SOMNUS
He was not prepared. Nothing could have prepared him for what was about to transpire. The actions, the words. The sight of Kasil turning to look at him, of those brilliant mahogany eyes typically aglow with cunning and brilliance now dull with shadows of the mind and heart, would haunt him for nights to come. No knowing smile laid on the Dawn King’s lips, no spark of joy with recognition shone in his eyes. His presence was an uneasy one, whereas before it had been warm and welcoming. Standing before Somnus now was just a man, a flawed man, but the golden loved him all the same.
Summoning his courage, the regent took a cautious step forward, lessening the distance between them and hoping that his action would not be minded. Alba was silent upon her roost, the tension keeping her tame. Then, his name. His name, followed by the words that rocked the tactician’s axis to its core.
’I am leaving.’
No. No. Terror flooded his veins in a cascade of ice. Verdant eyes widened minutely, stress and uncertainty pulling at his face as he stared at his King. Leaving? Kasil was leaving? Heartache rose unbidden, staunching his fear, clogging his throat and making it hard to breathe. How many? How many beloved Kings would he be forced to lose in his lifetime? Not again.
Just as quickly as the thought came, however, he cast it aside. No. This was not about him. It was about Kasil, and Somnus, ever the loyal servant, would serve his Sovereign. He swallowed hard, calming himself, pushing away the nausea of fear and uncertainty and instead took the plunge to move up to stand at Kasil’s side. He eyed the other man carefully, thinking, desperately trying to find the right words to say. So silver a tongue, so keen a mind, and the words failed him now when he may need them the most.
Somnus inhaled deeply, calming his racing heart, before allowing himself to speak. He needed to stay calm. Collected. Brave. For Kasil. For Delumine.
“Masks are meant to falter, my friend.” It was a truth. A constant. One could only hold a mask for so long before they grew tired and it would need to drop. “And there is no shame when they do.” But Kasil was not done. With patience Somnus listened, eyes rooted on his King’s rich form, loathing the dejection that seemed to cling to him like a burdensome mantle. If only there was a way that he could help...
The crown weighs heavy indeed.
Then, the switch. The shift. Somnus’ lips pursed at Kasil’s final words, brows furrowing, feeling that weight rest upon his own shoulders. ’I need you… To lead where I cannot.’ He was no fool. He knew what that meant. Night was setting on Delumine’s Dawn King… But another was to rise. Somnus did not think himself worthy. He was an advisor. A tactician. His purpose had always been to serve, not to be served. He did not allow the shock to show on his face, instead forcing his expression to remain a pinched neutral in a politician’s poker face.
“... Since the first day I had stepped into Delumine and into this Court, I have served you. You are my King, but you are also my friend.” He hoped that Kasil understood. Somnus did not give such an honor away so freely. “It aches me to see you like this, Kasil. I only wish for you to be well. If abdication is what will help you, if leaving will mend your heart and purge the shadows from your soul, then I will not selfishly beg you to stay.”
He couldn’t.
Somnus took a deep breath to collect his spiraling emotions. To fall apart would not help Kasil, and Somnus was, as always, a most loyal servant. “I will tend to and nourish this Court in your absence. I will serve them, as I have served you, and I will lead them in your stead beneath Oriens’ knowing eyes. That is my promise to you.”
Then, finally, a moment of selfishness. “... I only wish that I could do more.”
@Kasil <3 <3 ilu Dis
