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His arms went around my waist, firm and strong.
I could feel the shock in the air. None of them expected me to offer myself the way that I did now. But I finally understood. I was not their king anymore. The key to my power was with us. Together as one.
Sun’s chin pressed to my shoulder and his soft breath touched my skin.
“Together,” he whispered under his breath, and I knew we were thinking the same thing. From now on, we were one.
The other three joined us and together, we continued on.
Epilogue
IN THE HUMAN CAPITAL OF KARI
Emperor Gaulu’s hands shook as he struggled to open the thick lock on the safe he had vowed to never touch again.
It was in a large, ornate armoire hidden behind another locked door within. The entire thing was camouflaged by ornately carved wood but reinforced with metal should anyone try to break into it.
He had had it made twenty-five years ago and then promptly made the man who crafted it disappear.
The emperor had never wanted anyone to know what was inside it and what exactly it meant, but he had never been strong enough to destroy it either, just in case he might need it again.
And it seemed like now, finally, he might.
A sudden whoosh of air alerted him to the opening of his office door, and he swung around, heart racing, to see who had entered.
His son, Syaoran, marched inside imperiously, his nose in the air and a complaint sure to follow. Emperor Gaulu knew that he was too self-centered to even notice what his father was doing, but still, he hastily threw the closet door shut and the key scattered across the floor.
Syaoran stopped in his tracks and looked down at the key with a bored expression.
“What?” Emperor Gaulu snapped. “What do you want?”
But his son’s attention was still on the key and then, to the emperor’s chagrin, it turned to the closet.
“What are you doing?” his son asked disdainfully.
“None of your damn business!”
Syaoran jumped, his eyes widening dramatically.
The shouting was probably uncalled for, but could his idiot of an offspring not understand when it was not the time to interrupt over whatever inane shit he chose for the day.
Syaoran swallowed and straightened, clearly deciding that no matter his father’s mood, his own issues were more important.
“I was just in the garden, Father, and the shrubberies have grown beyond the windowsills on the lower level. It is unacceptable and I would like permission to fire the gardeners once and for all. They have been told time and again–”
“Yes, yes, fine! Do as you like.”
He beamed.
“Excellent because there is also–”
“I said do as you like, child, just leave me be!”
He nodded and hastily retreated from the room, looking far too pleased with himself.
Hands still shaking from nearly being caught, Emperor Gaulu went to the door after his son and locked it from the inside. In his own palace, he never normally needed to do anything of the sort. No one but his son was brash enough to march around as he pleased, but he could not breathe easily until he did.
Finally, he stooped to pick the key up from the floor, returned to the large cabinet and pulled the door open again.
