Chapter Text
I wish I could show you, when you are lonely or in the darkness,
The astonishing light of your own being.
- Hafiz of Persia
The ceremony for a state funeral in Genosha was relatively simple, compared to the elaborate rituals Charles was used to back home in Westchester. In Genosha, the body was usually buried within a day, and excessive grieving was frowned upon. Before the burial, there would always be a short funeral service, and since this was the Patriarch’s, all flags in the Palace were flown at half-mast, and the staff wore black instead of their green royal uniform.
Erik was leading the prayer service, hands raised in deference to the Maker, and the assembled Genoshans followed his example. Far to the right of the Great Hall, Emma sat with her tribesmen in their own isolated group. She was shrouded in an elegant black lace veil, and although she did not follow the prayer rituals, Charles saw Emma lifting the veil and dabbing at her eyes. She was next on the X-Men’s watchlist, in case she had any retaliation planned in Shaw’s name. Thankfully, she wouldn’t be Charles’ problem anymore. Hank and Sean, along with Moira, had been assigned to keep an eye on her.
A life of secrecy and espionage had its own thrills, especially when he had been younger, but it had also robbed him of many things. Peace of mind, for example, and the chance to properly lead a calm, quiet life without having to pretend to be someone else, or constantly having to look over his shoulder, worried about being found out. His greatest challenge had been his assignment with Erik, of course. It had been humiliating enough to crawl back and ask his stepfather for a favour, and Kurt Marko had agreed to do it for the gold and the familial relationship (but mostly the gold).
“Ready to go home?” Moira said as she sauntered up to him. They were the only two people watching from the back of the Hall.
“Very much so,” Charles said, examining his arms and hands. “Don’t you think it’s strange that despite a year in the desert, I still barely have a tan?”
“You’ll always be whiter than the underbelly of a toad,” she said, neatly dodging his elbow. “So, Erik coming with you?”
“I don’t know,” Charles said, playing with the pendant around his neck. Erik had given it back to him that morning, his face completely impassive and unreadable, before he had headed off to take care of the funeral arrangements. “Shaw named Erik next in line for the throne. Doesn't that make him Patriarch now?”
“Shaw said a lot of things,” Moira said with a scoff. She was now eyeing Charles. “You could stay here with Erik, you know.”
Charles sighed. Making important, life-altering decisions when one was emotionally overwrought was ill-advised. “We’ll see,” he said, more to placate her than anything else.
***
For the next few days, Charles and Moira watched the aftermath of Shaw’s death settle deep into the bones of Genosha. The people mourned him, but they had also been a little afraid of him. In his morning walks around the souk, Charles heard through the grapevine that everyone was expecting Erik to take power any time now, and invite Emma to be his consort. It wasn’t exactly surprising, but even then Charles couldn’t ignore the bitter twist in his chest.
Now that it was clear Genosha wouldn’t be thrown into revolt, Charles and Moira started making plans to head back to Westchester. Charles honestly didn’t know how to say goodbye to Erik again, given the way they had left things last time at the sand dunes. Maybe a quiet departure was the best option.
He had not managed to talk much to Erik, who had been visibly wrestling with a cacophony of mixed emotions since Shaw’s death. Charles had decided that the best policy was to leave Erik be, and he knew whether to seek Charles out (his old room) if he ever needed to. But he hadn’t, and Charles could only guess that Erik was now facing a few difficult decisions he had to make.
Charles was playing a farewell game of five stones with Aisha in the garden when he sensed someone beside him, and gave Erik a sidelong glance. “I hope you feel better, my friend,” he said sincerely.
Erik nodded, his eyes fixed on the five stones of various colours. “I’ve been busy helping with the wedding.”
Something prickly moved in Charles’ chest. “Helping out at your own wedding?” Charles said, keeping his tone light. “How short of staff are you?”
“Quite short,” Erik said, before he bent over and ruffled little Aisha’s hair. “And besides, it’s not my own wedding.”
“It’s not?” It was hard for Charles to hide his astonishment. “Then--”
“You know how bossy Raven can be,” Erik said, his tone as casual as if he was discussing the weather (no one ever discussed the weather in Genosha, since there was only ever one season: hot). “And Azazel can’t help her, since he is busy at the palace, taking over Shaw’s affairs.”
Charles couldn’t stop the corners of his mouth from quirking upwards. “I’d always rooted for them to get together.” His voice was calm, but when he reached out to pick up one of the coloured stones, his hand gave a telltale tremble.
“Mmmm,” Erik said noncommittally. Now that Charles was directly looking up at him, he could see, for the first time, the brown bag slung over Erik’s left shoulder.
“So what becomes of you, then?” Charles said, just as casual.
“I don’t know,” Erik said. The naked, raw honesty in his voice was a welcome change. “I don’t know where I’m going, but all I know is that I can’t stay.” There was a long pause. “There are too many memories here. So I’ve already signed the deed over to Darwin’s name.”
“That’s very kind of you,” Charles said.
Aisha’s mother called for her to come inside and help, and the little girl scampered inside with a grin. Now that they were alone, Charles felt free to step closer to Erik, to palm a hand against Erik’s stubbly right cheek. “You know, my homeland is lovely this time of year.”
Erik’s laughter was a low, delighted rumble, and his eyes were alight again for the first time since Charles had shown up at the henna session to warn him. “Then I can’t wait to see it,” Erik said, his head tipping down to kiss Charles, the two of them sheltered in the shade of the seventh tree.
THE END