“As the wrangler doing a terrible job of calling a certain mischievous royal to heel, please allow me to extend my congratulations on your new courtship. If you can manage to put up with two Caelums for the evening, Ardyn and I would love to invite you and Somnus for dinner. “ Or just wine. Lots and lots of wine. And a few horribly incriminating stories about a certain person’s youth, naturally.
The implication that Ardyn Lucis Caelum could be wrangled earned an amused little titter and she apologetically waved her hand as if to excuse the reaction. It must have felt like trying to hold water, constantly spilling over cupped palms and draining through fingers — she understood it well. They were, after all, brothers.
"Oh, it won't be a problem managing them." Aerith answered in confidence. She reached to take up and wrap both her hands around Aera's. The hold suggested familiarity and comfort as though they had always been friends. "Those Caelum's will have to watch themselves around us."
She flashed a grin as she closed her eyes for a beat, gently untangling her hold from the Oracle as she straightened her posture again. Of course she understood how privileged she was to intermingle with royalty and nobles, her life had been so suddenly flipped into a tumble of change and she was still finding her footing in these new social circles... But it was people like Aera who made navigating the change easier. Not made to feel different. Or lowborn. Common. Just another person.
"I would be honoured. It's been some time since I've shared a meal with others so intimately," the servant halls were a battle zone, "and if I'm honest, it would be nice to spend time with more people from Som's life. I don't know if you could understand it. Having to steal so many moments away means missing out on time among others."
