Archive of Our Own

There are days destined to be blessed. But how this blessing is used depends solely on those who receive it.

Because of someone else's greed, the Warden of Fire, whose magic brought healing, nearly perished, and its disappearance plunged the Grand Duchy of Rosaria into chaos. Because of someone else's ambitions, the Warden of Light, considered a beacon of hope for the Holy Empire of Sanbreque, turned into a powerful military and political weapon without a will of its own.

Preventing the Eikon's awakening is impossible.

But what if the Eikon awakens not only in the wrong person, but also in a completely different place?

***

Joshua Rosfield, the future Archduke of Rosaria, sat in the library of Rosalith Castle, rummaging through several stacks of books for hours. He'd already read every single one and reread them at least twice, but he stubbornly continued to leaf through the dusty tomes, searching for an answer to the question that had plagued his family for the past twenty years—indeed, for Joshua's entire life.

How had Bahamut awakened within the heir of their line?

The future Duke inhaled wearily, stifling a sneeze from the dust swirling around him. Yes, he, the young man of the Rosfield line, within which the Phoenix, the Warden of Fire, always awakened, had become the Dominant of Bahamut. This was a state secret, guarded by the entire family and a few trusted Shields, and officially the Phoenix was still unawakened, but that day would surely come soon. And such lies, to some extent, tied their hands: any attempts, even covert, to find the Dominant of Fire in the Rosaria would cause unnecessary unrest among the people and the court. Duchess Anabella smiled so unpleasantly in response to all questions that it made Joshua's stomach churn, though to a certain extent, like any son, he felt a tinge of pity for his mother. Even before his birth, she had lived amid rumors that her firstborn, Clive, was actually the son of a concubine, since he bore no resemblance to her and had not yet awakened his Dominant powers. Her next "chance" to quiet the gossip was Joshua, a weak but long-awaited second child, but here too, everything went wrong: the child turned out to be the Dominant of an entirely different Eikon, and those news threatened not only an internal but also a political scandal. Anabella Rosfield was undoubtedly an ambitious and perhaps somewhat evil woman, cold to her "failing" sons. But it was hard not to sympathize with her, whose standing in the eyes of her line had already been twice undermined by suspicions of disloyalty to the ducal throne—the first child not a Dominant at all, the second a Dominant from the potentially hostile the Empire of Sanbreque—and this was enough to weigh heavily on Anabella, who was so concerned about her status... and, in a sense, her life. Clive once spoke of vague memories from childhood, when the forces of Light awakened in the infant Joshua. Their mother, suspected of ties to the Empire, was disowned by her relatives, unwilling to be embroiled in potential treason, and they demanded her execution in the name of "atonement for her sin against the line." The Duchess had no proof other than vows and tears, and all she could do was weep over the cradle, avoiding the gaze of Elwin Rosfield, who would decide her fate. Of course, he defended her before everyone and urged them not to believe the slander, but the experience had severely undermined the Duchess's health, which was especially noticeable in her relationship with her own sons.

Joshua blamed himself for this his entire life. With his birth, the faith in the awakening of the Phoenix faded. Of course, there was still Clive, but the Dominant of Bahamut sensed within him a completely different flame, more fierce and scorching. And the ducal couple had no more children.

Even now, at twenty, Joshua thought it would have been better if he had never been born, or simply never been the Dominant. Because it was better to be an ordinary, "failing" child than the cause of a political crisis and state secrets, a shadow hanging over their family line.

"Back in research?" a soft voice said behind him, catching Joshua off guard. He flinched and turned around. Jill, the girl who had grown up with Joshua and Clive, stood in the library doorway. She smiled welcomingly. "Clive's been training with the future Shields all day, so he won't be in the castle for a couple of hours. I thought I'd check on you."

The Dominant of Bahamut sighed with relief. There were certain things he found difficult to discuss with his brother, and the search for new information about the Phoenix was one of them. Clive, despite his sometimes frightening love for his younger brother, sincerely believed it made little difference whose Dominant Joshua was, valuing their family ties more and believing the Phoenix would simply appear one day. Jill, on the other hand, was more supportive of Joshua in this matter and occasionally assisted him in his research.

"Nothing new," Joshua nodded toward the stacks of books. "No mention of Bahamut, except for a couple of insignificant legends."

"Are you sure they're insignificant?" Jill raised her eyebrow. "These are the same ones that say the Phoenix and Bahamut were once allies with a strong bond."

"Those are legends passed down in the verses of bards. Folklore and poetry are valuable, but they lack objectivity." He rubbed his temples wearily. "Perhaps there's more in the books of the Undying, but they only claim to know nothing and refuse to admit me, since they 'serve only the Phoenix.' My only hope lies in Oriflamme..."

Not long ago, the Archduke's family accepted an invitation to a reception at Whitewyrm Castle in Sanbreque, hosted by the Emperor himself. It wasn't Joshua's first invitation, but it was his first real chance to enter the Empire: all those years before, the family had worried that his age would prevent him from controlling Bahamut sufficiently to keep the secret. He'd only attended the Remembrance Ceremony once, where he'd met the Emperor's son, Dion Lesage, but eleven years had passed since then, and the boys hadn't had much time to spend together. All the guests at the ceremony had hoped that Rosaria and Sanbreque would present their Dominants, but that hadn't happened, and both sides had tried to avoid giving the children any reason to cross paths, just in case. But now Joshua was certain; he'd learned to live as if Eikon's awakening had never happened, and he would definitely go to Oriflamme and find the answers to all his questions.

"I'm sure His Grace will understand your reason," Jill stepped closer, gently touched his shoulder, and looked away thoughtfully. "It will be harder to convince Clive. He's worried about you, and that prevents him from seeing some things more clearly."

"Tell him you want to go too, and he'll think about nothing else, I guarantee it," Joshua laughed, and Jill blushed slightly, but giggled too.

"Perhaps you're right, though I'm not sure I can go. Maybe I'll stay here with Torgal."

"You'll protect Rosalith until we return," the Dominant nodded, feigning seriousness.

"And while I'm at it, I'll try to find something else in the library!" she finished.

In fact, Jill, like Joshua, had never attended a single foreign ball or reception. Of course, she'd initially arrived at the castle as a hostage, and even though she was effectively treated the same as Elwin's sons, she still didn't feel entirely comfortable at any social events. Besides, Anabella disliked her, trying her best to keep the "wild girl" out of the sight of both the Rosarian and foreign courts.

"Fine," Joshua stood up on slightly shaky legs; they were stiff after several hours of sitting in one place. "If you really feel more comfortable this way. But if you change your mind, we're perfectly willing to take you with us."

"Don't worry," Jill turned to the table and began examining the books, putting aside those she seemed to consider useful for rereading. "Better yet, make sure you try to cross paths with Prince Dion. You really liked him as a child, and they say he's become even more attractive."

The Dominant choked on air and felt his face heat up.

"It's been so many years; I don't even think the prince remembers me.This trip could reveal an important secret about my life, and that's why I'm trying to get into the Empire anyway." He was already at the exit and the library, but before leaving, he turned around. "Flames, just don't mention it to Clive. I think he'll have a stroke."

***

At the same time, there was someone in Oriflamme who was also nervous about the upcoming reception.

Prince Dion Lesage, son of the Emperor, founder of the Holy Order of the Knights Dragoons, and, for some reason... Dominant of the Phoenix.

Unlike Rosaria, Sanbreque didn't have a specific noble family whose heirs would awaken Bahamut. Any child of a noble family was considered a candidate for the Dominant. And this was widely exploited in politics, as being a Warden of Light, blessed by Greagor herself, opened a direct path to the imperial throne. Dion became the Dominant while still in the cradle, and although name of the Eikon was kept as a closely guarded secret, enough rumors had already spread through the court for astrologers to declare him at least "special" and "promising." This was enough for his father, Sylvestre Lesage, to be declared Emperor, and the subsequent years of anticipation for his son, to everyone's delight, to summon the servant of their Goddess. Sylvestre himself was relatively calm about Dion, although he often mentioned that not having Bahamut as the Dominant was, at the very least, difficult for the Empire: Sanbreque had been at war with the Kingdom of Waloed for many years, and the presence of Bahamut, capable not only of fighting Odin but also of bolstering their warrior spirit, would easily have turned the tide in their favor. Of course, the Phoenix isn't useless in battle, just the healing flames were worth it, but the Phoenix's appearance on the battlefield of Sanbreque and Waloed would have surely attracted the attention of every country without exception, which could have led to another war, but this time with the Duchy of Rosaria.

And while Dion was the Dominant, a devoted knight of his country, and, indeed, a beloved prince, he wasn't the one they were truly waiting for. He couldn't truly help the Empire, and even Sylvestre looked at him coldly. Of course, there were people in the Crown Prince's life who helped him bear the burden of secrecy: his mentor, Master Harpocrates, and his best friend, Terence (who, in reality, wasn't supposed to know anything, but the shared secret had only strengthened their friendship, and Dion considered Terence a devoted knight and a fundamentary good man). But they could offer words of comfort, but they couldn't make him the man the Empire deserved. Not a single book in Oriflamme mentioned the birth of the Phoenix in the Sanbrequois lines, and even Master Harpocrates honestly admitted that he had never encountered such a thing, considering that neither Sylvestre nor his late wife had any relatives of Rosaria. And even Dion's real mother, whose name and face he knew not, had no ties to the Duchy, according to the Emperor's secret investigation.

"You keep walking like this and you'll tear holes in the carpet," Terence remarked, his gaze fixed on the prince, who had been pacing nervously for several minutes now, lost in thought. This made him stop and turn, but his brow remained furrowed.

"It's hard not to be nervous," Dion muttered. "Meeting the Rosfields might help me learn something new about the Phoenix, but I'm completely at a loss as to how to approach it without arousing their suspicions. Their Dominant hasn't officially awakened, either, and my curiosity might be off-putting."

"Could there even be two Phoenixes?" the knight asked, immediately raising his hands in an apologetic gesture. "No offense, but I truly know the most basic things about Eikons, and to me, the possibility of two identical ones existing seems even more insane than their awakening in anothernation."

Dion considered.

"I don't feel the power within me is real," he finally said. "It doesn't try to possess me, but it doesn't respond to my attempts to use it. I truly am like a vessel that contains something, but nothing more."

Terence nodded thoughtfully. Perhaps he didn't fully understand Dion's feelings, being an ordinary human himself, but he got the gist of it.

"In other words, Eikon may have awakened, but his power remains dormant. If so, then your encounter with the Rosfields could awaken it and reveal you as the Dominant, since the Phoenix always awakened in their line."

And this, too, troubled the prince: the hypothetical possibility of revealing himself not only to the Rosaria delegation but to the entire court, for now, far outweighed his desire to get closer to the solution.

"I will support any decision you make," Terence continued, his voice firm and determined. "I understand your responsibility to His Majesty and the entire country, but I want to be your friend first, not your subject, and I can't bear to watch you gnaw at yourself."

Dion's heart sank at such words of support.

"But you won't even be able to attend," the prince noted. "While I'm at the reception, you, the second-in-command , must remain at the Order's headquarters."

"I don't have to be standing nearby to support you. Just before you do something stupid, remember that I would approve of it and think you were right."

Dion snorted and rolled his eyes.

"So go ahead," Terence concluded. "It's now or never."

***

This day was shaping up to be the most terrible day of Joshua Rosfield's life.

It all started with the journey to Oriflamme. To everyone's surprise, Father decided that Jill absolutely had to go with everyone else, as "she had become part of the family," so the preparations took longer than planned. Then, when it came to the carriages, it was suggested that Jill share a carriage with Anabella, but she, even though  remained silent, made such a sour face that Jill herself asked to be seated in the same carriage with Joshua and Clive, even though by all rules of propriety she shouldn't have been in the same carriage with them. It was clear this deeply hurt her, so they rode in silence for most of the journey. And when an inn appeared in the distance, where they could spend the night, as the journey took more than a day, it turned out that time was running out and they would have to give up on lodging, meaning the only chance to stretch their legs after so much sitting would be at just a couple of stops. And the most unpleasant thing was that upon arriving at Oriflamme, there were only a few hours left before the reception, meant for a short rest and preparation for the evening, so the opportunity to immediately run to the library was eliminated.

"Don't make such a face," Clive grumbled, noticing his younger brother's dejected state. "Tomorrow you can spend the whole day with your books. They won't run away."

"But it's important!" Joshua exclaimed.

"The reception is no less important," the Fisrt Shield retorted. "I sincerely wish for you to finally find what you've longed for, but right now, you are first and foremost Joshua Rosfield, one of the heirs of Rosaria. You understand politics better than I do, and you know that literally every step and word we take will affect how the Duchy will appear to our allies and enemies. It's best to focus on that for now.

The Dominant frowned at him, closed his eyes, and let out a tired sigh.

"You're right," he admitted. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," Clive shrugged. "What else would you need an older brother for?"

Joshua opened his eyes, walked over to his brother, and hugged him tightly. Even after all these years, it was comforting. Clive hugged him back and patted him reassuringly on the back.

"While preparations are underway, you can go into the garden," Clive suggested, pulling away soon after. "I think it's empty right now, so no one will disturb your walk. Jill is with Mother.She said something like, 'If this girl came with us, I need to make sure she remembers the rules of propriety'... Seriously, sometimes I think she doesn't really dislike Jill, she's just forgotten how to show concern."

"Father's probably with them, then everything will be fine," Joshua declared. "And the idea of ​​a walk is really tempting. However, I'd prefer to go alone. I want to collect my thoughts. I promise I won't get lost, fall into the fountain, try to sneak into the library, or even run away."

Clive raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"Really," the Dominant rolled his eyes. "Seriously, Clive, I'm not nine years old anymore."

"Did I say anything?" the First Shield feigned surprise and laughed. "If you want, go alone. Just be back on time."

Joshua nodded happily and, leaving the room, quickly found one of the maids, who showed him the way to the garden.

Evening was approaching, and it was getting chilly. Joshua shivered, looking around. The garden was truly incredibly beautiful; the sound of the fountain, the scent of flowers, and the evening birdsong helped ease his mind, though as he passed the library window, the Dominant couldn't help but sigh in disappointment. Getting there was still his greatest desire, but it would cause too many problems (and he had promised Clive, after all).

Joshua walked a little further into the garden and realized he wasn't alone. Ahead of him stood a man he was certain he'd never seen before, yet there was something incredibly familiar about him.

"Your Highness?" the Dominant gasped, immediately biting his tongue in panic, realizing he'd been heard. The man turned his head in his direction and frowned, then his eyes widened in surprise.

"Joshua?" he asked.

Joshua paused, embarrassed, but he pulled himself together and slowly approached. It was impolite, but he couldn't bring himself to look away from the prince.

He was beautiful.

His posture, broad shoulders, powerful arms—everything spoke of his strength, and his straight nose, melancholy blue eyes, and soft hair made him look like a charming prince from a fairy tale. Well, in a way, that was true, if only because Dion was indeed a prince. But there was also something more than just familiar about him, something personal, and it called to Joshua, but he tried to dismiss the feeling, because it was even more awkward than admitting he thought Dion was handsome.

"It's a pleasure to meet you again, Your Highness," the Rosarian bowed slightly and smiled faintly. Many years have passed, right?

The prince looked at him thoughtfully for a moment, then nodded, as if reaching a conclusion.

"Indeed. Eleven, I believe?" He placed his hand on his chest in a return bow. "The pleasure is mutual. And perhaps this may sound impolite, but may I ask you to call me Dion?"

Joshua was taken aback, but nodded, blushing slightly. He was inwardly triumphant, for a possible frank conversation with the prince during their walk might reveal something new about Bahamut.

...Okay, actually, he also really liked this gallantry and manner of speech. Perhaps their only meeting had been rather brief, but they still remembered each other, and that meant something. Joshua was human, after all, and who was he not to fall under Dion's spell again?

"Then Dion," he agreed. "Since we've crossed paths, would you mind accompanying me on a walk? There's still time before the reception begins."

"With pleasure," the prince agreed without hesitation, smiling, and his smile stirred something in Joshua's chest.

***

The two walked leisurely along the smooth, groomed paths. At first, their conversations were mundane: how the trip had gone, whether the Rosarian delegation was satisfied with the rooms, whether the imperial garden was impressive, and so on. Gradually, they asked about each other. Thus, Joshua shared his passion for reading and research, and Dion spoke of his interest in the history of dragoons and how, after that, he came up with the idea of ​​founding the Holy Order. The prince also turned out to be a connoisseur of books, and their lists of favorite works were suspiciously similar.

"Then I won't be able to impress you with my knowledge," he laughed.

"Not at all," Joshua countered. "I may already know what you've read, but I don't know what you think of it."

"Oh, this is a dangerous conversation," the prince said. "Apparently, you, like me, can discuss books for hours, and we don't have much time left."

"We could choose just one," the Rosarian remarked. "For example, the treatises on the Eikons."

Dion froze. Joshua himself did too.

The conversation was truly becoming dangerous.

Joshua felt the tension hanging over him, but nothing occurred to him that could steer the conversation in a different direction.

"Dion…" he tried to begin, but then the prince moved forward again, and Joshua hurried after him.

I'm an idiot. Oh, Founder, what an idiot I am, he thought to himself, trying to examine Dion's face and discern how deeply this topic had affected him. Most likely, the problem was that Sanbreque had still not announced the awakening of the Dominant, and this greatly affected the Empire's position in the war with Waloed: Dion, even if he wasn't the Dominant, was already the commander-in-chief and had personally experienced the brunt of battles where ordinary people confront an army and two Eikons at once, and it didn't take a great strategist to understand how unfavorable such a situation was.

While Joshua was desperately trying to figure out how to make amends (the thought of having offended Dion, even accidentally, was unbearable), Dion stopped again, this time in front of a small wooden bridge over a stream. The Rosarian didn't understand why they didn't continue until he noticed the rocks jutting out of the water.

"I remember," he muttered. "You told me about it at the Remembrance Ceremony."

The prince turned silently. At least he didn't look offended, and there was an awkward smile on his face.

"You were telling me about the stream in the garden. One day, the wooden bridge was removed, and you crossed to the other side by jumping from stone to stone, and you got so used to it that you continued jumping even after the bridge was put back in place," Joshua chuckled. "Don't tell me you still do it."

The prince blushed and looked away, but his smile widened.

How sweet he is...

"Habits don't break that easily," Dion grumbled, "especially when jumping is such a ingrained part of your life. And I bet your habit of completely ignoring the carrots on your plate hasn't gone away either."

"It hasn't," Joshua confirmed cheerfully.

They looked at each other for a few moments and then burst into laughter, and he couldn't tell whether his heart was beating faster from his own laughter or from the way his smile suited Dion.

And then, somewhere in the distance, he heard voices.

"Oh," the Rosarian breathed out. "It seems the reception preparations are almost complete; we should return."

He had already turned and was about to head toward the castle when he felt a grip on his forearm. Looking back, he saw Dion. His face was full of determination. He took a few slow steps forward, and his hand slowly slid toward Joshua's to intertwine their fingers.

Flames...

"Joshua," the prince said. "Before you go, I would like to apologize for my sudden silence."

"You don't have to..." Joshua began, but he felt Dion's fingers tremble and fell silent.

"The thing is... it reminded me of a secret so important that the future of our nations depends on it, but for some reason my heart longed to reveal it to you the very second I remembered you," the dragoon's voice dropped to a barely audible whisper, and his breath was so bitter that Joshua's head began to spin, and his mouth suddenly felt drier than the sands of Dhalmekia.

"I..." the Rosarian swallowed hard before he could continue. "I have such a secret too."

A shudder ran down his spine, and his limbs seemed to go numb. He'd never felt anything like this before, but somehow he knew exactly what it was.

Priming.

There was a crackling of ether, Joshua's vision blurred, and he felt himself engulfed in... flames?

When, after a moment that seemed like an eternity, he regained his sight, Bahamut appeared before him.

"You?" the Great Dragon asked in Dion's voice and... burst out laughing. The beast's roar echoed the prince's ringing laughter, which Joshua had heard just a few minutes ago. "It seems everything has suddenly fallen into place."

And Joshua understood what Dion meant and couldn't help but laugh in response.

They were both the Dominants.

Dion Lesage, the Dominant of Bahamut, Warden of Light.

Joshua Rosfield, the Dominant of the Phoenix, Warden of Fire.

Everything has truly become as it should be.

With a triumphant cry, not fully realizing what he was doing, the Phoenix soared even higher into the sky. Bahamut, roaring, followed. They circled each other, laughing, feeling their hearts sing with newfound freedom, and even the full Moon and Metia seemed to shine brighter than usual, blessing them.

***

The priming wasn't particularly long, and only a few minutes passed before they both reverted to human form and landed awkwardly, rolling across the garden grass. Joshua couldn't catch his breath and continued to lie there, greedily gulping in the night air, and Dion, too, seemed in no hurry to rise.

But this moment of rest was interrupted by the one Joshua least expected.

"You!" Anabella Rosfield's voice, trembling and unusually clear, was like a punch to the gut. She was running toward them, and behind her were Father, Clive, Jill, the Emperor himself, and a man in dragoon armor whom Joshua definitely didn't recognize. Mother stopped a few steps away, her face covered in red blotches, her nostrils flaring angrily.

"I can explain," the Dominant immediately tried to defend himself, though he knew he looked less than convincing, caked in mud and grass. "I don't think it's worth it in front of everyone..."

"It's worth it in front of everyone, what!?" she hissed now, her eyes never leaving her son. "I was beside myself when you didn't come back. I thought something had happened to you, that you'd run away for some reason, and you... you..." Her voice cracked, and tears welled up in his eyes. She reached out to him, as if to hug him, but then pulled away. "It doesn't matter how old you are, you're my child. Why are you doing this to me?"

Joshua was taken aback. These were absolutely not the words he expected from his usually cold mother. Soon Clive approached, followed by everyone else. The Archduke placed a hand on Anabella's shoulder, trying to calm her down.

"I'm the one who should be apologizing, Lady Rosfield," Dion said, rising from the ground. "Unfortunately, your son and I were so engrossed in our stroll together that we lost track of time."

"But," Joshua rose as well (much less gracefully than Dion, to his own regret), "for some reason, the Phoenix and Bahamut awakened at just that moment. And with them," he raised his palm, a fireball instantly appearing on it, "our magic."

Anabella, instantly stopping her sobs, stared intently at the fireball. Then understanding dawned on her face, and her shoulders visibly relaxed.

"I see," she said, a glimmer of pride and relief in her eyes. "This day has finally come."

"A divine sign," the Emperor added solemnly. "Greagor herself has shown us her mercy by finally sending Her sacred servant to our aid. And it's clearly no coincidence," he turned to Elwin, "that it happened on the day we received our dear guests from Rosaria."

"Truly, a blessed day," Elwin agreed.

And both rulers, discussing something, hurried back to the castle walls. Anabella followed, walking slowly away. Clive had tried to escort her, but had received an unexpectedly gentle refusal.

In the end, only Joshua, Dion, Clive, Jill, and the dragoon remained in the garden, whom the Prince immediately introduced as Sir Terence, his second-in-command and friend. He was supposed to remain at the Order's headquarters, but had decided to meet with the Prince before the ceremony, which is why he was here.

"Sometimes I honestly don't understand what she's really feeling," Clive muttered, looking at the retreating Mother. "And yes, congratulations, Joshua. I told you everything would just fall into place one day," the First Shield patted his younger brother on the shoulder. "And you didn't believe me."

"But now we'll know that Eikons don't always awaken where they're expected," Dion said, grinning at Clive's surprised look. "All these years, I was the Dominant of the Phoenix, and Joshua, apparently, the Dominant of Bahamut. I see no point in hiding it from you now that everything is in place."

"I think so too," Joshua nodded.

"Your Highness," Sir Terence bowed. "Forgive the tactless question, but how did you and Lord Rosfield... exchange Eikons?"

Dion and Joshua exchanged horrified glances, and Clive seemed to instantly turn whiter than the walls of Whitewyrm Castle.

"I'm curious too," Jill hastened to add fuel to the fire. "You see, coincidentally, not long ago I came across a curious legend about a special connection between Bahamut and the Phoenix."

Clive sniffed loudly.

"You two…" he began.

"No!" Joshua cut him off immediately. "Whatever you're imagining, nothing of the sort happened. We were just… well…" He hesitated and looked away. "Holding hands."

"…Holding hands," the First Shield repeated.

"You were walking through a deserted garden, holding hands," Jill nodded solemnly.

Sir Terence simply coughed into his fist, skillfully pretending it wasn't an attempt to hold back laughter.

"I promise you nothing untoward happened," Dion immediately tried to calm the situation.

"Oh, yes, absolutely nothing," Clive remarked sarcastically. "It's just that my younger brother went for a stroll in the garden, and in just a couple of hours I'll find out he's revealed a state secret, finally fully awakened his now-Eikon, and found a lover."

"That last part worries him most," Jill whispered.

"Clive, we're not lovers," Joshua blushed deeply. "That's... a very long explanation."

"Then think about how you can explain it in the minutes left before the reception," the First Shield grumbled and nodded to Jill. "We'll be going, and don't be late. Enough impressions for today."

After that, they headed toward the castle. Sir Terence, after a moment's hesitation, also left, looking meaningfully at Dion. For a while, the Dominants stood alone, obviously delaying their return and subsequent separation.

"Well, it's time for us too," Joshua turned to the prince. The prince approached and, to his surprise, took his hand. Fortunately, this time they felt nothing unusual.

"As you said," Dion whispered, approaching, "we are truly not lovers. But... would you mind, Phoenix?" he asked. His face flushed, but he kept his determined gaze fixed on Joshua.

The Rosarian nodded sheepishly, squeezing Dion's fingers tightly.

"Not at all. I would consider it an honor, Bahamut."

And, with a last glance at Moon and Metia illuminating the night sky, they walked away, hand in hand.