Chapter Text
The Kingdom of Endeavor was warmer than he remembered.
Part of that was the lack of attention he had been paying the first couple of times he’d been through. There had been other things to focus on – Neito had needed settling. Prince Izuku had been interesting to meet and Prince Shouto was carrying. It had been a long, long time since Keigo had been in a position to be aware of royal births. The other part of it was that his memories had been fractured. Pieces of them had crumbled away. He wasn’t really surprised, not when he’d spent sixty years in a tank.
He could barely remember what the salt level of the ocean was like, occasionally.
True to his word, the promise he had made to Queen Rei, Keigo had returned to Endeavor. Prince Izuku and Prince Shouto visited every few weeks, making sure to bridge the two Kingdoms together. The two of them were chattering happily, a handful of guards surrounding them. This was the second time Keigo had been taken to Endeavor like that.
With a twitch of his wings, he sped up and swam alongside one of the guards. Kan Sekijirou, if he remembered correctly.
The mer looked at him, inclining his head for a moment. “Are you feeling alright?” his voice was kept low, the tone of it softened. Keigo had traveled with his son and his son’s mate for a while. Kan had told Keigo he was glad that Keigo had been there to be protective at times. Rappa had apparently been told of Keigo’s behavior at the facility they had been rescued from, the fact that Keigo had screeched the most painful notes he could at the merfolk who had tried to interfere with them getting Neito, Himiko, and Jin back. Rappa had told Kan – the two of them basically brothers since Rappa had become Taishiro’s mate. Eijirou had been taken in by Taishiro and then Rappa had been added to the mixture.
Something about them having found each other, a family created in something other than blood, made Keigo happy.
He had found his own nephew, again. He’d forgotten he’d even had a brother.
“I’m fine,” Keigo shook his head. “I just…I don’t know what I’m expecting out of all of this. I guess I’m kind of nervous.”
Fuck nervous, what he really wanted was to just find a quiet place to scream until his throat hurt. The fact that he was marked by a soulmate bond was terrifying. He’d been happy enough to think it was a scar for all that time, happy enough to ignore it in favor of trying to survive the experiences he’d gone through. Everything had been about making it to the next day, making it through a full cycle of time intact. The idea of being so permanently tied to someone was terrifying – what if he’d died and they had felt it?
Or if his life had ended and then theirs had too?
His life had been so much about survival that he hadn’t figured out what would happen after that. He had kept his head down and his wings tucked in for so long that he didn’t know how to uncurl himself anymore. Even though the idea of tying someone to him was horrifying – there was some part of him that enjoyed the thought. The idea that, had he gotten free earlier, he might have found someone who would want him. Someone who would, if the example he was being given by Izuku and Shouto was the norm, care for him beyond everything. Someone to listen and care for him and be cared for by him. Like the world had seen fit to give him something worth holding on for.
Keigo shook his head, trying to clear those thoughts away. “I’m just a little torn on some things,” he ended up telling Kan. He wrapped his hand around his left wrist, staying quiet for the rest of the trip to the palace of Endeavor.
No need to talk anymore, not about that.
At the entrance to the palace, Keigo found out, they were greeted by the brothers of Prince Shouto.
“Fuyumi would be here,” the one introduced as Natsuo said, smiling. “But she and Rumi are currently visiting the Queen of Creati and her mate. They want to establish a trade.” He turned his head to stare at Touya, who was holding Shouto’s shoulders and staring with a narrow-eyed expression at his youngest brother’s stomach. “…Touya?”
“Prince Izuku,” Touya turned his bright blue eyes on Izuku and Keigo watched as the green-haired Prince went pale.
“We’re going to name the baby Suzume,” Shouto interrupted whatever threat his brother was about to say to his mate. The colors wrapped around his left arm flashed for a moment, their combined magic flaring up protectively around their bond. “The healers say we are having a healthy baby, based on the spinal ridges and the shape of the tail. Izuku and I have discussed this several times, Touya – we are going to switch off on who carries. I wanted to be the first one.” He reached up and curled his hand around his brother’s wrist. “Do not attack my mate for something we both wanted and planned for.”
Keigo laughed. The expression on Touya’s face was hilarious, he couldn’t help it.
Izuku beamed, shifting forward to rub his cheek against his mate’s shoulder. “Besides, we did send a message when the carrying was confirmed. Tell me, Touya,” his eyes glinted, his expression shifting so fractionally that his smile became terrifying instead of warm. “How busy have you been with my cousin if you didn’t get it?”
Honestly, listening to the two Princes vaguely threatening each other was one of the best things Keigo had ever heard.
Touya took a deep breath, his eyes a touch wider than was probably comfortable, then nodded. “Right. So mom is waiting,” he gestured over his shoulder, glancing at Keigo. “I’m guessing we want him to go see her, right? She told me about him being a soulmate bonded who didn’t know.”
Reaching out to pat Touya’s shoulder, Izuku nodded. “He’s one of the ones that was rescued by Jin and Himiko and Neito.” He looked at Keigo, hesitating. After a moment, he nodded once, seeming to make up his mind. “How much of your story do you want told? I just realized I probably shouldn’t have said that part if it makes you uncomfortable. I don’t want to do that,” his tail twitched and Keigo smiled. Izuku had some interesting habits. Keigo had learned some of them, recently. He memorized information easily and quickly and he also preferred to ask someone their opinion rather than just assuming.
He reminded Keigo of what little memories he had of his brother.
“I’m okay with the story being told, Prince Izuku,” Keigo looked at Touya, who was staring at him. “I was held captive for sixty years. Your mother is the one who asked me to return once my other business was done. Hopefully, she can help me find answers.”
“Good to know,” Touya looked at Shouto. “And you’re both still little.”
“Fully grown, Touya,” Shouto corrected, a fond smile pulling at his lips. “Adults by any measure. Older than Izuku’s uncle was when he started carrying.” It had the feeling of a well-worn argument.
“Fine,” Touya bumped their heads together as he swam past, rolling his eyes. “C’mon, mom’s waiting.” He gestured for all of them to follow him and Keigo moved to fall in line. Halfway down the hall, they were joined by another mer, who trilled and rubbed their cheek against Touya’s. Touya trilled back, tangling their hands together. “Hey,” he closed his eyes for a moment, leaning into them.
Natsuo laughed and moved closer to Shouto, slinging an arm around his shoulders.
“Hello,” the mer smiled, reaching out to pat Izuku’s head. “Hey.”
“Hello, Tenko!” Izuku was all bright smiles again. Keigo watched them all interact. Tenko was quieter than Izuku but based on placement and the affection he gave Touya, it had to be assumed he was Izuku’s cousin. The missing Prince. Keigo had been told about him. He hung back, watching the five of them interact. Despite the differences in coloration, he could tell Izuku and Tenko were related. They were seemingly overjoyed to be near each other again. In his time with Izuku and Shouto, he had noticed that Izuku was tactile – if you were his friend, he would end up hugging you. Or touching your shoulder.
He found his strength in the people he loved.
Keigo continued to watch the four of them, smiling as best he could. There was something digging in his chest, something painful, that reminded him of how much he had missed. His nephew, who was mated and officially the King of Kurai. His niece, off and mated to the Queen of Creati.
He didn’t remember much about his brother, anymore. Seeing the younger mers finding mates and families and being happy was at once nice and painful.
The ring of red around his left wrist burned for a moment. They arrived in the throne room and Keigo pushed the sensation away – he had gotten used to ignoring pain, he’d had sixty years of practice at it – as he faced Queen Rei. She sat alone, the King’s throne empty. “Welcome back, you two,” she moved towards her sons, cupping their cheeks and rubbing hers against the tops of their heads. Touya trilled quietly, his tail swishing. Shouto smiled, the expression small but his eyes bright. “I see you are developing well,” the Queen peered down at Shouto’s stomach, moving her hand down and pausing in a silent question. When Shouto nodded, she put her palm on him, closing her eyes as her magic flared out softly. Almost absently, focused on her magic, she moved her other hand to cup Natsuo’s cheek.
“Healthy and strong,” she pronounced after a moment. “Developing well.”
She hugged him, holding out her arm to Izuku as well. The three of them trilled at each other, soft noises almost like cooing birds. When Rei pulled away from them, hugging Touya and Tenko to her, Keigo laughed at the expression on Touya’s face.
If he had to guess, Touya was embarrassed he’d overreacted.
“Keigo,” Queen Rei moved to him, catching his gaze. “It is good to see you again.” She was smiling, her hands clasped in front of her. Touya turned to stare at Keigo, very clearly studying him. Keigo didn’t blame him – he wanted to protect his family. That much was clear. “My apologies for King Enji’s absence. He usually keeps to himself in the lower levels of the palace.”
“Can I ask why?” Keigo frowned. “That sounds…Lonely.”
“He’s afraid his magic will hurt someone,” Touya lifted a hand, conjuring a flame underwater. “I occasionally have trouble with what I’ve inherited from him. It burns hotter than what most merfolk can stand and he’s always putting off enough heat to change the temperature down there.” He let the flame die out, staring at his hand. “We’ve tried getting him to join us but he’s terrified of hurting us, let alone anyone else.” He shrugged, leaning into Tenko when he reached out to take Touya’s hand. “Sort of given up at this point.”
Shouto nodded. “I will be going down to see him later, but I know he will panic about being around me when I’m carrying.”
“Does he do that often?”
“When I carried our children,” Rei spoke up again, glancing at her sons. Natsuo made a face, a sadness pressing down on him for a moment before he schooled his expression to be happier. Keigo watched, listening to Rei. “He panicked about even touching me. When Fuyumi was born, he held her for all of a minute before passing her back. Her magic is rooted in ice, the same as mine. His heat had woken her magic up and it was flaring out defensively.” She reached out and took Keigo’s hand. “Come, we have things to discuss. The five of you,” she looked at her children, their mates, and smiled. “Entertain yourselves for a while. Keigo and I need to speak. There is something I said I would help him with.”
They cleared out as Rei led him to another room. The windows were covered in ice until Rei raised her hand and made a motion like she was shooing something away.
The view outside was beautiful.
“You said, the last time we spoke about your situation, that you felt compelled to stay here,” Rei turned to look at him as she curled her tail around the seat she took. Keigo followed her example when she motioned for him to sit. From the feel of the magic around him, he could tell there were guards just below the window, out of sight. “Correct?”
“Yeah,” Keigo nodded. “Like I got here and it was where I was supposed to be.”
“Is it a general feeling or here in the palace specifically?” Rei tilted her head. “Because we can have our palace workers come through and meet you to see if it is any of them. We can run through all the inhabitants of this palace to see if any of them might be your other half. Based on what I know of soulmates, the fact that there is a band of color on your wrist means that you’ve met them before, however briefly. Your magic reached out and met theirs.”
Taking a deep breath, slowly, Keigo nodded. That was something he hadn’t realized. He’d never thought to ask Izuku and Shouto about how their bond had expressed itself in the beginning. “I’ve had the mark for sixty-five years. I don’t even know where to begin in my understanding of it. I—my memories are muddled,” he hesitated, then nodded. “I remember the barest of information about my brother. He was the former King of Kurai. I don’t remember what he looked like. Or what he sounded like. I only barely remember what his mate looked like and it was because she and her sister were from an older Kingdom. They were shadow magic users. I met with his mate’s sister recently – she was the regent for my nephew. She held the throne until he was old enough, in her eyes, to lead.”
Rei’s eyebrows shot up. “Captive royalty,” she nodded, her lips pressed together firmly. “I think the oldest of our palace staff is only fifty-eight years old. I doubt that there is a situation wherein he’s your mate.” She fell silent for a while, turning her head to stare out the window. “I know—” she cut herself off, sitting up straight in a way that was almost violent.
“Queen Rei?”
“If you’ll excuse me,” Rei blinked a couple of times. “I will be back. I will be back. Please, stay here,” she gestured at the seat he was in, taking off so quickly that all she left behind was a stream of bubbles.
“Uh,” Keigo blinked a couple of times. “Okay?”
X
“Enji!”
Rei’s voice echoed against the walls of his rooms. Enji looked up from the metal he was shaping, his hands heated. As she came into view, he tamped down on his magic, reducing the radius of it. He couldn’t always protect those he cared about but he could do this. The metal would suffer a little but he could bolster the strength of it later. Rei approached him slowly, her ice automatically surrounding her.
It was a testament to their will, having four children together. Their magics were incompatible.
“Rei,” he inclined his head, closing his eyes. “Is something happening?”
Danger in the palace? Was there another threat? The idea of war sat sourly on his tongue, the thought of a threat invading his Kingdom. His father had been a warmonger and changing that reputation, the idea of what the Kingdom of Endeavor was based in, was a rough process. Rei shook her head, however, and held out her hands. “May I see your arm, Enji?” she met his eyes and he knew what she was referring to.
In the beginning, he had told her about the mark.
She had been shocked, more than a little horrified, but she had reacted with sympathy when he told her that he’d had it for thirty years by the time he’d first met her. They had spent hours discussing it, debating over whether or not he was free to find someone else. In the end, Rei had agreed to be his Queen. They had never bonded, never been able to, but they were friends.
He was glad to have spent the last twenty-seven years with her at his side. Their Kingdom was better for it.
Holding out his arm, Enji watched as Rei turned it over and undid his bracer. She ran cool hands over the skin, tracing the line with her fingertips. “I think I have an answer you’ve sought for so long,” she looked up to meet his eyes. “Enji, I think I have the answer to this question you’ve carried for over sixty years.” Rei’s eyes were bright as she met his gaze again and he couldn’t help but want to shy away. He had never been able to help her the way he’d wanted to. His magic hurt her, his touch burned. “His name is Keigo.”
That gave him pause. “What?”
“There is a mer,” Rei was patient with him, she was always so patient with him. “In the upper levels. His name is Keigo. He’s half-Siren and half-mer. He is of the winged variety, which is a touch strange underwater, but he is one of those rescued when Jin and his children saved a handful of merfolk from the humans who were testing on them.” She tapped the line of gold around his wrist. “Enji, he wears a matching cuff of red.”
Enji felt his throat clench, his entire body tensed up, and he stared at Rei. The words weren’t making sense, the world did not care for him that way. He was never supposed to find the one at the other end of the bond – he was being punished for ignoring it.
His heart pounding wildly in his chest, Enji took a deep breath, his hand coming up to clench at his throat.
Rei pulled him close, tucking his head under her chin. It was the same position she had taken up in defense against his nightmares. Against the memories of his father. He wrapped his arm around her, holding her close even as her ice built up against his heat. His marked arm hung at his side. He had felt odd things from it over the years, the occasional flare of pain or terrified anger, but he had never been able to devote much time to understanding it. “His name is Keigo,” she said again. “And he has spent sixty-five years trying to figure out what was happening. Sixty of those years were spent in confinement.” She pulled back, her hands coated in ice as she took his cheeks in them. “Enji, I have only ever wanted you to be happy. When your body proved ill-suited to carrying our children, I mourned with you. I have only ever wanted your happiness to be yours.”
She smiled. “And now there is a chance.”
A chance beyond the worry over war. He knew she was referring to the conversations they’d had at night, when their children were asleep. When the Kingdom of All was a threat at their back, the knife aimed to slit their throat. He’d said there was never a chance of his happiness being his priority.
While he’d appreciated her worry over him, he’d been trying to be realistic.
“There is no war coming for our home, Enji,” Rei continued, holding his gaze and refusing to let go of his face. “We are safe, our children are safe. Your father is gone. Three of our four children are mated and happy – Shouto is carrying. He wants to come down to see you. Or to have you come up and see him.” Shouto was the one child he felt safe to be around – Shouto had gained a level of control over the fire Enji had given him. He could withstand working with it in the same way Enji could. Touya had tried, had fought for so long to make it work, but in the end, it had almost killed him.
Touya had stuck with ice for the last decade because Enji had asked him to.
Fire was dangerous. His fire was fatal.
Even to those he loved. Maybe especially to them. They were, after all, the ones in the immediate danger zone.
“You do not have to come up with me now,” Rei continued. She knew he wasn’t going to speak, just yet. “But Keigo is going to be staying here. In the palace. His nephew is the King of Kurai – King Fumikage will be visiting in a month. When he comes, Keigo will be going with him, as planned, unless something happens to alter that decision.”
“I will make up my mind,” Enji muttered. “But I do not think it is best for me to be around him.”
Rei sighed, smiling sadly. “The decision is yours, Enji, of course it is, but I hope you see the wisdom in at least meeting him. The both of you could use some rest from your troubles,” she pulled her hands away, her ice rebuilding around her palms from where she had been touching him. “And I think that perhaps what is needed could be found.”
She darted forward, a flash of white and silver, and pressed a kiss to his forehead.
Enji watched as she left, her ice dissipating the further she got from him.
He closed his eyes.
The moonlight refracting through the ocean had always been beautiful.
Enji sighed, leaning against the wall of the palace. The guards knew he was out here and they knew he was safe. Not only would no one dare take him on in a one-on-one fight but it was well known that his magic was strong. They still kept the secret of his habit of nighttime swims around the palace, but if someone did find out it was not as dangerous. Looking up towards the light of the moon, Enji sighed again, shaking his head.
Somewhere in the palace was his soulmate.
Someone who, if the assumptions were correct, he had met before. Sixty-five years was a long time, he thought, conjuring flames to his hands. Perhaps Keigo wouldn’t remember him. If Enji never met him, then there would be no harm brought to him. He would be safe. He didn’t remember Keigo, really. Trawling through his memories brought him nothing. He would be better off, and much safer, if Enji avoided him.
Like Rei was safe when he kept himself distant. Like his children were safe, having grown up near him but not exactly with him. He had burned Fuyumi when she was small, had scorched the ends of Natsuo’s hair. He had removed himself from the situation so he did not harm them. His magic mimicked his father’s, no matter how much he wished it didn’t. Dangerous and harmful and wild. His father had been a warlord, a warmonger, and Enji couldn’t escape his reputation no matter how fast he swam or how much distance he tried to put between them. His entire life had been spent in his father’s grip, even with the mer dead.
Enji had announced the carrying of Touya, let his father make assumptions, and then killed him once the throne was secured in Enji’s name.
He had carried Touya, proving that his body was incompatible with even the idea of carrying more. Touya had almost not survived the process, his magic leaning more towards his mother’s. Enji’s father had never known that Touya was within Enji at the time of the old King’s death. Had he known, he would have overwhelmed them both with his fire and forced Enji to lose the child. Carrying was beneath a King, he had said. He had forced his own mate to carry all seven of their children.
Enji had always done his best to be anything other than his father. He had asked Rei each time they created a child together if she was certain she wanted to. He had refused to touch her if she showed even the slightest hint of doubt.
He had tried not to be his father.
His magic and his temper often worked to undo his attempts. He knew he was a softer echo of him, no matter what he did.
“What’s got you awake so late?” a voice dragged Enji back to complete awareness and he jolted. “Ah, sorry, sorry!” he turned to look at who was speaking to him and spotted the mer Rei had told him about. The red wings were distinctive. “I’m Keigo. I just,” he held out his hand, smiling. “I was having trouble sleeping. I cleared it with a guard but I’m just circling around the palace a few times.”
Enji just stared at him, trying to get his brain to catch up. After a moment, he realized, Keigo let his hand drop.
“Not a big talker, huh?” Keigo shrugged. “That’s okay. I can leave you to whatever you were doing. Looked like you were pretty deep in thought, like you were really distracted. I don’t know if Endeavor’s completely safe or not, but I figured I probably should check on you.”
On his wrist, Enji noticed. A thick stripe of red.
His breath caught in his throat as he stared. Keigo noticed him staring, of course he did, and he lifted his hand back up. “Yeah, um. That’s something I’m dealing with. Trying to figure out something about it.” Enji watched as he ran his other hand over it, feeling a resonating pressure against his mark. The bond was connecting them, keeping them linked together. Guilt crept into his heart as he watched Keigo, watched him move and talk and smile as he explained a little about why he was in Endeavor. He had spent sixty-five years with Enji’s anger. With his rage. With the temper that refused to cool down unless he kept a strict leash on it.
All while being held captive and tormented.
“Anyway,” Keigo cleared his throat, a hint of awkwardness beginning to show. “I—”
“I find it hard to sleep at night, on occasion,” Enji spoke up finally. Anything to keep Keigo from feeling off about himself. “So I take a swim around the palace to calm my mind.”
“Oh, nice,” Keigo smiled again. “I guess I have you as company for the moment. I spent a long time cooped up. I don’t exactly have the patience for small rooms, anymore. Not that the room I’m in is small, just that it feels smaller than I’m comfortable with. When I was staying in Yuuei, I was staying in one of the lookout posts near the palace. Open-walled on one side. Only way I felt comfortable. Guards were in and out all the time but it was better than feeling trapped.”
Sixty years in a tank, held captive. Enji would feel better with a wall removed, too. Keigo leaned against the wall next to him and Enji pulled back on his magic, shoved it deeper down inside of himself to keep it from reaching out.
He didn’t know how to make someone happy but he would, and always had, do his best with what he had.