IMPORTANT: This chapter is the second to last of this fic. DON'T PANIC, I'M WORKING ON THE SEQUEL RIGHT NOW, AND IT SHOULD BE AVAILABLE TO READ IMMEDIATELY AFTER I POST THE LAST CHAPTER. (I will also drop an author's note similar to this one at the beginning of that chapter, just to remind y'all it's there.) Again, this chapter is the second to last of The Stranger in the Garden. I'm really excited to move on to the sequel, seeing as I've had this planned for literally months now.
That said, thank you so much for supporting this fic! I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Killua stepped into the throne room and dipped into a low bow, no trace of hesitation in his actions. He knew what had to be done if he ever wanted to escape this hellish place and marry Gon, who was copying his actions beside him.
"Ah, good evening, Killua. I'm glad to see you up and walking." Queen Kikyo called out, tapping one long, slender finger against her chin thoughtfully. "Please, stand up."
The two boys straightened out of their bows. Killua noticed how his father hadn't spoken a single word, and was instead glaring at him. It was clear Silva did not regret his actions. He probably still wanted his son either dead or happily married to someone of his choice; neither of which would ever happen.
"I'm sorry to have come on such short notice," Killua began, his voice strong and unwavering. He knew what he wanted, and he knew he was willing to do anything to get it. "but there's something I need to speak with you about. It's extremely important, so please listen and try to take it seriously. I want to be able to talk with my parents without bloodshed, too, if it's all the same to you."
Silva grimaced, but still nodded slightly. "I... suppose that's reasonable."
Gon cleared his throat. "If I may, I just want to point out that I really do love your son with every ounce of heart and soul I possess. I don't want to hurt him, nor do I want to end your bloodline. It isn't like we can control who we fall in love with and who we don't."
Kikyo glanced sidelong at her husband. She almost wished she had fallen in love with Silva, whether it be before or after her parents agreed to let her marry him. He certainly was a strong, beautiful creature, even in his old age. But she had never felt anything other than cold contempt and fear when it came to him. Now, her son was standing right in front of her, asking for the one thing she never had. Although Killua hadn't actually spoken yet, she could tell just by looking at him exactly what he wanted. It was almost like he was pleading with her using nothing but those glassy sapphire eyes of his.
"But we can control who we allow our son to marry and leave with. Given your father's irresponsible behavior, I'm not sure I can trust you." Silva rumbled, sitting up perfectly straight and inclining his chin ever so slightly. "Besides, there is the small matter of Killua being the heir to the throne. How do you plan on uniting the Southern and Northern kingdoms?"
"The same way it's always been done. Patience and hard work." Gon replied, evenly. "You may not see the advantages a union like this will bring your kingdom yet, but I do."
"This is the kind of thing I've always warned you about, Killua." Kikyo said, slowly. She clasped her pale, spidery hands neatly in her lap, lower lip quivering slightly. "Friends are dangerous because they have the power to change the way you see both yourself and the world around you. This boy has made you think you can just run off with whoever you want. He has no regard for the wellbeing of our age-old monarchy."
"Either that or you don't have any regard for me and what I want. All you ever do is tell me what I can and can't do, which is gonna turn me into a terrible ruler anyway because a king should know how to think for himself." Killua shot back, folding his arms across his chest defiantly.
"I'm just raising you the exact same way my father raised me. Just like his father raised him, and so on. Do you really think our family would have produced so many successful monarchs without our traditional methods of raising our children?" Silva questioned, a spark of anger igniting in his steely blue eyes. "No, we wouldn't have. Our success is balanced upon centuries of tradition, yet you have the audacity to stand in front of me now and defy all of that."
"Why does your oh, so perfect tradition seem more like manipulation to me?"
"Because you are young and you do not have enough life experience to know what's best for you. That's why your mother and I are here to guide you."
"Your definition of guidance and mine are two very different things. For the first twelve years of my life, our kingdom was at war with several other regions at the same time. I grew up under the threat of constant attacks, and there were several occasions in which I thought I was going to die, yet you're sitting here mocking me by telling me I have no life experience?" the only indication that Killua was very angry was the fact his voice had risen slightly. "If witnessing twelve years' worth of bloodshed and terror isn't life experience, I don't know what is."
"That's why we left you in Illumi's care, darling." Kikyo sounded dangerously close to breaking down. Her eyes were misted over with tears and her hands were trembling in her lap, fingers twitching. "We figured he'd do a much better job of protecting you from all that stress than we ever would. But... he failed us by letting you go off and do whatever you want."
"If you're looking for someone to blame for this mess, blame him. He should've known better than to let you get away with everything." Silva agreed, nodding his head slightly.
Gon was watching this whole discussion take place with wide, frightened eyes. He could tell things were going South very quickly, but he didn't know if it was appropriate to jump in or not, seeing as he didn't fully understand what they were talking about. He had a feeling that interrupting would only make things worse, so he just stood there, still and silent as a statue, listening attentively.
"Really? You're gonna blame the only person who's ever been there for me while I was growing up for your own stupid mistakes? I almost didn't have parents for most of my life because you two were never around! Instead, you forced Illumi to do what should've been your job, and you won't even acknowledge his hard work!" Killua snapped, his voice dropping to a dangerously low tone. "Why won't you just take responsibility for the fact that this is entirely your fault? Why do you always pin the blame on somebody else? I may not be perfect, but you're perhaps the furthest thing from it."
"Don't you dare talk to me like that!" Silva boomed, quite suddenly standing up, massive hands balled into fists. "I am your father, in case you've forgotten, and I will not tolerate this blatant disrespect from you!"
Kikyo's eyes went wide with sheer terror. She reached out to try and grab her husband's arm, but he slapped her hand away. "S-Sit down, Silva. Please, sit down." her voice was little more than a whimper. "Don't hurt my son. Just... sit down."
"Keep your mouth shut, woman. I grow tired of your pathetic whining." the King snarled at her. She shrank back against her throne, cowering beneath his burning gaze.
"What gives you the right to talk to your own wife that way?" Gon suddenly blurted out, before he could stop himself. "She's part of your family. You should show a little more respect."
"I could have you executed for your insolence, brat." Silva hissed.
Killua's jaw dropped wide open, eyes narrowing. "You wouldn't dare."
"As a matter of fact, I would. And as for you, you deserve a harsh beating for the blatant disrespect you've shown both me and your mother." SIlva started forward with one arm raised to hit his son. He wondered for a brief moment why Killua wasn't flinching, wasn't trying to run away. What he didn't know was that his eldest son had been waiting right outside the door for something like this to happen, like a snake coiled back and ready to strike.
Suddenly there came a high-pitched whistling sound, followed immediately by a dull thud as what appeared to be a long, dangerously sharp needle flew out of nowhere and buried itself in Silva's forearm, stopping him dead in his tracks. He jumped back with a roar of pain, eyes frantically searching for the source of the attack. Kikyo screamed.
Illumi stood in the doorway, clenching a set of needles between his fingers, eyes glittering with a murderous light. "If you take so much as one more step, I'm going to kill you." he said, simply.
Silva pulled the needle out, wincing as he did. He examined the sharp metal for a moment, watching as a few drops of blood dripped off the tip and stained the white marble floor. "What gives you the right to strike your own father using such a disgusting tactic, Son?" he asked, after a long moment of silence.
"Fair enough, but let me ask you this: what gives you the right to sit upon that throne of yours when all you've ever done is hurt your family?"
"Illumi!" Kikyo exclaimed, her voice abnormally high-pitched with panic. "What are you doing? Stop it!"
Illumi offered his mother an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Mother."
Gon and Killua exchanged wide-eyed looks. They hadn't known the usually quiet, polite ravenette was capable of such a thing.
Silva tossed the needle aside with a careless flick of his wrist, ignoring the thin stream of crimson trickling out of the deep puncture wound on the inside of his forearm. "This doesn't concern you, Son. If you value your life, you'll leave right this instant. Get out of my sight."
"No." Illumi replied, jaw setting in a determined line. "I'm not going anywhere until you and Mother give Killu your blessing, even if that means I have to stand here all day."
Killua had never seen his Aniki defy their parents before. Illumi had always been the obedient, perfect child, scrambling around to do whatever his parents told him to. He would never dream of standing up to them and threatening his father like this, yet it somehow happened anyway.
"You have absolutely no control over my actions, Illumi. I refuse to allow my son and heir to marry a hooligan such as this boy." Silva gestured loosely to Gon, who rolled his eyes.
"With all due respect, when have I ever acted like a hooligan?"
Illumi smiled pleasantly, but the smile didn't reach his eyes, which were as cold as hardened steel. "Let's say an unfortunate accident happens tonight while you and Mother are sleeping. Because I am the next oldest in the family, guardianship over Alluka and Kalluto would fall to me. Milluki and Killua are old enough to govern themselves, but let's not forget the latter of which is the chosen heir, so he'd be crowned king the next day. In other words, he'd be free to marry whoever he wanted because the only blessing he'd need is his own."
Both Silva and Kikyo's eyes widened as they realized the implication of Illumi's threat.
"You wouldn't. That isn't like you at all. You're bluffing. Your loyalty falls to me and your mother." Silva declared, but the ravenette was already shaking his head.
"You are mistaken, Father. My loyalty falls to my siblings, not you. But in a way, you are also right. I would never do something like this for my own sake, but for my brothers and sister, I would."
"That certainly defeats the purpose of me disowning the family and running away." Killua remarked, snickering under his breath.
"But you're assuming the authorities never find out it was you who murdered your mother and I." Silva reasoned.
A sly smirk crossed Illumi's face. "Wrong again. To the rest of the world, I am your loyal, obedient son who does whatever you want without complaint. I also have practice with basic things such as cleaning up blood, hiding evidence, and the like. They'd never even suspect it was me or anyone else in the family, seeing as they have no idea you've been physically and mentally abusing us all these years."
Silva glared at his son for a moment, unable to think of something to say. Finally, he said, "You wouldn't."
Illumi brandished his needles. "Shall we test that theory?"
"Silva," Kikyo called out, voice trembling almost as hard as she was. "I think we should just do what they want. That way, nobody has to get hurt or... or killed."
"I said to keep quiet." Silva growled, and she obediently fell silent. He thought for a moment before asking, "If I give Killua and Gon my blessing, you won't do anything drastic?"
"Precisely. Everything will proceed like normal and Killua can go back to the Southern kingdom to live happily with his spouse. It's that simple." Illumi nodded.
Silva glanced over his shoulder at his wife, who looked about ready to faint. The tension in the room was so prominent it was almost painful. Gon couldn't stand still and kept squirming around, and Killua just looked massively uncomfortable.
After having a conversation in Japanese so soft it was inaudible with Kikyo, the king returned his attention to his two sons and the Southern prince.
"Alright. You have my blessing." Silva declared, after a long pause.
"W-Wait, really...? Really?" Killua's whole face lit up and he turned to gape at Gon, who was slack-jawed with amazement, resembling a traumatized fish.
The two boys let out a simultaneous yell of joy and bolted from the room as fast as they possibly good, both to escape the tense atmosphere and to go celebrate this huge victory. Illumi turned to follow them, but SIlva stopped him.
"I hope you know I will never forgive you for this, you ungrateful wretch. You are a disappointment to your family name. I wonder if I should even let you call yourself a Zoldyck at all."
Illumi considered this for a moment before smiling. This time, it wasn't a cold, murderous smile. It was genuine. "That doesn't matter to me, Father. As long as my siblings love me and want me around, I have everything I could ever need."
Later that evening, after the sun had set and most of the Northern kingdom was asleep, Gon and Killua and most of the Zoldcyk children were still wide awake.
They were all sitting on the floor of Illumi and Killua's room, talking excitedly about the upcoming wedding.
Alluka was the most excited out of everyone there. She kept going on and on about how she wanted to pick out everyone's outfits and the flowers because she insisted on there being a wide variety of colorful flowers everywhere.
"I especially want the pretty orange ones Aniki likes so much!" she declared, waving her hands around excitedly. "And the blue tulips I saw in the Southern gardens! And the pink Sakura blossoms! And the-…!"
"Give it a rest, Alluka." Kalluto interjected, laughing and reaching up to pat her head affectionately. "What about the magician? And the guard? Will they be invited too?"
"Hisoka and Kurapika? Of course they will be! I want to invite a lot of people, whether we know them or not." Gon replied, grinning from ear to ear. His hand had found its way over to Killua's at some point during the conversation, and now their fingers were intertwined. "And I totally agree with Alluka. She should be put in charge of the decorations."
"Yes!" Alluka all but completely screamed with delight. "I'll make it the most colorful, beautiful, flowery wedding ever!"
"But Gon... I don't want a big wedding." Killua said, shyly. "I was honestly hoping we could just invite family and close friends... stuff like that..."
"I want to show off the fact I am getting married to the most beautiful, talented person on the planet and there is nothing you can do to change my mind. There are going to be a lot of people, and that's that!" Gon exclaimed, giving Killua a playful swat over the head.
"Can I be in charge of doing everyone's hair?" Kalluto asked, raising his hand politely before speaking.
"Absolutely. You're the only person I'd trust with that kind of job anyway." Killua nodded, smiling and reaching over to ruffle his little brother's hair lovingly.
"What about me? What am I gonna do?" Illumi asked, voice adopting a playful edge.
"I dunno. Stand around and look badass." Killua shrugged. "No, I'm just kidding. You'll be the best man. And Alluka can be the flower girl, which means she has to go before Gon and I and throw flower petals on the floor."
Alluka got up and ran over to Killua's bed so she could muffle her excited screeching with a pillow.
Illumi nodded his approval. "You'll also need a ringbearer. Someone who presents the engagement rings to the bride and groom – or in your case, both grooms – so they can put them on each other."
Gon's eyes lit up. "I know someone who would be perfect for the job! His name is Zushi, he's training to be a bodyguard at the Southern Palace. A retired military commander named Wing is teaching him, they're both really super nice. I'm sure Zushi would love to participate in something like this."
"For a second, I thought you said his name was Sushi." Kalluto giggled.
"Don't be silly. I don't think anyone has the brains or stunning lack thereof to name their child after food." Illumi remarked.
"What? It's not my fault I mishear things when I'm hungry!"
"...Would you like to come with me to find a snack?"
"Yes."
The two got up and left the room without another word, much to Gon and Killua's amusement. Alluka had recovered from her pillow-screaming session and returned to the floor, curling up in Killua's lap like a little kitten.
"Onii-chan? Do you think I'll make for a good flower girl?" she asked, hopefully.
"Absolutely. The best flower girl this world has ever seen." Killua nodded, kissing the top of her head and cuddling her close. "I wouldn't pick anyone else for the job."
Alluka beamed and snuggled up against her brother's chest, glowing with happiness like a little sunbeam. "And what about Gon? Will he make for a good husband?"
"He'd better, or else Aniki's gonna kill him."
"Excuse me!" Gon exclaimed, indignantly. "I am right here!"
Alluka reached out to bat at Gon's vertically standing ebony hair. "Hey, how did you get your hair to stick up like this? Can you teach me how so I can do it to Kalluto?"
"I don't think he would appreciate that, Alluka. He takes a lot of pride in his hair, much like the rest of us." Killua lightly petted her hair, smoothing down any tangles and loose strands he found. He was the only member of his family to inherit his father's snowy-white hair. All the others had their mother's jet-black, sleek hair. However, both he and his sister had inherited their father's blue eyes.
"I don't think there's anything I do to make it look like this. It just kinda does its own thing." Gon snickered, reaching up and lightly fluffing his coarse hair. "Besides, I wouldn't want to upset your little brother. His hair looks fine the way it is."
"Alluka, you traitor." Kalluto hissed, as he made his way across the room to where everyone else was sitting. He'd been standing just inside the door for just long enough to hear his sister's strange request regarding his hair. "I'm never letting you touch my hair again, for the record. I don't trust you anymore."
"Awww." Alluka stuck her bottom lip out, pretending to pout.
"Anyway, who else should we invite besides Kurapika and Hisoka?" Gon asked, returning his attention to Killua. "I think we should leave the wedding itself open to everyone, that way anyone who wants to go can attend."
"But then a lot of people are gonna show up and I don't want that." Killua grumbled, pulling Alluka closer and resting his head atop hers. "I mean... I won't like it, but if it makes you happy, I'll deal with it. I'm just not a fan of large crowds, that's all."
"Killu, this is your wedding we're talking about. The size of the crowd won't matter, it'll still be the happiest day of your life." Illumi remarked, sitting down beside Kalluto and tapping his fingers against the floor. "I'll be around to make sure nothing goes wrong, so you have absolutely nothing to worry about."
Killua sighed. "Thanks, Aniki."
"When are you and that magician guy gonna get married?" Kalluto asked, innocently.
What appeared to be a delicate pink blush spread across Illumi's porcelain-pale cheeks, which was rare given the fact he never expressed any sort of emotion unless he was around his siblings... or Hisoka. "We've been over this, Kalluto, I am not gonna marry him. My first and foremost responsibility is to you guys."
"But getting married doesn't mean you can't take care of them." Killua remarked. "I might be leaving for the time being, but... you don't have to go anywhere. I'm sure Hisoka would understand."
"You forget I also have to go through our parents. After what I did earlier, they'll never let me marry off to a palace official like that. I'm convinced they won't even let me marry at all, just to get back at me for this." Illumi gestured to Gon with one hand. "But as long as I'm able to look after Alluka and Kalluto, I'll be fine. Like I said, they are my top priority."
Gon and Killua exchanged a worried glance. They were only just beginning to realize the negative effects their marriage would have on the other Zoldyck children.
Later that night, after everyone else had gone to sleep, Killua openly voiced his concerns.
"Gon... is what we're doing selfish?" he asked, snuggling up against the tan boy's chest with a soft sigh.
Gon draped his arm over Killua's side, pulling the blanket closer around them. "I don't know. It might be, but I don't want to think of it that way. We should be grateful for what we accomplished today."
"But Aniki..." Killua cast a wary glance at the hammock in the corner of the room, where his older brother was fast asleep. "We never should've let him help us, because I know my parents are gonna make his life hell once we're gone. They won't easily forgive the hand he had in this. I don't want to make him suffer needlessly."
Gon considered this for a moment, running his hand up and down the other's side in slow, comforting motions. Finally, he said, "How about this, we'll come back and visit after a month has passed. If we find out that your siblings are being hurt, we'll take them back to the South and let them stay there for a little while. It'll give them a much-needed break from everything, and it'll also give Hisoka and Illumi a chance to... get to know each other better."
"Alright. That sounds good." Killua let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. "I'm sorry for bringing it up, by the way. I just want to make sure my siblings will be okay without me. I was so eager to get out that I completely forgot about them."
"You don't need to apologize, Killua. I don't think you're being selfish or anything, given how you grew up. Besides, someday Kalluto and Alluka will grow up and find their own ways out of here, too. You're not the only one here who is capable of breaking the system and finding freedom." Gon said, tucking a loose strand of white hair behind the other's ear. "There's not a single doubt in my mind they'll follow your example. What we're doing now is just the beginning."
Killua took a second to think before slowly nodding. "My parents sure did complain an awful lot about breaking tradition and ending their precious bloodline, but... what if that's what should've been done a long time ago? How many of my ancestors were once frightened children like me and my siblings are now? Just how many people have been broken beyond repair within these palace walls?" he wondered, casting a quick glance around the darkened room. It was too easy to imagine bloodstains that had long since been washed away, fallen tears that had long since been dried out.
It may not seem so from an outside perspective, but this palace is the most beautiful prison ever built.
"Mito-san has a thing for tradition too, actually. But when she talks about tradition, I don't think she means torture and psychological abuse." Gon remarked, his voice abnormally soft. "There's a lot of things about your family that need to change. It's a shame you're the first of many to try and break the cycle."
"I'm sure others have tried before, but you saw how my parents are. They would've never let us go if they doubted even for a second that Illumi would kill them if they didn't." the Northern Prince grimaced as a million painful memories flashed through his mind. "I think they raised us a little too terribly, because they are afraid of what we're capable of now."
Gon sighed through his nose. It made him unbelievably sad to think of what this precious, beautiful creature in his arms had gone through. He pulled Killua just a little bit closer before speaking again.
"I don't care how it happened or when or even why. I'm just glad we made it."
"Me too. I almost can't believe this is real."
To be continued...
A/N: I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact the next chapter will be the last, then it's time to move on to the sequel, which I am sooooo excited for. Y'all should have the closing chapter of this fic and the first chapter of the sequel by the end of next week at the very latest. I can't wait to continue this amazing series, and I hope y'all are just as excited as I am.
I wanna thank y'all for reading this, whether you leave reviews or not. Although reviews are much appreciated, I also wanna thank those of you who simply favorite and follow this story so you can keep up with new chapters. It really means a lot to me. I also wanna thank my reviewers for all the love and support they have given me. Without them, I probably never would've reached a point where I could put this fic to rest and start working on a sequel, so again, I thank you.
Love y'all! See you next chapter! Keep your eyes peeled for the sequel!
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