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Damian bows in front of the statue of their kingdom's goddess Raven, and he prays.
His crown is going to be taken from him by his counsel if he doesn't find a bride, and soon. He's held many parties in an attempt to find a bride, but it doesn't matter how many amazing woman come.
He still craves one person.
The woman whose statue he's praying at.
The woman he's been in love with since he was sixteen. The same woman who showed up and protected him from the assassin his mother sent to ensure he couldn't take their kingdom from her when he turned eighteen.
The woman who was barely a goddess at the time, not established at all and living among mortals, until she protected him and apparently proved herself worthy of becoming a true goddess and not just a minor goddess with little to no ability to change the world.
She was taken from him to live among the gods, a statue was all he had left of her, and his heart is still shattered as he bows his head and prays for a chance to see her once again.
He will lose his crown, and truthfully, he doesn't care. He's chosen a beneficiary, Jason and Tim will take over with their husband Kon, and that will be that.
But he will be exiled, unable to see Raven again.
So, he needs this moment, no matter how brief, so that he can at least say goodbye.
Tears drip down his cheeks as he whispers, "Please just give me one more chance, just one, to say goodbye to you, Raven."
His decision shouldn't have been easy to make, but it was. The laws make ruling difficult if there is no partner, and he refuses to be with anyone who is not Raven. So, he asked his brother Jason to take control with his partners, and when he steps down on his own, he will declare them the rulers before taking his exile with his head held high.
He has safe passage, with Jon's help, to a smaller village outside of Gotham, and as he's said before, that will be that.
He waits, and waits, and waits, but silence reigns over him as it has the whole time.
Raven either can't hear him, or refuses to, and he knows that now, he must accept it because it's all he can do.
"Goodbye, Beloved," whispers Damian as he sits up and stares into the purple gem eyes that he'd personally chosen.
After a moment, he stands and turns, leaving with his head held high even as his body threatens to revolt.
The path back to the castle is long and winding, but it is never silent. The wind whistles through the trees with a tune that the birds always seem to carry, and the little creatures pop up and chatter as they go, squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, and even skunks join the deer, foxes, and coyotes that trot through.
Today is no different, though there is something sad drenching the wind's tune and the slowness that floods through each creature's movements.
Even their eyes seem sad when Damian catches them.
But he keeps moving, even though it feels like the woods are grieving with him.
As the castle comes into view, Damian kind of feels like crying again.
Not because he's giving up his crown, Damian never wanted to rule in the first place. He'd prefer to work on his art than deal with the politics that comes with being King. No, he feels like crying because he's going to be leaving the family he's got here.
"Demon brat, there you are! You have a visitor!"
Tim comes running up to him, sounding out of breath even though he looks immaculately put together as usual.
"A visitor? Today is the day I step down from the throne. Who the hell showed up to see me?" asks Damian as his brows furrow, eyes narrowing in suspicion as he looks at his brother-in-law's grin.
"Someone that you are going to be very excited to see," replies Tim before he grabs Damian's wrist and tugs him harshly as he takes off in a sprint up the path to the castle. "Let's go!"
"What—? Timothy!" exclaims Damian as he hurries to keep up and save his wrist from snapping in Tim's hold or being dragged like a rag doll.
They run until they enter the back of the castle, sprinting through the halls to the throne room before Tim bursts into the throne room with Damian following behind.
Damian's panting as Tim finally releases his wrist, but after a few moments, he manages to catch his breath and calm down.
"Ah, King Damian," says Jason in amusement as Tim steps up beside him and Kon. "You have a guest. Are you ready to meet with her?"
"Her?" mouths Damian as his brows raise before Jason holds his arm out to his right. Damian follows that arm to a beautiful dark haired woman in a purple gown with green gems decorating the hem. "May I get your name?"
"My name?" The woman turns around, and his jaw drops as he takes her in. "I think you know my name, Habibi."
"Raven," breathes Damian as he takes in the Goddess standing before him. "I— How— What— Is this real?"
"Very real, Habibi, and very important as well," says Raven as she walks over to him, heels clacking gently across the polished floor. "I have a question to ask you, and it is one that you will want to take some time to consider."
"I am all ears, Beloved," replies Damian softly as he holds out a hand to her, lips curving gently when her soft hand lays in his.
"How would you like to join me in Godhood?" asks Raven gently as she steps forward again until they're so close her breath ghosts over his face while her free hand rests gently on his shoulder. "It's a one-time offer, and I'm only offering it because I cannot leave my realm without training someone to take my place. You can have forty-eight hours, but then I must leave. But if you join me, you will be my partner, we will court and hopefully marry if all goes well. It is the only option I could give you, and if we don't end up married in the end, your godhood could be stripped."
"Beloved," says Damian softly, awe filling his voice as his free hand lifts to cup her cheek. "I would marry you tonight without courting if you would let me. I will gladly join you."
"We could marry right now," murmurs Raven as she looks at him with gentle purple eyes.
"We could make that happen! I can marry the two of you!" Kon's voice is excited and very loud, but all Damian hears is that he's going to marry the love of his life today and become a God to live by her side.
"What do you say, Beloved?" asks Damian gent;y as he tilts his head to the side.
"I say, I'm ready to say I do, Habibi," replies Raven with a soft smile as she leans in and lets their noses brush gently.
"Then let's get this put together quickly people!" exclaims Damian as he pulls away with a bright grin. "I have a suit that will work perfectly fine, but prepare a meal for us ahead of our departure. Also call a village meeting for me to announce my departure from the throne. I want to announce my departure in ten minutes, word will spread like wildfire once it's out there, so anyone who doesn't show up will hear from word of mouth ahead of the crowning ceremony that will happen for Tim, Kon, and Jason."
"It shall be done, Dames," says Tim with a solid nod before he, Jason, and Kon disappear to spread word of the orders laid out by the king that will be leaving them.
Damian turns back to Raven with a soft smile and asks, "Do you already have a dress picked out, Beloved, or would you like Cass to find you the best dresses around?"
"I have a gown in mind, but I need a base to perform my magic," says Raven softly as she gives him an almost shy smile that contradicts the confidence that he knows so well. "I can't believe you actually want to be with me, that you're willing to give up all that you have down here to be with me… I— I don't know what to say, Habibi."
"All you have to do is say I do when Kon asks, Beloved, and I will be the happiest man alive. Thank you for coming and giving me everything I've been dreaming of," murmurs Damian genuinely as he looks at her, leaning in to nudge her nose with his again. "I was already going to be gone from all of this, I already made that decision. At least now, I won't be sad or alone. They understand, they support me and my decisions, Beloved. I didn't stand between them and their choice to marry despite the laws demanding there be no more than two individuals married to one another. I changed the law for them, and the others that soon followed in their footsteps. They want me to be happy, Beloved, and they know that I will be happy with you. That's all there is to it."
"Then let's get married, Habibi," murmurs Raven as her eyes fall closed, happiness brimming in her grin and flushed cheeks.
"I'll get Cass to help you prepare while I handle my announcement before getting ready myself, Beloved," replies Damian happily as he pulls away with a soft smile.
"We're already here! Let's go get your bride ready for the most amazing wedding we can throw together in a day!" exclaims Babs as she and Cass walk up to them, interrupting the soft moment with her excitement.
"She's a Goddess, O, so treat her properly," says Damian as he narrows his eyes at his best seamstress and the Kingdom's most knowledgeable.
"You know I will, Dames," replies Babs with a grin as she holds out her hand to Raven.
"I'll see you soon, Habibi," says Raven gently as she turns away from him and takes Babs' hand.
"Very soon, Beloved," replies Damian as he watches her walk away.
His chest pangs with hurt at the distance, but he knows it's necessary for them to prepare for such a quickly put together wedding.
Damian is marrying the woman he loves today.
Holy shit.
How did he get so lucky?
"The village people have been gathered!"
Tim's voice is sharp, tugging Damian out of his head long enough to remind him of his duties.
"Let's get this over with then," says Damian as he straightens up, spine going ramrod with tenseness as he turns to his brother-in-law.
Duty calls.
Damian follows Tim out to the podium they have set up for important announcements. The crowd is gathered and whispering to try to guess what he's going to say. Damian doesn't even want to know what Tim and the others said to get them all here.
"Thank you for gathering on such short notice for this announcement," starts Damian stiffly as he looks out at his people, those that he has cared for, protected, and fought with for five long years. "I have not found a bride to stand by my side as I continue to rule. Law dictates that without a bride, I must step down or be removed. Either way, I am to be exiled. But I refuse to be removed. If I leave my place on that throne, I will ensure my people are properly taken care of. With that, I would like to announce that Jason is stepping up to rule as he has alongside me this entire time. Though, he will not be alone. He and his partners, Tim and Kon, will rule with care, fierceness, and honesty. They will ensure you are all safe, taken care of in every way they can, but they will also make sure you are prepared for the wars that will follow. I know they will give their lives to protect you as I have, and I hope you can accept them because my decision is final. Put your hands together for your new Kings, Jason, Tim, and Kon."
The crowd's silence is quickly deafened by the sound of their excitement, hands clapping so loudly that Damian fears they will bruise their own hands. But he knows that this is the only right decision he could've made. His people, their people, will be taken care of in his absence because of Jason, Tim, and Kon.
He can be happy knowing his kingdom will be safe, protecting each other against whatever comes.
He steps back as the new Kings step forward to bask in the excitement of their villagers, and almost everything feels right again. Except for one thing.
Damian has a wedding to get ready for.
He turns around and heads through the palace to his quarters, the quarters that will no longer be his once this wedding is officially complete. He needs to find his suit, the black and green one that is form-fitting and happens to have a purple handkerchief that sits in the pocket.
Once Damian's in his room, he steps into the closet and finds the suit with ease.
He spends the rest of the time he has left getting dressed, slipping the fabric over his skin and tousling his hair gently before grabbing his crown and settling it atop his head.
He will properly crown Jason ahead of the wedding.
"Everything is ready for you and Raven to wed! Raven is also ready, and she looks stunning. You're so gonna cry, Dames," Jason's voice pours through the door with amusement and pride.
"One minute," murmurs Damian as he takes one last look at himself in the mirror. He straightens up, determination setting his jaw before he heads for the door. "Let's go get married."
Nerves are making his hands shake as Damian follows Jason through the halls, but excitement keeps his feet moving even when his body wants to halt. Jason is grinning from ear to ear as Tim and Kon join them, and Damian feels the weight of the crown that no longer belongs to him.
When they reach the throne room, Damian is surprised at their choice. There is a perfectly good ball room that they could've used, but then again, the throne room is where he and Raven had their first proper conversation. It's also the room where he realized he was falling for the Goddess.
"Alright, your bride will be coming through the door in a few minutes. Is there anything you want to fix before she gets here?" asks Jason as he tilts his head to the side, eyes lingering on the green button up that's buttoned all the way to the top. "Forget that question, I have something that needs to be fixed."
Jason reaches over and unbuttons the first three buttons of Damian's button down, then he smirks as he takes him in.
"You're a menace," mutters Damian with an eye roll as he looks at his older brother. "Does it really need to be this unbuttoned?"
"For your bride? Yes, it does. Trust me, she's going to love it. Stop being so shy, King Damian," replies Jason with a smirk as he flicks Damian in the forehead.
"You're the King, Jason, so stop being a pain in my ass," grumbles Damian as he rubs at his forehead in mock annoyance.
He's glad that his brother seems to be so lighthearted right now, and Damian hopes he will remain that way. He's certain that with the help of his partner's, Jason will be perfectly fine.
He was always meant to rule anyway.
Damian wasn't supposed to rule, not until Jason found his partners and ran away to be with them when their father got angry about it.
"Here comes your bride!" Babs sings the words as she shoves the doors open with a happy grin.
She and Cass step inside and to the sides, blocking the doors as they bow, one hand wrapped around their waist as the other points towards Damian.
When Raven comes into view, Damian's breath leaves him all at once.
She's so fucking beautiful.
His eyes turn misty as he takes her in.
Her gown is white, pure and gorgeous, it poufs out in a way that he never would've expected from Raven. But it's beautiful. It's not completely traditional though, there are purple flowers with green leaves decorating each layer, dancing down the train beautifully. And her veil is green with purple flowers as well, settled perfectly in her braided crown up-do.
Raven is a literal dream come fucking true.
He's going to sob.
She's holding a bouquet of belladonna's, and Cass and Babs immediately step behind her to hold her train up as she walks towards him.
"Goddamn," breathes Damian as he catches his breath, finally finding his voice just moments before Raven reaches him. He holds out his hand to her, and gently grips hers once it settles in his. "Beloved, you are a dream."
"Habibi, you are the dream," murmurs Raven as her eyes trail over his form, taking him in and making him shiver with it. "I love the suit, though I am surprised that your button down isn't completely buttoned up."
"Blame Jay for that one," mutters Damian with an eye roll as Kon steps up behind them and clears his throat. "Wait, we can't go forward with the ceremony just yet. I really can't wait to marry you, Beloved, truly, but there is something that I have to do first, if that's okay?"
"Of course, Habibi, I know what you're planning. I knew it the minute I saw the crown," replies Raven softly, understanding curving her lips behind the veil.
"I can't wait to kiss you, fuck," mutters Damian before he shakes his head and turns towards the little crowd of the servants and his family. "Jason, please come up here and kneel for me, one last time."
"Dames, what's going on?" asks Jason even as he approaches slowly, kneeling as soon as he's in front of Damian.
"Jason, you are King now," says Damian softly as he rests his hands on his brother's shoulders. "You are where you are meant to be, but you're missing something."
Damian's hands lift to carefully cup the crown on his head as Jason gasps wetly, eyes going wide.
"Dames, no," breathes Jason as he shakes his head.
"A King needs his crown," says Damian gently as he lifts his crown from his head and carefully lowers it to Jason's, adjusting it so that it sits perfectly atop his head. "And now, you have yours. All that is left is for your partners to get there own, and for your gems to be red instead of green."
"I can help with that," Raven's voice is gentle and filled with love before she waves her hand.
"One green gem, please, let me have one green gem as a reminder of my brother," says Jason seriously as crowns fit carefully atop Kon and Tim's head.
"Of course, Jason," replies Raven as her hand waves again. "One green gem for each of you, and matching crowns for the first throuple rulers in history. I expect great things to come from you three."
"And great things you will get," says Tim breathlessly as his hand reaches up to touch the crown, Jason twisting around to join him as a sob leaves him.
"Go, be with your husbands for a moment. This is important," murmurs Damian as he turns to Kon who is crying, hand trembling as it rests on the crown atop his head.
Kon rounds them immediately to practically fall into Jason and Tim's arms as sobs escape the three men.
"That was a beautiful thing you did, Damian," murmurs Raven softly, saying his name for the first time in a long time.
"It was the right thing to do, Raven. The beautiful thing was you giving them matching crowns," replies Damian seriously as he turns to her with a soft smile, feeling happier than he has in a long time and so full of love that it's almost bursting from him.
"As much as I'm enjoying this teary fest, my brother needs to get married. We can sob more about his sweetness after you marry them, Doll," Jason's voice is wrecked from crying, and he's still got tears sliding down his cheeks when Damian looks at him, but then Kon nods and turns to look at him with determination in his eyes.
"Let's get you two married," says Kon seriously as he walks back to his place behind them.
It's smooth sailing from there, Kon has married many couples already, and the personalized mini speech is both quick and filled with adoration that Damian tears up just from his brother-in-law's words.
Damian lifts Raven's veil after they exchange rings that Raven poofs into existence. They are beautiful golden bands with matching purple and green gems.
"You may kiss your bride," says Kon tearfully as he steps back.
Damian slowly leans in, one hand lifting to cup Raven's cheek, and their lips brush when she leans in too. It's a gentle kiss, their first of many, and Damian wants to kiss her more, take more, but they're surrounded. So, instead, he tilts his head, slots their lips together in a more firm kiss, then he pulls away and nuzzles her nose with his own.
"I love you, Beloved," whispers Damian as his eyes flutter open to find Raven's fluttering open as well.
"I love you too, Habibi," murmurs Raven gently as she leans in and brushes another gentle kiss to his lips. "I can't wait to spend the rest of our lives together."
"Neither can I," whispers Damian with a wistful sigh.
"My baby brother is married!" screams Jason excitedly, breaking the gentle moment.
"Your baby brother is about to smack you so hard in the head that you get a damn concussion," huffs Damian as he turns to his brother in annoyance.
"Not before you feast with us ahead of your departure," says Tim in amusement as he steps forward and wraps his arm around Jason's waist. When Damian arches a brow at him, he continues with a smirk."Raven has given us the food that you must eat to accept your Godhood without her using her power to bestow it upon you. Apparently, this will make it harder for them to strip you of it if anything were to go wrong."
"Oh, right, the golden apple," mutters Damian as he turns to Raven. "Am I eating that with them or with you?"
"With everyone, after you've enjoyed your final meal with your family," replies Raven gently, almost like she's hesitant to remind Damian that this is it.
"No regrets, Beloved," murmurs Damian as he takes her free hand in his own. Then he turns to everyone in the room and raises his voice. "Let's celebrate my marriage!"
Cheers echo around them, and Damian doesn't know how he got so lucky.
They escape into the banquet hall, settling at a long table to feast, and it's… fun.
Most meals here have been fun, don't get Damian wrong, but with Raven being there, laughing, talking, just all around fitting into his family like nobody else has…
He just— He feels like lady luck is shining down on him.
"Are you ready to take your bite?" asks Raven gently as Tim and Jason are feeding Kon and each other.
It's giving him a cavity on his own wedding day, but he's proud of the ease that they feel to be themselves, knowing exactly how difficult that was a few years ago.
Damian turns to her, face soft and slightly red, lips a bit puffy from biting at them the few time she tried to hide her laughter.
"Yeah, I am," replies Damian softly as she holds out her hand, a small golden apple appearing. "This little thing is all I have to eat?"
"It's actually been sized down for you to easily digest," explains Raven almost sheepishly as her free hand rises to scratch at the side of her neck.
Damian takes it from her, smiling as he feels the apple and recognizes that it's basically a one-bite snack. He locks eyes with Raven as he eats the golden apple, and he watches the way her eyes widen just slightly before glowing purple.
"Holy shit, you've gotten brighter."
Jason's voice is loud, almost painful, and Damian has to take a second, staring into Raven's eyes to understand what he means.
Gods, in their actual form, can't be seen without hurting mortals.
"Take a deep breath and imagine your mortal form," murmurs Raven as her eyes glow gently.
Damian takes a few moments to breathe before doing as instructed.
"Thank fuck," sighs Jason in relief.
"Well… that was an experience," snorts Damian before shaking his head. "I don't feel all that different though."
"You're not going to until we get to my realm where you can be your immortal self, Habibi. That's also where we will see what potential powers you have," replies Raven softly, awe filling her voice and making him want to kiss her when he looks back at her after glancing around the table.
"Sounds interesting, Beloved," murmurs Damian before he stands, soft smile on his face as his eyes move from person to person. "We will have to leave soon, so I just want to say one more thing. Thank you, all of you, for everything you've done for me. I can't wait to see the amazing things you do for the kingdom, though I hope I won't find out that things have spiraled without me because someone offended Jason again."
"It was one time!" grumbles Jason as he throws his arms in the air.
"It was three times, and one of those times, Tim joined you," snorts Damian as he shakes his head before looking at all of them. "But seriously, I hope you know how grateful I am for all of you. This may be the last time we see each other, but it means the world to me that all of you are here, support my decision, and are ready to take on the roles that I know you will succeed in. Thank you."
"Proud of you, Damian," says Jason as he stands and rounds the table to hug Damian, tugging him in and squeezing him tight. "I am so fucking proud of you little brother."
"Proud of you too, big brother," murmurs Damian softly as he hugs Jason back.
"Alright, alright, you gotta eat your cake before you leave for your new life," says Kon as he stands and reveals this green cake with purple writing that says, "Godly Wedding" written on it because of course it does. "Jon made it real quick with Ma for you, so you better enjoy a piece because he needs to know if it was actually good."
"He should've stayed for longer than the ceremony then," grumbles Damian with an eye roll before he nudges Jason back to his partners and settles down while Kon cuts two slices of cake and hands the singular plate to him. "Well, Beloved, you ready to try our cake?"
"Yeah, Habibi, it looks amazing. Hopefully it's not red velvet though. For some reason, I just can't eat that anymore," replies Raven with a sigh.
Damian snorts before they both dig in.
Soon, he'll have to properly say goodbye, and then figure out how to live this new life alongside the woman he loves. But, for now, Damian enjoys his cake and the way Tim and Jason are shoving pieces into each other's face while Raven giggles about the green and purple swirls on the inside that look like all of the goddesses that she works with.