Veneri was quiet for a while after Elyonari's confession. The next worse that came out of his mouth actually shocked me.
"There's only one thing left to do. Escape."
She actually laughed.
"I can't."
"You can."
"I'm the High Priestess."
"And? You either escape or you break."
Somewhere in the suspended canopy, a bell chimed. Apparently, it's one of the night signals the Elves installed after settling here.
"You don't understand."
"I don't? Even I get overwhelmed by Dynasty duties."
She opened her mouth to argue but he cut her off gently.
"In the five years I was Monarch, I was cleaning up a disaster. My parents left Richinaria in financial ruin. They left overextended trade agreements, mismanaged reserves and even unsustainable export dependencies. They made trade with other continents without securing logistics. I think they did that on purpose. If my siblings hadn't handled core merchant operations before I returned, the world would have literally experienced financial collapse."
He wasn't exaggerating by the way. The technology, trade routes and transport networks were arteries for multiple regions and they were managed by Richinaria. There would be famine in some territories and war in others.
"I inherited a ticking bomb and everyone expected me to fix it without panic. There were nights I stared at ledgers until my vision blurred. If Adelasta hadn't been there, I would have lost it."
He didn't say that lightly.
"There was too much. Every decision felt like it could trigger global instability but we handled it. We stabilized currency reserves. We diversified exports and rebuilt contingency funds. We also slammed structured fail-safes so it never happens again. But do you know how we survived those five years?"
She shook her head.
"We escaped."
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"We'd sneak out of Richinaria Palace. We would then disguise ourselves and go to Upper Rise like ordinary people. The last time we went on a date when we were thirteen, we almost got killed by a Deity. So after that, we learned to be discreet."
He looked at her.
"For you, this month has been relentless. You've been carrying fear that isn't even yours. You've been acting like a pillar when you're exhausted. There must be a reason the World Tree brought me here and maybe this is one of them. So listen to me. You need to take a break."
"I can't—"
He leaned in and kissed her. Her protest dissolved into surprise.
"Veneri—"
He kissed her again. She tried to push him back but honestly, it felt like she was struggling to hold back.
"I don't want to leave—"
"Relax," he murmured against her lips.
For a moment, she resisted then she kissed him back.
When he finally pulled away, he brushed his thumb against her cheek.
"You're too tired. Tomorrow, announce that you're taking a vacation with your beloved."
Her eyes widened.
"Veneri—"
"I'm joking. Also, what exactly is your brother doing? He's the Monarch of Mintheris. Is he so lazy that every responsibility falls to the High Priestess?"
Despite her shock, she let out a faint laugh.
"Even with a pregnant wife, he can handle governance while you're gone. Seriously, why do you worry about every little thing?"
"You calmed me down with a kiss," she admitted.
"If you didn't love me, it wouldn't have worked."
She rolled her eyes.
"Are you still mad at me?"
"Not anymore. For now at least."
I floated closer to Veneri's.
"Is this okay?"
Through our telepathic link, his response came clear.
[It's fine. After all, Greshina— no. Edarea — wouldn't attack a city protected by a Supreme Entity. She's not that reckless.]
Elyonari sighed but longer this time.
"We'll sleep on the same bed tonight."
"That's fine. But we should shower first. You've been pacing through ceremonial grounds all day."
Yeah, you're not foolish anyone, Veneri. You just want to—
°°°°°°
They were in a massive tub now.
That reminds me, tubs are common in showers. The same way in Darling' memories where they used showers, tubs are more common here. In fact, showers are not existent in Spheraphase.
To elaborate, showers don't exist in Spheraphase. There are two ways in which Spheraphasians bathe. One is through a tub. They use fragrant oils and liquid soap. Solid soap doesn't exist here. The second option are Clean Runes, Clean Spells and Clean Mystic Circles.
Showers in Spheraphasian times literally means a bathroom. I'm assuming you Readers From Behind The Curtains know about Earth's civilization about showers. And unlike those humans, toilets aren't needed. So if you have ever read or watched this and thought of a shower that pours water down onto someone, it's being defined as a room, not the actual apparatus itself.
If me or my versions talk about showers, we mean the room that has a bathtub alone. They are usually massive. It's used by the rich people because liquid soap and oils aren't exactly cheap. But that's not what this is about. Maybe I'll elaborate more about it later about Spheraphasian civilization.
Elyonari rested against Veneri's chest. Her back was pressed to him with damp silver hair spilling over his shoulder and drifting in the water. His arm rested loosely around her waist.
She tilted her head just enough that her ear pressed more fully against his chest, as if confirming the rhythm was real.
"It's strange hearing your heartbeat. You didn't have one for years."
"It took time to adjust."
She was quiet for a moment, listening to it.
"How did you survive without a heart?"
"I'm Aeterium. As long as my soul remains anchored in my body, I function. Organs are… auxiliary. You already know that Divine Beings function like that."
"You're saying you didn't need one."
"I do but I had pseudo-cores. They handled circulation functions too."
Her body stiffened slightly. "So you felt pain."
"Yes."
She turned in the water to look at him properly now.
"And you're calm about that because…"
"Because it was normal."
She reached down and ran her fingers along his forearm. "Are you okay with not feeling anything here?"
"I'm used to it."
"That's not the same as being okay with it."
"The absence doesn't bother me."
"How did you lose them?"
"I landed in a realm that almost destroyed my body. It siphoned energy directly from my body and soul. Omniphage resisted the siphoning. The feedback nearly tore me apart from the inside. I drew Preservation Runes across my entire body to stabilize my soul from leaving my body. The strain exceeded what my arms could withstand."
"That is not a normal expansion."
"Which part?"
"All of it. You're describing catastrophic energy conflict like you just tripped over something."
"It wasn't pleasant you know."
"That's horrible, Veneri."
"I survived—"
"That's not the point."
"It's not a big deal."
She groaned and dragged a hand down her face.
"You really suffered so much that losing the sense of touch in your arms feels insignificant to you."
"Hey, at least I didn't lose sensation everywhere. That's a win."
She hit his chest. He didn't react. Her hand remained there for a second longer than necessary, then she looked up slowly.
"You didn't feel that?"
"I did but I'm literally stronger. You need to hit more for that to actually hurt me."
"You really need to stop saying casual things about your suffering."
"How am I supposed to say it?"
"With some weight, you dumbass?"
"I don't regret it. It was my decision to enter the Hidden Citadel. Consequences were predictable."
"That doesn't make it less awful."
She exhaled sharply, then leaned back against him again, clearly choosing not to reignite the argument they had only just resolved.
"We are not starting another fight. We just solved one."
"Agreed."
After a while, he summoned a Heat Mystic Circle formed above them. Warmth intensified instantly in the shower. They rose from the bath as the water evaporated from their skin in soft waves of heat. They dressed in simple night garments afterwards. When they lay down, Elyonari shifted closer without hesitation, curling slightly toward him. His arm rested around her waist.
I floated near the ceiling, observing them. Elyonari was already asleep. Veneri opened one eye and looked directly at me.
'You alright?' He asked through our telepathic link.
I rotated lazily in the air.
'I'm okay. I'm just observing. It's interesting seeing all this without being involved.'
'You don't miss being in a physical form?'
'Sometimes. But right now? It's good to watch something that doesn't require any intervention.'
He seemed to accept that. I actually like this form better. After all, it's my real form.