Her bright, proud grin lightened his solemn mood for a moment, and the sea-sparkle briefly caught in his green eyes as it had so many times before. The news of the mansion's completion drew a smile to ghost across his lips, and he inclined his head in satisfaction to hear the rumors confirmed. But it was only a ghost, and he could not keep hold of the warmth of that revelation for long for all that Flora's teasing was a welcome light to ease his weariness.
"Mmh. Not this time, no. Though I will keep that in mind for the future." The Ark's departure from Torchline's shores had not gone unnoticed, but he respected his friend and co-ruler's privacy too much to pry... at least when he was distracted as he had been of late.
He breathed deeply of the salt air at her approach, and then accepted her invitation to sink down onto the bench and one of the pillows that cushioned its smoothly polished wood. The silence extended between them for a small span of time before he nodded to himself and spoke, watching Flora's expression as he did so. "I am asking you to let me go." The words were simple, quiet, but tired beneath their dignified delivery. "And to rule in your own right."
Finally a smile cracked his serious mien, though it was not without signs of strain that he usually kept hidden from outsiders. "The Mer are part of Torchline. They do not need a separate King any longer. But they have some needs that are different from those on land. A separate city to tend to, with problems of its own. And I have not been... diligent... in seeing to them. The conflict with the Family..." He trailed off and then shrugged, gesturing to the island that remained on their horizon. "That duty took precedence. But it was a... hm. A 'wake up call,' to the conflict of being a demigod and a ruler."
He turned his hand, palm up, extended it in a silent request for Flora's own. "I would like to return home for a time. To train the next generation who will lead the Underwater City when Safrin calls me away. And... to rest, for a while. Though it will mean stepping down as your co-ruler."
"Mmh. Not this time, no. Though I will keep that in mind for the future." The Ark's departure from Torchline's shores had not gone unnoticed, but he respected his friend and co-ruler's privacy too much to pry... at least when he was distracted as he had been of late.
He breathed deeply of the salt air at her approach, and then accepted her invitation to sink down onto the bench and one of the pillows that cushioned its smoothly polished wood. The silence extended between them for a small span of time before he nodded to himself and spoke, watching Flora's expression as he did so. "I am asking you to let me go." The words were simple, quiet, but tired beneath their dignified delivery. "And to rule in your own right."
Finally a smile cracked his serious mien, though it was not without signs of strain that he usually kept hidden from outsiders. "The Mer are part of Torchline. They do not need a separate King any longer. But they have some needs that are different from those on land. A separate city to tend to, with problems of its own. And I have not been... diligent... in seeing to them. The conflict with the Family..." He trailed off and then shrugged, gesturing to the island that remained on their horizon. "That duty took precedence. But it was a... hm. A 'wake up call,' to the conflict of being a demigod and a ruler."
He turned his hand, palm up, extended it in a silent request for Flora's own. "I would like to return home for a time. To train the next generation who will lead the Underwater City when Safrin calls me away. And... to rest, for a while. Though it will mean stepping down as your co-ruler."
