"Man, being a fairy must be nearly as bad for that brother as being pharaoh."

"Why?"

"He likes people. A lot. Before he was pharaoh he knew everyone who lived or worked in the palace, knew them well, he'd screw around with assignments to get people somewhere where they were happier or where their friends were or where they'd have work they were good at. He - at least once he stopped me from making a very bad mistake I didn't even know would've been a mistake at the time, and that no one else would've considered one - when we'd get the lottery winners for a tour he'd always go and meet them and he'd come back so alive, all excited, about their fashions and their families and their marriages - he'd write them letters, send wedding gifts months later - 

- he stopped all that, of course, because when the pharaoh does things it means things, because there was no such thing as having a light touch anymore, for anything, because his attention wasn't a fair thing to inflict on random people just because he wanted to know them -"

"That does sound kind of hellish."

"Hmm?"

" - not being able to do the things that make you happy anymore. Giving up the things that are important to you in order to better and more completely fill the role that the divine wishes to mold you into. Giving up being a person, becoming a thing that isn't capable of making ordinary human connections with ordinary people, stepping completely and entirely into the role you've been assigned, no matter what parts of yourself you have to cut off in the process.

"Maybe I assume too much from your description, but - that's what hell is. But at least he believes his is temporary."

"- he wouldn't do it for Abadar. But for the people - it's all for the people -"

Nod.

"And he's got his husband and his absurd stack of wives and his council with a hundred members who've opted in to having his attention and - I think he's okay. But it seems like it's not great. And being a fairy would be hard, the same way, because fairies can't just give anything or get anything or anonymously finagle anything, it's all got to be even."

"Yeah.

"Wonder how Cecelia's doing."

"Do you think we were wrong, to encourage him to marry her and make the whole mess permanent -"

"I think - I worry that people shouldn't marry each other if they're not certain about it. - maybe not all people. People who are me. And last we spoke to her she didn't seem very certain."

Nod. 

"It is not very surprising that I feel better about marriages that start out badly than people in places who don't arrange them."

"I'm not sure I follow? Like - maybe marriages between people who are very unsuited for each other don't lead to divorce, in Osirion, but I'd think they'd still lead to a lot of pain. Maybe not all the time, but a lot of it."

"Between people who are very unsuited to each other, sure. But people who love each other and just have no idea what to do with that, I think that usually works out well. And if it doesn't it's because he changes when he has power, and - they tested that."

"I suppose so. I guess I worry that - I'm still not sure he knows what marriage is."

"He really doesn't seem to."

"Yeah. And - you do realize it's possible to love someone and not be suited to marry them, right?"

"I have spent my entire adult life assuming I could never marry anyone because I couldn't inflict the palace on them. And most of the people I might want wouldn't be eligible anyway."

"I see. Well - I might be hesitant to inflict fairyland on her for the rest of her life. Even if he means well. Even if he understands what she's asking. Even if she loves him and he loves her."

"You think it'd be a bad place, for someone who's - like you?"

"I dunno enough about it. I know the first two times Elizabeth pulled her from it she was crying. I know every time she talks about his court she looks sad."

Nod.

"What makes someone eligible to marry Osirian royalty?"

"Oh." He looks thoroughly embarrassed.