She asked him to consider and he did so, breathing slowly of the crisp midnight air. "I hold Torchline only with your blessing," he said slowly at last. "If you call me away from it, I will follow." And in truth it was an easier choice to make these days. He may have worried about Flora's youth before, but his co-ruler had shown herself to be a true Queen time and again. If he had to leave Torchline in her hands, he could do so without regrets. But... "It is... harder to leave the Mer," he admitted, bowing his head. There was turmoil in his heart at the thought of losing such an integral part of himself. "For power... no." No matter how high his ambitions reached, simple strength was not reason enough to abandon his people.
But he took a slow deep breath and looked up at his goddess with searching eyes. "For love, though... yes. I would become something other than what I have been." For his own love of Safrin and the stars that lit the sea, and all that she had done for him and Torchline already. That was the only reason he would give up his heart.
He closed his eyes, a small tilt of his head relaxing into the brush of fingertips against his warm skin as she reiterated the costs, though one was no hardship at all. "You already have my devotion," he rumbled quietly, calm and firm in that pillar of his belief. And there was relief and gratitude, too, that she would let him remain connected to the sea with a shift and telepathy. "And my thanks." But as she pulled away he looked up at her again, straightening as the moment of peace upon his brow fled. "The Flood... said that he kept his abilities when Frey accepted him," he said slowly. He did not think Sunjata had lied to him, but perhaps the Tidebreaker had misunderstood how that... transaction... had worked.
"And... Safrin, I am... afraid." The confession did not come easily to the proud King, but he held nothing back in his prayers to her whether she was present or not. His voice lowered, going quiet nonetheless with the difficulty of saying what came next. "Ronin's powers could not harm the Void. And I will not float back in a tidepool while others put themselves at risk against the storm." If he became her demigod would he lose his ability to defend against or harm the Void-touched and their master, the mysterious Dahlia?
But he took a slow deep breath and looked up at his goddess with searching eyes. "For love, though... yes. I would become something other than what I have been." For his own love of Safrin and the stars that lit the sea, and all that she had done for him and Torchline already. That was the only reason he would give up his heart.
He closed his eyes, a small tilt of his head relaxing into the brush of fingertips against his warm skin as she reiterated the costs, though one was no hardship at all. "You already have my devotion," he rumbled quietly, calm and firm in that pillar of his belief. And there was relief and gratitude, too, that she would let him remain connected to the sea with a shift and telepathy. "And my thanks." But as she pulled away he looked up at her again, straightening as the moment of peace upon his brow fled. "The Flood... said that he kept his abilities when Frey accepted him," he said slowly. He did not think Sunjata had lied to him, but perhaps the Tidebreaker had misunderstood how that... transaction... had worked.
"And... Safrin, I am... afraid." The confession did not come easily to the proud King, but he held nothing back in his prayers to her whether she was present or not. His voice lowered, going quiet nonetheless with the difficulty of saying what came next. "Ronin's powers could not harm the Void. And I will not float back in a tidepool while others put themselves at risk against the storm." If he became her demigod would he lose his ability to defend against or harm the Void-touched and their master, the mysterious Dahlia?
