Remus sorted out his husbands' collar, glancing at the sad yet stoic face of Deceit. "There was nothing you could've done," He whispered. "Philip was already an hour dead when we arrived."

"But, if we'd gotten there sooner-" Deceit began.

"Deceit, he was an old, old codfish. He wouldn't have survived a magical revival, his heart wouldn't have taken it." Remus assured firmly. He kissed his husband on the cheek. "Philip would want us to be here for his son, right? Don't go moping about on him."

Deceit sighed, bowing his head but nodding. He understood that he couldn't have done anything. His revival magic only worked within an hour of death and Philip had been near a natural death anyway. "It just shouldn't have happened like that..." He murmured.

"I agree. Ready to go?"

The King nodded, allowing his husband to pull him along, out of the dressing room. Both were wearing the Dark Realms' iconic funeral fashion of red and white. The red symbolised the body. The white represented the person they'd lost. Every suit was identical, neither had any fancy accents or symbols of power. Only Deceit could wear an accessory, which was his crown. The waistcoat was of a lighter red, while the undershirt was deep and dark. White trimmings bound the cuffs and collar, lining the edges of the waistcoat. The trousers they wore were the same deep red as their undershirt and Virgil glanced up, in an identical suit. He smiled softly at his brother and friend, straightening his posture as he took his place by Deceit's' right.

They were in the Dark Realm castle and every single citizen wore the exact same, although only the royal family and their imps would travel to their neighbouring Realm. The trio passed guards, all in the exact same dress and the three Heathers, reunited once again, appeared in the sky. They weren't wearing their usual blazers and skirts, instead in a modest dress of red, white stitching along the hem of the skirt. They bowed steeply with no comment. There was to be no discussion unless welcomed to speak by the King. Gently at first, they flew around the royalty, spinning faster and faster before stopping in King Romans' throne room.

Everyone there only wore black and Remus couldn't stop the unsure frown. He glanced to Virgil, who wore a similar expression. Logan stood behind Romans' throne, wearing the normal advisory robes, but dyed black.

The new Royal Advisor frowned. "What are you wearing?" He asked.

Virgil tilted his head. "What are you wearing?"

"It is traditional to dress in full black," Logan replied.

"Well, it's traditional to all dress the exact same in red and white." Answered Virgil.

Roman sighed, glancing up and his eyes met Virgils'. He was too heartbroken to listen to friendly bickering. Virgil bowed his head. "It doesn't matter what they wear, Logan, as long as it shows their respect. It will be a good way to," The King paused, swallowing as he forced his voice to remain level, "It'll be a good way to show the strength of our alliance. Father would've wanted it..."

Logan placed his hand on Romans' shoulder and Remus noticed the advisor's' husband and children near the back. Patton also wore black, but his clothes didn't look nearly as impressive as the King, the advisor and the guards. Amai was in a brand new dress, the sleeve for her robot arm cut off and Fletcher had a basic, almost scruffy black suit.

Roman stood, crossing to Virgil and reaching up to his tiptoes just to kiss the pothers' cheek. "I'm glad you're here..." He murmured sadly.

Virgil kissed him softly on the nose, the way Deceit often kissed Remus. "I wouldn't miss it for the world." He whispered back sympathetically.

The two shared a gentle smile before Roman pulled away. But he didn't walk to the balcony like he usually would with these announcements. Logan rushed to his shoulder and guards surrounded him as the young King walked out of the throne room. Another pair of guards moved to circle around the Dark Royalty. Unsure of the procedure, Remus began to uncertaintly walk towards the throne room door, the guards following him. Deceit and Virgil stepped in line with the Duke, trailing after Roman and Logan as Patton joined the third group of guards, cradling Amai in his arms while Fletcher walked slightly behind, forgotten.

A white coffin stood alone in a large circle of gathered citizens and Remus's' breath hitched as he noticed it stood exactly where he and Deceit had exchanged vows. Philip had been there to help work through his anxiety...

"Relax."

Remus screeched at the voice that appeared at his shoulder and spun around to see an unamused King Philip. "You forgot I was here, didn't you?"

"Yes! I mean, no!" Protested Remus in embarrassment. The Duke sagged. "I forget you were there..." He admitted in defeat.

Philip rolled his eyes. "And now I feel sorry for Deceit unknowingly marrying an idiot."

Remus gasped. "Rude! He knows I'm an idiot! He just doesn't know how big of an idiot I am."

Philip rolled his eyes again, although this time it was teasing and friendly. "I just came to wish you good luck. We had our chefs work very hard at the traditional food that you eat at these sort of things."

"Thanks, Philly boy." Remus grinned. The smile turned apprehensive as he turned back to the preparations. "I just really hope the snake won't jilt me..."

"What do you mean? Why would he jilt you?"

The Duke sighed nervously. "It's rather common, to be honest... An unofficial tradition, kinda. Very often at Black Weddings, the King or Queen will jilt the first person to marry and possibly marry someone else."

"Black Weddings?" Frowned Philip.

"Black Weddings are basically what we call royal weddings."

"Ah," Said the King, now looking out across the city. "We don't call them that. Shining Unions, that's what we call them. And a King or Queen can only marry once unless their lover dies."

Remus focused on Philip out of the corner of his eye. "Why didn't you?"

"Huh?"

Remus flinched at the bittersweet memory of one of his only friends. At least Philip and his wife were together again. He bowed his head. At least there was that. They'd reached the coffin by now and the lid was closed on the body. Roman reached out, placing his hand against where his fathers' heart would be behind that heavy stone lid. The crowd was filled with quiet sobs and Remus watched as Roman began to shake. Virgil looked desperate to reach out to his lover but he remained stationary when Deceit put a hand on his brothers' shoulder.

The Duke glanced up at Deceit, watching a single tear fall down his cheek. Roman moved his hand to his heart and a carriage, drawn by Cloud and Storm, approached through the crowds. The young King kissed his fathers' coffin goodbye, now visibly crying when his escort of guards picked it up, lifting it into the carriage.

Deceits' grip on Remus's' hand tightened and Virgil was visibly trying not to let something explode. A street lamp across from them, at the far edge of the crowd, vanished in yellow mist and Remus moved closer to his husband, trying to calm him.

Cloud and Storm began to walk away obediently, Roman and Logan walking behind the carriage. Joan nudged Virgil's' shoulder, gesturing for the Dark Royalty to follow. Virgil gave a half nod, for once lacking the usual venom that he possessed when near the non-binary knight. There was a time and place for one-sided rivalries and this wasn't it. With Patton and his children walking close behind, they followed the carriage outside of Cabina City to a giant oak that Remus remembered when he'd sieged the Light Realm. The Dark Army had never touched the gravestones that surrounded the roots because even then they understood boundaries.

Now there was a newly prepared hole which Romans' guards lowered into the ground. There were no crowds anymore, only Remus, Deceit, Virgil, Patton, Logan, Fletcher, Amai and Roman,  with the guards who'd been set to guard the royalty and guests.

"Goodbye, father." Whispered Roman. He then backed away from the coffin as his guards began to pour fresh earth over it, walking over to Virgil as he attempted to hide his tears in his lovers' neck.

Nobody spoke again, not even when they'd returned to the Light Castle. No one could.

.:*:.

Oh my god, I know, I've finally left another authors' note! I just wanted to apologise for the fact I often procrastinated with this chapter and delayed when it would get out to you all. The thing was, I really wanted to try to express the different customs of the two Realms compared to each other and to Earth.

The second book is also now officially over! Yay?

I'm not sure all of my small amount of readers know but I do want to make this a trilogy, and I already have a third and final book idea.

But, obviously, I don't want to make you all feel like you have to read all of these because, obviously, you don't have to. I'm not going to explain the plotline here aND TOFFE, YOU CAN'T EITHER, NO SPOILERS, SIBLING, I KNOW YOU WILL-

If you really want to see a third book to finalize this, please comment right below, and I promise you won't be disappointed! <3

.:*:. 

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