2 MONTHS LATER
For the first time in what felt like forever, the grand halls of the Pendragon palace stood empty.
No bickering siblings, no mischievous children, no exasperated husbands being terrorized by their wives.
Just silence.
The advisors were in full-blown panic.
"Where are the royals?!"
"Did they all disappear?"
"What in the gods' names happened?!"
Meanwhile—
The Pendragons are Safe and Sound.
Far from the palace, the Pendragon family was out at sea, the King of the Seas sailing smoothly across the open waters.
The golden hues of the setting sun reflected off the gentle waves, casting a warm glow over the ship.
Arthur was at the wheel, steering with ease, while Cesealia leaned against the railing, Lizzie sitting on her lap. Arthuriaand Gil stood together at the stern, their hands casually intertwined, watching their family enjoy the moment.
There was no formal gathering, no grand feast—just a rare day of peace.
Rosetta, the ever-gracious grandmother, was passing around her freshly baked goods,
Gilgamesh himself is sitting contentedly, chewing on a slice of something edible for once.
Arthuria, beside him, gave her genuine compliments, and for a moment, Rosetta nearly fainted—compliments from a queen and a king? She'd won the gods' favor today.
A visibly pregnant Artizea was helping Ceselia with the baskets of food.
Across the grass, the children were frolicking around, playing and giggling.
Rhyssand? Completely knocked out. Passed out in a sunbeam like some overworked cat.
Arthur? Not much better—snoring, arms crossed like he was guarding a kingdom in his sleep.
Eugene? Well, he was having the time of his life, using his magic to capture floating snapshots of the rare occasion.
Everything was perfect.
Until—
The Paint Incident.
It started innocently.
Somewhere between playing "Catch the Sprite" and "Ambush Uncle Arthur," the children found a bucket of paint.
And then?
Chaos.
By the time anyone noticed, Arthur's entire face was covered in blue streaks, while Rhyssand's was an elegant display of purple.
A masterpiece.
Eugene chuckled from the porch, watching as Calisto, Seraphina, and Elizabeth cackled in the bushes.
"Put a little more on his forehead," Eugene said conspiratorially, grinning. "He'll like that."
The children's giggles intensified.
Ever so slowly, Callisto used one of his wings to tickle his father's nose, then bolted.
Rhyssand did wake up.
Blinked once, then twice.
He turned ever so slowly to look at Arthur's face.
And lost it.
Arthur shot up at the sound of laughter—only to take one look at Rhyssand and BURST out laughing, too.
Then— realization.
His hand shot to his face. He, too, was covered in paint.
Silence.
Then—
"CALLSITO AND SERAPHINA PENDRAGON!"
"ELIZABETH PENDRAGON!!!"
The children were GONE.
Rhyssand, still wiping at his face, opened a portal, reaching into some unknown hiding space—grabbing Calisto and Seraphina by their collars and pulling them back into the world.
They giggled.
Callisto gave an innocent smile. "Did we do good, Father?"
Rhyssand sighed, rubbing his temples. "You did something, that's for sure."
Arthur, meanwhile, turned desperately to Rhyssand.
"Can you find mine too?"
Rhyssand raised a brow.
He sighed dramatically. "Fine. I'll find her myself."
As he stomped away, Callisto grinned and called out—
"Good luck, Uncle Arthur!"
That was when the greatest game of hide-and-seek began.
When Arthur did find her, she was on the same cliff the council thought she would fall from.
Then—
"LOOK! Daddy!"
Her voice rang out in excitement, pointing towards the water.
The surface rippled, and then—
A massive shape cut through the waves.
It was Happy.
The Megalodon breached the surface, twisting in the air before splashing back down, sending waves crashing against the side of the ship. But this time, it wasn't alone.
Just behind it, smaller figures followed—leaping joyfully out of the water before disappearing beneath the waves.
Happy had a family now.
Lizzie gasped in delight, her ginger hair blowing wildly in the wind.
"She had babies! They're so cute!"
He gave her a flat look, but there was a small smile there, just barely noticeable.
They watched the Megalodon and its young disappear into the distance, their journey leading them to waters unknown.
Lizzie tugged on Arthur's sleeve. "Do you think we'll see them again?"
Arthur smiled down at his daughter, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"The sea is vast, petal. But I have a feeling… our paths will always cross again."
And with that, they sailed forward into the horizon stretching endlessly before them—full of stories yet to be written.
Coming to the end of the day
Arthur and Cesealia sat on a blanket, Lizzie nestled between them, swinging her legs.
Rhyssand was being climbed like a tree by Calisto and Seraphina, who refused to let him drink his wine in peace. Elaine and Eugene were off to the side, engaged in some argument neither of them would ever win.
It was lively, chaotic, perfect.
And observing it all, King Gilgamesh and Queen Arthuria stood side by side, watching the family they had built.
She exhaled softly, crossing her arms. "Who would have thought this would be us, twenty-five years ago?"
He didn't hesitate. "I did."
She turned to him, raising a brow. "Oh? You were that sure?"
He smirked, a look so familiar it made her heart ache. "Of course. You had no idea what you were in for ."
She let out a small laugh. "I guess I didn't"
His gaze drifted back to the garden, to their grown children, to their grandchildren running free beneath the sky. "We were standing right over there," he gestured toward the cliff, "watching your people become mine. Watching our worlds collide." She followed his gaze, remembering it vividly. The day she had left the cottage and stepped into a throne room she never thought would be hers. He exhaled. "I'd do it all again." She turned to him fully this time, studying him. The golden king. The man who had once been her greatest enemy.
And now? The love of her life. She smiled. "Me too,"
Gil smirked again. "Even the part where you hated me?"
She chuckled. "To love you? Yes."
They both laughed, the sound carrying through the air, mixing with the laughter of their family below. Arthuria sighed, leaning slightly against the railing. "They're all grown up now." Gilgamesh's smile softened as he watched them. "They grew too fast." His hand found hers, fingers intertwining. Arthuria squeezed his hand in return. "We did well." Gil nodded, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "We did."
As the sun set on the miraculous Pendrgaons, the great golden king and his lionhearted queen stood side by side, watching over their kingdom, their legacy—their family.
And what a family it was.
TO BE CONTINUED
[PREQUEL]
THE CRUELEST FATE
GILGAMESH AND Arthuria'S STORY