"I'm now more or less capable of walking on a smooth surface without tripping. I can even run, which I couldn't safely do before. But by no stretch of the imagination am I actually coordinated."

"Awww. Edarial doesn't spar with me anymore and the guards are all too scared..."

"If you are in the habit of terrifying even sparring partners who ostensibly know how to use swords I am doubly not going to let you try to teach me from scratch."

"Oh, fine. I'll let Edarial do it, then."

"I didn't say I wanted him to teach me either!"

"Awww. Ari, your wife is mean."

"For not wanting to do a thing that you happen to like?"

"Yes! That exactly!"

Iobel snorts.

"Your definition of mean is different than mine."

"Mine is way more valid than yours, though! Because I said so!"

"Your skills at rhetoric are truly unparalleled, Zevros," says Iobel, rolling her eyes.

"Yup. Razor sharp wit. I just inherited all two of the good traits from our parents, Edarial's got nothing. Sucks to be you and married to him."

"Are you saying that I am just devoid of good traits entirely?"

"Yes. Yes you are. Except for the honesty, and the selflessness, and the altruism, and the intellect, and the - you know what, you just got your traits from a magical star-child, congrats. You are half star. It wasn't mom that gave you the hair, that's fucking starlight."

"It seems like this would put paid to the claim that you are in fact twins."

"Nope, I am also half star. Can't you tell? It's in my smile."

Edarial is currently laughing. Quietly, but it's a thing he is doing. This time it sounds like actual laughter, rather than the bitter mockery Iobel's heard before.

"And half-human from the other side, or are you - I don't know, star-ocean hybrids of some kind to explain your eye colors?"

"Half-human on the other side, sorry to disappoint." He winks. "Gotta be royal somehow."

"Of course."

"That's the official story, anyway."

"That you are royal somehow? That you are partially human?"