i actually made decent chapter 16 progress the past couple of days so! posting a bit of that today as motivation to keep that energy going into the new year. the passage here is from immediately after the ceremony to return the pales administrative district to the grand duchy, during the car ride to the outdoor cultural festival to celebrate.
rizia fic, vina/axel, vina/manus, pre-vina/axel/manus, 680 words, no warnings needed, sfw. a snippet above the readmore, the rest below <3
Vina brushed a kiss across Manus' lips and turned back to Axel, resting her hand lightly on his cheek as he wrapped his arm around her.
"You did it, love," she said softly. "Pales is one country again."
He laughed under his breath and kissed her. "I'd love to take full credit for pulling this off," he said wryly, "but it wouldn't have been possible without you."
She fumbled for Manus' hand behind her as she stroked her thumb slowly over her husband's cheekbone, buying herself a moment to find the right words. "I'd say yes again without hesitation," she said after a few seconds. "Love…"
"I know." His warm, dry palm covered the back of her hand, pressing it firmly into his cheek for a heartbeat before gathering it in a gentle hold to bring her knuckles to his lips. "I'm in a mood. It's not your fault."
"If you want to stop things here," she said carefully, "and call off the reunification process to maintain Pales' sovereignty, I'll support you in that."
The tired affection in his eyes made her throat ache. He kissed her knuckles again and pulled her against him more firmly, sighing as he did.
"This is doesn't leave the car, Speaker Sazon," he told Manus, his breath warm her hairline as he spoke.
"My lips are sealed, Your Grace," Manus said sincerely.
"The thought of breaking negotiations…" He pressed his lips to her temple. "It's tempting. But while your offer of support means the world to me, beautiful, we'd just be kicking the problem down the road to our children. And in the meantime—"
"In the meantime, Lespia has a chip on its shoulder from Pales cutting ties in favor of Rizia, and they have membership in the ATO now," Manus cut in quietly.
Axel nodded. "And Valgsland just across the channel with its membership in United Contana. I hate to say it, but the writing has been on the wall for years now. Rizia is our best bet if we want to avoid the superpowers staging a revolution in Pales." His lips curved into a smile where they met her skin, and he added, "Besides, it would be a shame for all our hard work preparing our negotiating team to go to waste."
"Then…"
"It struck me," he said, and broke off to kiss her temple again. "It struck me just how much had to happen for today to be possible. For it to be me and not my brother, for Greater Pales to be returned, for so much of Pales to have been taken to begin with—"
Vina squeezed Manus' hand, releasing it at his firm squeeze back. She turned to fully embrace her husband, a thread of anxiety unknotting in her chest as his arms wrapped around her without hesitation.
"What can I do for you, love?" she breathed in his ear. "Tell me, please."
"Just let me hold you tonight." His answer was just as quiet. He inhaled slowly, letting it out in a carefully measured exhale, and added, almost inaudibly, "Just…hold me tonight."
"Always." She kissed the soft skin by his ear as his arms tightened around her. "Always, my Axel."
Her husband held her close for a long moment, breathing slowly, then kissed her cheek and relaxed his embrace. He shot Manus an apologetic glance as she sat back against the seat.
"I thought I'd be in a better mood for this when we asked you to join us," he told him with a faint smile.
"No, I understand." Manus shook his head. "Something this monumental isn't ever easy, even if it is worth celebrating."
The corners of Axel's smile deepened, and he tipped his head in agreement. "Exactly."
"And—" Manus slipped his arm behind Vina, reaching out to clasp Axel's shoulder. "And I'd support Vina saying yes again, for what it's worth. Without hesitation."
Axel looked back at him for several wordless seconds before laughing quietly, his eyes warm. "I'd agree to our arrangement again. For what that's worth."
tagging @vice-president-galade @mxanigel @jaeheydaris @statichvm @lordcaptains @mathlann @xoshepard @imogenkol @florbelles @henbased @andordean @dangerousdan-dan @tkwritesdumbassassins @fourraccoonsinacoat @kuwdora @fassina @captastra @nowandthane @cassandra-pentughasst and anyone else who has something they want to share!
