Her eyes never left his as he spoke, though she wasn't quite sure where he was going with the conversation. There was the slightest feeling of guilt as he spoke of his late wife, he seemed so certain that their meeting was fate, or something like that. She wasn't exactly a huge believer in destiny and all that, as she preferred to have her own hand in her own life, but that wasn't important. He spoke with such vigor that for a moment she felt enraptured by his words. Though eventually, he got to where he wanted to be, or at least he got to something that meant a lot to him.

And then he said he wanted Shion to marry him.

[i][color=dodgerblue]I won’t hesitate any longer. I know what I want…and that’s you.[/color][/i]

[i][color=deepskyblue]I suppose I'll be forever haunted, won't I?[/color][/i] She thought to herself rather bitterly, upset that Rio's words were the first thing she thought of after his proposal. She was terrible, wasn't she? Now, however, there was no way that she could continue without him knowing at the very least one of her biggest truths--one that his son already knew, and would likely be brought to light soon anyway. Still it was hard to get the words out--should she just drop it out there? Hint towards it? She needed to say something, the moment had come and gone and she had said nothing.

"[color=deepskyblue]Your respect towards my privacy is appreciated...though, I would caution against wanting to be with someone like me without knowing everything,[/color]" She said, frowning.

That probably wasn’t the kind of answer one hoped to receive from the woman whom he just asked to marry him, but she has always been one for surprises. [color=goldenrod]”Very well,”[/color] Francis said, nodding, giving Shion a smile. [color=goldenrod]”You have my full attention.”[/color]

Great. Time to spill. “[color=deepskyblue]I’ve made a pact promising to rid the world of Venat.[/color]” She decided to start with the first. “[color=deepskyblue]Said pact involved a certain accommodation so that I would live to see his downfall. And by that, I mean I made it a very, very long time ago. So...I’m older than I look.[/color]”

[color=goldenrod]”Age is a nonfactor. You are still you regardless if your real age is a little over what you physically represent.”[/color] Francis had made a mental shrug. [color=goldenrod]”Though, you do have my curious. How long ago did you make this pact? Ten years, perhaps?”[/color] He asked her.

Shion stared at him for a moment. “[color=deepskyblue]No, it’s much more than that,[/color]” She said. 

[color=goldenrod]”Well, I hope you’ll forgive me, but you certainly look good for your age.”[/color] He commented, mentally preparing himself for what was to come. [color=goldenrod]”If you’re not ten years older than I thought you were, does that mean you’re twenty years older? Or perhaps even thirty?”[/color] He inquired again, this time sounding a bit warily cautious.

“[color=deepskyblue]Oh, no I mean more along the lines of...I mean, I’m not speaking of decades. Only three centuries. Give or take.[/color]” She decided to simply put it out there.

[color=goldenrod]”Ah, only three hundred huh? That’s not so bad--[/color]” Before getting that thought out, Francis, in a delayed reaction, let out a raised, almost high-pitched gasp of surprise. “[color=goldenrod]C-could you please repeat that? My old ears are--I mean, that is to say..just repeat it for me, please.[/color]”

“[color=deepskyblue]I’m three hundred and two years old.[/color]” She repeated herself.

[color=goldenrod]”Oh, I see..”[/color] 

Good thing Francis was sitting down. He definitely needed a moment. To think that the one who he had been seeing and laying in bed with almost every night for almost a full month was not only someone amazing that he had the pleasure of knowing but was someone that was a couple centuries his senior. 

After a full minute of letting the breathing ease up, he returned to her orange gaze. What must she be thinking right now? Possibly the worst. Francis had been given such shocking news, she probably thought he was going to leave her. Obviously this was a secret that had been weighing on her mind. And of course, he had no doubt in his mind that Michel knew. Someone who operated so close to her, it was understandable why he’d know. Perhaps because of the close bond he and Shion shared, that’s why it had been difficult for her to come clean with him. If he were in her shoes, he would find it not only awkward but tough to find the right moment to tell him.

[color=goldenrod]”That certainly was something to digest.”[/color] Francis took her hand almost out of a reflex of trying to adjust to this new normal. [color=goldenrod]“I’ve only one thing to ask say to that.”[/color]

“[color=deepskyblue]And that would be…?[/color]”

[color=goldenrod]”I still need an answer to my proposal.”[/color] He stated, smirking.

Now it was her turn to be shocked. “[color=deepskyblue]Are you sure about that?[/color]” She asked him. “[color=deepskyblue]It’s--There’s the chance to walk away right now. I don’t know how long it will take. I don’t know where life will take me next. Even so, are you certain you want to marry someone like me?[/color]”

After taking a short moment, Francis nodded. [color=goldenrod]”I do not care what happens down the road. Only thing I do care about is knowing that I am going to be at your side for as long as the Gods will allow me to.”[/color] He stated.

Shion let out a sigh, perching her cheek on the palm of her hand. There was no getting away from him, was there? “[color=deepskyblue]If you insist. Never say I didn’t warn you…[/color]” She mumbled, a slight blush on her cheeks. Despite her cool exterior, she truly was touched. “[color=deepskyblue]Then I suppose saying ‘no’ would dull the moment. I’ll have to say ‘yes’ after all.[/color]”

[color=goldenrod]”Don’t do it because you have to — do it because you [i]want[/i] to.”[/color] Francis chuckled in typical Sicarius fashion.

It had been an offhand comment, but it was the first time in a long time that she realized what he meant. She always felt she [i]had[/i] to do something or [i]needed[/i] to do one thing or another. She cleared her throat as she sat up, trying to save face as she realized she was a little more emotional than she would have liked.

“[color=deepskyblue]Alright then. Yes.[/color]”