Chapter Text
Lucifer sits on the steps with Rosie as people run around and clean up. Frederick carefully moves Mr. Arrow’s body to the outside with the others, and then he stands in front of Rosie and clears his throat. “Rosalyn I--”
She stands up and smacks him so hard that blood comes out of his mouth.
“I’m glad you found someone.” Frederick pops his jaw as he continues. “I was a prideful and stupid man, and I ruined a beautiful friendship. I’m sure an apology does not fix a 200 year curse.”
“No, it fucking doesn’t.” Rosie shoves a finger into his chest. “You were my best friend. You betrayed my people, betrayed me, strung me along thinking we were friends, and then broke my heart and made me feel unlovable. How DARE you come back now!”
“I was bringing Lucifer’s daughter.” Frederick straights his sleeves. “Lucifer is an old friend of mine.”
“Hey, Freddy.” Lucifer gives a wave and Rosie turns to him. She puts her hands on her hips. “We met through Beth, his wife.”
“You’re MARRIED!” Rosie turns around and slaps him again. He pops his jaw back into place with a nod. “I’m not done slapping you.”
“I am aware.” Frederick sighs. “I’m sorry. Rosalyn. I have spent 200 years being sorry. And I couldn’t even undo it.”
A spider skitters along to get in Lucifer’s lap. This is fine. Lucifer looks at the giant spider and decides that this is fine. Totally fine. Giant fluffy spider. Totally fine.
“I don’t even know what to say to you.” Rosie steps away and then plops down by Lucifer. “I spent so long mad and now I’m just tired.”
“Ah.” Frederick nods. “If you ever need anything, please. Just. Ask. I can never make it up to you, but I am Lucifer’s friend. And I have learned to be a good one over time. Even if I made mistakes along the way, I promise I’m learning.”
He gives Lucifer a nod. “I’ll tell Bethesda about your upcoming nuptials.”
“Thanks, Freddy. Tell Eve and sons I said hi.” Lucifer waves.
“Of course.” Frederick is gone.
“He did lose his first mate.” Lucifer murmurs. Rosie huffs and crosses her arms. “And was willing to die to stop Adam from killing me.” She growls. “And is an old friend of mine.” She snaps her teeth. “I’m just saying.”
“I’ll think on it.” She sighs and leans against him. “Daisy has become so much more powerful.”
“I think I know why.” Lucifer watches as Daisy spins electricity in the air to lift things and move things and put things to right. She darts between people and helps repair wounds and -- She doesn’t stop moving. “She blames herself.”
“What?” Rosie sits up. “Why?”
“She made the wish.” Lucifer gives a jerk of his head in the direction of everyone. “None of it would have happened if she hadn’t trusted Frederick. That’s a tough thing to get over.” And he knows it from her memories. The desperation that clung to her tongue as she sprinted away from the castle. The guilt that wracked her as she looked at the briar. She’ll never get over it. No matter what Rosie might say to calm her.
Rosie stands up and walks across the room. Height is a heck of a thing because long legs bring her to Daisy in seconds and she bear-hugs the woman instantly. Lucifer can’t hear what’s being said. But he doesn’t need to.
Daisy cilngs to Rosie the way a starving woman clings to food.
Briar sits down by Lucifer, injured shoulder carefully avoided, and whispers, “Hide me.”
“I am NOT hiding you from Dany.” Lucifer mutters. “She is pissed.”
“She’s going to ask me to marry her and I want to be the one that does it.” Briar’s eyes scan the main entrance. There are far too many people for Lucifer to try to get in there and do anything. He’ll be over here.
“Is that why you’re avoiding her? You almost die and you want to be the one that asks? Just ask! You have the ring.” Lucifer waves at the plants still bursting through stones. It seems the majority of the flowers will never go away. “In the gardens.”
“I have to get her to the gardens.” Briar mutters. “Help.”
“Alright.” Lucifer stands up and spots Dany. Purple. Yup. “Gardener’s hut?”
“Yup.” Briar slinks off and into the gardens.
This will be easy. He waves both hands above his head, and Dany zips in his direction. She stands before him, and then goes where he points. Great. He sits down again.
/// -- ///
She’s waiting for Briar. She’s at the gardener's hut, hands on her hips, frown marring her face, and they slowly step into the clearing. How did she make it here before them? Lucifer has--
“He told me you were in the gardens, but we both know I’m faster.” Dany, Danyella, the love of their life moves to be closer. She’s-- She has just the loveliest hair and the shape of her jaw is something that makes them reach up and cup her cheek. She wraps her arms around them as she looks up. She’s so much smaller than they remember.
“Would you marry me?” Briar has the ring. It emerges from the wood of their unoccupied palm.
“Would you marry me?” Dany has a ring. It’s in a hand she’s pulled from their back.
They’d said it at the same time. They look at each other, gazes going to the rings, and-- even the laughter is in sync. Even the joy filling the air is a mixture of them together. Briar leans down to press their forehead against Dany’s.
“Yes. I should have asked you two centuries ago, but I was so afraid. And-- I only got Rosie’s blessing the day of the curse.” Briar closes their eyes. “I don’t want to be away from you ever again.”
“Never. Never again.” Dany murmurs. “Don’t you dare put yourself in danger like that. Ever again.”
“That I cannot promise.” Briar stands up and slips the ring they have onto Dany’s finger. “But I can promise to always fight to come back.”
The frown is an acceptance. She’d be arguing if she thought she could sway them. Instead, she puts the ring she has onto their finger and then holds Briar’s hand. Their fingers entwine, rings touch, and Dany nods. “I promise to always fight to come back too.”
/// -- ///
Lucifer makes more ducks.
The people from outside the castle keep being surprised by the ducks that decorate the place. Dany keeps her sewing duck in the sewing room.
///
As soon as things calm down, some people heading to their homes, some people clearing out the servants quarters of the castle to move IN because they refuse to let Rosie be understaffed, Rosie is tugging him into the kitchen.
She sits down, proper and lady like with starlight hair twisted up into a bun, and then murmurs, “You are the Crown Prince of Emtureion. The oldest and most powerful country that I know about.”
“Well. Rhegoim is pretty-- Yes. Yes I am.” Lucifer stops explaining when Rosie raises an eyebrow. He gives jazz hands. “Surprise?”
“And when was I going to be told?” Rosie’s voice is flat. Unamused. Dry. Her lips are pressed flat like her tone, and Lucifer almost prefers the insect face because it was harder to SEE her disappointment or disapproval.
“I tried to say it, but we got interrupted by things.” Lucifer huffs.
“You said you were a noble.”
“I never said that. I just mentioned Mother being in charge.”
She gives a light glare and then sighs. “I can’t even argue that since exploiting contracts and words is normal around here and in noble circles. Fine. you never said it. But you never said you were a prince either. I do not want to be a princess or a queen.”
“Ew.” Lucifer shudders. “I don’t want to be a King. Don’t remind me. Stuck in meetings and makeup and pretending to be something I’m not and--”
Rosie takes his hands, kissing them, before she whispers, “Is that why? A prince who never gets to be themselves because there is always an image to uphold?”
He looks away and out the windows of the kitchen.
“You will never have to hide with me.” She puts a hand to his cheek and redirects his gaze to hers. “That’s where we started. Peeling back the layers to see what is underneath. Why would I go back hiding? Never again. I won’t pretend to be anything but me. And you won’t pretend to be anything but you.”
He really wants to cry. “I--”
“I have an idea.” Rosie pulls him close and presses her forehead against his. “If you trust me. If you want to stay with me. If you want to still marry me.”
“Okay.” Lucifer sucks in a breath. “Tell me your idea.”
///
Mother is sitting proper and regal by her window. She does not turn to him. Instead she closes her eyes, and murmurs, “I can never stop seeing your father in you.”
Lucifer stands, like a proper prince, but Rosie wraps an arm around him. “I think we both know what is going to happen.”
“Yes.” Sera, Mother, Mom, and Queen turns to look at Rosie. Her eyes sweep over her, her piercing gaze softened. “I will be gone by tomorrow.”
“What?” Lucifer looks between Rosie and Mother. “What do you mean--”
“She’ll be gone.” Rosie nods. “Frederick will take her. Because otherwise--”
“I will be killed.” Mother stands up and brushes off her skirts. She strides out of the room, not looking at Lucifer, not looking anywhere but straight ahead. “Please. Take care of my son.”
“I will give my husband more love than you ever have.” Rosie doesn’t look at Sera, she’s looking out the window.
Mother hums and is then gone.
Rosie turns to put a hand to Lucifer’s cheek. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
“It’s okay.” Lucifer sucks in air through his teeth. “I think I’ve been grieving my mom for a long, long time. But now I can finally grieve properly and not get a reminder every day I see the Queen.”
///
It’s an odd thing. Standing in front of an adoring crowd. Knowing that his mother had lost herself to grief and had never recovered. Couldn’t stand seeing his father in his face. Couldn’t stand the idea of the country changing hands to someone who wouldn’t uphold his father’s vision. And now Lucifer is here. Rosie is off to the side, ready, ready to hold his hand, ready to help him be himself, and he sucks in a breath. “Nobles. Friends. Family. Emtureion is in a new era.”
People stop talking and look to Lucifer.
“I have been crowned King. We had the celebration already.” People nod. “And now I am abdicating the throne. My daughter Charlie will take my place. She has been amongst the people more than I have. She has witnessed your needs, seen who you are, seen the many issues that have come around and how to solve them. And she had made friends who are just as in need as the common person. I am not that.”
He looks at Charlie who is holding her hands to her chest. Afraid. Worried. He smiles. “My daughter is the best of me. And I know she will lead this country to greatness.”
She slowly walks on stage and he takes the crown off of his head and puts it on Charlie’s. “You sure?”
“I trust you.” Lucifer whispers. He steps back. “I never wanted this. But you? You do. You want to make change. So make it.”
Charlie squares her shoulders. No matter how they treat her, she has always bounced back. That’s his daughter. “Then I suppose I should also mention I’m getting married.”
The crowd goes wild.
/// - ///
Charlie knows now that she can be a queen. Everytime she does something, she keeps going until it’s done. She doesn’t have to be perfect, she doesn’t have to suffer, and she doesn’t have to take anything lying down. She CAN face things head on and she CAN solve problems.
It just took an adventure to figure it out.
And there’s someone she needs to keep in her inner circle. Someone she’s been mean to and never should have been. “Emily?”
Emily is not a perfect person. She was just more educated. And that’s okay. She blinks up at Charlie and closes her book. “Charlie?”
Vaggie is beside Charle, encouraging her, helping her, and Charlie steps closer to Emily. “Would you be my advisor? I need someone who might have some more knowledge of things in more areas. Someone who knows the politics and who can teach me how a Queen demands respect.”
Watching Emily’s face, Charlie has no idea what she’ll say. Emily puts her book aside and stands up. She brushes off her skirts and-- then flings herself at Charlie. “Yes.” The hug is tight but brief. When she pulls away, she’s beaming, glowing almost. “And would you help me understand who our people are? Who they really are? So I can love them in the right way. Like you.”
“Well. I think you’re already working on that.” Vaggie mutters, and Charlie laughs.
///
Charlie blinks at Zestial. He stands before her, a large, black, fluffy spider at his side, and then gives a light bow. “You want to… help? Uncle Zestial?”
“Indeed. I have looked forward to this day for a long time.”
/// - ///
Luna takes the playing card Daisy gives her. She spins it over her fingers and sees her name. Sealed away in a card, her powers taken and tucked into a space that she hadn’t been able to touch until now. She looks up at Daisy.
“Emily told me you were looking for your name.” Daisy pulls out another card and hands it over. “And I needed a place to keep this bitch. What do you say?”
A card with Velvette’s name on it. Luna grins and spins it over her fingers before adding it to her deck. “Thank you.”
/// - ///
“Double wedding. Double wedding.” Rosie is following Dany around and clapping her hands.
“No. No.” Dany has a clipboard and she’s talking to different contractors as they come along to fix things and help make the castle fully functional again.
“Double wedding.”
“No.”
“Double wedding.”
“No.”
Lucifer and Briar dink ciders together. “My bet is on Dany.”
Briar hums. “Of course.”
///
There’s a rather lovely golden rose in a pot by the gardener’s shed. He hadn’t noticed it, but Briar says it has been growing for so long now. It’s strong and healthy, and it gets an iridesence at night.
///
“Charlie.” Lucifer ducks behind some barrels and magic explodes from her finger tips. “I’m glad you’re learning how to draw out your magic, but maybe talk to Daisy?”
“I got this!” Charlie’s voice is too high pitched. Thank goodness she’s not wearing the crown and had been happy to put it down before doing this. “I’ll be FINE!”
“Sweetheart, even your old man doesn’t use magic actively that much anymore. We’re not witches.” He winces when he hears another explosion.
“Ugh. Fine.”
///
“I’m not trying to steal you from Charlie--” He sighs when Minmar holds up a hand. “I know she wants to hire fresh people to give -- look. I KNOW her plans. But she needs people HERE -- yes I know Horus is staying!”
He throws up his hands as he watches Minmar and Angelica pack up things they’re taking with them. “This is ridiculous.”
“She has people she wants by her side. We want to be with our family.” Minmar pats his shoulder. “And she wants Cherri to come with.”
“Oh, that’s why.” Lucifer cackles. “You’ll have to fight Briar for the falcons.”
“I will simply tell the steward that I am the faloncer. I am sure she will see my side and tell the Marshal to stop taking on more work.” Minmar’s voice is low and round and very much knowing in the way that makes Lucifer sure Minmar will be winning this battle.
///
It is a very small wedding. Dany is bouncing on her toes, her dress a magnificent swirl of greens and yellows (because white is dumb in her opinion), and Briar is in a dress that matches. It’s a beautiful ceremony that involves a maximum of five people in attendance (Rosie, Lucifer, Daisy, Bart, and Paul. No others allowed), and a sword to cut a cake.
No double wedding. No fluff. Just two people who love each other putting on a pair of rings and laughing as they dance.
“Are we going bigger?” Lucifer whispers. He’s been married before. He didn’t need a large ceremony.
“Unfortunately.” Rosie mutters.
///
“Alastor! You get back here. You cannot QUIT. You are part of my court whether you like it or NOT!” Lucifer hears Rosie yelling and does not interfere. No. He’s reading.
///
He makes his way up Daisy’s tower. She’s sitting in her lab, not having cleaned up or touched anything, and staring at the burnt mark in the table. Very carefully avoiding the glass on the floor and the liquids, Lucifer steps into Daisy’s space. “You can’t blame yourself forever.”
“I didn’t think about tamping down the power.” Daisy murmurs. “I should have.”
“You didn’t use it incorrectly.” He puts a hand on her shoulder and leans down. The burn mark is an orchid. “You did everything you could to fix it. Daisy. Let yourself live. Stop drowning.”
She looks at him, really looks at him with eyes that have tears in the corner and hair that is frazzled. “How?”
“You find something else to do. You find other people to love. You-- Well. Live. That’s what Rosie says. I’m not very good at it.” Lucifer offers a smile, soft, and murmurs as light as he can. “We’re friends right?”
Her eyes widen and she laughs a wet, choked sort of laugh. “We are. Decreed in paper.”
“Then trust your friend. This is going to be a great new adventure.” Lucifer lets himself be pulled in for a hug. “And we can figure out how modern meets old and new family meets old family together. Because we’re friends.”
Daisy nods into his shoulder.
/// - ///
Lute wraps around Wanda and pulls her back into bed. It’s morning, yes, but there are two other people who run the Inn (which has become a way to test wines, much to Lute’s amusement). Wanda can be soft and in Lute’s arms for a little longer.
Wanda huffs. “I have work.”
“Mmmhmm.” Lute rubs her face into the softest parts of Wanda. The perfect place to be.
“You have work.” Wanda does not try to pull away. She simply slips her fingers into Lute’s hair and starts to massage at her scalp. “I’m sure Little Rock would love her sister to be there on time to train Palace soldiers.”
“Mmm. Sure.” Lute sighs and feels any tension she was holding melt with the touch of Wanda’s hands.
“Taking the ‘I’ll always take care of you’ to heart.” Wanda sighs and melts into Lute. “Good.”
/// - ///
Bart and Paul pretend they are not together. It is very funny.
///
Angel Dust cackles as he throws a pie in Vox’s face. “I am STILL your fucking BOSS, mother fucker!”
“Angel! Language!” Rosie huffs. She huffs while Fat Nuggets, who is a pig and Lucifer had not been expecting that, runs across the lobby and barrels into Vox’s legs.
///
KeeKee rather enjoys being a cat that runs around and chases Vox’s shark.
Eden enjoys the warmth of the gardens. Lucifer can never find her.
///
It’s a small ceremony in the gardens with a max of 20 people in attendance and a cake cut by a mantis claw (of COURSE Rosie would want to be an orchid mantis for part of the ceremony, it just makes sense).
When Charlie asks, “But why?”
Lucifer cackles before Rosie shoves a bit of cake in his mouth and kisses him.