Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Aera began to stir, fluttering her eyes open.

The room around her was still pitch black as the sun had not risen yet. She let out a sigh and rolled over in her bed, only to remember that she wasn’t alone. The person next to her was sound asleep who, like her, was completely naked. Her skin felt sticky and she could still smell the sweat from their encounter that took place a few hours ago. The smell of sweat was only enhanced by the person laying next to her. She watched as he buried his head further into the pillow and continued to lightly snore, locked in the deepest of sleeps. She didn’t touch him, she couldn’t bring herself too. Aera shuffled away from him and stared at his form with confusion and disbelief.

Because it wasn’t her fiancée that was laying naked on the bed next to her, it was his brother.

Somnus.

Aera turned away in shame and placed one of her hands on her forehead and silently wept. It had finally sunk in what she had done. What she had done to Ardyn. What she had done to the one person she loved more than anything else in this world. She just had sex with his younger brother while he was away healing the sick and saving Eos. How could she do that to him? Ardyn was the kindest, sweetest, selfless person she knew. The man of her dreams and the person who would stand by her side no matter what happened. And what had she done? The moment he left she jumped into bed with his brother.

Aera gulped and slowly turned her head to look at Somnus. Not surprisingly, he was still fast asleep. His hair was stuck to his face and it looked more of a mess than usual. The covers had long been thrown on to the floor which meant both of them were exposed to the other. Aera could see all of him. His scarred skin from uncountable bloody battles, his strong muscles from years of training, his shaft resting in-between his legs. There was no denying that her future brother-in-law was a looker. He had all the ladies in court drooling when he strutted his way through the palace. She had grown up with both Ardyn and Somnus but she never saw Somnus in that way. Aera only ever had eyes for his brother, and she was lucky enough that Ardyn returned her affections. A dark fog of guilt started to consume her. She wanted to wake Somnus up and tell him to leave. Scream at him to leave and tell him that they were never to speak or do anything like this again. They couldn’t. Ardyn was and would always be the man for her. No one else could compare. She didn’t want anyone else. All she wanted was Ardyn Lucis Caelum.

But last night her mind and body betrayed her. And she fell into Somnus’s arms.

Aera was wide awake now. Because of the guilt, she was feeling, her mind took her back to last night. She didn’t want to remember the sin she had committed. That both her and Somnus had done….

I sniff wiping away my tears as Somnus sits beside me, his arm is draped around my shoulder’s pulling me closer towards him in a comforting hug.

Both of us have been worried sick about Ardyn. He left a few weeks ago and he still hasn’t returned. Before he left, we could tell that he was ill. He looked exhausted and drained, and even at the expense of his physical health he still pushes on. Like always, he left us behind, both Somnus and I. I hate it. All we want to do is help him and he shuts us out. Why can’t he see that we are here for him? It pains me to watch him leave, it pains me to watch him drain himself. This is why I am crying. It’s a mixture of frustration and sorrow.

And because Somnus understands what I am going through, I went to him for comfort. Well, he knew I was upset at dinner and came to find me to ensure that I was alright. I don’t care if Somnus understands, it doesn’t stop me from apologising for the current state that I am in.   

“I’m sorry, Somnus.” I whimper, wiping away more tears.

“There is no need to apologise. I am worried about him too.” Somnus replies in a low voice, rubbing my shoulder to comfort me further.

“I don’t understand why he doesn’t listen to us and rest. He’s going to get himself killed.”

“If you get him to listen it will be a miracle.” Somnus says as he pulls me closer towards him.

This isn’t the first time that we have spoken about Ardyn pushing himself too far. It always pains us to see him suffering. Yet, today we have realised that we might actually lose him to this. It is killing him and there is nothing I can do to help, he won’t let me help. I can’t imagine a life without Ardyn. It’s incomprehensible. If this is hard for me to think about I can’t even begin to understand how Somnus must be feeling. Ardyn is the only family that Somnus has left and his brother has been with him since the day he was born. It must break his heart as much as it breaks mine watching him leave. Watching him hurt himself to save others.    

“I think I need one.” I say as more tears run down my face.

“Come on Aera, no more crying. Ardyn will be alright.” Somnus says trying to reassure me. I am sorry but that isn’t working.

I rest my head on his chest and question his words. “What if you’re wrong? What if he isn’t?”

I hear a loud sigh escape Somnus as he removes his arm from me and slides off the bed. He kneels down in front of me and takes my face in his hands and gently forces me to look at him. My eyes are burning with tears and I have to blink a few times before I can focus on him properly. He looks saddened, yet he has control of his emotions and I really don’t.

“Look at me. Aera you need to stay strong for him. We both know he is sick. And he is going to need the pair of us to help him. I know you can do this for him.”

I shake my head as I attempt to turn away from him. “I can’t Somnus… I can’t watch him do this to himself much longer.”

“Aera Mirus Fleuret, you’re better than this. We have known each other practically your entire life and I know that you are stronger than this. You can hold it together, and you must.” Somnus order’s pulling my face back to look at him. He sounds angry at me. But I know he isn’t. It is the voice he uses to get Ardyn to listen to him, but I know for a fact I can’t do this for much longer. I don’t want to watch Ardyn die…

“No, Somnus I can’t.”

Somnus moves closer to me and brings his face closer to mine so that we are only a quarter of a meter apart from each other. His hands are still resting on my face and he tries again to calm me down. “Yes, you can. Aera, you are a kind, strong, stuck up, independent, bossy, beautiful, intelligent if sometimes a little rude, fierce woman. I know how strong you are, and you need to be reminded of that. Don’t worry I am always here to help you if needed.”  

His words take me off guard and I don’t know how to respond to his kindness. Somnus had always been kind to me just never this kind. His words are genuine, and I could describe it as sweet, and they have made the tears stop leaking from my eyes. I place one of my hands on top of his and stare into his blue eyes. My brain starts to go fuzzy, I think it is from the crying, but now I feel myself being drawn to those midnight blue orbs. I don’t know what to say but my body reacts for me.

“Somnus…”

I whisper before closing the gap between us. My lips tenderly connect with his and they remain there for a moment. His lips taste like cinnamon and they are surprisingly soft. Within three seconds, I see his eyes go wide in shock and he quickly pulls away from me letting go of my face in the process.

I feel my own eyes do the same and we stare at each other. My heart is pounding in my chest and I gulp, hard. I can’t process what I have done. And I don’t think Somnus can either. My mouth opens, and I tried to apologise for my actions.

“Somnus, I am so sorry I don’t know what came over me.”

He doesn’t verbally respond. He continues to stare at me for a few seconds and I think he must hate me. He has to hate me for doing that. I hate me for doing that. That shouldn’t have happened. I look down at the floor in shame and tears begin to fall again. I can’t believe I did that. He was showing me kindness and I too-

I feel a pair of hands latch on to the sides of my face again, and Somnus pulls my head up to look at him. Before I can say sorry, he bashes our lips together once more. This time there is passion behind that kiss. He places one of his hands on the back of my neck and the other weaves through my hair as he pulls me closer. In the heat of the moment, I kiss him back. I grab on to his hair and force his face closer to mine. Our hot breath runs along each other’s lips every time we disconnect them for half a second. The kiss is intoxicating. The sensation is new to me.

It’s new and fiery.

Refusing to let go of me, Somnus rises from his knees and pushes me on to the mattress, our lips still melding together as we devour each other’s lips like a pair of rabid dogs. My hands remain locked in his hair, whereas he slides his down my sides getting a good feel of me. His knees are either side of my pelvis and he straddles himself on top of me. I tug at his hair to get him to kiss me harder and he happily accepts. His wet tongue laps up at my lips, ordering me to open my mouth. When I do, his tongue darts inside and aggressively touches every corner of my mouth. I can’t help but let a small moan out as he runs his tongue along my teeth.  

I am not used to this. I am not used to being the submissive one. Truth be told I like it. I like this new role.

As his tongue is working at my mouth, I feel his hands run from my hips to my stomach, massaging me as he works his way up to my chest. When he reaches my breasts, he removes his tongue and lifts his head away from me. We finally get a good dose of much-needed oxygen into our lungs and we breathe heavily, looking into each other’s eyes. My hands fall from his hair, one goes to the back of his neck as I try to pull him down so our lips can meet once more. And the other goes to the clasps of his cape, unbuckling it, removing the first item of clothing. But he is too strong for me to pull down. Somnus begins kneading my breasts but the fabric of my dress is in the way of our skin connecting. Somnus soon makes short work of that. With both of his large hands, he grabs on to the front of my dress, and in one effortless tug, the fabric tears apart.

The cold air stings my skin as my boobs and my stomach are now exposed to Somnus. He licks his lips and quickly attaches his mouth onto my nipple. I roll my head back in pleasure as he begins to suck, lick and nibble at it. His other hand cups the bare skin of my other boob and he begins to dig his nails into my skin. I can’t keep the sounds at bay and I let out a small noise of bliss as he continues to pleasure me. As thanks for his work, I run my fingers down his spine and with my other hand I leave it on the back of his neck, pushing him closer, so he can carry on biting and licking at my now very sensitive bud.

We don’t remain like this for long. With a pop he lets go of my breast and places rough kisses down my stomach. I can no longer touch his back, so I have to settle for the mess of his raven hair as he makes his way further down my body. I bury my nails into his head when I hear more of my dress being torn apart and more kisses are being applied to the lower half of my lust ridden body. I should feel cold at the sudden lack of clothes, but Somnus’s lips and tongue are setting my skin ablaze. And when he reaches my heat with a simple touch of his chin my body arches up, wanting more. I have been starved of this type of affection for weeks and I can no longer help myself as I beg for him to touch me.

“Please, Somnus…” I plead spreading my legs apart, waiting for him to touch me.

I hear him chuckle. He pushes my legs further apart and locks eyes with me before burying his face into my heat. I groan and raise my head, so I can see him roughly licking at my folds and tease my dripping entrance with his teeth and tongue. Unfortunately, his hair is in the way of my view forcing me to settle with only the feel of what he is doing to me.

Somnus begins to suck at my swollen clit as he begins to poke a finger inside of me. I try to control my breathing, clinging on to his hair tighter as one of his large fingers slowly pushes its way up and gently rubs my walls. It’s not long before I start moaning again. Somnus, who is still lapping and nipping at my heat, starts pumping his finger in and out of me and every time he pulls out of me, he gets quicker and harder with his thrusts. I wail in pleasure as a second finger is inserted and he doesn’t slow down the pace either. I feel myself get tighter as he starts scissoring his fingers inside of me. I can’t help but rock my body in time with the relentless finger fucking. I don’t want him to stop. I want to come like this all over his face but he doesn’t allow that to happen.

His fingers are still working me open but he removes his face from my heat and looks me in the eye.

“Who knew the Oracle likes it rough.” He smirks, inserting a third and final finger and now he is practically hammering them into me.

I don’t reply to him with words. All I can do is let out more moans and cries of bliss, as he has me at his mercy. I grab on to his arm and shoulder so that I can rut harder up against his fingers. He lets out a small laugh at my display as I desperately try to come. He has worked me, all the way down to his knuckles and it isn’t enough. I need his dick inside of me. I need him inside me properly.

“Easy Aera.” He commands in his deep voice, removing his fingers from my heat. I shake my head to show him I disapprove of his actions but it only makes him laugh. With his cum soaked hand, he pushes me back on to the bed and then proceeds to remove his many layers of clothing.

I can’t help but watch with wonder as he unbuckles all the pointless cloth that hangs around his waist and shoulders. My eyes dart to his forearm as he snaps the string holding the leather cuff together and throws it away. He proceeds to unbutton his leather toga and by this point, I have had enough. I sit up and rip apart the buttons from the middle of clothing and work my way down.

“You are very eager.” I can tell he is smirking, he makes me want to punch him in the face sometimes.

“You aren’t quick enough.” I spit, pushing the toga off of him, only to reveal that he is wearing another white piece of clothing underneath that. Before I can growl at him for having too many layers on, he whips off the clothes, revealing everything to me.  

My lust-driven eyes scan his body and I can’t help but touch his muscular chest. His skin is scarred and warm. I kiss his stomach and grab on to his toned arse, rewarding me with a grunt of delight. He doesn’t let me kiss his body for much longer. He lowers his body down, forcing me onto my back again and begins biting my neck.

“OW!” I squeal in pain as the bugger purposely tore open my skin and starts licking the blood that is pouring out of my neck.

“Sorry.” He says in a daze and goes back to kissing my skin and touching my bare legs and stomach with his hands.

Somnus is laying directly on top of me, and the heat of his body only makes my body temperature skyrocket. He has me caged under his body with his dick brushing against my heat, but he refuses to dive into me. I start to get impatient and I grab his cock and it is hard. Rock hard. I feel his breath race down my neck and over my chest as I slowly rub my hand up and down his shaft. He is enjoying this and his short sharp gasps for air prove it.

Grabbing my hand in his own, he makes my hand rub his cock faster. He lets out a sigh before attacking my lips with his teeth, encouraging me to join in with the rough and passionate kisses. I am as lost in my hand as he is and he starts to rock into it. I feel a sticky warm liquid begin to trickle on my fingers and that is when I stop. Somnus growls at me. He doesn’t like the fact I took over. He doesn’t shout though. Instead, he sneers at me.

“Oh, I see… the Oracle wants more attention, does she? Well, I’ll give you what you want my dear, you need not worry there.”      

Somnus goes onto his knees and places both of his hands on my hips. He roughly pulls me towards him and now I am finally getting what I desire. I grip on to his heated shoulders and push myself forward a little. Somnus laughs and removes one of his hands from my hips and grabs onto his cock, guiding it to my entrance.

“Just do it Somnus!” I cry out pulling at his shoulders and forcing both our sex to collide.

Just like that he roughly thrusts into me. My entire body arches up and I scream at the burning sensation of his cock being forced into my raging cunt. He doesn’t let me relax. He places his hands on the bed either side of my head and begins to thrust that rock hard cock into me as hard and as fast as he can.

“SOMNUS!” I scream in pain.

But he ignores me and carries on. I feel so full already and with every thrust he dives deeper and deeper inside of me, making me scream his name. That only drives him to push himself into me harder and rougher than before. I am not used to this at all. The only experiences of sex I have had was done at a slow and steady pace. But Somnus isn’t like that. He is acting as powerful and masterful as he is on the battlefield. He is an animal, taking me brutally and grunting in pleasure as I scream with pain and a hint of bliss. We both start to pant, and nature takes over. I begin to join in with his ruthless thrusts and I dig my nails into his back.

“Good girl!” He moans as he praises me.

 The praise makes me tighten around him and I wrap my legs around his waist so he can pound into me at a better angle. And this angle is so much better and much more intense. The burning has stopped but now Somnus is able to hit that sweet spot inside of me and he doesn’t slow down, not even for a second. 

“That’s a good girl!! You’re… so tight. Just fucking perfect.”

“I need-… Arrgh… I need!” I moan gritting my teeth together, unable to get the words out. I begin to see stars and start to lose focus on what is going on around me. All I can hear is our moans and our skin slapping together in unison and it is becoming too much. I need to come.

“Does the Oracle need to come? Do it! Do it Aera. Prove to the Gods you aren’t the pure innocent girl they think you are. Come for me now!”

His ungodly words push me over the edge. I squeeze around his cock and scream at the top of my lungs, riding my orgasm as Somnus continues to ram himself into me like a bitch. It isn’t long before his thrust starts to become uneven and he loses control.

“FUCK!”

Somnus cries before spilling his hot seed into my now very sore abused cunt.

This feeling is also new. Ardyn has never cum inside me before. He always pulls out last minute and now I don’t think I could go without that hot liquid rushing into me, staining and claiming me, making me feel even more full than before. Somnus and I start to breathe in unison and he rests his face into the nape of my neck as he comes down from his high. I run my hand through his sweaty hair and kiss him on the forehead gently.

We remain like this for a while. Somnus still has his dick firmly placed inside of me, preventing anything from leaking out, and is nuzzling himself into my chest, listening to my heartbeat. I start to feel tired and I am now too hot for this hugging to continue.

I place my hands on his shoulder’s and gently push him off of me. He looks like he is about to fall asleep as well. He rolls off of me and turns his back to me. He is out in seconds. I feel the cum leave my vagina and run down my thigh and on to the bed. I am too exhausted to deal with the mess at the moment. I close my eyes and I follow Somnus into the realm of sleep.       

Aera couldn’t take looking at him anymore. She could no longer handle the guilt of watching him sleep in her bed. In hers and Ardyn’s bed. More tears fall. Not only did she sleep with his brother, but they did it in the bed they shared. Ardyn was never going to forgive this. Aera starts pushing Somnus in the chest and shakes him awake.

“Somnus! Somnus! Wake up!”

“Uurrrhh.” Somnus groans keeping his eyes closed, trying his best to ignore her.

“Get up.” Aera cries and thumps him as hard as she can in the chest.

When she sees his eyes snap open, she gets off the bed and wraps one of the blankets around her, hiding herself from Somnus. He can never look at her again. She doesn’t even know if she will ever be able to sit in the same room as him again without feeling this un-washable sin that both of them created. They were monsters. Complete monsters who had taken the heart of the person they loved the most and crushed it. 

“What?” Somnus grunts holding his chest. He briefly looks around the room and realises what he had just done. The young Lord gaze finds Aera and he sounds confused and angry when he speaks in disbelief. “Aera? What… fuck!”

“You need to get dressed and leave. The servants will be up any minute. And if you don’t want people to talk or Ardyn to find out, you need to go now.” Aera continues to cry, turning her back to Somnus.

Nothing else is said between the pair.

Somnus soon gather’s up his clothes, puts on what he can and exits the room leaving Aera by herself. He feels sick. And when he gets into his own room he is sick. Somnus had hurt the only person he truly cared about beyond repair and there was nothing that he could do or say that could excuse this. What kind of a brother would do that? Somnus was so ashamed of himself that he didn’t leave his room for the rest of the day.

Once Somnus had left Aera fell to her knees and sobbed her heart out, thinking about what Ardyn would say when he discovered their betrayal. He was never going to forgive them.

Never.  

Chapter Text

Aera

I let out a deep sigh as I look out into the gardens. 

The breeze is quite refreshing on my skin as I pick at the soft petals of the Sylleblossom. They’re all red in colour and they remind me of Ardyn. Sadness takes hold of my heart as I touch the tender flower. Usually, I am sad because I miss him. I really do miss him. We haven’t seen each other in weeks and each time he leaves it becomes harder and harder to swallow. Because maybe one day he won’t come back. But no… the sorrow that has consumed me is for a different reason entirely. Looking at the red flower, just reminds me, what I did to my fiancee weeks ago. I betrayed him by sleeping with his brother…

I shake my head and pick up more flowers. I don’t like to remember that night. I don’t like to think about it and by no means have either Somnus or I said a word on the matter since it happened. I feel so guilty and ashamed that I could hurt the man of my dreams like that… I cried my self to sleep for days after it happened. Just picturing the look on Ardyn’s face when he discovered what we did. What we did to him… The thought it too much to bear. I don’t know how long I can keep this secret up fo-  

“Aera.”

I slowly turn around at my future brother-in-law’s voice and try not to look him in the eye. 

We haven’t spoken much, hardly at all since that night. I will openly admit I have been avoiding him so that we didn’t discuss the sin we committed. I have a feeling he has been doing the same. I think the only time we spoke to each other when the Lord and Ladies wanted to talk to us about the needs of the people and what we must do to help those in need. Even than… we didn’t look at each other. If we do maybe our shame and guilt will be put on display for all to see. I can’t have that. I am certain Somnus doesn’t want that either.  

I dare not look at his eyes as I prepare to start a conversation with him. “Somnus. You startled me.” 

“Sorry.” Somnus mutters under his breath. I can see he is very uncomfortable in my presence. I can’t blame him I am uncomfortable too. He clears his throat and brings up the conversation that I have been dreading for weeks on end. “Ardyn is going to be back any day now and we need to talk about what happened.” 

“Somnus I really don’t want too.” I admit, playing with the flowers in my hands. 

The mere thought of carrying this conversation on is making my spine tingle. It’s not a good feeling either.  

Somnus shrugs and in a semi angry tone he responds to my words of protest. “I don’t want to either. But if he thinks for one second that there is tension between us, he is going to want to know and why and try and fix it. That is something I can safely say that neither of us want to happen.” 

I hadn’t thought of that… 

I allow Somnus’s words to sink in and I know for certain he is right. More than right even. Somnus and I are all Ardyn cares about. All three of us have been close since childhood and if Somnus and I suddenly stop talking that… Ardyn will try and find out what happened. He will push for us to makeup, Somnus will snap and then the true nature of our actions will come out. Ardyn’s heart will break and so will mine.  

I slowly nod and clasp the flowers in my hand tighter. Even if I agree with Somnus I can’t shake this guilt. It won’t leave me and if I feel like this, Somnus probably feels the same. 

I lightly say as I stare down at the red flowers. “... What can we say? We’ve hurt him. I feel so guilty I am meant to be marrying him.” 

“How do you think I feel? I am his brother! And I did… we need to put it behind us.” Somnus response in a semi-hostile voice. I know this difficult for him but he has to understand that the act of forgetting that I have broken my love’s heart, is just as difficult for me.  

“I don’t know Somnus. I don’t think I can keep this from him.” 

“I don’t want to. But we have to. He’s not well and just think what this will do to him.” 

Now, it is my turn to be angry. I look up at Somnus’s face, tears streaming and I stare shouting. Lucky for us, no one is around to hear are words of sin. “You want me to go into my marriage, have children with him with this sin we have committed! Marriage is about trust and commitment! I have already destroyed that!”

What Somnus is asking me to do, no matter how right he may be, is selfish and cruel.  So very cruel on Ardyn’s part. We’d be living in sin. Complete and utter sin. Putting Ardyn through that… it is nothing but horrible. I mean, I let Somnus come inside me! Ardyn and I agreed to wait until we got married before we did that as a sign we were ready to have children. Now, I have just thrown that away to his brother. Ardyn won’t forgive me and I know that I do not deserve forgiveness. How? How can I carry on like this? How can Somnus appear so up for the idea of secrecy and sin? I wish I was strong enough to do the right thing and follow through with Somnus’s plan, but a large part of me is telling me I am not. 

I just want to make Ardyn happy. 

A hand appears on my shoulder as more tears fall from my face. I know it is Somnus and when I look up he looks just as sad as me but his face isn’t covered in tears. I know for certain I should recoil away from his touch… but his hand is warm and I know he is only trying to comfort me. 

“If you tell him you won’t get either of those things.” Somnus says in a softer voice than before and again he is more than right.

 If Ardyn knows… I will lose him and any chance of a future with him. Somnus’s relationship with his brother will disappear. I can’t have that on my conscious. No matter how much deceiving Ardyn will hurt. It will hurt more knowing I have destroyed not one but two relationships that my love has. The only two in the world he cares about. My face falls to that of acceptance and I know I must keep the secret and keep it to the grave for Ardyn. Not for me and Somnus. For him, his health and sanity.

“Why did you kiss me?” 

“Huh?” I blink at the abrupt question. Somnus’s face is deadpan and his hand has still not moved from my shoulder. I look at his hand and… I am at a loss for words. I don’t really understand it my self, but it is unfair to not give him an answer. “I don’t know. You were there, and I was sad… why did you kiss me back?” 

Somnus’s grip tightens on my shoulder before his hand drops and flops back to his side. He lets go of a deep sigh and shrugs. “You were there and I was sad and confused.” 

I nod and a part of my brain is screaming at me. It is screaming at me to make one thing very clear to him. I don’t know why, but I feel I have to. I stare into his eyes for the first time in a long time and softly say. “It meant nothing though.” 

“Yes. Nothing.” Somnus nods back in agreement. “Because it meant nothing, do you think you can move on from it?” 

“I do.” I reply. I don’t really have another option. Not if I want to stay with Ardyn and keep him safe and happy, I don’t anyway. 

“I’ll see you at dinner later than.”

Somnus walks away from me and I feel a little better. Not much but a little. It is clear to me he is very serious about making this work. What better way to act normal than start eating together again. When Ardyn returns we will have to do it anyway. So we better start now. 

Dinner was good. 

There was no tension between us and we were able to talk normally. There was still guilt and dread hidden inside me but at least this is better than visibly showing it whenever I was around him. We had something to celebrate that day too. A letter had been sent with a date on it from Ardyn. He claimed that he would be returning in a week and from when the letter was posted that meant tomorrow. That put a smile on both of our faces it was going to be a treat to see my love again. Somnus looked just as excited to see his brother. 

When pudding came out though, something felt different. 

I don’t know if it was the fact my food had started to settle or if we had had too much wine but when I looked into Somnus’s eyes… I got a wave of something come over me. I can’t explain what it was, it wasn’t a bad feeling. It was a good feeling yet it hurt. 

Lucky I didn’t have to stay there long, as Gilgamesh had come in and said that Somnus was needed urgently. Somnus apologised to me and took his leave, leaving me alone. I decided to go to bed. That way I would get to see Ardyn quicker and forget about that good painful feeling that had overcome me some moments ago. 

In the morning, I wait eagerly at the entrance of the palace for Ardyn’s safe return. When I finally laid eyes on my fiance love overcame me. Suddenly, the feeling I felt last night about Somnus had disappeared and I ran over to Ardyn. 

“Ardyn! Ardyn you’re back!” I called out with a smile as bright as the dawn on my face. 

“Hello, my sweetheart.” Ardyn grinned, catching me in his arms and kissing me sweetly. I missed that. I missed his gentle and caring touch. I missed how his stubble felt on my face. I missed how his wild hair fell onto me while we kissed. I missed his warm embrace and now he was finally in my arms again. I pull away from the kiss and he gently rests his hand to my cheek as he looks lovingly into my eyes. “I have missed you, my darling.” 

“I have missed you too. So much.” I try not to sob as I kiss him again. 

I try my hardest to block out what had happened so he can’t guess what I am uneasy and distressed over recent events. Thankfully, our kisses block out any focus on me. But there is something wrong. 

Ardyn is trembling.

I pull away feeling more concerned and hold on to his hands. That is when I take a proper look at him. He looks so pale and tired… what has happened to him?  “Are you alright? You look exhausted.” 

“Nothing a bath and a good dose of sleep won’t cure. Where is my dear brother?” Ardyn shakes his head brushing off my concern. 

He looks so ill… I raise my hand to his face to get his attention. He needs help and support. We were right to be worried about him. He is shaking and cold. Why is he so cold? But the words of worry and concern never leave my lips. As Somnus’s voice ruins that for me. 

“I am here Ardyn.” 

“Somnus! Don’t I even get hugs any more?” Ardyn laughs and walks away from me over to Somnus. 

He can barely stand upright… what is this healing doing to him? I know Somnus sees it too. He meets Ardyn in the middle so he doesn’t have to walk too far and instead of coming up with a sarcastic remark, he openly accepts the hug from his brother. When they hug, Ardyn is putting more weight than he usually would on Somnus. 

“Yeah sorry. Just sleepy.” Somnus response, voice very controlled. 

“When aren’t you sleepy?” Ardyn asks as he pulls away from Somnus and by the look on Somnus’s face, I know Ardyn has caught on to the fact he isn’t well. In his bubbly normal self, Ardyn laughs again. “I am fine.” 

“Honey, let’s get you to bed.” I butt in, before they start to argue. 

Ardyn clearly won’t be able to handle it and Somnus will feel more stressed. I hold on to Ardyn’s arm so he can lean on me as we prepare to make our way to our room. Ardyn needs rest and he needs it now. As I pass Somnus, he mouths something at me. And I can’t argue with him.

The words are: 

Now, do you want to tell him?

No, I don’t. It will probably break him if I do.

Somnus

This party is so fucking boring. I tap my fingers on my chair as I watch everyone dancing around me. I was never one for dancing that is Ardyn’s thing. I’d much rather be sleeping and not having to think about certain things. 

But I can’t for the life of me help it!

I am so angry at myself for making myself feel so goddamn bloody guilty. Ardyn isn’t helping either. He keeps asking to play chess with me, and discuss what went on while he was away, keeps asking how I have been and how Aera has been. Can’t really say much to that. Not after how I behaved. Not after what I did to his heart. Anger starts to rise again as there is nothing I can do to get rid of these unwanted emotions. I just have to suffer with them. It is the best cause of action. Ardyn is far too ill to take this kind of betrayal. 

“Somnus? Brother?” 

“What?” I snap by accident as I look up at Ardyn. 

I don’t know how long he has been saying my name and I don’t really care. This party is for him after all and he should be spending it talking to people not bothering with me moping over something I can’t even talk to him about. I can’t even talk about my feelings to my own brother… how fucked up has this situation gotten?

“Oh, I think someone has had a little too much wine.” Ardyn sniggers at me, as he removes the glass that was next to me. 

I am not drunk. I am just fuming at myself and being distant for that reason. I have only had a few… wait a second! Last time I was drunk Ardyn sent me on my way. He told me to just sleep it off. That is my way out of this place. 

I make my eyes go droopy and slur my speech on purpose. “Nah. I’m ‘ll good.” 

“You sound very convincing.” Ardyn rolls his eyes, as he takes a seat next to me. 

I turned to face him and I know I have to put on more of a show than this to get away. I go for the wine and make sure I miss it on the first attempt. I glance at my brother, who is trying not to laugh at my failure. His laughter is better than the way he will look at me if he finds out what I did…

No.

Don’t think about that. I swipe my hand again and roughly grab the wine glass. There is rage present as I thought about fucking his fiancee in front of him. It is horrible a thought and now I know for certain all I want to do is sleep. “ ‘m fine! See!” 

“Looks like I am going to have to take you to your room.” Ardyn sighs taking the wine from my hand and tries to pull me up.

Thank the gods he has fallen for this trick. 

I have to keep up appearances though, otherwise, he will just embarrass me in front of everyone for lying. I shrug my shoulder and slur my words again. Add in a few made-up words of my own. At this point, I am ready to do anything to getaway. 

“Nah. I can mke my own wya.” 

“Yes, so much so that you can’t speak properly.” Ardyn sighs, keeping his hold on me. 

“Fine. I go meself. You busy.” I protest I don’t really want him taking me to bed. I don’t really want to be in his presence with all the guilt I am feeling. 

“I can spend a few minutes to help you up the stairs.” 

“Ardyn, dear let me do it.” 

My expression fall flat at Aera’s words. Oher than Ardyn she is the last fucking person I want helping me right now. I feel annoyed when Ardyn let’s go of me. Because I know he is actually considering this. Please, brother, don’t let me near your fiancee willingly. Really, at the moment with the shame and guilt I feel, it isn’t a good idea. 

“Sweetheart, he is going to way a tone.” 

“It’s fine you have guests to see to. Come on, Somnus.” Aera smiles at me, taking a hold of my forearm and pulling me away from Ardyn. 

“Thank you, my darling. Somnus try not to be sick.” Ardyn calls out after me. 

I roll my eyes and call back. “Waheevr.” 

I know why Aera volunteered. It is because she wants to try and move on and it’s not like she hasn’t put me to bed before. On my last birthday party, she dragged me through the palace while Ardyn cleared up the mess I made and saved my reputation. If she hadn’t of offered, it might have looked strange. But Aera thinks I am drunk. So as we walk I stumble on purpose and all she does is rolls her eyes at me and tries to keep me upright.

When she puts her hand on my chest something sparks in my stomach and umm… my crotch.

This is why I didn’t want her doing this. I feel so guilty and angry about what had taken place but for the past couple of days I have been having very delightful sinful dreams about the Oracle. Having her hold me up now… those feelings are coming back up and I don’t want to act upon them. The thought of even considering it makes me want to be sick again. She is Ardyn’s fiancee not mine, and what happened was a mistake. It meant nothing. Absolutely nothing. 

That makes me even angrier.

 She opens the door to my room and pushes me inside. I stop the act now and listen as she closes the door behind us. She comes into my line of view and takes a hold of my arm as she smiles at me. 

“There we go. Somnus you have to go to bed.”

“I can move my self.” I shake my head wanting her to leave. 

I can feel my hands grow sweaty as I look at her face. Her eyes… they are beautiful they always have been. Her lips… How much I crave to taste them again. Stop this Somnus! She has to go and I have to get these disgusting thoughts from out of my head. I can’t do that with her in my room. I can’t, but the guilt and shame that I should feel is being erased by the lust that is developing in my eyes and nether regions. This… This isn’t right...

“But you’re going… you’re not drunk at all! Somnus what the hell are you playing that?!” Aera shouts at me, face full of fire and rage.

I can no longer help myself. 

I grab her face like I did before and roughly collide our mouths together. This is so wrong but her lips, they taste just as sweet and soft as they did before. As my mouth still devours hers, I push her up against the wall and keep my grip on her face. Her hands have not found a place on my body and she isn’t retaliating with kisses either. She isn’t doing anything but allowing me to do this. Aera is probably in shock and at a loss of what to do. We did say this couldn’t happen again, and that it meant nothing. And it shouldn’t. She is with Ardyn…

Ardyn.

The thought of him makes me pull away from her lips and gently rest my head against her’s. I won’t blame her if she tells Ardyn about my behaviour. I am just as disgusted if not more than she is. In a whisper, I apologise.  

“I had to do that. Sorry.” 

I am ready to remove myself from her, but her hands latch on to my waist and face and she locks eyes with me. Her eyes sparkle with desire and her voice sounds so dirty as she speaks to me. “Why did you stop?” 

Not wasting another second, I attack her with my lips again and this time she joins in. I push her harder into the wall and bite her as I move one of my hands to her breasts. I squeeze her and get a beautiful noise out of it. She groans into my mouth trying to catch up with my relentless kisses and that only makes me become rougher. I pull at her hair and force her face to look at the ceiling. She seems to be enjoying it, as her grip on my waist gets tighter and she purposely puts a leg into between my thighs. 

I knew she liked it dirty…

I kiss her jawline, and violently lick and kiss her neck as I move her head by her hair to reach what I want. She is making delicious gasps for air as I feel her body heat up. Her knee raises up my thigh and I resist the urge to bite her. I can’t leave a mark on her this time. Not with Ardyn here. Her hands then move to the front of me and she pulls at my leather toga. I try not to laugh at the amount of effort she has put in into trying to get to my cock. It’s kind of cute. 

With sex on the brain, I let go of her hair and chest and lift her up effortlessly. I slam her back harder against the wall and we say nothing as we breathe heavily into my room. She wraps her legs around my hips as she rides up her dress and bates my toga away so we have clear access to each other’s sex. I gulp as we stare at each other, my legs start to shake as I kiss her with less heat and more passion. 

“Aera…” I moan on to her lips. 

“Somnus...” She breathes out heavily and her voice makes my dick grow harder. “We shouldn’t be doing this.” 

“I don’t care!” I say boldly as I lower my hand down to her cunt. Surprisingly she doesn’t stop me. When I touch her, I am more than pleased by what I have caused.  “Fuck woman! You’re so wet already.” 

“I’ve been- like that since… I carried you up the stairs.” Aera admits in a nearly pained voice. It’s from the thought of us having sex not me touching her. I do feel guilty for doing this… but I need her. I crave her and in some messed up twisted way I think she feels the same. 

I easily poke two fingers inside her and her body arches into mine as I roughly pull in and out of her. I smirk at my work and devilish say. “For me.” 

“Hrrgh!” 

She moans and my thrusts get faster and faster as insert another finger. Like the last time we did this, she starts rutting into my cummed soaked hand as she moans in pleasure. I don’t need to prep her for long. She is already so soaked and clearly ready for my cock. I go close to her ear and whisper lustful dirty words.

“Does the Oracle want daddy’s cock?”

“Yes!” she cried out, trying to fuck herself on my three fingers and I chuckle at her neediness.

“Yes, what?!” I question, purposely taking my fingers out of her. 

“Yes, Daddy!”

I can no longer tease her. 

I take a hold of my angry red cock and line it put with her dripping wet pussy. I push the tip in and Aera does the rest for me. We both groan as I enter her warm walls and I am brutal as I pump myself inside of her. She starts to moan and cry out as I bash her back hard against the stone and I keep up my relentlessly deep thrusts. My cock gets harder and harder as her legs wrap around me tighter and I ram myself into her fast and deep.  

“Oh my Gods I have missed your tight cunt!” I grunt pushing my lips into her neck as I force my way into her. 

“Hrrrgh! Somnus!” She cries grabbing onto my hair as I brutally take her. 

Our breathing increases by the second as I pound into that deliciously tight cunt and when I lock eyes with Aera again, her face is showered in nothing but pleasure and need. She wants me. She wants me to come inside her again, I can see it in her eyes. I take one of my hands and violently rub her clit while keeping up with the same deep and hard rhythm I have been using to royally fuck her. She can’t help but let out another series of heavenly moans as I destroy her innocence again. 

Deep. Hard. Brutal.

The way that we clearly both love it. 

“Do you like that?” I grit my teeth through a series of groans. “Does the Oracle want daddy to come inside her? Does she want to it hard and rough?” 

“YES!” Aera screams hitting her head against the wall, coming undone as I continue to ram into her. Her cum is warm on my cock and I carry on pleasuring her and myself as she screams at me. “Come inside me! Please Somnus! Please!”

Her begging makes my dick pulse and through uneven thrust and a throaty moan, I release into her. I give her a few more deep and forceful thrusts as I collapse into her chest. I have to push my body up against her’s hard, so I don’t drop her. Our breathing is the only thing I can hear as she strokes my sweaty hair with her fingers. I am never going to grow tired of this. I will never grow tired of fucking the Oracle. I don’t care if she is my brother’s I want her. I need her. She has become like a drug and as I pull my face up to hers, she is the one that kisses me. 

My dick is still inside her as kisses my lips, my nose, my cheek. She ever so slightly shuffles her glorious hips and my cock starts to become hard again in her swallow mind-blowing needy cunt. I want to do this again. By the looks of it and her tongue that keeps trying to dart inside my mouth, I know she does too. 

Oh shit. 

This has just become fucking complicated.  

Chapter Text

Aera:

I rest my forehead against my forearms trying my hardest not to make a sound as Somnus brutally takes me from behind. I can feel the pillar, that I am leaning on, begin to bruise my arms as I am roughly pushed into the stonework with every mindblowing deep and powerful thrust he forces into my heat. I am doing my best to keep the noises down but the slap of our skin colliding seems 100 times louder than normal and it is nearly impossible not to grunt and moan as he is directly hitting that sweet spot inside my walls. I turn my head to look at him and Somnus looks as hungry as he did when he grabbed my wrist and pushed my back up against the pillar moments before. He looked as starved as he did when he forced our lips together and lifted up my dress, before twirling me around to claim me yet again. But it is too risky here for me to make a noise. It is far too risky for us to be having sex here. Anyone could walk passed.

“Somnus, arrgh! We are going to- get caught! Oh Gods!” My warning turns into a series of blissful moans as he gets harder and faster.

Somnus grunts through his sharp and deep thrusts. “Let them! You’re so fucking good!”   

It is so intense and he feels so good ramming himself into me. My breathing gets heavier as I pant in delight, my entire body sets ablaze as his grip on my hips gets tighter, and as I feel his dick pulse and dart inside of me I throw my head back and release a very loud lustful moan. I try to catch my breath but it was all in vain. My hot and heavy noises are carried throughout the hall and echo back to me. It is just so fucking good! I can’t help myself any longer. 

“More! Please! Faster! Please!” I cry trying to make Somnus hammer into my faster. He does. He becomes very aggressive with his thrusts as he buries his nails into my hips through my dress. “Oh! Yes! Argh! That’s it! Fuck!”     

I don’t realise how loud I am being until one of Somnus’s large hands covers my mouth to drown out the squeals of bliss he is forcing out of me. “Shh! Be a good girl for daddy and keep those noises down.” 

With his hand still on my mouth, he wraps his strong arm around my waist and pushes my chest flat against the pillar with his dick still buried deep inside of me. I scream into his hand as he is in so deep now. So fucking deep! I am lifted into the air ever so slightly as he ruts into me harder than before. His molten breath covers my ear as he continues to pant and grunt. I feel so bloody full and I want to scream his name as he continues to ruin me up against this pillar. What makes this even more exhilarating is that we are in the middle of the courtyard anyone could walk past and there is not a thing we can do about it. Suddenly Somnus gets faster again and I am forced to grip onto the large pillar as my body violently shakes under his monstrous thrusts! 

Somnus leans in closer to my ear as I whimper in pure bliss at what he is doing to me. “You don’t want anyone to know what I am doing to you, do you? That I am fucking the Oracle as hard as I can cause she likes being taken brutally. You’re so fucking- perfect! Ah!” 

I do! I do! My breathing increases and I start to see stars as I near my climax. I throw my head back into his shoulder as my body stiffens and I spew my hot juices over his cock. I scream his name into his hand and take in a series of deep and heavy breaths as he continues to pleasure himself with my body. I love it. I can’t get enough of it. Somnus than removes his hand from my mouth and places his hands on my hips again, still battering that sweet spot inside of me with his rock hard dick. 

“Oh!” I moan unable to want or deny any and all pleasure this man is giving me. “Arrgh! Som-Som-Somnus! Hrrrgh!!!” 

“Fucking Hell!!!” Somnus grits his teeth, resting his head against the back of mine while he executes his final thrusts before releasing all of his seed inside of me. His groans fill the courtyard as he slowly let’s go of me and slips out of me with ease. 

My breathing is short and ragged, I am trembling from the high I was given as my dress falls back down to my ankles. I rest my aching body up against the pillar as I reflect on what Somnus and I actually did. We just had sex in a very public place and as far as I am aware no one came by. I am so embarrassed and a little shaken up by that. I have never had sex in a public area before but I have had sex with Somnus countless times now. We have been at this for around a month now, and every time I start to come down from this glorious high I am granted from him, I am hit with a massive wave of guilt. I am letting myself continue to betray my fiance by shagging his younger brother. I know I should stop. I know that the second time, at Ardyn’s welcome home party, should never have happened. I should have never of asked for more. I shouldn’t have admitted being so close to my future brother-in-law makes me horny. But he does. He really does. It is so wrong. So, so, so, wrong, however, I can’t get the hungry look of Somnus out of my head. Nor can I forget the way he makes my body feel when he plants himself inside of me and rides me like there is no tomorrow. Or the way my skin prickles and heats up just by him touching me. It is wrong, it is cruel, it is a sin but at the same time it is so mindblowing good, I need more of him. 

I push my sweaty hair away from my face as I hear Somnus ruffling around with his clothes and that’s when I feel it. His hot salty seed running down my thighs. Not again… fuck! This isn’t good. I slowly turn around and look him dead in the eye.     

“Somnus, I thought we agreed not to do that anymore.” I say with a bit of annoyance. 

“What did you want me to do? Spill out all over the floor?” Somnus complains in a harsh whisper back at me. 

“Of course not. It’s just risky that’s all.” I shake my head and straighten out my dress. 

I see his point though. If he did pull out and went all over the floor, it would be so much harder to clean up. There would be explaining to do and not to mention people would start to talk who Somnus was doing it with in the courtyard! My point is equally as important as his though. Getting pregnant with anyone’s baby that isn’t Ardyn’s is not something that can ever happen. Yes, we might not have been careful the first two times of part-taking in this stupidly addictive traitorous activity, but we learnt from that. I mean it is one thing sleeping with Somnus but I want Ardyn’s children. Not his. We can’t do that again no matter how convenient it may be, that can’t happen again. Let’s face it, this shouldn’t even be happening. Now the guilt is building up in my chest and I can no longer bring myself to look at Somnus. 

I know we have to stop. We have to stop before Ardyn gets hurt… We have to stop.       

“Who knew the Oracle whined so much. Here.” I hear Somnus’s vexed tone before something white is shoved in front of my face. It’s a cloth. Oh, so why couldn’t he have released on to that? 

Nevermind. 

I take the white cloth from him and start to wipe my legs to remove his cum off my skin. All the while I don’t look at him. I can’t bring myself to look at him while I poorly clean myself up. I hand it back to him in silence but I don’t move. Somnus put the cloth in his armiger and than proceeds to look around the courtyard in case anyone walks by. It is probably pointless checking but it is better to be safe than sorry I guess. Who am I kidding, this is terrible what we are doing. Absolutely terrible. 

Somnus gestures for me to follow him and I do. 

Again, I know I shouldn’t. I should go a separate way to him. However, we are both late for dinner and if we don’t turn up soon a search party will be ordered and Gilgamesh will come and find us. Thinking about Gilgamesh makes a shiver run down my spine and it isn’t a good one. For Somnus and Gilgamesh are very close. He is Somnus’s mentor, his best friend, his second brother even, so does he know what we have been doing behind Ardyn’s back? Does he know the sin that we are both stained with and will continue to be stained with until the day we die? That thought is not a welcoming one. However, the thought of Somnus pounding into my heat and making me beg for him shouldn’t be a welcoming one either… but it is. 

That hurts me so much. So much to know that I am happy to do this, despite knowing how much trauma this will inflicted upon the man I truly love when he finds out. I know he will find out. We are both fools if we think he won’t.    

“Sorry, if I was a little rough.” Somnus mumbles. 

I turn to him and notice he is at least a half a foot away from me. I nod politely at him. “It’s okay.” 

There is a brief pause before he speaks again. “Tell me if it’s not though.” 

“I will.” 

What I should have said was: ‘Actually Somnus we need to put a stop to this. You need to focus on finding a wife and I need to support my fiance while he goes out on pilgrimages for the greater good of Eos. I also need to focus on my role as Oracle.’ But for some reason, I fear, that those words will never leave my mouth. Because I know for a fact my body is comfortable being plowed into by this marvel of a man. That the worst part of me wants this to continue. That the cruel and selfish side of me doesn’t care for the consequences of our actions. That the fear of getting caught just drives me forward to let Somnus touch me more. The thoughts running through my head are evil. I know they are and they are making me feel sick. 

As we sit at the table and eat, I hardly touch my food. I talk to Somnus with all the politeness I can offer, but I am hurting. I still can’t really look at him either. But I know he is looking at me. He is more than likely trying to figure out what is going on through my head. To be honest it doesn’t take a genius to figure it out. I know I need to stop having sex with Somnus. I know I need to put Ardyn first. 

But I don’t want too…

How uncaring is that? 

Very.

It is so very truly uncaring and nasty of me. But Somnus’s eyes… the way his body feels on top of mine. The way he falls asleep practically every time we do it, the way he is rough with me as we have sex, the way he passionately kisses me and behind each kiss, there is nothing but fire. The touches ignite my body and I can’t escape the need for more.  

I can’t get it out of my head. 

I can’t get him out of my head.

Somnus:  

“I should stop, shouldn’t I?” 

It is more of a question to myself than to Gilgamesh but this nasty and distressing feeling that has been building up in my chest for months now has not gone away. I need advise. There is no chance I would ever go to Ardyn with this. I can’t anyway, he isn’t here. He’s out protecting the country and healing the sick. While he is doing that I am fucking his fiancee at any given chance I get. I am such a nice brother. Aera won’t like it I have told Gilgamesh. She will probably hit the roof but to be honest I don’t care. I needed to get this out. I needed to tell someone and I trust Gilgamesh with my life. He is the only one, other than Ardyn, that I would allow to tell me what to do. I really hope he gives me something useful to work with. Because I don’t think I can take much more of this. I can’t take much more of being around her and all I see is her naked body. Why is this happening? Why am I craving her? 

“You know the answer to that already.” Gilgamesh says lightly. 

That’s not fucking useful. “Yes, I know. But I have come to you for help.” 

“Somnus, I can’t help you with this. Only you and Aera can help yourselves. You know what you should do.” 

I roll my eyes at Gilgamesh’s words and slouch back into my sofa. I breathe out heavily as I look to the ceiling and I want to close my eyes to go to sleep. But I can’t do that. Because I know exactly what I should be doing instead.  

I should go to Aera right now and tell her we need to end this. That it will kill Ardyn if he ever finds out what we are doing to him. What we continue to do to him whenever we get a free moment in our busy lives. That I feel disgusted with myself every single time we lay together. That I know how much Ardyn loves her and that is something so special and she will never find love that she has with him anywhere else. That I feel so riddled with guilt that I am finding it hard to sleep at night because of it. But I can’t bring myself too. The thought of ending this… it seems hollow. I honestly don’t want it to end. Aera Mirus Fleuret had become a drug to me. She is too addictive for me to shake off. The way her body collides against mine as we have sex, the way she laughs when I tickle her, the way she kisses my forehead after we do it. The way her eyes sparkle with lust before we kiss… she is so addictively beautiful and somehow the thought of ending it hurts so much more than the thought of hurting Ardyn.

ARRRRHHHH!!!

I pick up the nearest cushion to me and throw it across the room in a second of rage that has suddenly taken hold of me. I hear the glass shatter as glasses of wine hit the floor and the table falls over. I breathe out heavily running my hands through my hair at my ungodly words. I am a monster for thinking that! I am truly horrible and vile and not worth a fracture of my brother for even thinking that!   

“Why is this so fucking complicated!” I shout, unable to hide my emotions. 

I am so angry with myself. I am so mad. I just… ARRGHHH! This isn’t fair! I take in a lot of deep breaths to try and relax myself, but my words keep spinning around my head. I wish they would stop. I wish I could stop shagging her. I wish Gilgamesh would be a fucking useful friend and just confirm to me what I am doing is so very, very, very wrong. Why won’t he help me!

I hear Gilgamesh walk over to the table and pick it up. I don’t know why he is bothering the servants will do that later… He clears his throat and speaks words of sympathy at me. “It doesn’t need to be complicated Somnus. You know the difference between right and wrong.”

“But it is complicated! I can’t get her out of my head! Believe me, I have tried!”

“You haven’t tried very hard if you are still sleeping with her.” 

Alright, you cocky git , I say in my head as I sigh. “Look. I understand this is wrong. I know this has to end but I don’t want it too.” 

I hear Gilgamesh walk over to me. I want him to grill me. I want him to pick me up, slap some sense into me and tell me what an envious selfish nasty brother I am. I shouldn’t really be calling myself Ardyn’s brother anymore. I know for certain he would never do this to me. Never in his wildest dreams would this sin ever cross his mind. If it did, he would confront me straight away and tell me. That way there wouldn’t be any resentment between us. There would be nothing but honesty, and I can’t do that. I can’t bring myself to be the better person. I am starting to hate myself because of it. Gilgamesh kneels down beside me, I turn my head ever so slightly to look at him and I don’t see disappointment. I see... pity? Why is he pitying me? 

“You see this is your problem. All you have to do is figure out why you don’t want to stop,” He says calmly. I don’t like the way he phrased that. 

I choke on a laugh at him. “What?! I don’t want to stop because she is addictive. That’s the reason.”  

“Really, because I think it is something much deeper than that.” 

“What are you suggesting?” I say with anger coating my voice. I don’t like where this is headed.

“That maybe this is no longer lust, Somnus. You getting defensive is just a clearer indication of your true feelings towards Lady Aera.” 

“What?! What feelings?! She is my brother’s fiancee! I don’t feel anything other than lust for her! I shouldn’t even feel that! I should feel happy for her and Ardyn! I don’t have or feel anything for her!” I scream in his face. 

No! That’s not… 

I don’t! I can’t feel anything other than happiness for her! That’s how it should have remained and I should have never of kissed her back when she was crying! We were both in vulnerable states and we took advantage of each other’s emotions. This is so wrong! This is so messed up! I don’t have feelings for her! I don’t!

Gilgamesh holds the bridge of his nose and stands up. “Stop lying to yourself. Get some sleep and think about it tomorrow. When you figure out what is going on… come and find me.” 

My shield leaves me to my thoughts and I don’t like what is forming in my mind. All I can think about is her. All I can see is her. All I want to do is touch her body and pleasure myself with her. That’s not love. That is lust, right? That is all this is. That is all this can ever be. Me, lusting over my sick brother’s fiancee and I have to sit back and watch her and Ardyn be happy together. That’s what needs to happen. It has to end. I can’t… I can’t allow Gilgamesh words to be true. I can’t allow this to escalate any further than it already has. This has to end tonight. Aera needs to be with Ardyn and Ardyn needs Aera. They are perfect for each other. They loved each other. That is how it has to stay. And I love Ardyn. I don’t want to cause him any heartache. I don’t want to cause him pain. 

That’s when I stand up and make my way to Aera’s and Ardyn’s room. Right now I don’t care if I am seen heading that way. I am not heading out to do anything wrong I am on my way to fix the mess that I half created. I need to fix this. It needs to end and she needs to be with Ardyn and we need to stop having sex. No matter how passionate it gets. No matter how tight her hot cunt is around my cock. No matter how soft her lips are against mine, no matter how much I love the smell of her sex before I lap up her sweet juices- 

No! 

Somnus hold it fucking together! She is Ardyn’s not mine! She is my brother’s! 

And saying that, even if it is in my head, hurts so fucking much…

I knock on her door and she quickly answers. I don’t give her time to speak as I barge my way into the room where all of this began. That’s fitting because it is ending tonight. It is never happening again and she needs to understand that. I need to make this clear to her.     

“This can’t continue.” I blurt out. “We have to stop. We have to stop now!” 

She stares at me, she almost looks frightened. I know that is my fault. I can’t control this anger for myself anymore. I can’t… 

“Somnus, calm down please.” She asks sweetly, and I throw it back in her face. 

“NO! You are marrying my brother. This is wrong! You know it is!” I shout. 

“I know… I know this has to stop.” She replies in a whisper, walking closer towards me. 

“Then why didn’t it before! Why didn’t we just stop when we agreed this was nothing! Why are we doing this to him!” I am closed to tears with anger and frustration. I am close to tears with the hate I am feeling towards myself. Ardyn is my brother…  the one person who has always loved me… and I can’t bring myself to stop shagging the love of his life. What a waste of space I am. What a terrible nasty, horrible twat I am!

I feel her hand touch my arm and I want to bat her away. I want to scream at her not to touch me but as I go to do that, I look into her gorgeous eyes and I… a wave of emotion hits me. And it’s not lust this time. Gilgamesh was right this has gone far beyond lust, well it has for me at least. For her, I don’t want this to be anything but passion. I want her to love my brother. 

But why does that hurt? Why does wanting her to be with Ardyn, the person she is meant to be with, hurts?   

“I know we can’t. I am sorry that this keeps happening I truly am.” She whispers again, a single tear runs down her face and I can not resist the urge but to run my thumb along her cheek. 

I wipe away the tear and continue to stare into her dazzling eyes. I mutter softly. “Don’t cry. Don’t be sorry.” 

“All I feel is guilt Somnus. Don’t you feel that? Don’t you feel horrible for what we are doing?” She questions me with more tears running down her face. 

And that… that is the most painful thing I have seen or felt all day. 

Without thinking I kiss her lips tenderly. There is no hot lust behind it. There is only love. I don’t know or care if she feels the same. I just can’t have her crying. I can’t see her cry. I pull away from her and I gulp at her. I can feel warm sweat run down my back… I have never felt like this in her presence before.  

“I feel guilt too. But I can’t stop.” I admit, wanting to kiss her again. 

She nods and softly says. “Neither can I.” 

With that said and done, she is the one that bashes our lips together. She is the one that pushes me to the bed. She is the one that is in control this evening as she slides her face down to my crotch. She is the one that takes my aching member out of my clothes and wholly puts it into her mouth. She is the one that is causing me to moan and groan her name like a prayer. She is the one that is causing me to tangle my fingers into her soft golden hair as I pull at her to go faster and suck me harder. She is the one that hums over me as I rut into her skull, utterly desperate to cum into her mouth. She is the one is licking my shaft as I beg her to go faster. 

Oh Gods! She is perfect. Truly perfect in every way. I don’t want this to end.  

I can’t… I can’t end this…

Not when we both don’t want too.

Not when we both need to carry on...     

Chapter Text

Somnus:

Last time we nearly got caught. 

I had her in my chambers laying naked, spread open across my bed when a servant knocked on the door. In a panic, I had to find whatever was available to me. I wrapped a blanket around myself as Aera tried desperately to try and put her clothes back on. Thank the bloody Six that the servant didn’t walk into my room without permission and that Aera had the sense to get under the bed as I opened the door. It was very clear what had taken place in my room but it was anyone’s guess who was with me. I wouldn’t usually care. I have been caught like this many times before, by Gilgamesh, by Ardyn, by the servants, by Aera even, but this time it is different. I had the Oracle in my bed and there was no way anyone would ever keep that a secret. Gilgamesh was, but he was about the only person I trusted with this knowledge, no matter how much he disapproved of it, I know he would never rat me out to Ardyn. He wouldn’t rat me out to anyone. That is the type of loyalty that you can never buy. The same loyalty that Ardyn is under the illusion we share. I wish we still had that between us. I wish I had that bond with him again but… I am fucking the woman of his dreams… I don’t deserve it from him. Not anymore. Thankfully, Ardyn isn’t here and the servant didn’t question me. They simply asked me what I would want for dinner and then was on their way. I would have carried on having sex with Aera if the sudden knock hadn’t killed the atmosphere. We decided to leave it there and meet up again in the morning. 

That is what we are doing now. 

Dawn is breaking in the east as Aera and I walk through a field full of white Sylleblossom’s and I don’t understand why I agreed to venture out in the wilderness so goddamn fucking early. I should be in my bed asleep. Not walking out here to get some privacy so I can fuck Aera deep and hard. It’s not that I don’t want too. I have already decided that she is too irresistible to me and Gilgamesh was right. I don’t lust for her anymore. It’s not a need, I don’t crave her as she craves me. I would just like to spend time with her. Be close to her, sex isn’t even the first thing on my mind anymore when I look at her. It is so wrong of me to look at my brother’s fiancee in this way. I mean it was so wrong of me to kiss her back when she stupidly kissed me the first time. But we are here now. We have walked about 20 minutes away from the castle to have sex and I am not about to back out or pass up the chance to be close to her. 

Ardyn is a fool to leave her to go and heal the sick. 

He really is…

“Here will do.” I hear her voice as she grabs the front of my clothes and kisses me forcefully. 

I place my hands on her hips and join in with the glorious touches that her lips are coating my face in. Her beautiful hands fumble around with the front of my clothes and remove any and all clothing she can without my help. Aera has become far less submissive as the months have progressed and has been insisting that I start to undress first. I do wear a lot of pointless shit. I pull her closer to me wanting to feel her body next to mine as I dart my tongue into her mouth. I love doing this to her. I love hearing her moan as I run my tongue along her teeth and lips. I love the noises she makes as I move my hand from her left hip and hike up her dress so I can start to prepare her. Not like I need to do that anyway. She is always so wet when I penetrate her with my fingers. As I rub my thumb on her clit, she arches up against my ever-growing erection and I let out a small groan myself. 

“Somnus…” She moans out, eyes coated with lust as she pulls away from our kisses to look into my eyes. 

I pull and push my fingers in and out of her quicker than before and rub her faster as I stare into those beautiful eyes. I am mesmerised by them. She truly is a gift from the gods. I breathe out slowly wrapping my arms around her waist and viciously begin to pleasure her with my fingers. “Aera… say my name again.”

“Somnus…” She moans without hesitation. “Somnus! Oh, ah, arrgh, right there. Yes! Oh!” 

“Why do you do this to me?” I ask her in a whisper as I run my lips down her soft neck. I find the beating pulse and begin to suck it as she lets herself fall into me. She is heating up and she is clenching herself around my fingers. Way is she like this?! Why does she drive me to want her?! This isn’t fair! 

She lets out a grunt and rocks herself against my thrusts. “I can ask you the same thing.” 

I laugh and stop kissing her neck. I need to be inside her now. I need her screaming my name as I pound her into the floor below us. I remove my fingers from her heat and just tear off all the clothes I have on my being. Thankfully, Aera decided she wanted to do this behind a rock so at least we are covered a little bit. It is a little chilly this morning, but I don’t feel the winds cool temperature as it bashes against my scarred skin. My body’s heat is rising as I watch Aera take off her dress and reveal her all to me. 

A shiver of pleasure runs down my spine seeing her in all her heavenly glory and my cock thinks so too. When she smiles at me and places her hands on my shoulders, I find it so hard not to pin her to the ground and destroy whatever innocence she has left. I give her a devilish smirk, holding her naked form close to my own as I grab my aching cock and rub it against her clit. I see her face turn pink and she opens her mouth to let those angelic moans surface. Just as I am about to eat her lips, her soft fingers press up against my lips. I give her a puzzled look. 

What on all of Eos is she up too?

“Somnus, I want to top this time.” She says breathlessly. 

By Ifrit’s burning embers that is fucking hot!! 

We haven’t done it when I have been at her full mercy yet. I will admit I get too carried away and fuck her with everything I am. But the idea of her topping and having control over me, my dick twitches in my hand and on her clit at the idea. It sounds perfect. 

I nodded slowly and that was her cue to slowly push us to the floor. 

I lay down with my back breaking the white flowers as she straddles herself on top of me. Both of her knees are either side of me as I grab on to her hips as she places one of her hands onto my shoulder’s and with the other, she grabs my leaking cock to position us in the right place. As the tip of my dick pokes at her entrance I slowly pull her down and impale her with my raging cock. She pants slowly as she settles in all the way down to the hilt. Once we are both satisfied that everything is in place she rests both of her hands on my shoulders and kisses me with fire. I want to pull at her hair to make the kiss so much deeper but I keep my hands on her exposed hips instead. With a single roll of her hips, I moan out into the abandoned field. Aera gasps at the sensation too and it is clear to me what she had decided this time is going to be like. I meet her with slow and deep thrust as she rolls herself onto me and oh my fucking Astrals! This is so fucking good! Her breathing is brushing all over my neck as she pushes me down and slowly but forcefully bashes me into the floor. I have never had such calm and caring sex with her before and this is what this is. It is so new to me and I love it. I love the fact she is in control of me. Telling me with her hips when it is time for me to buck up to hit that sweet spot inside her. I love the fact she is making me grunt and whisper her name as only the flowers bare witness to this love-making. 

“Arrgh.” I grunt out and in my lust ridden state, I put more force on to her hips and she pants at the roughness.

Suddenly she stops and breathes out heavily onto my lips. “Somnus please let me do this.”

I raise my hand to her face and tenderly brush away the strands of yellow hair. She is so breathtaking. “I will. Sorry.” 

She slowly connects our lips together again and it is so… deep. It is so intense but in the most calmest loving way possible. I pant into her mouth as she starts rocking onto my dick again. I move my hands back to her hips as she continues to have control over this. As she continues to bite my lips and make my dick swell deep within her hot and tight walls. She starts to moan louder than before and gradually she gets faster but the love is still there. It’s not rough but it is so captivating as I see her boobs bounce up and down in front of me, and hear her sharp gasps fill my ears as our skin gently slaps together. 

I groan and try to stop myself from getting too violent with my thrusts. “You’re so fucking, arahh, beautiful woman!”     

She giggles through her lust-filled moans. “Daddy… Oh! I need! I need you…” 

I experiment with taking control from the bottom and unlike before Aera doesn’t protest, her nails dig into my shoulders and she bites her lip as I seemingly take control.

“Do you like that?” I ask, getting harder and pushing her hips down faster than before. 

“More! Please daddy… Oh! Arggh! I need more!” She pants again, rutting onto me faster to get me to increase my own speed. I give into her wimps. I will always give into her. 

I lift up my legs and somehow I am able to get deeper inside of her. We both moan and stop so we can adjust to the new position. Now it becomes so much easier for me to fuck her brains out. I bury my nails into her hips as hard as I can and ram into her with all my might. She pants and screams my name into the field just like I wanted her too. I see her eyes roll back as she is about to come and I feel her body go numb as she comes down from releasing all over me. I begin to pant feeling myself reaching her level but I know I have to pull out. I place my legs down and roll her off me. I take my aching cock into my hand and pump myself vigorously as I grunt and pant with delight. I look up and catch Aera staring at me as I pleasure myself and that is what tips me over the edge. I spill out all over the flowers, thank fuck they are white, and just managed to miss our clothes. 

As I come down from my high, Aera puts her dress back on. That is acceptable I guess. We do need to get going soon. I get a cloth from out of my armiger and clean myself up before getting dressed too. Once I am fully clothed, Aera helps me to my feet and we start walking back.   

I want to put my arm around her. I want to hold her close as we travel home but that would be pushing this a bit too far. This is all still a game for her. This isn’t some romance story about forbidden love, this is getting what she needs when she requires it. This is me playing the part of the bad guy as I take my brother’s girl and shag her until she can hardly breathe. This can’t be anything but that. But to me, this is something much more. This is something I wish to continue for however long I can. This is me looking at Aera with nothing but love and wanting the affection returned. I know it will never be. I know she only has room in her heart for Ardyn and that is how it has to be. That is what I have accepted. I am the side piece and Ardyn is the real deal for her. 

Does that make me envious that Aera’s true feelings aline with him? Yes. 

Does that make me hate on my brother for letting a woman like her slip through his fingers? Yes.

However, I will never show my true feelings. I will never act upon these emotions. She is Ardyn’s. She is Ardyn’s.

“Somnus? Are you okay?” Her voice drags me away from my thoughts. 

I nod. “Yes. Just sleepy. Maybe let’s not do this so early again.”

“You are always tired!” She laughs at me as we enter the castle together.   

I love her laugh. I love everything about her. I love her hair, her smile, her dress, her soft body, her lips, her eyes, the way she orders me and Ardyn about. And I can never say any of this to her. I can never truly admit anything that is going around my head. 

“Somnus! Aera!” 

My blood runs cold. Because that is Ardyn’s voice. 

I look up and he is standing before Aera and myself smiling away. 

FUCK!

Aera:

“Ardyn!” I gasp at the sight of him. 

I want to cry. I want to run and find a dark pit to lay in. Ardyn wasn’t supposed to be back. We hadn’t heard anything from him and now he has just caught Somnus and I coming back from an intense lovemaking session. I slightly move away from Somnus and walk over to Ardyn. My chest tightens and he just looks so happy. What am I doing? What have I done? Just an hour ago I was begging his brother to fuck me and now, here is my fiancee standing before me, looking at me with nothing but love… what cruel fate is this? What cruel torment have Somnus and I just inflicted upon ourselves? But I can not show my worry and panic right now. I need to be happy to see the love of my life. And I am, but I just pray my body can express that.  

I wrap my arms around him and smile at him, hoping he will not know anything is wrong. “I didn’t know you were coming back today, my love.” 

“Thought I would surprise the pair of you.” Ardyn laughs at me as he holds me close. That is nice. It is nice to be back in his gentle arms again. With me still in his arms, he looks over to Somnus and askes something me and Somnus both dread to hear. “Where have you two been?”

“For a walk, my love.” I say, smiling trying to come up with a good excuse. 

“A walk? Somnus you went for a walk before breakfast?! Are you quite well?!” Ardyn asks sounding very surprised by my statement. 

Yes, I can see why he would be surprised by that. Somnus isn’t exactly the most proactive of people unless it comes to fighting and umm… sex. He is very awake when it comes to both of those activities. No, I shouldn’t be thinking about fucking Somnus when I am safe in Ardyn’s warm loving arms. It makes me feel more guilty. But what unease’s me is Somnus’s lack of response to Ardyn.

I turned to face him and gulp. Somnus isn’t looking at me. He isn’t looking at Ardyn and he is looking down at the floor and anger is plastered across his face. Oh no… I really hope he is okay and doesn’t blow this whole thing up. Whatever is going on through Somnus’s head, he needs to snap out of it and answer Ardyn’s question.  

I clear my throat and try to get his attention. “Somnus?” 

“Som.” 

“What?” Somnus mutters when Ardyn says his name, it almost looks like he has come out of a dream. And thank the heavens that Ardyn thinks so too. 

“My, my, the fresh air must-have scrambled your brain up.” 

“Yeah. Must of. It’s good to have you back, brother.” 

Somnus lets go of a small smile at Ardyn and I think it is fake. No, I know it is fake. Somnus is not happy to see Ardyn at all. Whereas my fiancee is blinded by the love he has for the pair of us and can not see Somnus dislike for him being present. He can not see the discomfort I am feeling about nearly being caught out. Ardyn has too much love for us he can not sense the sin we have been committing against him for months. I really don’t want to witness a fight breaking out in case Ardyn suddenly does sense anything. 

I take myself out of Ardyn’s hold and grab onto his hand before making a decision for all of us.  “Let’s go and have breakfast.”

And sitting at the table with my fiancee and my lover is so unnerving. I don’t know what to say or if I should say anything. Somnus seems to be in the same both like me and we silently agree that talking about what Ardyn had been up to over the last couple of weeks is the best course of action to take. It is still so awkward and what makes matters even worse is that Ardyn doesn’t have a single clue that anything is troubling us. I am glad he doesn’t but it now feels like I am actively taking advantage of him. I mean, I have been. I am taking all the love he has for me and brushing it off like it doesn’t mean anything to me. But it does. Ardyn means the fucking world to me. I am just in too deep with this affair I am having with Somnus that my brain hasn’t been taking into account his feelings. But now that Ardyn is in front of me, smiling away and looking at me like I am the most important thing that has ever graced Eos… my brain is allowing my heart to wake up and it is torture. 

I hate the fact I am still doing this to him.

“What were you two doing out there?” 

“Sorry sweetheart?” I reply. I hadn’t really been listening at all to what he has been saying. 

“Out there this morning? I didn’t know you two had gotten so close as of late.” Ardyn shrugs eating his food. 

My mouth goes dry. I am lost for words again. My mind is so swamped by guilt I can no longer find the will to speak. I know I have to say something. I want to be with Ardyn and I want to shield him from the betrayal I have committed. But wouldn’t it just be easier to tell him the truth now? Would it just be easier for everything to come out so we can start again? So I can really focus on loving him and end things with Somnus?   

“I couldn’t sleep and I found Aera wandering around the halls. So we decided to go for a walk. I would never purposely get up that early.” Somnus huffs sipping at his drink. 

Right, so we aren’t telling the truth. Okay… but it still feels so wrong. Before my brain catches up with me because I know I should correct Somnus’s lies. My beloved talks over me. The beloved that I should be treasuring with all my heart, not stabbing him in the back.  

“I know that was why I was surprised to see you up so early.” 

“Well, not like I wanted to go for a walk. She dragged me. Apparently walking is good for me.” 

“You know it is.” Ardyn laughs.

I didn’t want to contribute to this but Somnus gives me a look to say something to make this lie believable and Ardyn looks so happy… I don’t want to cause him any more distress not when he has just gotten back. So I help Somnus and lie to Ardyn again. 

I roll my eyes and join Ardyn in with the laughter. But I try and change the topic as fast as I can. “All he did was complain, we would have been back later, if he hadn’t been doing that. Anyway, how are you feeling my love?” 

“A lot better for seeing you two again.” Ardyn says softly. 

My stomach drops at that. 

This isn’t fair. Not when he looks so tired and so ill and the only thing that makes him happy is us… we have hurt him in ways he never thought we would. And WE make him happy. It sounds like a bad joke. And I can’t tell him what had happened… I am so mean to the person who has always expressed kindness and sacrificed himself for all. What has become of me? Maybe it is finally time Somnus and I put this to rest.  

“Ardyn, if healing is causing you discomfort, maybe you should take a break for a while.” Somnus suggests. 

“I agree with Somnus. You do look rather tired.” I nod, very happy with that idea. That would mean I could limit my time with Somnus.  

“I am fine.” Ardyn says in an upbeat tone. 

But we both know he isn’t.

“Okay, my darling as long as you are sure.”

We leave it at that.

After breakfast is over and done with I spend the rest of the day with Ardyn. I have missed him so much and after what took place this morning… I know I need to be with my fiancee. Because Ardyn is everything to me. We go and see the Chocobo’s in their stables because I know that always brings him joy. We go and relax in the cornfield not too far from the castle so we can have our own space and bath in each other’s hold. We tell each other how much we have missed the other and we kiss. Ardyn’s touch is always so gentle. So much caring more than Somnus’s could ever be and I essentially throwing Ardyn’s unconditional love away to be with someone who is rough and… who am I kidding. I love it rough, I love it when gentle. I love it all ways, but I love my Ardyn. I love my Ardyn Lucis Caelum and now I have him in my arms. I don’t want to let him go. 

We don’t see Somnus for the rest of the day and I am relieved by that. I don’t want to see him if I am honest. After dinner, we finally retire to our room. I know Ardyn is tired, so we just lay together and whisper sweet nothings at each other. 

That is until he starts kissing me sweetly and holding me closer to him.  

“I thought you were tired.” I laugh, kissing him back. 

“I am never too tired for you.” 

There is that undying love again. He always expresses it in everything he does when we are together. When he plays with my hair. When he kisses me. When he holds my hand… and it is enough for me. All of that is enough for me. 

I kiss his nose and smile resting my head against his. “Ardyn… I have missed you.” 

“I missed you more. I love you so much.” 

“I love you too.” 

We start to take off each other’s clothes and kiss with such love I really don’t know why I ever went for Somnus in the first place. I don’t know why I kissed him when I have everything I need right here in my arms, protecting me from the cold, as he kisses me and caresses me with such love. He is my everything and I will be damned if I ruin what we have again. I can’t ruin it. I won’t ruin it. I need to be with Ardyn. Ardyn is all I want and more. And as he prepares to make sweet love to me I stop him. 

 “Ardyn?” 

“Yes, my sweetest.” 

“This time, can you finish inside me?” 

Ardyn kisses my fingers and says softly at me. “Are you sure? I thought we didn’t want to risk anything?” 

“Please Ardyn? Please? I really want you too.” I beg. It feels wrong that Somnus has done it and he hasn’t. I mean only the other week we had another accident and Somnus came inside me, hard. I need to wash him away. I need the man I love to give me his all. I want to be his and only his. Him doing this will only strengthen our bond and make mine and Somnus’s weaker… it has to. 

“As long as your sure. I love you Aera.” 

“I love you too. I am very sure.” 

Thank the Gods I have finally realised what I really want. Because I don’t want to carry on breaking his heart. And I won’t any longer I promise on all Six of the Astrals I will now be true and loyal to my beloved and that is how it will remain. 

Forever.

Chapter Text

Somnus:

“You’re very happy.” I mutter as my brother walks towards me with a spring in his step. 

Ardyn is really starting to get on my fucking nerves now. And I know why. It is because I am jealous he is with Aera and I can’t have her. That makes me sound like a dick because Aera is his fiancee, not mine. She was never meant to be mine and we… things got out of hand. We stopped having sex with each other like a month ago now. It was over and I have to move on. She didn’t want me, she never wanted me. I was just a side piece for her to play with when Ardyn was away. For some reason, only the Gods know, she wants this sick fool who thinks he can save Eos single-handedly. I am sorry to say this but Ardyn can not. None of this is like the stories. It is fucking real and we all have to accept that burning it, no matter how traumatic and heartless it is, is the only option available to us.  If there was another way I would take it like a shot but there isn’t. Because of that, you get Aera. You selfish bastard you really don’t know what you have do you? 

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Ardyn smiles at me and it is disturbing. I don’t like it. 

“That’s not really a reason.” I have no idea why I am humouring him. I don’t care if he is happy. 

Ardyn is silent for a few more seconds as we continue to walk. But that bloody grin. It won’t go away. I hate it. I hate him. I just hate all of it. Before I can make my excuses and run back to training with Gilgamesh to get rid of this hatred and anger I feel towards my brother, Ardyn grabs my shoulders and pulls me to the side and he looks even more excited and happy than he did a few moments ago. 

“Alright! I just have to tell you!” 

“Tell me what?” I say not even pretending to be interested in what he is saying to me. But because he is so consumed in his own little Ardyn bubble he doesn’t notice my attitude. 

“But you must keep it to yourself!” 

“Okay.” 

“Aera is pregnant.” 

Aera’s what…

I can’t even breathe as he carries on babbling and jumping about like a lunatic. I just stare at him in shock by what he has just told me. She is pregnant? As in she is having a baby? An actual baby? I feel my back start to drip with sweat and now all of my hate has vanished towards my brother and I am focusing it all on me. What… what have I done? I mean… what am I saying, it would be Ardyn’s. It has to be Ardyn’s it can’t be mine… but… but what if it is mine? 

Shit. 

Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!!!!

The last time I slept with her was a month ago and that was around the time Ardyn came back. Meaning it could be either of ours… I am such a terrible person. Here Ardyn is in front of me so excited and over the moon and it might not even be his. As much as I am jealous and hateful towards him for having the fame, the girl, the power of healing, this isn’t right. She can’t do this to him. I can’t do this to him. I could be a father in the next 9 months or he could be… I think I am going to throw up. How could I do this to him? My own brother?! How can I be so nasty and cruel?! What hurts more is I can’t tell him not to be happy or show my discomfort because he’ll know. He’ll know that something is wrong… I have to stand here and smile at him. 

With all the love I barely have for him I smile at Ardyn. 

“Congratulations, brother.”

Aera:

I cover my eyes unable to hold back the tears. Ardyn just thinks it is hormones but I know it isn’t. I feel so guilty for what I have done. I knew this would happen. I knew that having sex with Somnus may lead to this. Still, I carried on. Still, I pushed for him to fuck me. Still, I went after him when he tried to call it quits with me. Still, I hurt and betrayed the love of my life for rough sex with his brother. Sex that never meant anything. Now I am pregnant and I have no idea which one of them is the father. I don’t know what to do. I cant confide in Ardyn because it would tear us apart and break him until he was nothing. I can’t tell Somnus because we haven’t spoken in weeks, and he doesn’t even know what is going on. That is probably for the best. It is better he doesn’t know for the time being anyway. Just until I can get my emotions under control and be able to think properly about what I am going to do. The only person I could possibly talk to about this mess would be Gilgamesh, but he is so loyal to Somnus and he might even tell Ardyn. Ardyn isn’t well… this would kill him. I am such a horrible person. I don’t deserve this little life growing inside of me. If it is Somnus’s… he doesn’t deserve it either, not after what we have done. Not after how we have treated and used Ardyn. More tears fall as I sit on the floor. The flowers would normally help me. Help me relax and become happy, but they won’t this time. Nothing will make me happy. Nothing will ever wash away the guilt of me sharing a bed with my future brother-in-law. Why? Why? Did I do that?

“Who’s is it!?” 

I take in a sharp breath and turn my head to face Somnus and he looks like he is about to murder me. I am confused, why does he suddenly want to talk to me?

In a daze, I wipe my stinging eyes and whisper. “What?” 

I hear him growl. He points directly to my stomach and snaps. “Who’s is that, that you are carrying?!” 

My heart skips a beat. No… he wasn’t meant to know. He wasn’t meant to find out. I become more agaited than before as I stand up. All I can say in my shock state is.

“Ardyn told you…” 

“Yes! Of course, he did! We are brothers! When were you going to tell me!” 

I bow my head in shame and silently weep. “I wasn’t...” 

Somnus doesn’t like that. He takes a few paces closer to me, roughly grabs my chin and forces me to look at him. He is actually hurting me. His eyes… there is such fire behind them and as he speaks, he grits his teeth and spits words of molten lava in my direction. 

“That baby could be mine!” 

“Whether it is or not, this has to be Ardyn’s.” 

I say nearly heartbroken pushing him away from me. 

That is how it has to be. No matter the outcome if it is Ardyn’s or Somnus’s it has to be my fiancee’s baby. Not only for my reputation as Oracle. It is for Ardyn and Somnus as well. Ardyn isn’t well, and still he has left to go healing the sick because he is a fundamentally good person. A good person who wants to protect our family and combat the scourge for us. For all of us. What kind of woman would trade that? A stupid evil one. He is the best person I know and he will make a wonderful father. But if Ardyn learns the truth about what I have been doing behind his back… I won’t have Ardyn anymore. It may be cruel and selfish to think like this, but it is true. Ardyn needs me. Somnus doesn’t. As for Somnus… he is kind like Ardyn. But he isn’t gentle like Ardyn. If he is my baby’s father, what hope will it have? Not a lot in my opinion. Again, that is horrible for me to say but it is the truth, and that is how I feel. I have to think of my child and what is best for it. Unfortunately, Somnus Lucis Caelum will never be the best for my child. He just isn’t…

Somnus looks at me with disgust and in a harsh whisper, he says.“... You want me to give up the chance of being a father to save your relationship with my brother!” 

“I know it is selfish…” I try to explain.

But Somnus is not having any of it and he raises his voice at me as anger takes hold of him. 

“Selfish! This whole thing is selfish!” 

“Somnus please?!” I beg, trying to get him to keep his voice down. Anyone could hear us here. 

“NO! You have been stringing me along for months! Whenever the glorified healer brother of mine comes back you drop me like I am nothing!” 

There is pain behind his voice as he shouts that at me. I can see why he feels that way. I don’t want to see him like this. I don’t want him to feel like this. It hurts. It hurts so much to see someone I care about hurt this way. Because I feel this way towards him, I can’t even imagine how I would feel if Ardyn ever found out. 

I shake my head and try to reason with him. “I know it may seem like that.” 

“No Oracle! That is what it is!” 

“Do you think I would have let it carried on for that long if I felt nothing for you?” I huff out. 

That isn’t a lie. I may love Ardyn. He is everything to me and I love him with all my heart. But over the past year… I have grown feelings towards Somnus. I may even love him too. This is probably why it hurts seeing him so angry and upset. No. I do love him. I do love Somnus, I am attracted to him, he can be lovely when he wants to be and yes… I do love him. What we have to do may hurt him but this is how it has to be. This is how it has always had to have been. Somnus just needs to realise that.  

“You feel something for me now?!” Somnus roars, getting more upset by my words. 

I nod. “Yes. But I love Ardyn.”

“Yes, of course. There is a problem with your undying love for my brother!” Somnus gets right up in my face and continues to scream at me with tongues of fire. “Is that you might be carrying my baby instead of his! And where is my older brother now, Aera?! That’s right. He knows full well that you are pregnant and has left you here!” 

“To save mankind!” I argue back, trying to move myself away from his verbal abuse and rage. Every time I step backwards he just follows me.

“Not very effective though is it?!” 

“Oh, and you, burning people is?!” 

“I have saved more people than Ardyn ever could!” 

“That doesn’t justify the mass genocide!”

I shout back, as I am forced up against a pillar. It is the same pillar that we had sex on. Like before Somnus places both of his hands either side of me and leans in close. Only this time he doesn’t attack my lips with his own. Instead, he lets go of very heavy infuriated breath as we stare at each other. He is visibly shaking and I have never seen him this angry before. It is a trait both he and Ardyn share. The rage. They got it from their father and I know for a fact neither of them has ever shown to the world the true extent of their rage… I know Somnus won’t either. He may be physically angry. But his eyes are in so much pain and conflict. I feel so responsible and heartless towards him. To both of them.  

Somnus’s breath runs across my face, as he shakes his head at me. “Ardyn! Ardyn! Ardyn! Can never do anything wrong can he!” 

“Somnus stop!” I beg again. This has gone far enough and what will happen if someone sees us in this position… 

I jump as Somnus’s fist collides with the pillar next to me. He keeps hitting it. He won’t stop. Somnus just keeps punching as he stares into my eyes and shouts again. 

“Why?! He is perfect, isn’t he?! Ardyn only wants to save the world. He wants to marry the woman I love and possibly raise my baby! My Baby! I am not having that Aera! He can have you! He can have the Kingdom if the Gods want that! But if that baby is mine, he isn’t having it!” 

He loves me too… 

My mouth goes dry as he finally stops hammering into the pillar. No. No. This cant happen. We can’t love each other. It was meant to have meant nothing! A stupid one time fling! That backfired, because now we are both in love with each other, hurting the other, and I could be pregnant with his child. Why am I so cold?

No, nothing else can happen. I let go of a ragged breath and clear my throat, still determined to make him realise that, an us can not happen. “Somnus, if say anything than Ardyn wil…” 

“He’ll what!? Know that his fiancee is a backstabbing little whore who has been fucking his little brother for a year! Who will he hate more Oracle?! The man who tells him the truth?! Or the woman who tried to hide it from him?!” 

By this point, I know how angry and upset he is, that he might actually let Ardyn know. I can’t let that happen. For my baby, for my marriage and for Ardyn’s life I can’t. I raise my hands to Somnus’s face and pull myself closer to him. Tears roll down my face again as I move my lips closer to his and beg for him to show me some mercy. Not that I deserve it.   

“Please Somnus?” 

My lips touch his for a second and he actually becomes physically violent than. He grabs my shoulders and pushes me back to the pillar and snarls at me. 

“Don’t you dare kiss me!” 

“You just said you loved me?!” I say, doing all I can to get him back on my side again. It is so wrong for me to do it, but I have too. 

“I do! But I am disgusted by you too!” 

He pushes himself away from me and tries to walk away. That sentence crushes my heart. I want to scream back that I love him too, but I can’t. All that comes out of my mouth of words of desperation and they are utterly pathetic. 

“Somnus I am sorry!” 

“If you were sorry Aera, none of this would have happened.” 

I nod and watch as he walks away from me. 

What have I done?

Somnus:

“Aera…” 

I shake, as I crawl towards her bloodied and scourge covered body. She isn’t moving. She isn’t breathing and worst of all I know what I have done. I did that. That was me! I struck her down and I killed her and her child. I might have killed my own child! I am in shock I can’t cry. All I can do is stare at her lifeless form as I let my actions sink in. What have I done?! WHAT THE HELL HAVE I DONE!!!!  

“Somnus.” 

I hear Gilgamesh say as he places a hand to my shoulder. My entire body tenses up and I don’t think I can move or take my eyes off of her… I killed her. I killed her all for a poxy fucking chair!!! She is gone… I feel a chill run down my spine as I glance at her face. She looks so peaceful, and her hand… It has fallen directly on her 3 month swollen stomach. It’s gone. She is gone. They’re both gone and it is all my fault. How, how could I do this? How could I let myself be this. I turn my head and see Ardyn… he is dead too and that is also my fault. He is covered in the horrible black substance that consumed him and he is gone too. The two people I loved most in this entire world are dead!!! Both of them, and my or his baby are dead!!! By my hand!! I want to cry but no tears are present. Nothing. My heart breaks and my arms and legs start to go numb as I remain still on my hands and knees. What? What do I do?  

No tears form in my eyes, only panic and as I speak I can hear the pain and denial seep through. “I killed her! I killed him!! I have killed them both! I am going to be sick!!!” 

“Somnus! Somnus stop!!” Gilgamesh orders, heaving me up so I am only on my knees now. But I can’t take my eyes off her and the pain I have caused. 

“I killed them! I murdered my own brother! I murdered the woman I love! And I have murdered mine or Ardyn’s child!!” 

That is when the tears fall. No one else knew. Only Aera, Ardyn and I knew. That was why I told Gilgamesh to make sure she didn’t get involved. I never wanted to hurt either of them. I was never going to kill Ardyn. I would never… but I have done and I have killed my baby!!! I cover my eyes and wail in emotional pain. How? Why? This isn’t fair… None of it... 

“She was pregnant?!” Gilgamesh asks in a surprised tone. 

“Yes! Now she is dead!!!” 

My hands are then forcibly removed from my face, and Gilgamesh smacks me as hard as he can. I don’t even flinch. Nothing will ever compare to the pain and the sin that I have committed today. I stare blankly at him as he orders me to keep it together. 

“You have to hold it together! Your King now! Somnus come on!” 

“I can’t…” I say breathlessly, shaking my head. 

No… I can’t. 

I don’t want to be King if I can’t have her as my Queen. If I can’t have my baby! I don’t want it! I don’t want any of it!!! I fear I have lost the ability to speak as I continue to weep over both my brother’s and lover’s dead bodies. 

“Aera…” 

“Somnus.” 

“Shut up!” I scream at my Sheild.

Why won’t he let me grieve! My brother, lover and baby are dead all because of me!!! Why won’t he let me mourn all of them?? Why can’t I be upset...

“Somnus!” Gilgamesh’s voice gets harsher as he pulls me to my feet and pushes me behind him. 

I have no idea what is going on. I have gone light headed and I don’t understand why he is panicking or why Gilgamesh has got his sword out. I sway a little trying to get my vision straight and focus on whatever Gilgamesh has seen and when I do catch sight of it, fear strikes my heart like lightning. 

“Aera… Aera!” 

Ardyn…?

I take a step back and I can’t believe what I am seeing! Ardyn is alive!!! There is no way! There is no way that can be possible. I stabbed him! I ripped his back to shreds and I stabbed him in the heart, the chest, the liver, the gut! He should be dead! Never coming back. Yet he isn’t. He has crawled his way towards Aera and is holding on to her hand and stomach, weeping the scourge and calling out for her. It is one of the scariest things I have witnessed. This isn’t normal! This is ungodly and wrong! He truly is a monster! An immortal freak! I know Gilgamesh is just as scared and as terrified as I am as he pushes me back further. What the hell is Ardyn?! What the hell is he?

“Aera! Aera!!!” Ardyn’s helpless forms continues to cry. 

I shake my head in denial. This can’t be real. He cant be alive… “That’s… that’s not possible.” 

I gulp for Ardyn has turned is head in my direction. His eyes aren’t blue anymore… they are tainted by the scourge and he staring at me. Directly at me. For the first time in my life, I am scared of my brother and I don’t know what to do...

Scourge runs out of his mouth as he sees the horror on my face. Ardyn starts to plead for me. “Somnus… Help me!” 

“Stand back.” Gilgamesh commands, pushing me back further. 

“Somnus!” Ardyn cries out as I see Gilgamesh lunge his sword at him and it makes my heart drop. 

Because that is my brother… Ardyn is my older brother and I… I turned him into this. This is all my fault… More fear races up my spine and I am too late to stop Gilgamesh. He has already cut off Ardyn’s head and now I know I am going to be sick. I turn around quickly and start retching violently. The sick rushes up my throat and spills out all on the floor. I continue to throw up as I hear his head rolling on the floor. I continue to cry as my body starts shaking again. I can hardly breathe as the smell of death, blood, vomit and the scourge soils my nose. What am I meant to do? What can I? If Ardyn survived after getting butchered by myself and Gilgamesh, I have a feeling he will survive after loseing his head too… even if he is my brother, he is a monster and he could hurt people.

I have to lock him up. 

I have to protect the people like I failed to protect Aera and our child. It must be my child. Because there is no way Ardyn, being a daemon, would be able to bear a human child. We would surely know if there was a daemon growing inside of her. She would have been dead as soon as she conceviced more than likely. 

Right. 

Get your head in the game Somnus. I can mourn Aera and our baby later. For now, I have to think of what to do with Ardyn…

Oh, Ardyn… I am sorry. 

I am so sorry.   

Aera:

“Ardyn!!!!” 

I scream sitting up. I frantically look around the room to locate Ardyn but I can’t see him. I can’t see anyone. Where even am I? This isn’t the palace. I am not in the throne room. No, maybe I am. There are steps leading to something and it is dark. It is nearly impossible for me to see. Why is it so dark? Come on Aera keep it together, I try to tell myself. I need to remain calm and think about what I can recall. Okay…. the last thing I remember, I was in Ardyn’s arms and he was crying. Why was he crying? He was holding me close and I was in pain. Why was I in pain? Wait… Somnus! He was going to kill Ardyn and I got in the way. I am… I am dead!!!! No, I can’t be dead! I am breathing! I can feel the floor beneath me! I can feel my chest as it moves up and down at a rapid rate. I can hear my pulse as the blood rushes around my body. I can’t feel the pain in my back where Somnus struck me. From what I can make out in this dark room, there is no stains on my dress. So what happened? 

“Easy now my dear.” 

A smooth voice echo’s throughout the hall as the lights turn on. I look up and it’s Ardyn. Ardyn!!!

Tears form in my eyes as I try to stand but I can’t hold myself up very well. I nearly fall back on the floor again, but he catches me and holds me close to his chest. I am trembling in his arms, what happened must have been terrible for him to watch. I want to apologise for it all but he beats me to it. 

“Shh, shh, shh, my love. Everything is alright.” 

“Ardyn…” I barely say. I don’t understand what is going on. I should be dead. He should be dead too! 

“Hello, sweetheart.” Ardyn grins at me, running his hands down my sides. 

Something isn’t right. 

This is Ardyn but… it can’t be. Thanks to the light I can see him. His hair… it is so short. I place a hand to his head and it feels the same. It is still so soft and he is still so charming and the way he is holding me and stroking me, he is still him. But I can sense something is wrong. I know something isn’t right. 

“What? Your hair.” 

“Oh, this. I have had a few modifications done. Do you like them?” He laughs, his hands on my hips and he steps backwards so I can see all of him. 

What? What? What has happened to him? 

His white robes are gone. They have been replaced with a black coat, a black hat, scarves, so many scarves. Big black boots and green trousers. I don’t understand what is happening. I look up at his hair again and something catches my eye. It’s his eyes. They aren’t blue anymore. They are gold. 

I shake my head and try to get my breathing under control as I speak. “Your clothes… Your eyes. They’re different.” 

He laughs, before kissing me sweetly. “And you, my dear, haven’t changed one bit in the last 2000 years.” 

2000 years…

What no. None of this is possible. How can he be alive? How can I be alive? None of this makes any sense. But there is one thing I know for certain. This person, who is standing in front of me is not my fiancee. He may be acting sweet and kind, but there is something dark about him. Something nasty and vengeful just ready to pounce out and strike at any given moment. 

I let go of him and back away slowly. He lets me and in my panic and confusion, I say the wrong thing. 

“Ardyn… what’s happened to you?” 

“You happened to me.” 

Ardyn smirked before roughly grabbing my cheeks with one hand. In a second his smooth and calm voice is shrouded in darkness and when he stares into my eyes… He is looking directly into my soul and I want to run. Every inch of my body is telling me to get away from him. because I am terrified of him. But I can’t move, my body is refusing to do anything. With the next words that come out of his mouth, my body can’t help but tremble as I am petrified.  

“You and your affair with my brother.” 

Chapter Text

Somnus:

“Wakey, Wakey, Somnus!” 

“Huh?”

I barely lift my head up as a faint voice begins calling my name. The voice sounds patronising, to say the least, and somehow very, very, very familiar. My vision is incredibly blurry and I can’t really see what is going on around me. All I know that it is dark, it’s cold and my head feels like someone has dragged me through hell and back. My head falls forward sharply and I groan in pain. My head just feels so heavy and my neck feels so sore. My lungs hurt as well. It’s like they have been starved of oxygen and now I can suddenly breathe again. I just don’t understand what is happening… The last thing I remember I was… discussing something with The Father. He was crying about the Chosen and… all of sudden there was this darkness. It came and it touched me… now I feel dizzy and disoriented and now I don’t know where I am. I am starting to panic. I can feel it. What the fuck is happening?! What the fuck is happening to me!!!  

“Oh come on, you lazy bones! It is time to wake up now! No more sleeping!”

What.... Wait! That is Ardyn’s voice!!! 

I force my eyes open and in the darkened room I finally see the silhouette of the man I haven’t seen in over 30 years. Just like than… his eyes are glowing. Staring directly at me. My blood has gone cold and in a shaky voice that I can’t control, I say his name.  

“Ardyn… Ardyn!” 

“You seem surprised to see me again brother.” Ardyn laughs, shuffling closer towards me. He takes a hold of my hair and pulls it back so I am staring into his daemonic yellow eyes. I hate them. I found comfort in his blue ones but now there is nothing. No hope. No solace. Just death. I am shaking. What has become of him? What has become of my brother! He continues to laugh at me in a voice that sounds like it was made to only taunt and pierce your soul. “This must be ever so confusing for you dear one. No matter. Your big brother Ardy is here to enlighten you on your current situation. As you know, Noctis is safely in that rock and I am King of all of Eos. Beats being the King of Lucis doesn’t it?” 

“My head…” I stutter, as his grip on my hair gets tighter. What… what is he playing at? 

“Oh, poor dear brother, does it hurt so? Here have a potion.” Ardyn sneers at me. 

There is a flash of pink and before I know it he is trying to shove the green liquid down my throat. Despite the pain in my head and now scalp I try to shake him off. The potion goes on my face and I don’t want it. For all I know it could be fucking poison.  

“No… no!” I shout, having a throat full of the stuff. I started choking and Ardyn only laughs at me. I know I did wrong by him and he is angry… but this is over the mark. 

“You think it is poisoned? Oh no, Somnus. I don’t want to kill you.” 

He drops me than and because I got some of that potion down me the pain in my head, lungs, scalp and neck fades. Maybe it wasn’t poisoned after all. But why would he be wanting to help me? I destroyed everything he had. I took everything from him. Literally everything. He told me so himself when he battered me on Founder’s Day. If I were him, I would want me dead. If I am honest ever since I sliced that beautiful woman’s back open I have wanted to die. But I did die. I was killed and I resided in the ring!!! What the fuck am I doing out of it!!!! How did he pull me out of it!!!! It must be him. No one else, other than the Gods have the power to do such a thing. 

My breathing increases and I can’t help but raise my voice in disgust. “What? What am I doing out here?! Put me back in that ring now!” 

“You want to go back?” Ardyn asks me sounding confused. 

“Yes!” 

“That’s a shame to hear. You see I thought we could have a family reunion of sorts.” 

Ardyn stands up with glee. He starts walking away from with joy in his step. That isn’t how he walks. That isn’t how he talks. This isn’t my brother anymore. I want his soul saved and I wanted Noctis to save him but I fear he is far beyond that now. I try to move so I can stand and I realise that I am in chains. Big heavy metal chains. That is why my lungs fucking hurt. I am tied to a pillar, what the fuck? What is he bloody doing? I struggle more to see if I can break loose. No good. I am too weak to warp out of this. I am not used to this mortal body anymore. There is no point trying to get out. It won’t work. Right think. They only thing you can do is sit here. So why not sit here and ask more questions? If nothing it will help me to understand what game he is trying to play here.  

“What…. What has happened to you, Ardyn?” I ask with concern. I am concerned and guilty. But I need him to know that. 

He starts laughing manically again and he doesn’t turn around when he speaks. “Funny. That was what she said when I pulled her from the beyond.”

“Who?” 

“Who do you think, brother dear. Aera Mirus Fleuret.” Ardyn says with such grace as he turns around to face me. He speaks further and his voice turns to venom. “Better known to you, as your little side piece.” 

My mouth falls open and I don’t know what to say… 

My breathing increases and he… knows? He knows what we did? Oh shit! Oh Shit! But I am in so much shock I can’t move and I can’t control my breathing!!! Shit, shit, shit. I start sweating and I know now he was lying before. He is going to kill me. Fuck! I start to panic more as Ardyn walks away into one of the darkest corners of the room. I know he is furious. I can just by the way he is stomping his feet. What have I done? What the fuck have I done?! He continues to talk and his voice it sounds like he is still right near me. It is haunting and evil… and I am scared. I am truly scared.  

“That’s right. I know all about your little affair with my fiancee. I knew about it when we fought on Founder’s Day. I know everything Somnus. Everything. What a coincidence I pulled her back from death isn’t it? You two can finally talk after all this time!” 

“If you have hurt her!” I raise my voice, unable to get rid of the anger from it. I swear to the six if he has laid a finger on her! 

“You’ll do what? You are chained to a pillar. Have fun getting out of that, if you can.” Ardyn mocks me clicking his fingers so all the lights come on. I shut my eyes. That light is far too bright for me. My headache comes rushing back in a matter of seconds, not long afterwards Ardyn’s voice fills my head again. The words are so horrible and they hurt me. It is just so painful to hear. Like the memory of what I did to her and how it haunts me every single night that I fall asleep. “You mean like you did? No, I haven’t hurt her, but why don’t you ask her yourself? Aera sweetie.” 

No longer caring for the sting of the light, I force my eyes open and I see Ardyn move. He moves to the side and that is when I finally see her. My heart drops and she is standing there. Right before my eyes. Aera… She looks so terrified but she doesn’t look hurt. Yet. 

“Aera!” I shout struggling to get out of my chains again. I have to protect her. I have to get her away from him.  

She stares at me and grabs hold of Ardyn’s arm before begging him. “Somnus! Ardyn let him go. This is my fault. He was the one who wanted to tell you. He wanted to tell you everything! I didn’t let him. It’s not his fault!”

“How sweet that you faun over him.” Ardyn growls recoiling his arm from her and there is nothing I can do as they start arguing with each other. “You see my dear over the years I have grown rather spiteful and jealous. How do you think I feel that you have tried to stand up against me to protect him?” 

“I was going to marry you! I was always going to marry you!” Aera cries wiping her tears away with her hand. This isn’t Ardyn. Ardyn would never make her cry. He would never stand to see her cry either. But he is letting it happen. There is nothing I can do to prevent her sorrow as she continues to weep.    

“Oh you were, were you? Then why won’t you allow me to harm the person who ruined my life! We both know that baby still growing inside you is his. Don’t pretend you would have gone through with our wedding as soon as you found that out!” Ardyn shouts in her face getting more hostile, I can’t protect Aera from where I am. All my struggling is useless. 

“Ardyn… Ardyn please?!” 

Aera is crying harder now and I can’t watch that. I can’t watch the woman I love cry. That’s it! I have had enough of all of this. I know I can’t get out but I can make some noise. I can still use my voice, despite the pain I am currently under. I need to help her in any way I can. I put on the most aggressive voice I can, and I let out a mighty roar as I scream at him.   

“Ardyn that is enough!” 

“Awww, how sweet. Does my brother have a crush?” Ardyn laughs at me moving away from Aera slightly. 

But I don’t relax. The fact he has mocked me, only makes the burning flames within me combust and I scream at him harder than before.

“I am sorry! I am sorry I slept with her! I am sorry I got her pregnant! I am sorry I murdered her and you! I am sorry I took the throne! I am sorry for everything! Please, please, don’t do this. You’re not a monster. You are my brother. Please… I am begging you. Just… don’t hurt her.”

I sound so helpless. That is because I am. Both me and her are. Ardyn is not someone anyone would ever dare cross and we both did. We hurt him. We took everything he held dear and shat on it. That… I am truly, very, very sorry for. But I can’t change time. I can’t change the past. All I can do now is try and appeal to whatever better nature he has left. I hope he does. I want him too. I want him to see what he is doing is wrong, for Aera if not for anyone else. He loves her right? He shouldn’t hurt her. The old Ardyn wouldn’t. But… once upon a time Ardyn thought that we would never hurt him. And we did. Now, it has come to bit us in the arse. I am scared and I try my hardest not to shake with fear as he tilts his head to the side. I do not like the way he is staring at me. His mocking grin turns into amusement. Dread seeps into my being and I know my words have done nothing to stop the monster that has incased my long lost brother in darkness and blood.   

“Thank you for the apology Somnus, but umm… I do not accept it.” Ardyn replies smoothly as he turns back around to face Aera. 

Why hasn’t she moved? Why hasn’t she run? I can hear my heart as he walks over to her and disgust fills my stomach. 

“Ardyn? Ardyn! What are you going to do?!” I shout towards him trying to understand what his next move might be. When he opens his mouth, I suddenly don’t want to know anymore. 

“I am going to show you what it feels like being powerless to stop your brother from hurting the woman you love.” 

“NO! STAY AWAY FROM HER!!!” I swear I have broken my voice with how loud I have screamed. He can’t! He can’t do that to her! “ARDYN!!! ARDYN!!!!”

Aera:   

As Somnus continues to scream I look at my fiancee in fear. 

I can’t move. I haven’t been able to move for a while now, somehow Ardyn has prevented me from doing so and what he just said to Somnus… it has broken my heart. He is going to hurt me? I know I deserved to be hurt but… no! I shake my head as tears continue to fall from my eyes. I lock eyes with Ardyn and he looks happy to see my tears. It pleases him. When he reaches out to touch my skin, I can’t recoil away. I can’t fight him or fight him off. All I can do is cry and beg as my lover continues to scream for his brother to see sense. Why won’t he see that this is wrong! That I love him! That I love him more than Somnus!!! Why?! 

“Ardyn, please!? I am sorry okay!” 

“I am not going to kill you.” Ardyn says carefully as he runs his hand down from my arm to my waist and finally to my back. 

“What are you going to do?” I whimper, unable to comprehend what is going on. But I think Somnus knows. He is still shrieking at Ardyn to stop. He won’t listen. He won’t even listen to me… Gods why won’t he?  

My heart stops for a brief second as I feel his hand touch my bum. It slowly comes around to the front of me and he places it in between my legs. What? He? 

In a calm and soft tone, that is the polar opposite to Somnus’s voice, he says. “What do you think I am going to do?” 

“No! This isn’t you! Please don’t do it!” I shout at him trying to move away. He is going to rape me! Sick crawls its way up my throat but I can’t be sick and I can’t stop the hand that is rubbing my thighs and my clit. This isn’t my Ardyn! It isn’t! My brain is rushing with horror, fear, sick, and I say the first thing that comes to mind to try and prevent this from happening. “I am pregnant!” 

I watch as Ardyn’s golden eyes darken. I gulp as he puts his face closer to mine. His breath rushes along my sweating and petrified face as he harshly gropes my crotch. I yelp in pain and I can’t even move my hands or arms to protect the child that is growing inside of me. There is nothing I can do. The words he says next will haunt me forever….

“I don’t care.” 

In a matter of seconds, Ardyn has torn at my dress, got behind me, wrapped his arms around me and pulled me down to the ground. I am in such shock I can hardly breathe. I can’t cry and I can’t even shake the fear away. I know that he has allowed me to move again but I can’t. All I can focus on is his fingers that are forcing there way into me as I weep where I have been forced to kneel. It hurts. He is hurting me.

“ARDYN!!! LEAVE HER ALONE!!” 

I actually register Somnus’s screams this time. I look at him as my eyes start filling up with pain and my heart shatters into thousands of pieces. Ardyn is being rough. He doesn’t care that I am now trembling at his touch or that my heart is racing faster than light. That my body is begging for him to stop forcing me open. I want to be sick. I have no strength to push him away. I have no strength to do anything but stare at Somnus as he desperately tries to reason with Ardyn but he won’t listen. He is beyond reasoning now. I let out a small grunt of pain as he inserts another finger. I quiver in fear as he breathes down my neck. What happened to him? What happened to the once carefree loving man I wanted to marry? He’s dead. Ardyn Lucis Caelum has to be dead. He would never do this to me. Ardyn is dead and has been replaced with this monster who is attacking me and won’t stop.  

“I am glad you said that. Because I want you to watch this Somnus. With the acknowledgement that you did this to her, not me.” Ardyn growls removing his fingers quickly before placing something much larger and thicker at my aching entrance. 

“Ardyn, please? Please...” I whisper, knowing it is all in vain… 

“Please what?” He asks cruelly, placing a hand around my neck. I don’t shake my head in case he breaks it in two right in front of Somnus. It wouldn’t surprise me by this point if he is doing all of this just to make Somnus pay… But that isn’t fair. I am the one that asked for more. I am the one that kissed Somnus first. I am the one that begged for his brother’s cum. I am the one who wanted this to carry on longer than it ever should have. This is all my fault. Not Somnus’s... 

“Please don’t hurt me.” 

His grip around my throat gets tighter as he roughly pulls me closer to his chest. I feel his stubble press against my skin and I just cry out louder. That used to give me comfort and now all I want and all I can focus on is the horrified look of Somnus. Because Somnus would never do this to me... “You see my dear you were the one who tore out my heart. You tried to trick me when all I did was love you. All I did was save Eos to keep you safe and have a better future for whatever children we would have. But this one isn’t mine. So now… I am going to tear out your heart.” 

I gasp in pain as he forces his way into me. It hurts so much and he doesn’t even give me time to recover as he proceeds to… I don’t even want to think about what he is doing to my body. I don’t want to think about the number of painful and cruel thrusts he has forced into me. This… this can’t be happening… I go numb. Completely numb, I want to turn away and pretend this is happening to someone else. I grunt at the pain he is forcing upon me and cry when I see Somnus struggling with all his might to escape his chains to recuse me and our unborn baby from his brother’s wrath. Somnus… I am so sorry you have to see this… I can’t push Ardyn off me, and before I know it, he pushed me to the ground, grabbed my hips and forces himself into me deeper and harder. My hands go into fists and there is nothing I can do to help myself or my child as Ardyn takes me brutally. 

“ARDYN!!!” Somnus shouts. I try and focus on his voice. I can’t and I never want to hear Ardyn’s voice again. “PLEASE STOP!!!” That does nothing. Ardyn becomes more brutal and he slides my body along the floor as he pounds into me with all his might. “ARDYN!!!”

“Ardyn stop!!!” I cry with unstoppable tears. 

“No.” 

Ardyn moans sharply, sucking in air as he bashes his way into me. It is so painful and my baby… my poor baby… will it be okay? I… I… I… just want this to stop. Why won’t he stop? Please stop! It hurts so fucking much and I don’t want it. Please?! 

“ARDYN!!!” Somnus screams again and that is when I turn away from him. 

I shouldn’t have done that. Ardyn suddenly hoists me up, his di… he is still buried inside of me, and he doesn’t stop in violating me as he grabs my neck again and forces me to look at Somnus. Poor Somnus he looks so broken and scared and… I just want to be in his arms. I just want Somnus to stop all of this... 

“Look at him! I want you to stare into his eyes during this.” Ardyn orders and I have no choice but to obey. 

Somnus and I stare at each other. Tears are both present in our eyes. Both of us are in mental and physical pain and I try my hardest to keep my mouth shut so Ardyn doesn’t find much enjoyment in this. But with this position, he is in so deep and it hurts every time he moves slightly. It burns and all I can do is accept the brutal and rapid thrusts that dive into me. The feeling of shame overcomes me as my body jerks up at the sheer force he is putting into this vile and ungodly actions. I see a tear of defeat roll down Somnus’s face. I can’t help but whisper his name, in a last attempt to try and prevent this and comfort my distressed lover. 

“Somnus….” 

“Ardyn, please? Please?! Stop!” Somnus begs, diverting his eyes to the monster behind me for a brief second. 

“Somnus if you look away from her one more time, your unborn child may face the consequences.” 

Somnus’s eyes, still consumed with horror, diverts back to mine and he cries as he speaks to me. “Aera, just look at me okay?” 

My body is forced to move up and down and I cringe as Ardyn runs his lips along my neck and his other hand falls to my stomach. He has already threatened the life inside me and as I am at his mercy I don’t want to say anything that will set him off further. But I don’t want him to… to stain me. He had already taken my dignity, my shame, everything by hurting me like this. I don’t want him to claim me with his seed. I don’t want any of this! I just want it to stop!! 

I wail out in pain as his thrusts somehow gets harder and faster than before. “I am sorry Ardyn! I am. I am so so sorry!” 

“Apology not accepted.” 

When I feel something warm spill into me I want the hand around my neck to snap it in to. I want him to kill me. I don’t think I can live with the fact that my actions drove him to do this. Drove him to make me do this. To hurt me and my baby… and make his brother watch it. I feel… nothing. I feel numb, cold but other than that… nothing. I am not really here anymore. I don’t think I have been present since he first touched me. I don’t even feel that he has taken himself out of me, nor the thick, probably black, lines of cum pour out of me and down my thighs. I just stare straight forward. I am looking at Somnus. But I am not seeing him. I just… I am terrified of Ardyn. I am terrified of what he will do next but I no longer care. I am just in such a state of shock I can’t think, I can’t speak and I can’t feel properly. I fear I will never be able to again. Because I am like this, I allow the world to carry on without me, and the conversation being had between the brother’s is white noise to me. 

“See not so bad. Don’t worry you two, the baby is still healthy and safe. For now.” 

“If you touch my baby!”

“What? Somnus I have a power that not even the Gods can control. What is a poor little dirty liar like you going to do?” 

“Eos still has Noctis. And I will make sure he ends you for this!!!”

“Ha! Good luck with that.” 

I am then picked up and placed at Somnus’s feet like a peace offering. When Ardyn puts me down I curl myself into a ball, hold my stomach and start shaking again. I think I hear Somnus’s voice now and then, that must mean Ardyn is gone, but I can’t talk. All I can think about is all the sins I have committed that has lead to this point… Did I deserve this? Did I really? Does my baby deserve this… my poor, poor baby. 

The tears don’t stop falling at the thought of mine and Somnus’s child.