Chapter Text
Behind the closed doors of the private chamber, Xavier slipped off the heavy coronation robe. His movements were steady, composed, but his eyes carried a quiet edge. Amund stepped forward to assist, folding the garment with a care that seemed almost ceremonial.
Xavier's voice was cool, almost casual, yet heavy with demand.
"Explanation?"
Amund's lips curved in that calm, knowing smile of his.
"I am a Lemurian. Lemuria Elder Amund. You may not recall, but centuries ago I was there—witnessing the ceremony of the bond pact."
His tone carried the patience of one who had waited lifetimes, his hands folding the robe as if it were an ordinary cloth and not a crown's shadow.
He straightened, eyes warm with an old calm.
"I did all this to thank you. For sacrificing your heart to the Lemuria Sea God—and to Lemuria itself. Your act awakened our slumber, restored our power. Without you, we would still be fragments of memory."
Xavier buttoned his casual coat, his expression unreadable, though a flicker of sharpness stirred in his gaze.
"So the royal opera singer... Talia. She's a Lemurian too, isn't she? I remember flashes—her voice, her presence with Rafayel centuries ago."
Amund bowed his head slightly, as if conceding a long-kept truth.
"Yes."
Xavier's composure slipped into something colder, the weight of his voice low and steady.
"Does Rafayel know?"
Amund's smile lingered, faint but unshaken.
"He did. He found out—and was furious. You see, he wished only to watch you from afar this time, to remain unseen. But Lemurians do not take without giving. Gratitude must be repaid. We saw the Sea God's heartache, and we returned what was owed—our apology, and our thanks."
Rafayel lingered outside the palace after the ceremony ended, his lips curving softly. Relief warmed his chest. This time, Xavier had taken the crown. He was truly king.
But his smile faltered when Xavier stepped out. Gone was the heavy coronation robe, replaced by a sleek coat, though the crown still gleamed atop his head. His steps were steady, his presence commanding. Without a word, he reached Rafayel and clasped his wrist firmly.
"Let's go," Xavier said, calm and composed. "I can't leave the palace today—it's the coronation, after all. What a disappointment. Until tomorrow then... I'll be bringing you with me."
Rafayel's eyes widened. Ministers still dispersing nearby froze, watching in disbelief. His voice caught in his throat as he glanced around nervously.
"Xavier...!"
But Xavier didn't pause, didn't care. He pulled Rafayel back into the palace, his grip unrelenting.
Behind them, Amund lingered at the doors, his smile never fading. With a quiet bow to the retreating figures, he whispered to himself, voice gentle as though speaking to the sea.
"May our Sea God be forever blissful now."
Inside the palace, everyone they passed bent low in reverence to Xavier, their new king. His stride was firm, his hand tight around Rafayel's wrist. Rafayel tried to keep his face composed, but inside he was unraveling—his pulse wild, his thoughts racing.
"Xavier," Rafayel muttered, voice calm despite the panic within, "it's your first day as king and you're acting crazy."
Xavier glanced back with that infuriatingly calm smile, sharp and devastating.
"Do you think I would let you sit among the ministers, watch my coronation... and then simply walk away?"
Rafayel's breath hitched.
Xavier pushed open a heavy door and pulled him inside. Darkness enclosed them instantly. The lock clicked into place, sealing them away from the palace outside.
Then Xavier's evol flared to life. Light blossomed, scattering into countless motes that drifted in the air like stars. The room transformed into a private cosmos. Every surface shimmered—shells, pearls, relics from Lemuria. And at the very back, elevated as if sacred, rested the centuries-old crown Rafayel once stole, believing it lost forever.
Rafayel stood frozen, struck dumb. Every step he took sent light rippling across the chamber floor. His eyes widened, locking onto the impossible sight of the ancient crown.
"How...?" His voice shook. "You stole it from my room?"
Xavier set his newly gained crown of kingship onto a nearby table. With unhurried ease, he approached the ancient crown, fingers brushing it as though it were always his. His smile curved cool and sure.
"It isn't stealing," he said, gaze steady on Rafayel. "It's returning what was rightfully meant to be here. You never noticed, because you stopped entering that room. Did you realize that?"
The words cut deep. Rafayel's breath faltered as the truth struck—he had stopped going into that locked room because, for the first time, he was happy after so long. He hadn't needed to cling to those relics of the past anymore.
Xavier strode forward, the old crown cradled in his hands, his gaze steady on Rafayel. When he stopped before him, his voice was calm but carried the weight of centuries.
"Time to fulfill what you were meant to do long ago. To place the crown on that prince—the Lemuria Sea God's lover. The king Philos once wanted. The queen I desired."
Rafayel's breath hitched, chest tightening as the words struck deep. His heart pounded, aching with memories and the truth he had avoided for so long. Slowly, he reached out, taking the crown from Xavier's hands. The metal felt heavy, not only with its age but with everything it represented—loss, longing, and the bond they could never sever.
A soft smile touched Rafayel's lips, gentle and fragile. With trembling hands, he lifted the crown and placed it carefully on Xavier's head.
His vision blurred as tears welled in his eyes, yet he did not look away. Instead, he gazed at Xavier—at the man crowned not just by fate, but by the one who had always been his.
Xavier smiled, his usual coolness softened as he raised his hands to cradle Rafayel's face. His touch was gentle, yet his eyes held a resolve that could not be swayed.
"This time," he whispered, voice steady with promise, "you are going to be my queen. I'll give time before I announce it but for now, I only want you to remember."
He leaned in, pressing a kiss to Rafayel's lips—soft, firm, and filled with the weight of centuries of longing.
"Remember that I'm here. Remember everything. The star that once left you is now standing before you. And if you choose to run... then this star, this time, will chase you to the ends of life."
Rafayel's tears finally spilled, falling hot against his cheeks. He leaned forward, resting his head against Xavier's forehead softly, smiling. In that moment, his form shifted, his true self revealed—the Lemuria Sea God, radiant and divine.
The room glowed brighter, Xavier's light evol weaving through the air, scattering into countless particles that floated like drifting stars. They shimmered around them, wrapping the king and the sea god in a quiet, eternal brilliance.
Rafayel's voice was clear, steady despite the tears still clinging to his lashes. Xavier brushed them away with a gentle hand, smiling as if he held the whole world in his palm. Rafayel's fingers rose to touch the faint red bond glowing at his chest, a vow made flesh.
"I won't run anymore," he whispered, his eyes locked on Xavier's. "I can't, anyway. I'll make sure my star shines bright forever."
He leaned forward, sealing the promise with a kiss—soft, lingering, carrying centuries of ache and devotion.
Rafayel thought, his heart full.
The Lemuria Sea God's lover, forever.
Xavier pulled him close, arms firm and protective, as if to shield him from the world itself. His own vow burned within him, fierce and unshakable.
The Philos King's queen, forever. As long as I draw breath, we are in this together.
Around them, the room shimmered with Xavier's light evol, star-like motes drifting endlessly—silent witnesses to their eternal bond. This time round, no one leaving.
END