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It was coronation day in the Kurain Kingdom and the whole castle was thrumming with energy. Servants were running to and from rooms, carrying large stacks of plates and huge bouquets of flowers, the chefs hadn’t left the kitchens for days, and diplomats had been arriving since last week. Nobody had known a moment of peace with preparation extending late into the night only to begin again before first light. Hundreds of guests will be attending the main ceremony and the number is set to fall only slightly for the ball, taking place after. Normally a coronation would receive about half the number of guests, but this is no normal coronation.
17 years ago Queen Misty Fey had disappeared, only to turn up dead after 15 years. Her daughter, the crown princess of Kurain, Mia Fey, had been set to take over when she too met her unfortunate end. With the heir apparent gone and having no children of her own, the crown was set to be passed on to her younger brother. Now, the royal family has been on the throne for centuries, all members being directly related to the first queen of Kurain, and although many generations have produced male heirs, none have ever inherited the throne. Which is why, two years after Princess Mia Fey’s death, Prince Phoenix Fey has attracted attention from far and wide. The young man was currently in his room, with his younger sister Maya trying to help him secure the sash of his suit and failing spectacularly. They had both waved off any help from servants, only one staying behind, and only to laugh at their attempts and fix anything important.
“Okay, then you just take the pin and stick it through the epaulet, but be careful-” Phoenix let out an exclamation of pain as Maya stabbed the pin into his shoulder. “Maya!”
“Oh don’t be dramatic, you’ve poked me with pins enough that I know it doesn’t actually hurt.” Maya smirked at him and he glared back, even if there was no real heat behind it.
Ema giggled from the couch where she had her sewing kit ready, an open bag of snackoos sitting next to her. “You need to put the backing in place, and then we move on to the cape- which I will be doing, Princess.” She added when she saw Maya’s mischievous grin.
“Aw man!” Maya said, at the same time Phoenix breathed out. “Thank the lady.”
A knock came from the open door and one of the royal advisors, Adrian, stepped in with a bow. “Your Majesties, your presences are requested immediately in the main hall. The princess will be walking first, escorted by Ser Godot. The heir apparent will then follow, escorted by Lady Iris. Please follow me.”
The three people in the room all looked at each other with pure panic. Ema grabbed the cape and started running with Phoenix and Maya, securing the heavy fabric around his shoulders and fixing pieces of their respective outfits. They reached the doors to the main hall in record time, with Adrien catching up to them a minute later, shaking her head in fond exasperation. Godot and Iris were already there, both dressed in their coronation uniform of high-waisted pants, a dark shirt and vest, and a jacket resting around their shoulders in the color of their respective escorts. The sword resting at each of their hips was as decorative as it was dangerous and Phoenix gulped as he saw it catch the light.
Godot offered his elbow to Maya, which she gratefully took, and turned his visor towards Phoenix. “You have her spirit, kid, you’ll do great things.” Phoenix nodded as Godot turned and walked Maya through the doors.
Taking a deep breath he looked over at Iris and held his elbow out. She gave him a kind smile as she met his eyes. “Are you ready, your Majesty?”
“Iris, we’ve nearly been forcefully engaged twice now, I think you’ve earned the right to call me Phoenix.” He smiled at her, lopsided and nervous, but a smile nonetheless.
She laughed quietly and nodded. “Just take a deep breath and remember your lines. It’ll be over before you know it.”
Phoenix heard his title announced and the doors opened, revealing the vast main hall now packed to the brim with friends and diplomats. All eyes fell to him as he and Iris strode down the hall and up the stairs leading to the throne. When they reached the high priestess, Bikini, Iris split off from him and took her place standing next to Godot. Phoenix kneeled in front of the priestess and met her gaze.
“Sire, is your Majesty willing to take the Oath?” His voice was clear and confident as he answered. “I am willing.”
“Will you solemnly promise to uphold the will of the people, under the banner of the Fey house, in the kingdom of Kurain?”
“I solemnly promise to do so.”
“Will you, to the utmost of your power, uphold the words of Our Lady Justice? Will you maintain the balance of truth? Will you have faith in your people? And will you continue to have faith in your people, though the outcome may look bleak?”
“All this I will promise to do. The things which I have promised to uphold, I will perform, and keep. By the name of Our Lady, I will promise in Justice.”
Sister Bikini motioned him up and led him to the throne. When he sat, Iris approached and blindfolded him. Someone else, who he knew was Maya, placed a scale in one hand, and the last person, Godot, placed a sword in the other. He felt a warm hand smear something over the blindfold and it felt as if his heart was in his throat.
There was a beat of silence. Then, suddenly, he could ‘see’ everything. The truth was laid out in front of him, the guests in the audience spread bare for him to gaze at their innocence and guilt. The main hall was frozen as Lady Justice appeared in front of him and placed her own sword underneath his chin, lifting his head up to look at her. The blindfold she wore was stained with blood and the scale in her hand never seemed to balance fully.
“I have long watched the Fey family. Generations have sat on this throne and had their eyes shut with the blood of gods. Yet you are the first man to have entered my domain, and a second born at that.” Her voice was… kind. Stern, but kind.
“Yes, my… my sister was-” Phoenix started, but the sword at his chin pressed up to keep his mouth shut. “I know what happened to your sister, dear boy. I watch all who are set to inherit my throne from the day they are born, to the day they have become mine once again. You, however, have only recently entered my sight as more.
“You will be subjected to a test of sorts. You may take however long you need, as it will only be a split second to the ones outside of this realm, and if you succeed you will be granted the title of King Phoenix Fey, champion of Justice, and ruler of Kurain. Do you understand?”
Phoenix nodded and the sword was removed from his chin. “Very well. Your test will simply be this: choose.”
Two doors appeared behind the Lady and Phoenix felt a force he hadn’t even noticed disappear from his limbs. He stood up from the throne and Lady Justice disappeared, turning quickly he saw that the throne had become a judge’s bench with Lady Justice sitting behind it. The ever unbalanced scale now balanced as it sat on the bench, her sword resting next to it, and her covered eyes seemed to stare into him. Turning back towards the doors, he finally started to inspect them.
One sat open, leading into an unknown field, bird song and the smell of flowers being carried in on the breeze. The other was closed with only a keyhole to provide any clue to what sat behind it. Peering through, Phoenix saw shadows that seemed to constantly shift. He doesn’t know how long he stood there, just staring at the two doors, but eventually he started to pace around the main hall. Even though he had access to the Truth, he refused to truly see the guests. It was an invasion of privacy at best, and an admission of guilt without evidence at worst, both outcomes unforgivable in his mind. It was on his third round that he had an idea.
He walked over to the doors and closed his eyes, refusing himself the luxury of sight, and, taking a deep breath, walked forward between the doors. He could feel no physical change as he walked and began to doubt himself, he very nearly opened his eyes, but shook the thoughts from his head and continued forward. Phoenix had no idea how long he walked for, but eventually he felt his foot reach out and, instead of landing on solid ground, continue down and nearly cost him his balance. A cliff. One he’d have to either turn away from or jump off, and Phoenix knew exactly what he had to do.
Turning around he stood on the edge of the cliff, palms facing the sky. Mere seconds before he allowed himself to fall, he felt two items materialize, one in each hand, and he knew. He allowed himself to smile and stepped back.
As soon as his foot left the cliff he knew he had returned back to the main hall. He could hear the murmurings of guests turning into gasps as he held up the scale in his hand, knowing that it now held the small, golden symbol of Lady Justice, and the green magatama that signified the Fey family. The blindfold was removed from his eyes, an action met with more quiet gasps in the crowd, and he surveyed the guests with the ‘sight’ Lady Justice had gifted him. Sister Bikini recited a quiet prayer and lifted the crown to Phoenix’s head.
“With the crown placed upon his head, and blessings bestowed upon him by Our Lady Justice, I dub thee, King Phoenix Fey, Champion of Justice, and Ruler of Kurain.” Phoenix looks out on the crowd as Sister Bikini finishes to see that every head is bowed to him, except for one, that is, and his interest is piqued.
~Later That Day~
The rest of the day leading up to the ball had been a blur for Phoenix, he knew he had sat on the throne for hours, blessing people and accepting gifts. At some point he had been moved from the main hall back to his room, where he had remained upright long enough to take off the cape before collapsing face down on his bed. Maya had snuck in a minute later and sat next to him, rubbing his back in soothing circles, chattering away about anything and everything.
After a few minutes he turns his head and rubs his hand over his eyes, interrupting Maya’s rant about the servants not letting her into the kitchen. “How long do I have before I need to make my appearance again?”
“An hour or two, long enough to get changed into a different suit, or put on a disguise and sneak out for a few minutes. I heard they left the garden pretty much untouched.” She smiles at him innocently and he rolls his eyes.
He gets off of the bed and throws off his suit jacket, throwing a cloak over the rest of his formal wear and putting a hat on to hide his hair. Maya laughs and does something similar, making sure their family crest wasn’t visible on either of them. They had been sneaking around the castle for years and had yet to be caught, so making it to the gardens was an easy endeavor. Maya had been right when she said the garden was the same. The familiar paths had been neglected for a few days in favor of making the inner halls pristine, it was so freeing to see imperfection that Phoenix felt as if he could breathe for the first time that day.
He wandered away from Maya to a more secluded part of the garden and pulled his hat and cloak off, letting them fall to the ground. He looked up to the sky and took a deep breath, laughing quietly to himself. “I never thought the new king would run away so quickly.”
Phoenix jumped and spun around to see the same man that had met his eyes after the crowning. “Excuse me? I’m not running away.”
“Really, then it is tradition for the ruler to sneak out to the gardens with his younger sister keeping watch?” Phoenix bristled at the man’s tone.
“Maybe it is, I’ve never seen you before so you clearly have never experienced the Kurain traditions in person. And why should it matter that I’m in my own gardens, Lord… uh-”
“Edgeworth. Lord Miles Edgeworth of the von Karma Manor.” Edgeworth bowed and Phoenix hummed slightly.
“Oh yeah, I’ve heard of you. Are you here as a stand-in for Lord von Karma himself then?” Edgeworth scowled and looked off to the side. “No. I am here to announce that Lord von Karma has passed and we- his daughter, Lady von Karma, and I, have come to offer our allegiance to the Kurain Kingdom. Something our house has refused to do since it was first formed.”
“Oh, I’m-” Edgeworth shook his head. “Don’t. That man brought nothing but misery, and the world is a better place with him gone.”
“Well… I look forward to our allegiance then, and I hope I will be seeing more of you.” Phoenix smiled and let his eyes wander over the other man’s features. He was wearing a red suit with golden trim, a cravat flaring out from his neck. Gray eyes met blue and brown and Phoenix felt heat rush to his cheeks as Edgeworth smirked. “Yes, I do as well.”
Phoenix chuckled awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck, waving as Edgeworth turned and made his way towards the guest quarters on the edge of the castle grounds. He stood there staring after the man for some time, long enough that Maya had to come looking for him.
She saw the look on his face and rested her head against one hand while the other crossed over her chest, meeting Phoenix’s eye with a gleam in her own. “Ya know Nick… I haven’t seen you this red since that girl once kissed you on the cheek.”
Phoenix spluttered and glared at Maya. “H-hey! That was years ago, and we were, like, 10! And I’m not red!”
“Okay!” She chirped, turning around. “But remember, the new ruler is allowed to dance with anyone they want at the coronation ball!” She giggled and ran back to the castle, letting out a shriek of delight as Phoenix gave chase.
~The Coronation Ball~
When Phoenix was announced the ball had technically begun, but when the doors swung open he was met with hundreds of eyes on him. He gulped and walked down the steps of the ballroom balcony, keeping his back straight and trying to appear as kingly as possible. He took his place at the front of the room and bowed his head to Maya, who had been required to appear earlier than him, and the party settled into the dull roar of music and conversation again. Soon enough they were approached by a steady stream of ambassadors and diplomats, pledging their allegiance to the new king or asking for a dance from one of the siblings. Luckily any unwanted offers were chased away with one look to the guards who flanked them, but there was one girl who managed to convince Maya to dance. She had silver hair and was wearing a floor length blue dress that hugged her body in a way that made Maya blush as she took the girl’s hand and was led away.
Phoenix smiled fondly and shook his head as he watched them go. His attention was brought back to the people in front of him by a throat being cleared. “Oh yes, sorry about that. It’s just nice to see her… happy.”
“Yes, I understand quite well. It is nice to see your sister smile after a tragedy has occurred.” Lord Edgeworth stood in front of Phoenix, one hand crossing over his chest as he bowed.
“Uh, y-yeah.” Very eloquently put, Phoenix was truly a master of words.
“As I said before, in the garden, I have come with my sister Franziska to pledge the allegiance of the von Karma Manor to Kurain, and it seems she has taken a liking to the young princess.” Edgeworth smiled, slightly sad. “Unfortunately we are returning to the manor soon, as it is a long journey, but if the allegiance is accepted we will return for any major celebrations.”
Phoenix felt conflicted, not wanting to let this man leave, but knowing he can’t show direct preference without a reason. He glanced up and saw Franziska and Maya swaying on the dance floor together, wearing matching expressions of happiness and embarrassment, and found his reason. “Stay.”
“Excuse me?” Edgeworth blinked and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
“Stay. We can discuss the allegiance and allow the young Lady and Princess to become closer. After all, it is my job as both a king and an older brother that my closest advisor remains happy, correct?” Phoenix wanted so badly to reach out and smooth the crease that had formed between Edgeworth’s eyebrows, a thought that made him pause and blush in embarrassment.
Edgeworth looked over his shoulder towards their sisters and his face softened. “Of course, your Majesty. If that is your wish, then my sister and I shall remain for negotiations. I shall take my leave, I have kept your attention long enough.” He bowed again and started to walk away.
Before he knew it, Phoenix’s hand had reached out of its own accord and grabbed Edgeworth’s wrist, causing the man to look back in confusion. “Your Majesty?”
“Oh, uh- I apologize. I shouldn’t have done that, but, and I hope I’m not being too forward, I wanted to ask for a dance? If not now, then maybe another time?” Phoenix gave him a nervous smile and drew his hand back.
Edgeworth’s face turned as red as his suit and he nodded slightly. “I will have to refuse for now, but we will have time if I- if we- if my sister and I are staying.”
With that he hurried off, disappearing into the crowd of people. Phoenix sighed and felt his smile drop slightly. He felt a hand gently touch his shoulder and he turned his head to see Iris, giving him a knowing look. “Well, I guess this means no more weird, forceful engagements being pushed by my mom?”
That got Phoenix to laugh, drawing the attention of a few guests around them, and he quickly lowered his voice. “Iris, shush. We only just met, I’m sure it’s nothing more than a crush, and I doubt he feels the same. Plus, I’m sure Aunt Morgan would keep trying even if I was courting someone.” He shuddered. “So weird.”
Iris stared at him like he was the most idiotic person in the world which, to be fair, he could be pretty oblivious at times. But this was not one of those times, he was sure of it! So he shrugged her off and went on with his duties, managing to force Godot to dance with him once before the night was over. It was probably one of the funniest experiences of Phoenix’s life as he was spun around by the grumbling knight, winking as the knight dipped him and then yelping as he was subsequently dropped.
~One Week Later~
He wasn’t sure what he had done wrong, but he was sure Edgeworth was avoiding him. Sure he had been dealing with his new duties as king, but every time he tried to get Adrian to schedule a meeting for them she always said that Edgeworth had refused. When he complained to Maya about it she had just laughed at him and said something about winning a bet. He was pretty sure he had spent more time with Franziska, who had started to sit with Maya during dinner, than Edgeworth at this point.
Which is why, when he saw Edgeworth in the same secluded area of the garden they had met in, he took his chance. He walked up behind Edgeworth and tapped him on the shoulder. “I never thought a Lord would run away so easily.”
Edgeworth spun so fast Phoenix was afraid he’d lose his footing. His eyes went wide and he quickly bowed. “Your Majesty, I did not know you would be here.”
“Yeah, I figured, but I am, so I figured this would be a good chance to cash in that dance you owe me.” Phoenix offered his hand, which Edgeworth only stared at.
“I apologize, but now is not a good time.” The world went dark and chains rattled into place, two locks appearing over Edgeworth. It was a newfound power that had been granted to him by Lady Justice, the ability to see lies told to him.
Phoenix frowned. “I’m not so sure I believe that. In fact, I think you’re avoiding me for some reason.”
Edgeworth grimaced and a lock shattered, proving Phoenix’s point. “Your Majesty, I mean no ill will. It is my own fault.”
“What is? I can’t think of any reason for you to avoid me, if it’s the dancing thing then I’m sorry if I came on too strong. I really just want to see you, I think we could be great friends, if not… if not more, but only if you feel the same.”
Phoenix knew his face was beet red and he refused to meet Edgeworth’s eye when he heard the sharp inhale, seeing the chains fall away completely. He felt a hand take his and another come to rest on his hip, quickly looking up he was met with an equally red-faced Edgeworth. “Lord Edgeworth, are you sure about this?”
“Not completely, but I too think we could be… good friends.” The corners of Edgeworth’s mouth twitched and Phoenix grinned.
Phoenix started to hum a simple melody and lead them in a waltz, slowly moving them around the small garden area. It started out simple but slowly became faster along with the humming, Phoenix let Edgeworth take control as he was spun out. They circled each other, arms crossed behind their backs, the humming slowly dying out as they found the rhythm in each other’s movement.
With a few deliberate steps, Phoenix moved forward and around the other man, taking the other’s hands with his own and spinning them back into a waltz. “Why were you watching me when I was crowned?”
The question was met with a smirk as Edgeworth dipped Phoenix, the smirk only growing when Phoenix blushed as one of his legs pushed forward, causing Phoenix to lift his knee to Edgeworth’s hip for balance. “I figured that if the Kurain ruler was as observant as the rumors said, then you should’ve been able to see one pair of eyes in a crowd, and it seems I was correct.”
“So it was a test then?” Phoenix was pulled up again and they started to step together again, an endless push and pull.
“Perhaps.” Edgeworth and Phoenix spun away from each other until only their fingertips were touching, before spinning back in and coming to a stop with their faces just inches away.
They were both breathing heavily and Phoenix watched as Edgeworth’s eyes flickered down to his lips. Before he could talk himself out of it Phoenix surged forward and kissed him, pulling back just as fast. “Well, perhaps you could arrange to stay for a little longer and I could figure it out for myself?”
Edgeworth’s face was bright red and he nodded once, his eyes searching for something in Phoenix’s gaze. Seemingly finding it, one hand came to rest on Phoenix’s cheek while the other found its way to the small of his back and pulled him closer. Their lips connected once again and, if they were listening, or even cared, they would have heard the wolf whistles and cheering of three girls coming from a little further in the garden.