12
The first thing Rhys saw upon waking was my exhausted face and Jasper, whose eyes were red and swollen from crying.
“I… I’m alive?”
He stared at his own hands in disbelief.
“Mommy saved you.”
Jasper said, sniffling.
“She saved you with her own life.”
Rhys felt the change in me.
I no longer possessed eternal life. Instead, I was like him, a mere mortal.
“Why?”
He looked at me, pain in his eyes.
“Why would you do this?”
¡ looked at him calmly.
“We are now even.”
“I saved you for my son.”
“He needs a father. He needs a complete family.”
Rhys understood my meaning.
The love and hatred between us had been completely settled.
What remained was only our shared responsibility for our son.
“I understand.”
He nodded.
“I will spend the rest of my life making amends.”
“Not to you, but to Jasper.”
month later, Jasper’s coronation ceremony was held.
He wore golden royal robes, a crown on his head, formally becoming the Lion King.
I stood beside him as the Queen Mother.
And Rhys, clad in black battle armor, voluntarily became the shadow that would forever guard the throne.
He was no longer king, but he became the kingdom’s strongest protector.
People called him the ‘Uncrowned King‘.
“From this day forth, I shall guard the throne with my life.”
Rhys solemnly swore during the coronation ceremony.
“Protect the kingdom, protect the Royal Heir.”
“Until my last breath.”
Thunderous applause erupted from below.
Everyone was moved by his oath.
The former tyrant had become the most loyal guardian.
Jasper, on the throne, looked at his father and mother below, his eyes shining with happiness.
Though we were no longer a couple, we were a family.
And that was enough.
After the ceremony, I walked alone to the royal palace gardens.
Rhys followed.
“Do you regret it?”
He asked softly.
“Losing immortality, becoming mortal.”
I shook my head.
“No regrets.”
“Eternal life is too lonely.”
“A finite life is far more precious.”
We stood side–by–side in the garden, watching the distant sunset.
“How much time do we have left?”
Rhys asked.
“A few decades, perhaps.”
I replied calmly.
“Enough to watch Jasper grow.”
“Enough to see the kingdom prosper.”
Rhys nodded.
“That’s enough.”
From then on, we lived a quiet life.
I was responsible for teaching Jasper to govern, while Rhys was responsible for protecting the kingdom’s safety.
We were no longer lovers, but we became the best partners, striving for a common goal.
We were no longer lovers, but we became the best partners, striving for a common goal.
Under our combined guidance, Jasper grew into a wise and benevolent ruler.
The kingdom flourished under his reign.
And Rhys and I, in these peaceful years, found our inner tranquility.
Our story ended, but Jasper’s story was just beginning..
He would lead the kingdom toward an even more glorious future.
And we, silently, would guard from the shadows, until our last breath.
This was our ending. Not a fairytale perfection, but the ending that was most fitting for us.
I gained true freedom, Rhys gained a chance at redemption, and Jasper gained a complete family.
That was enough.
