. You cannot get rid of the Scourge alone," She breathes through her fingers, her entire body slumping slightly in her despair. "Someone else will need to be chosen. Do you know what that entails? The suffering that will need to happen? To a member of your own family?"

Dropping her hands, she looks back over to the young king, no longer embarrassed or upset to show her distress, tears openly falling down her cheeks. "Ours are cursed bloodlines, Somnus. I will pray for the future kings and oracles to come, because the darkness is coming and it is going to get worse and worse. Many will die... but what do I know? Absolutely nothing, apparently."

"...."

She wants to snap back at him too, but that will do no good. And honestly? This whole thing is exhausting. She's still not sure if this is real or some sort of hallucination, the Six testing her before she is allowed to cross into the beyond. Or perhaps Ardyn killed Somnus and that is why he is here, too. She's not going to rule anything out at this point, either way.

She blinks when he suddenly wraps her up in a hug, and for a moment she stiffens. Somnus has never been the most affectionate person in the world, and how many years has it been since they have even been in such close proximity?

She is tired. She is tired of fighting, she is tired of Gods and thrones and darkness and daemons and everything in between. She slouches a bit, and lets her head drop onto Somnus's shoulder, her arms coming up to wrap around him finally, too. She can't forgive him for what he did to Ardyn, and yet she can't help but feel some semblance of sympathy for him, too. The path that he has chosen to walk will not be an easy one, nor will it be a life of luxury for his descendants.

"None of this is fair..." Not for Somnus's descendants, and certainly not for Ardyn. "...Why does it have to be our families?"

Whatever is happening here probably won't happen again, honestly. But she's confused and weary and she has no idea what the future holds for either Ardyn or Somnus now. There's such a deep sorrow for what is to come, because she knows whatever it is is not going to be good. She has an absolute terrible feeling about the future, and it is frustrating to know that there is nothing she can do about it. At home, she cannot confront Somnus about it, she cannot flail her arms and yell and demand Ardyn's release and that he relinquish the throne because she is dead. Here, doing those things does absolutely no good.

It is a frustrating position to be in, indeed.

Somnus is a murderer, and she isn't talking about herself. She speaks about all of the people that he's burned alive. Entire villages of people, even if they were merely suspected of having the Scourge, he lit them all aflame and didn't think a single thing of it. And yet she finds herself practically clinging onto him right now, listening to him talk because he is the only thing that seems somewhat normal at this point.

She doesn't bother lifting her head as she speaks, her voice muffled against the poor man's shoulder.


"It isn't right. I am dead, and this is not natural. This is wrong and I do not want to be here. I wish to return to death. Perhaps there is a path left for you to find, but there is none left for me. I do not even want one."