Aether had faced dragons and Fatui Harbingers. He had battled two ancient gods who threatened to flood Liyue and defeated a monstrous narwhal that threatened all of Teyvat. He had allied with a rebellion to battle the Raiden Shogun broken free from the Sage's Samasara trap, overcome a prophecy predicting the end of Fontaine, and even conquered the Spiral Abyss. All of that paled in comparison to what faced him now.
Afternoon light shone through the Inazuma sliding door window. A suit of armor hung on display beneath sheathed katannas mounted upon the wall. Aether sat awkwardly on the cushion staring at his untouched tea cup.
Across the table sat an elegant blue haired man clad in a white kimono. Kamisato Ayato. The head of the Yashiro Commission and leader of the Kamisato clan. The man sipped his boba tea with a delighted expression.
This was without a doubt, the most unnerving experience of his life. Aether had spent the last five minutes tongue-tied. He'd been so resolved to see this through, but now, he could barely speak.
Did Ayato already know why Aether had come here today? He must have, this man knew everything that happened in this nation. Maybe he was only feigning ignorance and he wanted Aether to sit here, suffering in uncertainty. This devious man had something up his sleeve. Not knowing made him all the more nervous.
Ayato smirked. "You're awfully quiet today. Is the tea not to your liking?"
"N-no, it's fine." He downed a huge gulp.
The traveler swallowed. He came here with one purpose. He came here for her.
"I came here," he began, until a belch erupted from his throat. Well, this was going great so far. "Sorry."
"Not at all," said Ayato. "I take it as compliment."
Aether took a deep breath. He forced himself to meet Ayato's gaze.
"I came here to ask you something."
Ayato quirked an eyebrow. "Oh?"
Heart racing. Aether decided he'd just give the speech as he rehearsed it countless times.
"Your family has become dear to me. Thoma, Ayaka, and you, if I may say so, are irreplaceable friends." Ayato said nothing at all. He continued smiling pleasantly. Aether felt himself growing more anxious by the second. "Um, well…I'm grateful for the things you've done for me. I would never want to dishonor you, sir, by what I'm about to ask."
He waited for the man to call his behavior overly formal. Ayato did not. He expected Ayato might become sour, apprehensive about what his guest wanted to ask. Ayato's face didn't budge one inch. Aether felt sweat trailing down his neck.
He continued, "What I'd like to ask from you is something only you can bestow upon me, sir. It means everything to me."
Ayato poured Aether another cup of tea. He put sugar cubes into his cup and stirred, before placing the cup before the traveler. Casual enough, and yet Aether couldn't shake this uneasy feeling. Every action could bely some hidden thought. Still, Ayato wore that imperturbable polite smile reserved for special guests.
Aether felt close to throwing up. He had to pull through. He had to do this.
He summoned all his strength.
"Kamisato Ayato," he said. "I'm in love with your sister Ayaka. May I please have your blessing to ask for her hand in marriage?"
He expected something—anything –from that man. Outrage, perplexity, disgust, … his face betrayed nothing. Ever so slowly, Ayato brought his cup to his lips. He took a long, quiet sip. Aether felt his body squirming. How much longer would this bastard keep him waiting?
Ayato lowered the cup, dabbed a napkin to his lips. At long last, the clan leader let out a content sigh, laid his hands on the table, and spoke.
"Is that all?"
Aether blinked, completely taken aback. "Y-yes, sir."
"I see." He gave a thoughtful sort of nod. "Tell me, did you get my dear sister pregnant?"
Pregnant? Aether's face lit up red. "N-no! Of course not!"
Ayato gave a light chuckle.
"So," the man said, "you want my permission to join hands with my sister in holy matrimony."
"Yes, sir."
"I see," his largely neutral tone took on a slight edge. "I'm not sure such a union could have a happy conclusion. As an heir to the clan, my sister has responsibilities to our nation. There is unfortunately, a clear difference in your stations."
"I know," Aether admitted. "But think about this: I'm a hero to every nation in Teyvatt. I've got friends who rule countries, like the Tiaquan Ningguang, the Chief Justice of Fontaine Neuvellette, and Lesser Lord Kusunali. They all owe me favors. If you allow our marriage, the Kamisato Clan will gain powerful allies."
"True, but that is not my only concern. My sister deserves a partner who will always stand by her side, who will put her above all else. You never stay in any place for long. You go where adventure takes you. How could I in good conscience, give my sister to a man who cannot stay by her side?"
Aether felt like his heart had been stabbed. Ayato wasn't completely wrong. It would be unfair to marry Ayaka only to leave her alone in Inazuma. How could he be her husband if he was hardly ever around?
Gradually, he collected himself and forced himself to say what was on his heart.
"I can't promise to be with her all the time. But I can promise you, I will treasure every moment I have with her. She may miss me at times, but she'll never be lonely because I will always come back to her."
Ayato said with an air of sadness, "A man of words and not of deeds, is like a garden full of weeds. You can claim all this, but words are empty without action. Can you prove your sincerity?"
Aether scowled. "With all due respect, sir, every Irodori Festival, I come back just so I can see her. On the test of courage, she was the person I asked to be my partner. I challenged the Raiden Shogun because she begged me to save Thoma and her nation. If that's not enough proof…then well frankly, I don't know what else I can say."
Aether felt a rush of embarrassment. Ayato's words had goaded him and now he'd made a fool of himself with that outburst. He wasn't sorry for spelling out plainly how he felt. He did regret shooting his own feet by losing his composure.
He slumped, unsure what else he could do. Was this it? All this, just for Ayato to say no? Aether knew this was a long shot anyways, but still…it really hurt.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I lost my temper."
Ever so slowly, Ayato's stern face softened. A smile crossed his lips. He let out a most approving nod.
"I can sense your sincerity," he said. "Ayaka means the world to me. I wanted to make sure her husband, and my future brother-in-law, would genuinely want to be with her and not waver in the face of opposition. On that front, you pass with flying colors."
"I pass…? Was this all a test?"
"From the moment we sat down. Please forgive the ruse."
Aether blinked, frankly stunned. "So then… you did know what I came here for today?"
"Aether, I'm sure you already know that very little happens in Inazuma without my knowing. Rest assured, you've assuaged any lingering doubts in my mind."
"Then you approve?"
Ayato grabbed his teacup and took another torturously long sip. Once more, he let out a content sigh as he dabbed his lips. He set down the cup, laid his hands on the table, and looked right at the traveler.
"In truth, I already made up my mind the second I knew," he said. "But I'll make it official. Aether. You have my blessing to marry Ayaka. On three conditions.
"First, the Commission will handle the arrangements of your marriage. Given your status as an outsider, this union must have all the ceremony traditional to our culture so its legitimacy is unquestionable.
"Second, the wedding will not happen until the fall of next year. The timing will not only coincide with the anniversary of our nation's founding, it will give us adequate time to invite your impressive allies across Teyvat. Naturally, I'd like the heads of each nation to send a representative to attend.
"Do you find these terms acceptable?"
Aether grinned but quickly put on a professional face. He politely said that yes, it would. Ayato shook hands with him. He promised that he would draft the details of this contract and thanked the traveler for his cooperation. Aether was just so relieved he'd agreed. The woman he loved was going to be his bride. Knowing that made him want to jump for joy. He could wait a year to make it official. Waiting would make the union all the sweeter.
Aether started to leave when a thought occurred to him.
"Hold on, you said three conditions. That was only two."
"Ah yes," Ayato chuckled. "Well, the third condition hardly needs spelling out."
Aether didn't understand.
"You do know what usually follows after marriage, yes?"
"A honeymoon…?"
"Yes, I suppose that too. Well, I'd better not keep you. I imagine Ayaka is waiting."
Chalking it up to Ayato's weirdness, Aether left.
About halfway there, he got it. A third condition… usually follows after marriage…Oh. Oh. He grew flustered. Ayato probably thought his soon to be brother-in-law was a dunce. Well, he still said yes so that had to mean something.
Ayaka threw her arms around him when she heard the news. They shared a passionate kiss and made plans for the future.
It took Aether a second. Oh…Oh. A second