Last Chapter of the official story - however there is an epilogue to come which will tie everything up, (and contain hidden clues for 'The Crimson King').
CRIMSON KING IS A CONTINUATION OF THE APK STORYLINE.
Lots of people have been asking me why APK has unanswered questions and this is my answer to that 😂 I had thought I'd made it obvious haha so now I'll just post this everywhere instead.
I cannot tell you guys how much my heart was breaking writing this Chapter knowing this is the end. I will write a longer Authors Note for the Epilogue, so for now, please enjoy the final Chapter of the A Pirate's Kiss Trilogy & thank-you all for your support, right until the end.
Love Always,
Daisy
__________________________
Chapter 55 | Only You
*
There are two things,
I will forever be sure of.
The sun will always
fall for the moon, and
I will always fall for
y o u .
-R.M Brodrick
*
ZALAS
He watched as Circe disappeared so fast out the door, it was as though she had evaporated.
Airocei held Zalas's arm as she left, preventing him from following after her.
"Let her go," his Mother told him quietly, "she has been kept waiting long enough."
Zalas huffed, folding his arms across his chest with a scowl. His opal eyes narrowed as he flicked his head away from his cousin's rapidly disappearing back, to glance at the gaping hole left in the diamond floor of the cell.
"You don't have to tell me," he tsked, "still. What a mess."
Airocei only smiled, a slight curl of her lips that betrayed her amusement and did not say anything more.
Behind them, Unabonan – having entered the cell – crouched at the edge of the hole and placed his hand flat on the floor, his angular brows pulling together as he concentrated.
There was a gentle crackling sound, like thick ice breaking underfoot, and the diamond floor beneath his hands began to creep forward at a speed visible to the naked eye. Fragments of crystal shot forwards, expanded, and collided into each other until the gap was sealed and it was as though it had never existed to begin with.
Unabonan straightened, looking Zalas in the eye.
It is done.
Zalas nodded curtly. "Did you really feel him here?" he asked.
His brother nodded once, his long white hair falling forward over his shoulder. His presence is impossible to mistake for anyone else. He was well hidden though. And he will have been alerted by my contact.
"He thinks he is being pursued?" Zalas asked sharply.
The dragon nodded again. He was not concerned before, as he had not been discovered. But now he thinks guards are coming for him, yes.
Zalas swore. "Can't you tell him to wait for her?"
Unabonan looked off into the distance again, silent for another moment before grimacing and shaking his head.
No. The dragon sounded frustrated. He has blocked me. I would have been able to before, but in this form ...
"Enough," Zalas interrupted, his heart stinging slightly, "I understand." There was no need to for him to finish that sentence. He took a deep breath. "Does he know I am alive?" he asked instead.
I am unsure, Unabonan thought, his thick white tail swishing from side to side agitatedly.
His brother still did not like to talk about Zalas's near brush with death. Although the dragon was not familiar with portraying emotions through human facial expressions – resulting in a rather emotionless façade – Zalas found him as easy to read as ever.
When he had first awoken in his room, it was to see this strangely familiar, yet alien face hovering over his own, and for a brief moment Zalas had thought – stupidly – that he was staring at his own reflection.
It had never occurred to him that he might survive the blow that Zeus dealt to him. When his vision had faded to black, he had believed that was it. That he was gone. And yet here he was.
His fingers had crept down to feel for his wound, only to find a hard, smooth surface in the place of his skin. His eyes had caught a glimpse of red, and he knew without even looking properly, what it was that had been embedded within his flesh.
And then the reflection above him had blinked, the double eyelid folding in and out, the pupils thinning into reptilian slits, and when his brothers voice had entered his mind, then he had known. Then he had known what had been sacrificed in order to keep him alive.
And his devastation had been indescribable. His rage, overflowing. His anguish all-encompassing.
"Why would you do this?" he had roared at Unabonan, "What were you thinking?! Why would you give up so much for me?"
And the dragon had stood there and taken all of his grief, and his anger, and answered with a collection of words that Zalas could not refute, no matter how deeply he despised their truth.
You would have done the same for me.
Even now, Zalas's heart ached when he looked at his brother. It was a dull ache. A throbbing pain that he doubted would ever fade. It wasn't that he wasn't grateful – that wasn't it at all. It was the fact that Zalas knew how much Unabonan had loved being a dragon. His brother had never been shy about stating his preferences. To Unabonan, being a dragon was synonymous with freedom.
To soar through the sky with unparalleled speed, to feel the air currents beneath his massive wingspan, to feel the burn of flames, hot in his throat, to crush the earth beneath his claws, to feel bones splinter and shatter underneath his massive jaws – all of these feelings Zalas had experienced first-hand through his brother's eyes, clinging to the dragon's white scaled back ever since he was first able to walk, and Unabonan first able to fly.
So now, to see his brother's once glorious self, confined to such a small, limiting, humanoid shell ... Zalas could not imagine how suffocating it must feel. And he was the one who had taken that freedom from him. He would have rather stayed dead.
What was worse was that Zalas really could only imagine. Unabonan had shut him out mentally, only linking with him when he needed to speak. Their previously intertwined web of mental contact had been shrunk down to a single thread. That was how Zalas knew it was bad. That his brother was hiding his true feelings from him, unwilling to let him share in his pain. He hated it. He hated it.
And there was no one he could be angry with, except for himself.
Unabonan stepped out of the cell, breaking Zalas from his revere. His brother halted in front of them, his gaze fixed on their Mother. As Zalas watched, the corners of the dragon's eyes softened slightly, and he reached out to take Airocei's hand.
We should return, Unabonan projected quietly, you are still tired.
The dragon's tail had calmed, and now it flicked attentively at the end only, conveying his concern. Zalas had yet to hear him speak with his mouth and although he knew Unabonan was capable of creating sound, Zalas was fine with things the way they were now.
He could never admit it, but if the dragon became vocal, then he may cease to communicate mentally altogether, and the thought made Zalas feel incredible lonely.
He had spent his entire life with his brother's thoughts always present in his mind, either at the forefront, or as white noise in the background. It was hard enough having Unabonan cut off their emotional connection. Zalas did not want to know what it would be like to lose his brothers voice as well.
As though sensing his unrest, the dragon glanced at him, his elegant face smooth and expressionless. And you brother. You need rest also.
"I'm fine," Zalas snapped tersely, banishing his self-deprecating thoughts. What would be would be, there was no point in worrying about it now. But as he thought that a sharp pain shot up his leg from his stump foot, as though forcibly contradicting him. He resisted the urge to growl under his breath.
Airocei sighed at his irritation, before reaching up a hand to cup the side of Unabonan's face. Her thumb gently stroked a line over his scaled cheekbone as the dragon stooped to allow her easier access.
"My beautiful child," she swept her hand back, tucking Unabonan's long white hair behind a pointed ear, "I always knew you would have made a handsome Air Sprite. And now I have been proven correct."
Zalas rolled his eyes, "Mother. Really?"
"What?" Airocei replied defensively.
Zalas threw up his hands in annoyance, "There are a million other things occurring right now and you choose to concern yourself with how handsome your children are?"
Airocei's eyes narrowed. "I believe," she said frostily, "I was only talking about one child."
Unabonan laughed at that, a deep, throaty rumble that created an extreme disparity with his current appearance.
Zalas's eyes narrowed and he pointed a finger at his brother, "Don't encourage her."
There is no need to be sour brother, Unabonan thought, his mental tone smug. The dragon's eyes curved slightly as his lips curled upwards, revealing a pointed incisor. You should be used to it by now, after all, I have always been the handsome one.
Zalas stared at his ridiculous family in outrage and retracted all of the concern he had afforded his brother earlier. Fuck him – this beast was just as arrogant as he had always been.
"Enough," he sniffed, "before I go back, there is one more thing I must attend to while we are down here."
His Mother seemed to sense the direction the conversation was going to take, and her smile faded, her eyes becoming a little vacant.
"I will take my leave then," she said smoothly.
"Do you not want to accompany me?" Zalas asked, his tone a little harsh.
Airocei stiffened. "I have nothing to say to her," she said coldly, "I will not shame myself by gracing her with my presence. And neither should you," she added.
Zalas felt his ears grow numb, his heart heavy with an emotion he did not recognise. It was an uncomfortable feeling. "She is still your daughter-" he began to argue mechanically, but his mother cut him off.
"She is no daughter of mine." The Queen said icily, "Your Uncle has already dealt with her. She will not be forgiven for her crimes. You would do well to forget her existence – the rest of the world will, soon enough."
Upon uttering that statement, his mother swept from the room without a backwards glance, leaving Zalas to stare blankly in her wake.
Unabonan appeared beside him. You should not have mentioned it around her. I would have taken you later.
Zalas scowled, closing his eyes as he pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. "She should see her," he hissed in irritation.
She has already, Unabonan replied harshly. What are you thinking? Of course, she has. Mother spent far too long down there with her, trying to find reasons. But Aranel had absolutely nothing to say.
Opening his eyes, Zalas stared at his brother helplessly. "Nothing?" he whispered.
Unabonan's white eyes were unblinking. Nothing, he repeated softly.
Zalas looked away to the open door. "I don't understand."
His brother was silent for a moment. If you want to, I will accompany you. You should not go alone.
"Mm," Zalas hummed non-committedly, his mind drifting. He had heard briefly from Unabonan, about the fate of his sister upon his awakening. Unabonan informed him that Zephyr had taken it upon himself to deliver Aranel's punishment, after she had been tried and sentenced by the High Court of the Air Kingdom.
Zalas did not know how he felt about that. Part of him was grateful that it was now out of his hands. Part of him – the part he didn't particularly like – thirsted to dole out her punishment with his own hands. She was the reason for all of this. For all of their suffering.
Right from the start, she had played and betrayed, not just him, but their Kingdom, and her family – not even counting the collateral damage she had done. The things she had set in motion. The people she had coerced into betraying their own Kingdoms, in order to work for her.
And the dragons. The dragons could not be forgotten. Nelonimi, and the young dragon whose name had been lost upon his death – that was if he had even been given a name to begin with, Zalas thought bitterly. But no, he had to have done. He refused to believe that Aranel was such a monster. Yet it did not matter either way, because now the dragon child was dead, and out of all of the eggs collected in the Dragon Kingdom, it would take hundreds of years before another would be born into the world.
So Zalas was satisfied when he heard that Aranel had been stripped of her magic and placed within the midnight cells, at the bottom of the Dragon Mountains. Down there, the darkness was so absolute, that any prisoner who attempted to emerge above the surface, would be immediately blinded by the radiant light emitting from the Air Kingdom.
And nothing was more crushing for an Air Sprites soul, than to be trapped under-ground. The prisoners in the Palace cells were lucky. At least they were given a taste of partial light. But then, Zalas was unsure which was more cruel. Light that could be touched, but not lived in, or light that could not be seen at all.
Surfacing from his thoughts, Zalas shook his head. "No. I will speak to my Uncle about it when he returns," he suddenly felt very tired, "I do not have the energy today."
Unabonan halted in front of him, reaching out to place his hand on Zalas's shoulder. Immediately Zalas felt the quiet thrum of energy being transferred. A wise choice, the dragon agreed, let us go then. Your foot must be tiring.
"It's fine," Zalas grumbled, but he did not brush away his brother's hand. "Very well. Let us go."
*
CIRCE
Circe ran through the halls of the Palace with reckless abandon.
Past the long hall with the cells full of hidden eyes, through the door and the wide-eyed guards, up the spiralling staircase with air powering every step she took, so that the stairs dissolved beneath her feet.
Through the glittering diamond halls, uncaring of the astonished gazes that followed her figure as she passed, back past the throne room, down the open balcony with its endless, sprawling views and out onto the open platform where Anthemin still waited, his elegant head untucking from underneath his wing as he sensed her approach.
He knew at a glance, what had happened.
He wasn't there.
She shook her head, grateful that she did not have to convey it with words, because at the moment, she didn't think she could speak.
He escaped?
She swallowed and nodded jerkily, suddenly feeling stifled. The frustration returned. She had been so close to him.
She took a deep breath and managed to get some words out. "Unabonan said that he was still here," she rushed, "but he's going to leave. I have to find him. I can't- I can't wait any longer. But Anthemin-" she choked suddenly, her chest tightening with anxiety, "Anthemin, I don't ... I don't know where to start looking," she said helplessly, "he could be anywhere."
The dragon's pupils contracted. He is still here?
"Still in the Kingdom," she affirmed, "yes. But I don't know for how long."
Do not worry Vanima, the diamond walls blocked me from feeling him before – but if he is out in the open, he should be within range of my communication. The young dragon shifted restlessly on the platform, his long tail swishing from side to side. I will find him. Come, let us fly while we search.
She did not have the breath to argue as she leapt onto Anthemin's back unwaveringly, and the pair dived off from the edge of the platform, Anthemin's wings snapping open to catch them as they fell.
Is that why I couldn't feel you before? She asked, as they circled around the west side of the Palace. The landscape below them opened up, exposing the glittering city far below. High cloud had breezed in since they had last flown over, so parts of the city were now obscured. Every now and then, the clouds would part and the sun would reflect off the buildings below, the constant shimmer in the air reminding Circe of the diamond dust that had fallen down from the ceiling in the prison below the Palace.
Yes, Anthemin replied, I was occupied in the Dragon Kingdom, while the fate of Prince Zalas was being decided. All of the dragons were summoned to gather by the King and lend their power. I apologise, I should have warned you.
It's fine, Circe brushed aside his concern. It doesn't matter now. Have you found him?
The dragon was silent, and she could feel Anthemin's concentration through their link.
I can feel him, but I cannot locate him precisely. He is moving too quickly.
"If he is going to leave, he will be heading for the waterfall," Circe said decisively, but her voice trembled slightly, betraying her true emotions, "let us go there."
Anthemin agreed and changed his course. I have tried to contact him, but he is blocking me. It is possible he thinks that his escape has been discovered and he is being pursued.
Circe let out a cry of strangled laughter, her fingers curling desperately against Anthemin's neck. "Of course, he does," she said wretchedly. Of course.
The waterfall is just ahead.
It was indeed. Although Circe could not see it through the cloud, she could hear its thundering call. As they flew through the thick white mist, she felt the dampness soak her clothes once more, and she gasped at the sudden sting of cold. The last of the cloud gave way, and the waterfall was exposed to them, magnificent and intimidating. The diamond mountains that lined it on either side, reflected the onslaught of water as it fell, duplicating the tumbling river millions of times over. It was truly a breath-taking sight.
But Circe didn't see any of it. Because the moment they had emerged from the clouds, was the moment she saw an achingly familiar figure, silhouetted against the falls in front of them.
Her heart seized in her chest and her breath caught in her throat. She called to him, but the crashing falls were too loud, and her voice was swallowed up, just as he disappeared under the streaming curtain of water.
Her cry of frustration was equally lost, and her eyes burned hot as she leaned forward low over Anthemin's neck, urging him to fly faster. The waterfall loomed, but Circe barely noticed as it thundered down on top of her and they were plunged into the darkness of the cave on the other side.
She knew that the darkness lasted only a moment, but it was the single, longest moment of her life. They seemed to fly forever through the inky blackness, with no way of knowing which way was up, and which way was down. The split second seemed to drag on for an eternity, and if it weren't for her complete trust of Anthemin, she would have feared they had lost the way out.
The sound of the waterfalls thundered through the empty space around them, magnified tenfold and Circe felt the sound mirrored in the crashing of her heartbeat, and the ringing in her ears.
He was right there. He was just beyond the waterfall. She would see him. She would see him as soon as they exited. Her whole body felt as though it were set alight. She was soaking wet from the water, but her skin was on fire with anticipation.
One second more and they were emerging from the other-side, Circe blinking and gasping through the stream of water that poured down her face in rivulets.
"Where is he?" She puffed, gulping down a breath of air as she stared around wildly. "I can't see him, Anthemin-"
The dragon circled up and around, his elegant head swaying from side to side as he searched. I don't know, Anthemin's mental voice was confused, I sensed him right ahead, but now I can't feel him at all –
They circled past the waterfall once more, Anthemin's claws dragging through the glassy sheet, and just as they reach the middle, Circe felt the hairs on the back of her neck prickle unconsciously.
"Look out!" She cried fiercely, shrinking to lie low over Anthemin's neck, just as a streamlined shape shot out of the water directly above them.
Anthemin dodged to the side, but the dragon's larger body meant that he could not fully avoid the impact, and Circe gasped as they were jolted to the side – the abrupt shift in direction throwing her from Anthemin's back.
Vanima!
Anthemin, I'm fine! She reassured him as she fell backwards, her arms already stretching out to either side to perform the motions that would catch her in the air and slow her descent. Just don't let yourself get hurt, she thought distractedly, scanning the air for any sign of him.
He was going to regret that move as soon as he realised just who it was that he had put his guard up against.
"He better be damn remorseful for this," she growled, twisting herself around mid-air as she caught a fist full of air current. She was still hurtling towards the ocean at an alarming speed, but the difference was that she was now looking at the water as she fell.
I'm here. She could feel Anthemin behind her, coming in fast. There was no need for her to expend her energy then – he would catch her.
The white dragon swooped underneath her, his wings spread wide and she steadied herself in the air, preparing to land on his back.
And then, before she could even register what was happening, another shape had rocketed in from the side, entangling Anthemin in a messy mix of black and white as the two tumbled through the air, snarling and spitting out flames.
They broke away for only a second, and then the shadowy figure seemed to realise something, and glanced up.
Gold met blue as their gazes connected across the distance and she felt her heart cry out to him as his lips moved, shaping a word that she knew could only be her name.
And then he was speeding through the air towards her.
She reached for him as he stretched out for her, and their hands found each other somehow as he scooped her up mid-air and flew them heavenward. The impact was enough to take her breath away.
He surrounded her completely, his presence overwhelming and all encompassing, his grip on her so tight that it was almost suffocating. But in that moment, Circe would have rather died than have him relinquish his hold, even for a second.
Her hands smoothed up his chest to loop around his neck, clutching him to her and she felt him shiver, his hands fisting in the material at her back in response to her touch.
She could feel his heart, thundering in his chest – far louder than the crash of the falls behind them. She could hear his inhale and exhale as he flew, feel the swallow of his throat as he lowered his head to nuzzle into her hair, his lips caressing the shell of her ear lightly. His black wings pulled them higher into the sky, beating a steady rhythm around her.
And when he spoke, his voice tremored through her entire soul.
"Hello Sweetheart."
It was a good thing, Circe decided, that they were airborne. If she had been standing, she wasn't sure that her legs could have held out. She trembled in his embrace, lifting her head as she sought his gaze. To see him. She needed to see him.
He was waiting for her, his golden eyes drinking her in possessively and when she finally met his gaze, only to find her own desperate hunger mirrored in his stare, she was lost.
She gasped, swelling up into him, breathless with desire as she sought out his lips with her own, their collision a beautiful tangle of lips, tongues, and teeth.
His kissed her as though he was starving, and she was the only satiation he craved. His hands clutched bruisingly at her hips as he lifted her up against him, encouraging her legs to wind tightly around his waist so she would not fall.
Her fingers combed into his hair, locking him to her, her kisses frantic and messy as she was caught between needing air and craving him more. Her skin was on fire under his roaming hands and she felt slightly delirious as she breathed her wants into his mouth, her whispered words making him groan against her skin.
He was slowing their path through the air now, and although they had left the ocean far below, the waterfall behind them still thundered ceaselessly downward, the top of the falls no where in sight.
Obsidian closed his wings around them, and in the brief moment of darkness, before they began to fall back down to earth, his mouth descended back over hers, destroying her completely.
They began to drop, but before they could fall too far, his black wings snapped open and light streamed into their little cocoon. She was caught in a trance as he hovered them there amongst the clouds, her eyes a little dazed as he continued to kiss her lightly, his desire still present, but the burning need dulled slightly for now.
"Breathe," he reminded her, his lips brushing against her ear once again.
She inhaled as though he had compelled her, her face flushing as red as her poor, tortured ear, when she realised – slightly giddily– that she had quite literally forgotten how to breathe.
"Good girl," he murmured, setting her skin alight once more.
Her eyes roamed over his face, greedily drinking him in. "I missed you," she whispered, her voice cracking slightly. She felt the corners of her eyes heat up suddenly. "I missed you," she repeated, as though by saying it twice she could convey the feeling that was currently suffocating her chest – impossible to describe with words alone.
His thumb smoothed under her eye, wiping away the tears that had yet to fall, his other hand still holding her tight against him. He bowed his head to pull another restless kiss from her lips.
"I know," he assured her devoutly, "it's alright Love. I'm here. I'm here now."
She caught his hand in both of her own and kissed his fingers lightly, before placing it back on her cheek and cradling it against her face, nuzzling into his palm.
Her throat was thick with emotion, but she finally managed to speak. "I'm so glad you're okay." She roses up against to press her lips to his greedily. "I love you so much," she whispered between kisses, her confession holding a hint of desperation. And this time, the tears really did fall.
He hummed reassuringly into her kiss, the sound rumbling through his tanned chest like a purr. "Oh, my Darling," he murmured, "there are no earthly words to describe how much I love you."
It hadn't really hit her until he was right in front of her, but she had almost lost him again – this time unknowingly. And if it weren't for Zalas's actions, Obsidian would have died, and she would have been thousands of miles away from him, oblivious to his fate until someone had brought her the news.
The thought was devastating.
He hushed her as she clung to him, pressing her face into his neck and the warm skin there. Both of his arms returned to wrap around her as he flew them downward, murmuring nonsensical words of comfort in her ear. But she didn't miss how he failed to refute her concerns, which only meant that he knew – he knew how close he had come to death. And the fact that he knew made her heart ache all the more.
You can return to the ships. I will bring her along later.
It took Circe a moment to realise that he was not talking to her and it was only when Anthemin's voice resounded through her mind that she realised who he was speaking to.
The last thing you should be doing after you almost ripped off one of my wings is ordering me around, the young dragon snapped, his tone offended, perhaps you'll think twice next time about who is pursuing you before you act.
Anthemin, Circe thought guiltily, I'm so sorry. She lifted her head from Obsidian's shoulder to spot the white dragon far below them, his white scales camouflaging against the clouds. Are you okay?
I'm fine, no thanks to him, Anthemin affirmed grouchily, I will go ahead. But not because he ordered it. And I will leave the reunions to you. You can call for me once you are back on the ship. I will re-join you then.
She voiced her agreement, watching silently as the young dragon sped off into the clouds.
"He's angry with you," she reprimanded, turning to kiss the scarred skin just under Obsidian's eye. Pulling away, she thought for a moment before kissing the other side too, evening out the attention.
Obsidian snorted, his fingers tugging gently on her hair so that he could tilt her head back and crush another bruising kiss to her lips. "Like I care," he mumbled against her mouth, "you shouldn't have snuck up on me. I thought you were from the Palace."
She pinched his ear, making him scowl and withdraw slightly. "Perhaps then, you should have allowed for some form of communication," she refuted.
His golden eyes narrowed, and he bit her chin lightly, "Mm. Perhaps."
She took that as as much of an apology as she was going to get. If she was honest, she wasn't really concerned. Anthemin was only grouchy because he had felt how distraught she had been when she had realized they might not catch Obsidian in time. They had been in no real danger.
"I thought you were going to leave without me," she confessed to him.
His nose nuzzled along her cheekbone. "Now that I will apologize for," he rumbled, "I ran out of patience."
She laughed breathlessly. "You never had any patience to begin with."
He chuckled in her ear. "You know me too well." He sighed, gathering her closer to him as he flew. The warm wind whipped around their bodies and the sound of the waterfall began to fade as he unconsciously steered them out to the open ocean. "Now," he uttered, "where do you want to go, Princess?"
*
She knew where she wanted to go, and he chuckled when she told him.
Not long later, they were lazing amongst the white dragon lilies, the surface of the water flat and reflective, the sky above them dimming into a dusky lavender hue with the arrival of evening.
The still water was warm, and Circe lay with her back against Obsidian's chest, cocooned blissfully in his arms, as her thick golden tail worked leisurely beneath the surface to keep them both afloat.
Her head rested in the dip of his shoulder, as they gazed up at the heavens, watching the first stars appear – a subtle twinkle in the pastel sky.
"It feels like a life-time since we were last here," Circe said softly, "so much has changed."
"Mmm," he hummed lightly in agreement, "a lot has happened to force those changes though," he pointed out.
She could not disagree with him there.
His fingers ran leisurely up her sides, and before she could become too distracted, she swivelled around to face him, her hands resting on shoulders. She nibbled his chin lightly, feeling his stubble scratch her tongue. He growled at her, his hands hot on her hips and she laughed at him.
"Will you tell me what happened now?" She asked, her mood sobering slightly, "I heard most of it from Zalas already, but I think he was leaving some things out on purpose."
Obsidian's hands, that had been running lightly up her spine, suddenly tightened at her waist. He pulled his face away slightly to look at her in shock.
"What did you just say?"
She stared at him in confusion, "I said that Zalas-"
"He's alive?" Obsidian interrupted urgently, "You saw him?"
Circe's expression cleared abruptly, as realization dawned. "You didn't realise," she murmured, and then more firmly: "Yes, he is alive." She offered him a quiet smile, "it seems that we both have parts of the story that need sharing. You first though," she nudged him gently.
He sighed, running a hand through his wet hair, and sank a little lower in the water. His other hand reached out to snag her – she had floated away slightly – pulling her back flush against him. The hand that had just dragged through his hair, lifted to comb softly through hers, his fingers applying just the right amount of pressure on her scalp. She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. It was ridiculous how much she had missed him.
"And I suppose," he said lowly, "you're not going to let me get away with giving you the short version?"
"It depends ... what's the short version?"
His lips curled with humour that did not reach his eyes, "Whatever Zalas told you, is the short version."
She smiled sweetly at him and kissed him once. "Not a chance."
He smirked dangerously, "Didn't think so."
He paused for a moment, thinking slowly before beginning to speak. She could tell it was not his first time recounting the story. His words were mechanical, tired, and emotionless. Her heart ached for him – but she needed to know. She swore that once he had finished speaking, she would not ask him to recount the tale again. When the others asked, she could tell it for him if she had to.
As she listened, she realised that Zalas had indeed told her the short version, and that had been shocking enough. Obsidian's recount was similar, but far more vivid – and he offered insight to the fatal wound Zalas had been dealt – information that the Dragon Prince had strategically skimmed over.
She didn't know whether to be angry that Zalas hadn't thought she could handle the details, or grateful that she hadn't had to listen to them from the person himself. If she had, she wasn't sure how she would have reacted.
As Obsidian spoke, she swam behind him to pull his body against hers, her hands running gently over his shoulders and neck, her fingers working into the taunt muscle there as she unconsciously tried to relieve some of his tension. He relaxed into her hands somewhat but did not pause in his retelling.
His story drew to a close, and she listened to his testimony of his Father's complete and utter demise, before engrossing herself in the events that followed after – the ones that Zalas had been unconscious for. She was proud of him, for going back to the Air Kingdom on his own – despite the risk. Not so long ago, he would have considered such a show of unity towards Zalas despicable.
Sensing that he did not want her to make a fuss over it however, she smoothly picked up from where he had ended, back tracking slightly as she explained the events and revelations that had occurred in the Water Kingdom.
"Ambrose was the first Ruler?" He said incredulously, "Well, I suppose it's not all that surprising," his brows furrowed lightly, "he was far too stuck up to be a mere advisor."
Circe whacked him on the shoulder, "Be nice," she scolded, "he's the one who helped me through that mess."
Obsidian reached around to grab her, pulling her back to the front him so that he could look down on her face, his lips pursing slightly. It took her a moment to realise the source of his discontent, and when she did, she laughed.
"Are you jealous?"
"No," he scowled.
"You are," she teased, "why? It wasn't like any of that was pleasant. You would have hated every second of it."
His handsome face was expressionless, but she could see the covetous beast lurking within his gaze as he pushed back a wet strand of hair from her face.
"I couldn't be there for you, when you needed me the most," his jaw clenched in irritation, "and even if I had been there, there would have been no way for me to resolve such a situation on my own. That is why I am jealous. Because when all I wanted was to free you myself, I was forced to send another to liberate you instead."
His honest confession caught her slightly unaware, and she was momentarily at a loss. Finally, she melted, curving over his shoulder tenderly, words of appeasement ready on her lips.
"That is not your fault," she said firmly, "and I did not do it without you. You are the one who gave me the freedom to make such a choice. I was only able to go there and speak my mind, knowing that, even if everything fell apart, even if my mother tried to force the crown down onto my head, you would come for me. You would come and take me away regardless."
She caught his face up in her hands, smoothing her fingers over his cheeks. "You have given me the strength to stand, knowing that I do not stand alone. You have allowed my voice to speak and taught me how to make sure it is heard. You put a weapon in my hand and showed me how to use it – but you also taught me that I am my own greatest weapon. I owe you," she whispered to him, her eyes intently focused on his, "I owe you my life."
His lips were slightly salty from seawater as she bent her head to taste them. He kissed her till she was dizzy and when he pulled away, his stare was equally intense.
"If you owe me your life, then the debts I have towards you cannot be repaid within this lifetime," he told her softly, his nose nuzzling against hers, "or the next," he whispered, "or the next. What should I do?"
"Give yourself to me in all lifetimes," she told him, half serious, half not.
His reply was instantaneous. "Very well."
She felt something cool slide onto her ring finger and when she looked down, she was stunned to see a gleaming diamond ring, sitting snugly in place on her hand. The fit was so exquisite that it seemed as though it had been there forever.
"My Love," Obsidian murmured into her ear, "in this lifetime, you have stolen my heart. And in every lifetime after this one, I will always find it, wherever I find you."
She swallowed as she looked up from the beautiful ring to meet his gaze. His eyes were clear and unabashed.
"I vowed to ask you again, and this is me keeping that vow." His lips curled upwards at the corners, "Circe Fallon, Daughter of the West Wind God, and the Siren Queen, I may not have a Kingdom for you to inherit, but as long as you are by my side, you will always have a place to call home. Will you do me the honour of becoming mine?"
Her heart was so impossibly full, that she felt it as a physical ache in her chest. "Yes," she breathed, her eyes filling with tears. She wiped them away furiously, determined to see him clearly, and he smiled as he helped her, his thumbs brushing across her cheeks. Her laughter got caught halfway up her throat and turned into a small sob of happiness. "Yes, yes, of course."
"Good," he said resolutely, catching her chin so that he could place a firm kiss on her lips, "otherwise I might have had to kidnap you all over again."
His honey eyes gleamed as he teased her and this time, she really did laugh out loud. Such a ridiculous story, the two of them, from the circumstance of their meeting, to this moment right now – the Princess, and the Pirate King – who would have ever believed that this would be their ending?
Later, they would join their family, back on the ships. And later, they would be teased mercilessly by the ones that they loved for the diamond ring on Circe's finger, for Obsidian's misstep in the Air Kingdom, and for being far too in enraptured by each other during that night's celebrations.
And Cobalt would not be able to resist re-enacting his 'Obsidian' skit, which would result in Obsidian punching him in the face. And Lacy would be by Circe's side, unable to contain her laughter. And Nathaniel would wholeheartedly congratulate his sister and inform her of his decision to return home, to salvage what was left of the place where they had both grown up.
And Circe would look to Obsidian to find that he was already watching her – silent agreement in his eyes. They would return with him, crew, and all.
But for now, they lounged blissfully amongst the white dragon lilies, in the very same place where Circe had first discovered that the world, she belonged in was a far cry from the one she had known.
And even if everything was to suddenly to change tomorrow, in this moment, she was sure of one thing. This was in no-way their ending.
Their adventure was just beginning.
*
CRIMSON KING IS A CONTINUATION OF THE APK STORYLINE.
Lots of people have been asking me why APK has unanswered questions and this is my answer to that 😂 I had thought I'd made it obvious haha so now I'll just post this everywhere instead.