When they approached the castle, they could hear Lanny hand out punishments. Of course, that was the first thing he did. How was it possible that, with such an attitude, Brady and Boomer never suspected anything?

It was a weird sight: the crown on Lanny's head, the people kneeling around him. Even Mikayla and Mason were forced to partake in this even, and neither looked too happy about it.

"Yo, Lanny, what's going on?" Boomer shouted.

"Who dares to address me without saying 'King'?" Lanny reacted. His rather calm expression faded and turned to shock when he noticed his cousins were still alive. Boz nodded.

"Shocking, isn't it?" he said. Boz had to say something, even though he could have chosen to stay silent. The confidence radiating from the trio was enough to make Lanny flustered. For a couple of moments, he was speechless.

"You guys are alive!" He stammered in disbelief. Then, with feigned joy: "I mean, the Kings are alive!" The people stood up from their kneeling position and swarmed the kings and Boz. Lanny was soon forgotten, the crown taken from him. He silently walked back into the castle, forgotten by everyone.

Boz smiled when Brady explained how they found the ruby. They didn't mention they almost dropped it a second time, or how Boz saved it. They didn't have to mention it – all that mattered was that Chiki-Kiki would have a new ruby on her belly and that the Kings had retrieved it.

In a rare moment of clarity, the brothers expressed how they messed up after only being king for five minutes. Boz admired their honesty and self-reflection – Kinkow knows they still had a lot to learn.

"Boomer, Brady," Mason said, "you may not be what we expected, but you were born to be kings. Obviously you're brave, and not everyone would give up their birthright for the good of the kingdom."

Only because Lanny sent them on the right way. It was supposed to be a death trap, but Lanny did help. And though Boz wanted to give some credit where it was due, this was a moment for the kings.

"I can attest to that bravery," Boz added. "We barely know each other, but you feel like you're my brothers already. It's been two days, but I agree with Mason – there's some bravery inside. Deep down." Deeper than they currently knew. But as the years passed, they would use that bravery many times and it would come to the surface. They truly were the kings of legends.

And seeing them side by side, a pang of sadness ran through Boz. They were truly legendary together – which still made Boz the spare.

"Thanks, guys," Boomer said. "You may think so, but what about the people?"

Nobody spoke for a couple of nerve-wracking seconds. Why didn't anyone say anything? The shaman stepped forward and started the chant. "Long live the kings!" not before long, everyone was shouting, and Boz was happy to shout along.

"I guess they want us, king Boomer," Brady said as Mason placed the crown on his head. Boomer nodded.

"I guess so, king Brady."

They took the scepter, each with one hand, and put it in the air. The crowd cheered and clapped. Mason shouted something about a coronation party at the nearby Shredder Beach. He led the people to the festivities, but Boz, Mikayla, and the Kings stayed behind a little.

Mikayla told the kings she was going to teach them how to fight. Mason trusted his daughter's skills enough to enlist her as their trainer. Maybe, in time, they would extend the same trust to Boz. Until then, Boz looked forward to the day Mikayla was the main head guard. To take the kings' doubts away, she sliced up a pineapple and properly scared her employers.

"See you on the beach," she told them and walked away. Before she went to the beach, however, she passed by Boz. Her gaze had softened, but it was apparent she still didn't like him all that much.

"What happened out there?" Mikayla asked him. Boz frowned. Did she not believe what the kings were saying, or did she want to know how Boz described the turn of events? He didn't know what her goal was, but he was going to answer her.

"The Kings took care of it."

Mikayla frowned. "Really?" Did she expect him to confess he helped? That he tried to sabotage them? Why did she no treat Lanny with the same scrutiny? Maybe she wasn't aware of what he was up to.

"Yeah. I met them when they just retrieved the ruby. I barely got to see any action," Boz said. Barely – he caught the ruby, but Mikayla didn't need to know that. "You still don't trust me, do you?"

"Being good with branches and having decent fighting skills doesn't make you a trustworthy person," she said. Mason had told her about what he'd done to be admitted to the fast track course of the guard training. But she was right – a couple of tricks did not test someone's loyalty or trustworthiness.

"I see," Boz nodded. "I understand. I mean, I just arrived, I'm a complete stranger and yet I am already friends with the Kings." That's what made her distrust him the most. Maybe she was even scared of what he was going to do to the kings in the long run. Either way, she was more than right not to trust him from the get-go.

"I'm still going to keep an eye on you," she told him.

From the corner of his eye, Boz caught the glistening ruby in the belly. And a crazy idea came to mind. Crazy, because what he was doing might as well be his downfall if he wasn't careful. Still, he was willing to take that risk if it meant Mikayla might reconsider his intentions.

"Sure," Boz said. "But before you go the beach, I'd like to have a witness."

Mikayla frowned. "What for?"

Boz took a deep breath and solemnly placed his right hand on his heart. He stared right at Mikayla as he tried to find the right words. In this case, wrong words and wrong phrasings existed.

"I swear, on the ruby that now rests on Chiki-Kiki's belly, that I will never – ever – do anything to harm the kings or lead them into danger."

Mikayla's mouth fell open when she realized what the red-haired man in front of her was doing. She shook her head lightly and was speechless. She found her voice again when Boz was done talking and lowered his right hand.

"Boz, are you— That's crazy!" she stammered.

"I know," Boz said. Kinkow will strike back if he doesn't keep his oath. The volcano and island spirits would make sure of it. Oaths aren't sworn for menial things – they were serious, not to be taken lightly. And Boz swore to protect the kings and not lead them to danger, which was vague enough to be interpreted in many different ways. The island must have already made up her mind on how to judge these actions.

"It's fine if you see this as a dumb thing to do. Because it is. You don't even have to trust me. I just ask for some time. That's all." Time to get to know him, time to see how Boz protected the kings from nearby, more as a friend than a guard.

Boz walked away from Mikayla, who still tried to grasp what had just happened. Boz made his way to the beach but came across Lanny. It seemed he had been walking to the beach as well, but decided against attending the party and was going back to the castle. Nobody was around, so Boz took this opportunity for a short conversation.

"Lanny!" he drew the kid's attention. He looked suspiciously at the guard in training but did come closer. "Thanks for sending the Kings in the right direction. You did great."

Lanny groaned in frustration. He did not want the thanks for something he hadn't intended to happen at all. "It wasn't supposed to be great!" the boy exclaimed. Boz nodded.

"I know," he said, "Sometimes your evil plans fail. That happens."

Though Lanny was still frustrated, it was pushed to the back to make place for the confusion. It was delightful to see Lanny struggle to understand what Boz had said and how he knew what he had been trying to do.

"W-What?" Lanny stammered nervously. He wondered whether Boz was going to tell on him. Instead, he got a quick pat on the shoulder and a compassionate look from Boz, who could clearly see what was happening. Lanny was as much a victim of the evil king Kalakai as anyone else, and that fish monster must have been exerting his influence on the impressionable kid for such a long time to make Lanny believe he really hated the kings. Their foolish behavior would only enforce the idea they were unfit to rule and solidify the thought that it should be Lanny.

"Better luck next time," Boz told him and he was on his way again. Better luck next time.

And as he walked to the beach and the noise of the party grew louder and louder, the truth settled in.

They were here. Boz was here. All three of them. Together. Not quite a family, but that would happen eventually. The first crisis was averted. Now the rest of their lives could begin.

Today couldn't get any better.