It took almost the entire night before Veneri finally found a moment alone with Adelasta.
Most of the Divines already dispersed into their respective Houses to begin preparations for the Technographia expedition. Of course, I wasn't about to miss this conversation. So I did what any perfectly reasonable Omniscient would do. I turned invisible and slipped into the royal chambers ahead of him. Technically, as an incorporeal being, I can control who can see me and who can't, even Darling himself.
Look, in my defense, I need to make sure nothing emotionally catastrophic happened before the expedition.
Adelasta was sitting on the massive bed when Veneri entered. Her back was straight but her hands were clenched lightly in the sheets beside her. The room was dim, lit only by a few floating lamps casting soft gold light. For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.
It's been forty-seven days since the Second Epoch Cycle began. In ten days, they'd be leaving for Technographia. And somehow, despite everything they had survived, this was the most awkward the two of them had ever looked.
Veneri walked over and sat beside her. He didn't face her immediately. Instead, he lifted a hand and pressed two fingers lightly against her temple.
"It's time to tell you what happened to me. If I had Memory Implantation it would have been easier but I'll just have to do this the old fashioned way."
He explained everything to her and she didn't interrupt. When he was done, she sat there in silence, processing it. Then her gaze slowly dropped to his arms. At a glance, they looked like his usual arms but when you knew what to look for, you could see they weren't biological.
"Your arms. They're not real, are they?"
"They're not real."
"Did it hurt?"
He looked at her, and for once, there was no deflection in his eyes.
"The dying part? Yeah that was unpleasant."
She flinched.
"I was in a coma for six months after that. When I woke up, the prosthetics had already been installed. I didn't feel the surgical process."
She stared at him, horrified and relieved at the same time.
"And your heart…"
"Mechanical. It was replaced during the same procedure."
Adelasta's lips parted, but no words came out. Her fingers trembled slightly where they still rested on his arm.
"When I ascend to Deity status, the distinction won't matter so don't worry."
He said it like he was talking about upgrading equipment. That's when she suddenly moved. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly, pressing her face against his shoulder.
"Please don't be mad at me anymore. I won't drink like that again. I swear. I won't make that mistake again. I just—"
Her voice cracked slightly.
"I need you to hold me. It's been months since we were even close like this."
Veneri froze for a second, clearly not expecting the sudden embrace. He looked down at her, silent for a few moments, before slowly placing one arm around her back.
"I am not angry at you for drinking, you know."
She stiffened slightly in his arms. "You're… not?"
"No. In fact, I was impressed."
She pulled back just enough to look at him.
"Impressed?"
"You're cold, efficient and capable of managing every situation without displaying weakness. The fact that you lost control indicates that you possess emotional vulnerabilities like anyone else."
She stared at him for a second.
"You're complimenting my alcoholism."
"Maybe I am."
She let out a weak, incredulous laugh. "Why are you like this?"
Instead of answering, he leaned in and kissed her. When he pulled back, his expression was softer than usual.
"I'm not angry at you. Well, for the most part, I was. I was just angry at myself."
"Why?"
"Because when Richinaria was attacked, it reminded me of loss."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"I watched as Elyonari lost half of her race to genocide. She endured that and still maintained her composure. Meanwhile, I lost three thousand citizens and was almost consumed by rage. My reaction was… disproportionate."
Adelasta shook her head immediately.
"That's not fair. You care about your people. That's not weakness."
She reached up and cupped his face, forcing him to look at her.
"We always come out on top. We always have. As ruthless as this may sound, if the roles were reversed, Ely would have felt the same way you feel.."
He studied her for a moment, then gave a small nod.
"That's true."
He leaned in again, kissing her a second time, this time lingering a bit longer. His hand rested at her waist, pulling her slightly closer. Her fingers clutching the front of his shirt like she'd been starved for this kind of contact. Then suddenly, she pulled back, breathing a little unevenly.
"If we keep going, I'm not going to hold back."
"That is… not exactly a problem."
She let out a shaky laugh, pressing her forehead against his.
"It is when we're supposed to be preparing for an expedition in ten days and I haven't seen you like this in months."
Her fingers traced lightly over the seam of his prosthetic arm again.
"As much as I want to feel you right now, I can't. Not when everything's about to change again."
He looked at her for a long moment, then nodded slowly, accepting it without complaint. They eventually lay down without saying much else.
The royal bed is ridiculously large so when they lay side by side, there was still a noticeable gap between them at first. Veneri stared up at the ceiling with his hands folded over his chest like he was preparing for burial rather than sleep.
Adelasta turned on her side to face him.
"You cut your hair."
"I did not."
She frowned slightly, reaching out and touching the ends of it where it brushed his collarbone.
"It's shorter than before."
He lifted a hand and ran his fingers through it, as if checking himself.
"Another person cut it during my recovery period."
"I liked it when it was long."
"I can make it grow right now."
She shook her head immediately.
"No. You look the same either way. Long hair, short hair, it's still you."
There was something simple and sincere about the way she said it that made him fall quiet for a second. Then she scooted closer and wrapped her arms around him, pressing herself against his side and resting her head on his shoulder like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"You might not have the intention of getting intimate with me tonight but I'm still fully capable of doing so."
I almost lost my invisibility from how hard I had to suppress my reaction. Adelasta snorted softly against his shoulder.
"You can control yourself. Even though you act like a complete beast in bed, your self-control is actually impressive."
"That's a contradictory statement."
"It's an accurate one. And it's not like I won't give in eventually. If you try hard enough, I'll probably just surrender."
He stared at the ceiling for a few seconds, processing that, then shook his head slightly.
"It wouldn't be enjoyable if I coerced you into compliance. It would just spoil the mood."
She let out a soft chuckle.
"Even though you're technically five Veneris now, you're still the same person."
That made him go still again. She noticed immediately.
"What is it?"
He hesitated before answering, like he was trying to decide whether the thought was worth saying out loud.
"Every time you laugh, it always seems to surprise me."
"What?"
"You behave as if you're not accustomed to expressing joy but you do it more frequently now."
She stared at him for a second, then her expression softened into something fond and slightly exasperated.
"You're the one who made me like this," she said, poking his chest lightly. "Before you, I was just… serious all the time. You kept saying dumb things until I had no choice but to react."
"That wasn't my intention you know."
"Too late. You broke me."
They lay there in silence for a while after that. Then, out of nowhere, she spoke again, but her voice was quieter.
"Time passes by so fast."
He turned his head slightly to look at her.
"We were just children not that long ago. All we cared about was who would win the next duel. And now we're ruling a Dynasty and organizing expeditions into another realm like it's just another week's schedule."
Her fingers tightened slightly where they rested on him.
"If we become full Deities, we'll probably be able to explore beyond Spheraphase. After all, we're Splits. Sooner or later, the world is going to exile us."
That was the reality none of them said out loud often, but it was always there in the background. If they become too powerful, Spheraphase will exile them.
He shifted slightly so he could see her face better.
"Are you afraid of when that day arrives?"
She didn't even hesitate.
"No."
"No?"
"Because we'll be together. Me, you… the other girls. And Phaenora."
I straightened up a little at that, suddenly very invested.
"She'll probably be even more annoying by then."
Excuse me? Even more annoying? I was already operating at peak efficiency. There was no need for upgrades in that department.
At the same time, though… there was something oddly warm about being included in that future so naturally, like my presence beside them was just expected. It was a weird mix of being offended and weirdly touched at the same time, and I absolutely hated that combination.
"For now, it is best to focus on the present. We'll address the future when it becomes the present."
She nodded against him, clearly satisfied with that answer. The room slowly fell silent after that, as they drifted closer to sleep, still tangled together in the soft sheets of the massive bed. I lingered there for another minute, watching them and making sure there was no sudden emotional crisis or world-ending confession waiting to happen.
When it became clear they were actually going to sleep like normal people for once, I quietly slipped out of the room, letting my invisibility fade as I stepped back into the empty corridor.
The palace was even quieter out here. As I walked, Adelasta's words kept replaying in my head.
We'll be together. Me, you, the other girls… and Phaenora.
What would that even look like?
Five women and one very overworked husband traveling across the vastness of reality, hopping between worlds like it was a sightseeing tour. No kingdoms to rule, no sentient world breathing down our necks, no wars to manage. It would simply be just exploration.
It sounded chaotic probably full of arguments, bad decisions and Veneri trying to maintain order while the rest of us ignored him and get mad at him when he tries something risky and yet… the image of it felt strangely peaceful.