"Queen Sindel."

A light smile came to her at the way her name sounded when it was spoken from his lips.

She didn't need to turn around to see who it was; she knew him by the sound of his voice, by the slight vibrato that rolled off of his tongue.

The moment he set foot on the Edenian palace grounds... she knew.

He brought a slight change in the air- a small rise in the pressure around him, slightly altering what many had called the perfect atmosphere of Eden. He brought forward a change, an alteration, one that stirred up her spine and rolled across the back of her neck.

One that sent lightning down to her fingertips- much like the kind he could conjure up with free will.

"Ladies, if you will," Sindel started, speaking to the four helpers who were gathered around by her feet- pinning the ends of her gown together for later tailoring. She watched as they each hastily finished the pin they were on, before they scooped up their supplies and hurried out of the room. Despite their attempts to hide it, she could hear the maidens giggling amongst each other as they pulled the room doors closed behind them.

Ensuring that the two of them would have absolute privacy.

Maybe.

She lightly smoothed out the front of her gown before she turned to face him- smiling at the Thunder God as he started the long walk across the room to her. But she was not one without virtues as she stepped down the short stairway before her and moved to meet him halfway.

While her throne room was elegant and extravagant, and filled with things worthy of a monarch's attention... sometimes it was simply too much.

Sometimes she wanted him to be with her immediately rather than suffer through this long walk.

But it made the finishing steps that much sweeter.

She walked towards him with open arms, as the thin material of her gown flowed around her. "Lord Raiden," Sindel spoke, glad to say his name aloud once more, "it is good to see you finally decided to visit us again."

He greeted her with a smile.

"I apologize for the long wait," Raiden began, "and I hope I am not interrupting something."

Sindel felt him take one of her hands and watched as he brought it to his lips- and felt the gentle brush of a kiss against the back of it. It was more than difficult to hide the way the gesture made her melt. "You? No, never," she assured, as she lightly squeezed his hand once before he released her. "However, I must ask that you do not make me wait such an unknown length of time again."

Her remark brought another smile to his usually stoic face.

"There is still much to do in Earthrealm, and unfortunately every fighter we have is dealing with certain tasks of their own," he spoke. "It leaves many hands tied, and it is difficult to find the proper time for business when... there is hardly enough time to rest."

His sense of dedication to Earthrealm had always been admirable to her.

Even after all these years, his love for the realm had never faltered.

"I assure you, Lord Raiden, I know exactly what you mean."

A quiet chuckle left him, allowing her another glimpse at the true character that laid beneath the stoic mask he carried.

"Yes, I... I have no doubts about that," Raiden nodded. "How are things here in Edenia? My lack of visiting has put me... rather behind on current events."

"Edenia is still healing, but... it is still the same as I have always remembered it," she started. "And, after all these years, it is good to finally be back again. There is still much for us to do, but it is beginning to feel like home."

"That is good to hear," he spoke- and it was impossible to not hear the honest sincerity in his voice when he did so. "And of your... brood?"

Sindel smiled and found a small laugh answering the question for her, as she reached forward and lightly tangled her fingers in his thick sleeve. "Kitana is doing well here. She is finally learning about her home realm, and learning to step into her new, proper role as Princess. She will make Edenia proud, I know it. However... that is not to say that we haven't had more than a few bumps along the way..."

A light frown caught him at the words- diminishing the radiant look he had when he smiled.

It did not take long for him to understand her lead though.

"Are you referring to Mileena?" Raiden asked.

"I will give Kitana credit- she is trying," Sindel nodded. "They are both still very much bitter towards one another... corrupted in a sense, I suppose. But I have hope and confidence that they will work it out. It is not an easy feat, that I know; they were both raised under horrible conditions, and those habits and memories will be difficult to break. But Edenia is known to heal, and with time, they will heal."

"You have always impressed me, Sindel," he started- noticeably dropping her title when he spoke her name, sending a warm chill down her back. "Not many people would... willingly take in Shao Kahn's creation."

...

While such a thing was the truth... she did not like people referring to Mileena like that.

In truth, she herself had been rather indifferent to it before- there was no denying that yes, Mileena was in fact a creation produced by Shao Kahn and Shang Tsung. But when she meet Mileena face-to-face, when she experienced the young woman for what she was, and saw how she acted, and saw the way she carried herself... There was nothing of Shao Kahn in her.

Instead, Sindel saw herself.

She saw her own wild, and untamed youth.

She saw sharpened nails and an even sharper tongue- one that was ready to cross words at anyone who might mistaken her to be an easy target.

In Mileena, she saw a careful, titter-tottering balance between elegance and mayhem; peace and chaos.

And those had all been her traits- no one else's.

"Mileena is a creation of sorcery, yes, but she was created from Kitana- who is my own flesh and blood," Sindel spoke. "And as such, my hand goes out to Mileena as well. Whether or not she chooses to accept her place here in Edenia is up to her, but she will always be welcomed here. She was, after all, the one who freed Edenia in the first place. I owe her that much- both as someone who will be forever grateful for her deed, and... also as her respective mother."

His colorless eyes seemed to seek something out in hers, and she felt the pressure around them shift once again.

"Many people I know could learn a lot from you," Raiden remarked.

"It is not that hard to accept someone who has been deemed unloveable," she started, "but it will be difficult to have her accept us in the same light. Edenia is coming together, but she is still wounded- and we will need as many of us as we can get to rebuild her." she paused slightly and offered him a sly smile. "And seeing how close Kitana has been getting with one of your Earthrealm warriors... I anticipate that we may be getting more sooner than expected."

He frowned slightly and put on what might've been a mock look of displeasure.

"I cannot be held responsible for the actions, or behaviors, of certain Earthrealm fighters."

Sindel lightly laughed at his rather quick response, and took note of his withheld expression, which soon faltered at the sound of her laughter. She had no doubts that the Thunder God knew exactly who she spoke of- but he certainly wasn't about to put himself into the middle of it.

It was unnecessary to after all.

"While we are on the subjects of Earthrealm and Edenia," she spoke, "and how we are both trying to get back on our feet, it would be nice to... formally announce our alliance to one another."

Raiden seemed slightly taken back by the remark- or rather, more so confused by it. "We have had our stumbles in the past, Sindel, but I can assure you that Earthrealm will always be an Edenian ally."

"And for that, I will always be grateful," Sindel nodded, as her fingers slowly trailed down his arm, running over the folds of his sleeve. "You are the greatest ally Edenia could have, Raiden, and I wish to make a proposal for you."

"A proposal?" he repeated; his tone oddly attentive and curious now- seemingly intrigued, yet cautious about her next answer.

"A marital one."

...

He was easily taken by surprise with her words- no amount of preparing could have braced him for them.

But, despite the near look of utter shock on his face, it was difficult to not find a sense of amusement in the broken look. He was always so stoic and stiff- always so serious and focused that it was hard to imagine him with too many other expressions.

Of course here, in the revived Edenian palace, with no one else but her, he let his guard down; he let his facade falter and gave her brief glimpses into the man he really was. In the absolute peace of Edenia, he could be more than just the Thunder God he played.

"It is only a proposal; it does not demand an immediate answer," Sindel continued, perhaps bringing him some relief. "It does not have to be an official marriage- it can be for diplomatic purposes instead. It would be like... an extended safety measure for Edenia, so to say- not that I believe another man like Shao Kahn will arise any time soon, or ever for that fact. But if one does, it will be harder to simply waltz in here and force my hand."

Not that she would ever allow herself to be taken advantage of again.

No man would ever erase her mind and force her to become someone less of who she was now.

If someone so much as threatened Edenia in the slightest, she would strike them down.

Edenia would not be a realm of victims.

It was a realm of Queens, and Goddesses- and nothing less.

Her fingers trailed further down until they stroked the back of his hand, causing it to flinch slightly in surprise; she brushed them slowly over his knuckles, before fingers gently slid and interlocked with his own.

"Or, perhaps if the Heavens wish it, it could be a domestic marriage as well," she finished, soft and slowly.

His eyes never moved away from her own- even as white and pupil-less as they were, she knew they were stuck focusing on hers. She could spot the ever slight twitch on the corners of his lips as words seemed to evade him. His hand felt hot against her own and she felt him ever so slightly squeeze her- sending small, harmless shocks of static into her fingertips.

"It is... certainly worth thinking on," Raiden started; despite the small hints of his composure coming undone, his voice remained steady and deep. "I believe I will have to speak to the Elders about this and see if such proposal... will hold."

Right at the near end of his words there was hesitation.

A momentary crack.

Sindel offered a smile and moved her free hand to take his other one into her grasp as well. "That is good to hear."

"Is it?"

His voice was strung with a hint of disbelief.

"If you're thinking about it than you haven't outright denied it."