Epilogue I
HADI
I t turned out that when you ended a war and freed the world from a monstrous dictator who had been quietly murdering all the people of the land for years, you weren’t met with much resistance.
I was the former king of the nocs. I had fought against humans, slaughtering their kind for years, and yet no one seemed to have a problem with me moving into the human palace.
To be fair, they had been slaughtering us right back. Perhaps everyone was just accepting the fact that we had all been manipulated.
It was the truth after all and whether they knew it now or not, having a joint human-noc throne was their best option.
“Ready?” Sun asked.
I looked away from the window, where countless humans and nocs were gathered, peacefully waiting. I had only ever seen so many of us mingling on battlefields before and it was a strange sight to wrap my head around now.
But all other thoughts vanished when I saw Sun standing next to me in his coronation robes.
Green suited him. Being clean and well-rested suited him too. He looked lovely with his long hair tied up in braids and jewels adorning his skin. Although I had to admit, I liked him more when he was naked and flushed with pleasure, his hair down and messy. Just Sun, and us, his lovers, and soulmates. When we were all cuddled up in bed, that was when we were the most ourselves. Of course, for us to fit at the same time, the bed had to be more of a very comfortable mattress spread across almost our entire bed chamber like a carpet.
“You look good,” Sun breathed, looking me up and down.
My stomach fluttered at the praise, and I glanced over at the mirror.
“Do you think so?”
I still felt silly with my hair combed so neatly and the human top covering my torso.
The seamstress had made custom silken adornments to drape over my spider hind side and although they were made with care, it still seemed strange as a noc to wear clothes at all.
As though to prove me wrong, Clem suddenly danced into the room, decked head to toe in silky human clothes, the same delighted pink that he was tinted all over.
“I'm surprised you haven't eaten that outfit,” I mused, and he giggled.
“It's very tempting, but far too pretty.”
Smiling sweetly, he hugged Sun and kissed his cheek.
“Thank you for the outfit!”
He had been thanking Sun profusely for every scrap of expensive clothing he'd given him since we'd moved into the palace. Of course, after a day or two, he always chewed holes in them, so they were no longer presentable, but no one seemed to mind. I had never seen a happier mothian.
“You look lovely,” Sun informed him, squeezing him tightly. “Where are Bracken and Kiar?”
“They're out there waiting for us to go to the coronation room together. I was sent to fetch you both.”
Sun nodded, then, with a fortifying breath, he led us from the room.
Kiar and Bracken both grinned when they saw me.
“You look so presentable, Hadi,” Bracken laughed.
I shoved him lightly, smiling.
“Don't forget you are quite the image yourselves,” I said, pointedly looking at Bracken's uniform and Kiar's flowy robe.
They laughed and even Sun smiled through his nerves.
“You'll all get used to the human clothes,” he insisted for the hundredth time. “And the four of you do look good enough to eat.”
“Not fair to say that when we have things to do,” Bracken pouted.
Sun chuckled, leading the way toward the coronation room.
“We'll have plenty of time for whatever we want to do after the ceremony,” he said. “Until then, be on your best behavior.”
As we reached the doors out of our private rooms, some of our newly appointed servants stood in waiting to lead us to our new thrones. A mothian and two humans. I was still in awe of how quickly our people were adjusting.
They led us down the corridors which were still being upgraded to make room for us and to make it our home rather than the fallen Emperor Gaulu's.
Windows were being enlarged to fit Bracken's form through because he had been complaining about needing to leave the palace by the front doors in order to fly. Silken curtains were being hung for Clem to chew on. The sharply cut stone stairways were being covered in carpet so that they would be more comfortable for Kiar to glide over.
I didn't care much about the aesthetic though and neither did Sun. All we were focused on was this next stage of life.
At the doors to the coronation room, we were all stopped.
Listening to the announcements being made on our behalf as they echoed through the curtain to us, I was finally hit by the nerves that Sun was clearly experiencing.
He shifted from foot to foot and shook his head before looking up at me.
“Me,” he whispered, “as the emperor... I cannot believe this is happening.”
“It is what the people want,” I reminded him. “And they're right to.”
“And they want you too. The nocs were happier with you on the throne.”
I nodded, pleased by his words.
“Yes. Before they were being controlled, the nocs supported me and my advisors.”
I glanced over at Bracken and Kiar. They beamed at me proudly.
“And of course, if I had known your resolve, power, and loyalty Clem, I am sure you would have been supported by the nocs as well.”
His pink color deepened.
“Thank you, Hadi,” he whispered sweetly.
“Now, I call forth, the new emperor of Naran.”
Sun was waved forward, and the curtains parted for him.
I could see his hands trembling as applause erupted, but he clasped them tightly together. When it was time, he walked forward and the curtains closed, leaving us behind in the dark.
“I call forth the new king of the nocs.”
Smiling at the others, I walked past them to stand where Sun had been standing.
The curtains parted and applause erupted for me too. I was surprised to see that not only nocs clapped, but humans too as I stepped forward, walking the long carpet through the audience toward the thrones on the other side of the room. To my surprise, I passed countless faces that I knew. A few from my former life on the noc throne in Yewan. Some from the battles since; General Hideyoki, Jia, Atlan and his noc friends. Somehow, their presence didn’t bother me as much this time. I was even glad that they were here. We could not have done any of this without them...
I was directed to the larger platform and took my seat at Sun's side. Our eyes met.
This was really happening.
“And now, the royal couples’ consorts, and advisors!”
Turning forward, I watched as the curtains parted once more and our three other lovers were exposed.
For the first time, I understood the clothes. They embellished three already lovely beings, making them glitter in the light showing that they were as special as they were.
Together, Kiar, Clem and Bracken walked through the seats until they reached us and were directed to stand behind us.
Clem took the spot visible in between our thrones and Bracken and Kiar stood on either side.
Finally, the human official approached us with two equally intricate golden crowns.
“With the blessing of the humans and nocs of Naran, I offer you, Batu Sun, this crown and my loyalty,” he promised and carefully placed the crown atop his head.
Sun shut his eyes and when he opened them again, it was like all the nerves had vanished. Then the human gave me the same speech and placed my crown atop my head, and I understood.
The weight of it, along with all the obvious support was worth more than the gold and jewels the crown was made from. It was like everything clicked into place. Everything now made sense.
The roundabout way we had taken to get here was the best path possible because it had led right to this moment.
We were exactly where we were meant to be.
I had heard before that when something was meant to be, it was easy. Was this one of those cases? Me and Sun on the human-noc throne, had been met with no resistance. It was like with the former emperor out of the way, we had fallen into place, right where we should be.
Whatever the reason, I was not going to question such a good thing.
For the first time, I was truly happy and content, and I had these four to thank for it.
They meant more to me than any throne ever could.