"Everything? Forgive me for the language but while I am standing in for our twin - I am calling bullshit."
Edarial shrinks a little. "All of the - everything dealing with the throne, or Zevros, or marriage, or Iobel, and it makes it worse that you and - yours are so... Happy. Like if I'd been stronger or cleverer or something I could have prevented it and we could be happy, too."
"Thank you. Okay. Analyzing that - the throne itself doesn't bother you, it's how you got it that does, which ties back into the marriage. Zevros we both know is volatile but there's no bite to his bark, not with you involved. The marriage to Iobel is the real problem here, yes? Everything involving it?"
Edarial is hugged. He nods, then buries his face in his alt's shoulder. "I don't know what to do."
"That's all right. I could tell you what to do, but then you would wonder if you'd have ever gotten there on your own, and that would make it worse. So, I'll just help you come to your own conclusions. Okay?"
"Tell me, how valid do you consider a wedding that neither party wants?"
"So you're not married. A large amount of people just happen to think you are."
"Yes it is. Because if you are unofficially not married, that means that you can do it again and get it right."
"Okay, if your marriage is valid then what sorts of things have you done together?"
"Mhm. Bare minimum, what is in your head for what makes a marriage a marriage? Besides the vows, the vows we both know are meaningless if you don't mean them."
"Whatever it is, it's missing, and the fact that it's missing hurts. Right?"
"So, the marriage is invalid. It does not exist. Then nothing is missing, and you can stop being stuck in your head thinking about how horrible it is. Because if you keep doing that you're going to lose the second chance entirely."
"Okay, now - good news. If Iobel is even vaguely similar to Isabella, she is a delight. You will get along fantastically if you give it a chance. Stop reading too much into her words, don't act like you're not. I know better, I saw. That's not fair to her, and we both know it."
"With love, yes, yes you should. You are the emotionally complicated one of the pair of you. You're the one that's all subtext. So - display some actual text or she won't know what to do with you."
"No, I am being selectively mean and brutally honest. Sorry, but it's the best way to help."