"Sowing Season" [Kala]

[Pharaoh]

"Just so." Phocion replied with a chuckle that, for him, bordered on boyish. Despite of youthful features, he was rarely regarded as anything approaching childlike.

"I am pleased to know it... And, in that same spirit, allow me to say that it is not lost on me that I am the commander of an order whose primary mission is managing divine figures and it is not in that spirit that I approached you with this. I may be a favourite of the goddess of Sacrifice, but this is not that. I know that marriage is rife with compromise, however I am a willing... even an enthusiastic suitor, I daresay." He'd known his whole life that courtship was coming down the pike at some point. For a time he'd dreaded it, but now he knew himself better and had steeled himself for what would one day be expected of him. That he'd had so long without being prodded toward it, made him get to the point where it was he himself who'd actually brought it to the table, rather than his mother. Or perhaps that was just another of her clandestine contrivances and he'd been manipulated into it, but whatever the case, it felt like it was his impulse. Even if she did have to nudge him a bit to actually pose an invitation and blurt out the words.

He cocked an eyebrow at the offer, and considered for a moment.

"We have passing few records of the Re'hyæan exodus from Sol'Valen. It was a hurried, harried thing, if oral tradition is to be trusted. We... I would be most interested to peruse any chronicles from that age that might shed more light on the origins of our erstwhile religion. Now, more than ever, I feel we are on the cusp of bridging a divide between the ancient and contemporary worlds." He paused and sat back for a moment, before rising to his feet and closing the distance between them, to sit at Kala's side rather than across from her.

"In our new regime, I feel there is much opportunity for evolution. We are ruled by an ancient king, but one who grants a great deal of administrative influence to his very young heir. This nation is so old and this regime so nascent... There is so much to be done." He glanced down, his hands fidgeting on his lap between his knees.

"Do you wonder why it is me and not Raithen? I imagine it's occurred to you that he might have seemed a more... natural suitor. You've spent far more time with him and known the skies together."

[Kala Leukos]

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The young goddess flushed again, albeit more gently this time. An eager suitor was certainly preferable to an unwilling one, if his suit was welcome, and if it was surprising, it was not unwelcome.

"I am not adverse to sacrifice and compromise," she agreed; she too was a diplomat and, in almost all cases, she sought mutually beneficial agreements.

Her face lit up quietly as he expressed his interest.

"Yes, of course. That would be a pleasure to procure. I will find it most interesting as well. Consider it done."

She shifted to accommodate his presence beside her, welcoming without demanding more than he was comfortable giving. While she didn't know him intimately yet, she knew he was as reserved as Raithen was not, and that was also good.

"With your record so far, I wonder if the reason might not make me blush anew." There were countless reasons why either Raithen or Phocion would make a good match for her, depending on countless criteria and preferences. "I find that while our marriage was not something I had cogitated upon, now that you have broached the possibility, the reasons why it could prove advantageous for us, for our families, and for our people seem endless. But please, do tell me why it is you and not Raithen."

She smiled.

"And please, do not take offense that I hadn't thought upon the possibility before. When first we met, you were my first major diplomatic challenge as much as you were a delightful person. When first I visited Solunarium, I came seeking a better understanding of this apotheosis. Now, it seems natural."

.

[Pharaoh]

"My thanks." Phocion inclined his head, while canting it sidelong to cheat toward her. It felt a bit strange, sitting next to her this way. He was not practised at courting, which was one downside at having waited so long to start. The advantages far outweighed the detriments, but this was a brand new sort of awkwardness for one well-attuned to similar discomforts. He smiled faintly at Kala's unnecessary excuses.

"I do not find it remotely insulting, My Lady. I believe I project an air of aloofness that does not lend itself to such imaginings..." Despite of this, to Phocion's frequent confusion, he did often stir unwelcome interest even in his detachment. In no small part, he understood, because of it. That Kala had not been thus afflicted only spoke to her pragmatism- an entierly enticing trait to this particular prince's sensibilities.

"Well, I may not be able to soar the skies on wings of gold, but I might uplift you in other ways. Do not take it for self-deprecation when I tell you that I do not think there are many for whom I make a favourable match. Suitable, yes, but not favourable. Actually, I think I'm rather complimenting us both in so saying.

"At any rate, there are many reasons I might cite that align us nicely, but what I wish for most is a partner who shares my ambition to change the world and whose ambitions I might be able to complement. I do not know what changes you would see executed in the world, but I have my suspicions and, with all respect to my feathered frater, I come with a dowry that he does not..." At that, Phocion slowly extended his hand, palm up, in front of him and slid the sleeve back from under the white glove he wore. At his wrist, a telltale silver glow of divine energy formed a barbed, chainlink pattern that rounded the pale flesh of his forearm.

"I suspect you will find Her boons most propitious. And I think that I, more than most non-Avialæ... perhaps even more than Raithen, understand the gravity of the Bond."

[Kala Leukos]

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A favourable match, she thought. For one as understated as Phocion Princeps, architectural patterns of speech notwithstanding, that was quite the compliment.

"I had rather thought you or your sister would sue to be the consort of the next Luxian Monarch," she opined. "Your serene mother proving such an advantageous match for the Crownwyrm."

When he offered the emblem of Varvara for her inspection, she gently took his gloved hand and traced her fingertips over the silvery, aether-marked skin. It shone brighter for the touch, perhaps in response to that spark of the divine within her. She thought, perhaps, she felt Varvara's attention fall upon them, but if so, it was so light a thing she couldn't be sure. While technically both Moritasi, even as Kala slowly—or perhaps quickly in the eternal life of a god—grew in power, she hadn't the aeons of experience as something divine.

"I don't know how they do this," she admitted candidly to her new beau. "Codify their essential nature into a mark that empowers their chosen few." She looked up into his eyes, ready to remove her hands if she found she was making him uncomfortable with the small intimacy. For some, she imagined such a divine bond would be quite private; in Solunarium, it was a mark of pride, of course. Though Phocion Princeps didn't seem the sort to take center stage unless necessity required it of him.

"I have made use of the Avialæ bonding with mine. I was born tightly bound to Kaus." She paused, offered a wry smile, wondering whether that would become a sticky subject. "But the only people I have bonded who aren't Avialæ haven't been able to influence me the way I can them. I don't know if that is a function of divinity or the status I was given in Atoria. They called me Firstborn, though..." she laughed lightly, "I am hardly so ancient. I can make and break these bonds for myself and for others without the normal, hm, whiplash effect. I should speak to your Dark Lady about it, I think. Bonds being her area of expertise. And I should speak to her about you and me. I would not begrudge you your goddess nor other lovers as monogamy is a matter of personal choice in my culture, and I would never seek to put your loyalty to your goddess against your loyalty to your wife, so I hope she and I can come to a happy accord. And I would not keep you out of those negotiations. I will want your voice heard."

Her eyes were wide, mien serious in this. Mortal he may be, and Tethered to Varvara; she would not have his will shackled.

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[Pharaoh]

"My siblings and I are not suitable matches for the Sanguinist line of succession. We fall outside the Unbroken Line. No Phædryn has ever been fit to rule by their rubric, though many have served as regents. Besides..." Phocion smiled faintly, glancing down at the floor.

"Our Halcyon Lord has given us a commandment that we should cast our eyes afield of Atraxia, and so I am. Between us, I think it would be a waste to tie one of us up in a Luxian marriage. There are ways of uniting the realms that require less in the way of Sacrifice, albeit more patience."

Phocion did not start or flinch at being touched, as he might have under other circumstances. He allowed his arm to be manipulated and his mark examined. He used his free hand to tug at the fingers of his glove, and slide it off to facilitate easier inspection.

"I wonder how such a thing would work with me... I have to say I don't relish the notion of being at the disadvantage in a one-way path of influence, but it is possible that this mark might serve as a stop gap. And none of this is to say that I think you would abuse such a power. I come into this knowing I will be at the disadvantage in many ways, and accepting that. 'I'll be the shadow, you'll be the light.'" He added, quoting The Radiant Chronicle with the appropriate subtlety as to allow it to blend in with the rest of his sentiment unremarkably. As if it were mere extempore from his mother wit.

He blinked, slightly surprised at the notion of approaching Her of the Scourge directly, but then he recalled that They had a relationship of Their own. Kala was not a foreign non-believer, but a goddess in her own right. Something she made it easy to forget, and that was a very good thing.

"I have shown you mine Emblem... Would you deign to display your Nimbus? I wish to know how... affecting it is upon me."

[Kala Leukos]

.

"Ah, that does make sense," she said of the marriage mores of the Phædryn branch of the Divine Twins' tree.

She was just slipping her hand into his to gauge how that felt when he quoted the Radiant Chronicle. While she hadn't memorized it, she had read it as part of her self-imposed curriculum. A religion would eventually rise up around her whether she wanted that or not; she would learn from her kindred's successes and mistakes, though, in order to be a better shepherd.

Kala smiled and eventually released his hand, pleased that the little intimacy hadn't been awkward at all. It seemed that when Phocion chose to do something seemingly out of character, he did so wholly.

"I haven't used it to command, except a few times in our youth to protect Kaus from harm. The abuse of our bond is, as you can imagine, anathema. But the emotional and, at a certain depth, mental connection is generally an asset. 'Tis the bondmate who holds the power to influence, however. We were created to combat the Hellmaw, and the bond was meant to be a check against us should we fall under its influence."

At his request, she loosened the bonds she kept upon herself and light seemed to emanate from under her skin. Even the aether that made up her body and soul seemed to grow more intense, more complex, erring toward the unknowable by mortal minds—including her own. There might, perchance, be some hint of the platinum dragonflight about her; she had communed briefly with that far star around which their homeworld turned.

I still don't know the full extent of myself. Though I haven't the Rune of Traversion, I have transcended space to answer prayer, a feat I cannot perform at will.

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[Pharaoh]

Phocion closed his fingers gingerly around Kala's hand as it was placed in his grasp. It would be too much, at the moment, to look at her while they touched, and so he turned his face toward the wall across from them. He was looking essentially where he'd been seated prior to crossing the divide toward the divine.

"Ah, then this isn't a novel phenomenon? I'd assumed it was connected with your ascension..." He contemplated for a moment, "I'll admit that, while I believe I understand the weight of the ties that bind, I do not entirely understand the Avialæ Bond as a racial peculiarity. Perhaps I am a bad brother for not having researched it sooner, but I suppose there is also that thing of growing up with someone so close that you forget their differences... even those as hard to miss as Raithen's." He paused, "Gods but our families are different. Perhaps we Re'hyæans could do with something akin to the Bond your people experience." He scooted back a bit to give Kala space and to get a better view of her person as she kindly obliged his request.

► Show Spoiler

Phocion had seen the odd Divine Nimbus in his day. More than most, to be sure, though the first he'd seen had been that of Arcas, during his ill-fated attempt to remain anonymous in Solunarium. Dæmon, he'd surmised, was fond of weaponising his divinity. Using it to cow and instill awe in those who might otherwise oppose him more directly. He recalled his instinct had been to look away, not because it was blinding bright, but because it felt like a violation being thrust upon him.

There were visible similarities to Kala's nimbus, but this display had been invited and so it carried none of the less welcome connotations. Part of him still felt a bit sacrilegious for not turning away, but he held his gaze and let the awe wash over him. He allowed the starlight to consume him and it felt purifying. He realised at some point that he had slid from the chaise and one knee was resting on the ornate rug upon which the furniture lay. The servi, too, were kneeling.

"Thank you." He said, barely audibly.

[Kala Leukos]

[tr][/tr].

Kala only smiled at mention of his family. From what she understood, all Re'hyæans had a sort of telepathic bond that followed bloodlines, though she didn't understand it as fully as she did her own race's. It seemed to her that the Avialæ bond between Cithæra and her feathered son had grown out of that, though it might very well have been a calculated thing. Regardless, she had a chain on Raithen; he didn't seem to mind.

If Phocion asked more specific questions, though, she would surely answer.

But for the moment, he saw her naked after a fashion. Her nimbus could be weaponized; it could overwhelm the unprepared, and it could blind arcane senses. Within her burned the heart of a star, but she carried herself like the flame of a candle. When he slid to his knee, though, she reined it in—not entirely, though. Now she seemed faintly limned in the cool, watery light of distant stars rather than the blaze of the star their world orbited.

Her numinous Presence also remained, albeit not so powerfully as to overwhelm. The soul recognized something spiritual, even if the mind didn't have the tools to articulate it.

She smiled again.

"Thank you," she said. "The Divine Twins did invite me first to Solunarium, but you were most responsible for my safety and all while I stayed. I feel as though I am going through adolescence yet again, still entirely mortal, while entirely divine, and sometimes a strange mixture of the two. But here, at least, I can relax some of the self-control required to contain myself. It is rather like when you don't realize how tense you are until you relax. I appreciate you, Phocion. Please, call me Kala when etiquette allows."

Kala nodded acknowledgement to the servi, then raised her eyebrows in honest concern at the prince at her knee.

"Please don't get me in any sort of trouble with your Mistress."

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[Pharaoh]

At this point Phocion did lower his gaze to the floor upon which he knelt. For all the time he'd had this rug, he didn't think he'd ever spent more time examining it than now.

"It is fortunate that we had the chamber well cleaned ere your arrival. I so rarely wear white, it would vex me to dirty the trousers on one of the few occasions I did." He managed to slide back up onto the chaise, reclaiming his drink and turning his focus forward to the wall across from him.

"Kala, then." He had hazarded to do so earlier and had not been reprimanded, so he assumed such familiarity was on the table, but it was nice to have it confirmed in explicit terms. An exchange of given names was not so intimate as the tender touch they'd just shared... at least not in the engine of Phocion's ever-churning mind.

"I am quite familiar with that feeling. I am often tense, without being conscious of the build-up until it is released. It is part and parcel to the work I do... I trust, should we pursue this path of... well, Unity, that we will continue on in our roles in our respective realms. Starfall doubtless needs you, and I do not believe myself conceited in thinking that I would be difficult to replace in my current position. Fortunately, I have the bulk of an elven lifespan to pave the way for my successor... and I expect the world will change a great deal in the span of our lives. It already has, in fact..." He cocked an eyebrow and smirked a bit,

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about Her. Though, I should warn you if She does get cross, she has a habit of possessing my body and may express her vexation directly via the medium of my mouth."

[Kala Leukos]

[tr][/tr].

"Twins forbid you dirty your trousers," she agreed, with a subtle lilt of humor.

Kala liked the way her name sounded in his voice, the subtle differences to the vowels, and all. She found herself wondering, although not too explicitly, whether his deep waters hid deeper passions, or if their shared passions would be more intellectual. There were entirely too many details to contend with, so she settled for enjoying the moment.

She wondered too whether someday she might ply his shoulders with pressure and delicate threads of Fire to ease his tension or whether he would leave such things to a servus.

"An added benefit to being the favorite of one, possibly two goddesses might be an even longer lifespan," she noted. Certainly, she had already given thought to how she might make Kaus as functionally immortal as she was. Her ascension had altered their relationship; changing anything in either person would change a relationship. But he remained fundamental to her and she was unwilling to sacrifice him to Time and Death. Varvara might argue that with her, but then Varvara had twinned her soul to Aværys', it seemed.

She wondered if Phocion would become as dear to her, someone she would not live on eternally without.

"That could prove awkward," she noted. Were he Raithen, she might have been more suggestive about exactly how awkward that could be, but he wasn't Raithen, and prurient periods were not the only times her presence in Phocion's body might be offputting. Still, she smiled.

As she sipped her drink, she looked toward the wall as well, and elsewhere. She didn't demand constant eye contact, and there might be something to be learned from this physical context as much as from his oft stoic visage.

"While I am always aware of my bondmates, only with Kaus is it so strong that I can feel it from a continent away, though it is tenuous. And while some of my mind and heart are open to them, we all do have the privacy of our minds when we need it. You needn't fear Kaus speaking to you through me."

The idea did make her laugh quietly, though. That would have been more amusing when they were children, though.

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