"When you say you can't..." Noble's eyes widened. "It's your Flaw?"
"You are polite." Aether found a stump and sank onto it. "It didn't sound so bad when the Spell first told me. I was always well-mannered. How hard could it be to continue on that path?"
"Let me guess, it wasn't as simple as you thought." Child of Promise floated down beside him.
"Every mean thought I have, every insult or offhanded remark I want to make gets lodged in my throat. I cannot speak an unkind word." The young man sighed. "It is, if I may say, infuriating..."
Noble thought about any time she had spoken harshly. On the surface, it sounded nice to have a built-in filter. But if her anger had rendered her mute, some situations would never have been solved. Or at the very least, they would have been solved poorly and belatedly.
"But you can fight Nightmare creatures..."
The young man flexed his hands. "Ah, yes. There is nothing impolite about wanting to save humanity. Monsters can die by my hand. People can, too, as long as it is in the protection of someone else. If my motives are purely selfish, my Flaw inhibits me from harming them."
'And I thought my Flaw was rough.' At least Noble could act the way she thought was best.
For better or worse, Aether was forced into gallantry. He was a model for his clan and for the world because he had to be. How much of it was real and how much was his way of coping with his limitations?
Child of Promise hoped that most of it was real.
"So that thing that Flint said about you being engaged to Morgan made you so upset that you could not find a kind word to say?"
Aether nodded slowly. "That is about the size of it. As I mentioned, it is infuriating."
"Couldn't you just deny it. Surely correcting his thoughts would count as polite." Noble tried.
The young man's head dropped into his hands.
"Denying it would be a lie. It is all but official. Lady Morgan has been offered to me as a bride to strengthen the ties between the House of Night and Clan Valor."
Noble blinked.
The implications of this move were huge! There were three major clans in the Waking world, and two of them were about to go to war. An alliance between the Nightwalkers and Anvil would shift the power in favor of the King of Swords.
The House of Night sailed the Stormsea, which was the easiest way to travel between the two Sovereigns' Domains. It was the way that Noble herself had taken to get across the Dream Realm.
If the soldiers of Valor did not need to cross Godgrave and could pass around it instead...that would be very problematic for Ki Song and her daughters.
What would that mean for her home and family in Ravenheart?
The political ramifications were far-reaching, both for the Dream Realm and the government in the Waking World. All over one young Master! The thought was slightly overwhelming.
But Child of Promise had to rein in her worries. The more pressing issue was the man before her. He needed her help.
"You don't want to marry Morgan," Noble felt the man's emotions spike as she spoke.
"The few times we met, she was distant and aloof–very befitting a princess, but not exactly what I was hoping for in a lifelong partner." Aether chose his words carefully.
The floating Master had never met the famed princess of Valor in person. She had seen her speak to Gui when Anvil announced his presence in Antarctica, and that had not left a favorable impression.
"You said you wanted to enter this Nightmare to help your Clan," Noble mused, "But you are also hoping to find a way to break the engagement before it becomes public."
The young man studied her silently for a moment, trying to decide if she could be trusted. What she had said aloud was not something he had admitted to anyone, not even truly to himself. Coming to a conclusion, he sighed heavily.
"That goal has crossed my mind, yes. I have been unable to convey my feelings to my clansmen because I know it's wrong to feel this way. It's good for my people. It will help them for..." Aether paused, rethinking his words, "For whatever may come."
"Have your elders not asked your opinion on the match. Surely..." Child of Promise bit her lip as the scion of the House of Night looked on the verge of tears.
"As I said before, there is an attitude among my clansmen that has been troubling me, especially those in the highest ranks. Many of our Saints...do not seem like themselves. They seem to have lost their reason." The young man rubbed his forehead.
"You mean like they might be Skinwalkers?"
Child of Promise felt her blood run cold. She had encountered a skinwalker at the beginning of her journey in the Stormsea. If there was one, there could be many more.
"I don't think so. We have many protections in our citadel to prevent that." Aether waved his hand. "I have already said too much. Forgive my rambling. I am sure my leaders have our best interests at heart. If anything, I can be a better husband to Lady Morgan by being a Saint."
Troubled, the young man paused.
Noble felt the shift. "What is it?"
"I am surprised that my Flaw let me speak unkindly of my people." Aether touched his throat. He had had no trouble speaking his mind to the woman beside him.
"I think over the years, you may have confused being polite with being honest. Your concern for yourself and your people was genuine and not rude. What you say matters just as much as how you say it. You can convey almost any information politely and respectfully."
Noble had told her children this many times. Effective communication was a key skill to having a fulfilling life and meaningful relationships.
"This sounds easy. In my experience, it has not been." The younger Master shifted in his seat.
"See? You did it just then! You could have told me you thought I was wrong and my idea was stupid, but you found a way to convey you disagreed without activating your Flaw. All you need is a little practice. And you know who the perfect person to practice on is?" Noble smirked.
Chuckling, Aether smiled too. "Flint."
Noble slapped her knee. "Exactly. Now let's head back and give that drunken fool a verbal repartee that he won't be able to resist."
"Thank you. For the kindness and the advice. You are very easy to talk to." The legacy of the House of Night bowed his head. "As for what I have admitted..."
"Your secrets are safe with me. I will respect whatever you decide, though I will say that I selfishly hope that you can break the engagement."
Child of Promise was not above the nudge in the right direction, especially when she thought that nudge was best both for the man and the world at large. Her conscience was clear.
"Thank you. We shall see." Aether uncrossed his legs, and the tip of his boot lit up with a small ball of light.
Noble laughed. "I guess they activated their alarm system. Don't worry. It won't burn you or anything. Let's go find the first watch and get it removed before we return to the party.
Suddenly, dozens of eyes reflected the light on Aether's toe.
They had visitors.