She had not held herself in such a way in the past. Never, no. In fact, she had seemingly grown into herself even more with each passing season - it made him cautious, curious, and perhaps a little impressed. The seasons had been kind to her where they had been ignorant to him.
In any case, whatever kindness he had seen in the past had been placed aside some place safe for now. She seemed suspicious and he supposed she ought to be. He'd never quite decided whose side he might be on - if he was on any at all. He did not like such a thought. He did not like the idea of sides other than his own but lately, he had been forced to see the world did not take kindly to that. You always had to pick a side and eventually, he knew that truth would catch him too.
Her singular word is sharp like a fang and it struck him in the dark as her ears twisted back. He remained composed despite the flutter of his heart as she charged forward. Though his instincts told him to recoil and guard himself, he peeled away from the urge and revealed the length of his neck and throat to her. Though he did not know it, she too had exposed herself to him and their sudden closeness filled him with her scent - it was still wrong, that scent, but it was her nonetheless. He remained in silence, his eyes lingering on hers as he sought out what she might truly feel then if not fear. Anger? Hate? He was conflicted over whether he deserved it or not. He'd never been made to consider what he deserved, after all.
"Friend," he echoed the word, "I've grown to like the word." But she had more to say and he watched her mouth as the words came for him. In the deluge, he felt like a rabbit. Her words hunted for him, sought out parts of him he had not even grown to know himself. Why had the pair of them created sides to choose? He wanted to roll his eyes but instead, he refrained and kept them firm on her. What did he want?
"I am not my father," because his father had taken four mates he had desired whereas Elohim had not even been able to take the first he had come to want, "but he is not the only blood I have to protect," because he would not be the one to force Ehiyeh to choose a side like him and to take or leave her children against their or her own will, "yet you gained my loyalty the day I saw you." His lips were taut then and for a moment, his eyes had given him away as they flickered to her side to investigate a curve that perhaps had not been there the last time he had seen her. "What is it that you want, Aster? Shed your duty and your blood and tell me that." Because if he had been honest, it was her time too: had she sought to create war and strife? Had she sought to bury herself in the ideals of her family, forgetting her own desires too? They were one in the same, two sides of a coin though neither wished to admit it. At least, Elohim thought so.
His pause had been deep, his entire body unmoving for some time before he finally moved to speak again. This time, he drew nearer to her, breathing her in deeply before his words were hushed. "Tell me what you want me to be." Did she even know what she wanted? She said Chancellor but what was that truly?