Elysium ran as fast as she could down the back staircase. She turned the corner, listening to Amarok's pants behind her. Once she reached the back gardens, she hid near the vine-covered walls, her eyes scanning the area. Packs of guards all headed to the kingdom square; Alastor was going to be publicly executed.
Running on fumes, Elysium ran past the palace and down the alleys, which were now littered with stepped-on banners and stained blood splotches. She pulled her hood over her head while she kept running, disguising her face. She could hear the sounds of chants getting louder the closer she got to the square. She saw the crowd quickly forming a circle near a platform. Elysium nervously looked around for Alastor, but she realized she was late. Lupus and Celeste walked up to the platform and sat on two make-shift thrones. Lupus wore a wide grin while he watched the crowd yell and holler. Elysium crept closer, ducking behind the buildings until she could get a close enough look. She stuck her head around one of the buildings and lowered herself out of view.
Lupus rose from his throne, and the crowd cheered even louder while he shot his fist in the air.
"The dark prince had been captured," Lupus projected his voice to the crowd. "I am here to free you all of the man who assassinated your prince."
Lupus pointed to the villagers who wore deep blue colors. They hugged each other and cheered on their king.
"And the man who spread darkness across the realms." He pointed to the other kingdoms. The rest of the villagers all shoved their fists in the air in unison, shouting in celebration. Lupus signaled the guards, and Alastor was brought onto the platform. The collar of his shirt had been stretched out from fighting, exposing the upper parts of his chest. His messy hair fell over his forehead while he dropped his head down, one guard holding each arm. The crowd booed and cursed at him. One man tossed his cup at him, soaking him in ale. Another guard walked to the platform with the scythe in his hands. Elysium gasped, her eyes widening. The two guards shoved Alastor down to his knees, while the third gripped the handle of the scythe. He raised the blade above his head, and the other guards held Alastor in place. Defeated, Alastor let his head hang. Lupus clapped loudly, sitting back down in his throne.
The guard was about to strike down when a voice yelled from behind one of the buildings.
"Stop!" Elysium exclaimed.
All eyes fell to her, and Lupus stared down, glaring at her. The crowd gasped, murmuring amongst each other. Lupus shot up from his throne while she dodged the guards who tried to seize her and sprinted up to the platform. She'd managed to snag a quiver and bow from one of the shops before she exposed herself, and she pressed the arrow towards the string, pulling back. The arrowhead was pointed directly at Lupus, making the guards halt. They looked back at Lupus, who slowly walked towards the edge of the platform. His eyes narrowed, and he signaled the guards to press harder against Alastor. The guards' weapons were drawn to Elysium, while she traced her arrow around each of them, ready to release. Then, an arrow shot and hit one of the guards in the chest; except, it wasn't hers. Elysium's eyes darted around to find the source. Standing on the edge of the valley was Zeta, with her crossbow loaded. Zeta's short charcoal hair blew in the wind while she pointed the arrow towards another guard. She released, sending another to the ground. Lupus finally raised his hand in the air, sending a fleet of guards her way. With the two guards still pinning Alastor, Elysium pointed her arrow towards them. She shot one down, then fixed her arrow on the other after reloading. Before she could let go, Alastor wriggled his way free and used his chained hands to snatch the guard's sword while he was distracted. He handily turned the blade upwards and snapped the cuffs off. The metal fell and clanked against the platform. He flipped the sword around, wrapping his fingers around the handle.
Alastor's mischievous grin finally returned to his face when he sent his blade through one of the guards who lunged towards him. In the midst of the fighting, Lupus had escaped backwards up the hills. Elysium and Alastor chased after him while Zeta held off the guards. Alastor pressed his fingers to his mouth and whistled, sending the two horses galloping towards him. Alastor swept his legs around his horse and snapped the reins, while Elysium followed upon Zion. Zion's hooves kicked up the grass with his speed and force, heading closer to Lupus. Lupus clutched the scythe in his hands while he ran, the weight dragging him down. Alastor and Elysium were hot on his trail, and Elysium gripped the horse with her legs while she lifted her arms, pulling back on her arrow. She steadied her hands and released. Lupus fell to the ground, the scythe falling next to him. Alastor dismounted quickly and sprinted towards Lupus, who shot up to his feet, but not close enough to get the scythe. Elysium snatched it as quickly as she could and wielded it in front of her. She could feel the magic radiating from the blade, and the rune on her wrist began to glow. Lupus looked up at Alastor's wrist, which lit up as well.
Elysium held the scythe over Lupus's head, while he raised his hands up in submission.
"You think he will help you?" Lupus said to Elysium. "What do you think he'll do once he has power over the kingdoms?"
Elysium shook his words off and gripped the handle tighter. Her eyes stared into Lupus's; he was truly terrified. What terrified her more was that she was hesitating. Why couldn't she do it? Lupus realized her hesitance, and his eyes lit up.
"I always knew you were weak," He whispered.
Elysium brought the scythe down in that moment. The blade ripped through Lupus's throat, and he gurgled, blood spouting onto the grass. His eyes rolled to the back of his head while blood pooled underneath him. Elysium dropped the scythe and fell to her knees, exhausted. She looked back at Alastor, who stood behind her, blank-faced. She tilted her head.
"What is it?" She asked.
"Kill me," Alastor said.
Elysium blinked.
"What?"
"Kill me," He repeated, his eyes falling to the ground.
"Why would I-"
"If the bonded kills the other, it breaks the spell."
Elysium's face was white with shock.
"Dammit, Elysium!" Alastor yelled.
Elysium swallowed, her eyes pleading.
"No."
"If you go through with this," Alastor said steadily. "You are bound to me, forever."
"I already did it!" Elysium yelled back. "I made the decision!"
She inched closer to him and pushed him back, beating against his hard chest with his fists.
"Why can't you see that I've chosen this?" She said desperately.
For some reason, Alastor couldn't bear the idea of Elysium's bondage to him. He cowered on his knees beneath her, looking up at her with his sad, pathetic puppy-dog eyes. Elysium's grip tightened on the handle, and she gritted her teeth together. Alaria burned around her, and Lupus's blood had begun to pool and trickle onto her heels. She could feel Alastor's desperation to be put out of his misery, free from the life he'd been thrown into. But, without him, she felt no desire to continue. She had no choice but to accept her love for the man who had challenged her and polarized her morals for years. She could feel the Alarians emerging from their hiding places and staring at her; her decision affected them, too. She could feel her eyes begin to well. She remembered all the times he'd saved her life, and now he was begging her to take his own. The suspense was near excruciating, while Alastor's head dropped, his black hair falling over his head. Even on his knees, he was still nearly as tall as Elysium. Elysium's face turned numb, and she finally stared down at Alastor, releasing her grip on the handle. The scythe hit the grass and sent a vibration through the ground; a shift came over the air.
The townspeople gasped while she loomed over Alastor. Her expression was blank while her eyes narrowed to him.
"Get up." She said through gritted teeth.
"Elysium-"
"Get the hell up." Her voice was sharp.
Alastor swallowed as he slowly rose to his feet. Elysium then turned to the crowd steadily.
"Rest assured," Elysium said. "We are saved. Sheol and Alaria have now become bound together."
The crowd murmured amongst each other, exchanging glances.
"However," She continued, projecting her voice. "We do not have the bandwidth to rule over the other kingdoms. We will begin the search for two new leaders as we start damage control. Please remain patient."
Elysium's greatest strength was how she was able to nurture and calm others. She knew her people needed reassurance; she would provide that. Elysium motioned for the Alarian guards to step forward. She showed some to escort the other kingdom's people to their homes, and others to begin to repair their destroyed kingdom. Elysium worked to organize and control the chaos, while Alastor was still wrapped up in it. He silently paced around the Alarian gardens, running his hands through his charcoal hair. After the sun had set, Elysium tied her robe around her waist after her bath and walked down the hallway to Celeste's door. She knocked lightly before Celeste opened the door; her face was tearstained, and her eyes were swollen. She collapsed into Elysium's arms, sobbing.
"I'm so sorry," she wept. "I don't know what came over me."
Elysium swallowed down her anger and stroked the top of Celeste's head.
"I forgive you." She whispered.
Celeste slowly looked up at her.
"You do?" She sniffled.
Elysium nodded slowly and helped Celeste back up to her feet, walking her over to the bed. Celested lay her head in Elysium's lap, while Elysium played with her short blond hair.
"So," Celeste said. "The dark prince and the golden princess are bound together?"
Elysium laughed quietly and rolled her eyes.
"Guess so." She replied.
"What about the ceremony?" Celeste asked, flipping onto her stomach.
Elysium blinked. "What?"
Celeste covered her mouth with her hand, trying to conceal her laughter.
"You know there's a ceremony, right?"
Elysium's heart sank. "No…"
Celeste burst out in laughter, tossing her head back.
"This should be good," She sighed. "Where is the Dark Prince anyway?"
Elysium stood to her feet and padded to her balcony. She peered down towards the gardens where Alastor sat on one of the benches, petting his hounds. She sighed and walked to her dresser. She pulled out one of her pink nightdresses and tied the ribbons together on the back of her neck. She pulled her sheer robe over it and started out the door, leaving Celeste. While she trailed down the staircase, she could hear the sounds of celebration from the village down the hill. Music carried through the air, and the cheers echoed through the valleys. The firefly-lit pathway led Elysium through the gardens to Alastor. His head turned to her, and he quickly rose to his feet, straightening.
"You failed to mention the ceremony." Elysium leaned against a tree, folding her arms.
Alastor smirked. "Did I?"
Elysium rolled her eyes and looked out towards the mountains.
"How on earth are we going to do this?" Elysium asked.
Alastor shook his head. "No idea," He paused. "You could've solved that problem by killing me."
Elysium's face turned cold when she looked at him.
"Don't say that." She said sharply. "Why are you so upset about our bondage?"
Alastor looked away from her.
"You know why."
Elysium huffed. "I don't."
Alastor paced in front of her. "Don't play stupid."
Elysium took a step towards him. "I'm not."
Alastor's eyes finally flickered to her. "You know exactly why, Elysium."
Elysium finally cracked. She stomped her foot onto the ground, her breath heaving.
"I don't know why!" she said hoarsely. "What is possibly so awful about me you'd rather die than endure it?" Tears began to trail down her cheeks.
"Because I love you, Elysium!" he yelled, clenching his jaw.
Elysium's head snapped around, face falling. "What?"
"You seriously can't see it?" his voice cracked. "I've loved you since I met you!"
Alastor stumbled back as he realized he'd revealed his deepest secret. He tangled his fingers into his dark hair, averting his eyes from Elysium. Elysium's mouth hung open. She stood, paralyzed. The hem of her nightgown blew in the breeze, following her chestnut hair that flew over her shoulders. Alastor hunched over himself, his tussled hair blowing in the breeze. He looked frantic while he paced back and forth. Elysium's eyes fell to the ground while she chewed her lip nervously. In a moment of impulse, Elysium walked briskly to Alastor and spun him around to face her. While he loomed over her, she pressed her palms against the sides of his cheeks, bringing him closer. With her face inches from his, Elysium could feel Alastor's cool breath on her forehead. Elysium's lips grazed over Alastor's while her body tensed. Alastor's hands gripped her waist while he pressed his lips against hers. It was a kiss she would never forget. She felt like her body was on vibration. Her eyes fluttered open when she noticed a vivid purple glow wrap around her and Alastor. She squinted as she felt her magic rise, somehow growing more powerful. Alastor looked down at his wrist, where his tattoo was shining; hers was as well. Alastor's deep eyes stared at Elysium's while he placed his hands along the small of her back and kissed her gently.
Elysium felt her breath catch as Alastor set her back down on her feet; he couldn't keep his hands off of her. His lips slowly trailed down her neck, making her breath hitch with every kiss. Alastor pressed his fingers to his lips and whistled, signaling his horse to come galloping to the gardens. Without another word, Alastor hoisted Elysium up by her waist and set her on the horse before he mounted and snapped the reins.
"Where are we going?" Elysium asked.
"You're coming with me to Sheol," Alastor smirked.