Vastarael Richinaria, the Dynasty Monarch of Richinaria, had arrived.
He wore a simple black turtleneck, showing the structure of a body sculpted by both divinity and battle. The fabric clung across his chest and abdomen, subtle but shameless. White sweatpants, casually tied at the waist, flowed just past his ankles, making him look like he just stepped out of a divine training session. Long curly white hair flowed down to his waist, its ends flicking gently with every motion. His posture was relaxed.
And those sapphire and golden eyes and deep bronze skin glowed with health, warmth and with Aeterium perfection, but elevated.
Standing at 200 centimeters tall, he looked across the cityscape, soaking it in like he was seeing it for the first time in years. Then his gaze landed on Eldrigan Hanabas.
He smiled faintly.
"Hey."
Eldrigan's face contorted like someone had just told him the laws of physics were fake.
"Hey?! You—NO! Don't just say hey!"
His voice boomed across the plaza, startling even a few nobles.
"Vastarael, we thought you were DEAD! We buried you! We held a damn ceremony! There was crying! There were speeches! I wore black for three days!"
Vastarael tilted his head, blinking slowly.
"Why would I die?"
Eldrigan froze. Vastarael continued, completely unfazed by his reaction.
"I've been the Dynasty Monarch of Richinaria for five years now. I've always been here."
"Always?" Eldrigan sputtered. "You—WE HELD A FUNERAL!"
"Mm. Wasn't mine," he said with a light shrug.
Vastarael stepped forward and to everyone's absolute shock, he hugged Eldrigan. It wasn't a quick one either. When he pulled away, his smile widened.
"We didn't know each other too well before. I'd like to change that. But just so you know…"
He leaned in, his voice suddenly filled with his old playful arrogance.
"I'm never letting go of the title of most handsome. That's mine. Forever."
Eldrigan stared at him. "You're serious."
"Dead serious."
"Bad choice of words," Eldrigan muttered under his breath, still shaken.
He glanced at Adelasta, who was standing a few steps back, arms folded under her chest, looking completely unrepentant and absolutely unfazed by the emotional chaos playing out before her. Eldrigan pointed a finger.
"Did you know?"
Adelasta slowly turned her gaze to him, her amber eyes glowing under the sunlight .
"Of course I did."
"You didn't tell anyone?!"
"Why would I? I'm literally the only person married to him. He's not exactly a public-access pass."
There was a pause. A long one.
Eldrigan blinked twice. "You were gatekeeping your dead husband…?"
Adelasta's lips curved into a smile so smug it made several nearby vampires flinch.
"Yes."
"Because?"
"Because I felt like it."
A vampire choked somewhere in the crowd. Eldrigan sighed, placing a hand on his forehead.
"Right I forgot. Richinarias don't do kindness."
Adelasta cocked her head. "You're just now remembering that?"
Vastarael chuckled softly and stepped next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. She didn't resist. Instead, she leaned into him possessively.
The vampires didn't dare speak. Even the giant white felines pulling Amaniya's carriages lowered their heads respectfully.
"Where are we meeting?"
Adelasta adjusted the sleeve of her oversized T-shirt. Her amber gaze locked onto Vastarael before casually flicking to Eldrigan.
"A five-star hotel. Narisva made the reservations earlier. She booked the entire hotel for us before we leave for the Islands of Inexpelcae."
"..Narisva?" Eldrigan blinked.
Adelasta brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, which immediately fell back into place.
"Yeah. Apparently, she didn't glitch today. She wanted it to be perfect. You know her."
Eldrigan's brows shot up. "This is the biggest piece of news I've gotten since I became Dynasty Monarch."
And while Eldrigan stood there trying to process the magnitude of Vastarael Richinaria being alive, Adelasta moved.
She stepped closer to Vastarael, almost like it was subconscious but anyone paying attention knew it wasn't. Her hip brushed his thigh. Her fingers ghosted over his lower back. Her hand slid under the hem of his shirt for just a moment as she adjusted the fabric at his side.
And he didn't mind. Not even a little.
In fact, he leaned into it. He let his hand glide around her waist and rest there lazily, like it belonged there. His palm against her hip was gentle, but it was absolute. Like even in his thoughtless daze, his body knew exactly where Adelasta was supposed to be.
Vastarael was dangerous in a completely different way. He wasn't seductive on purpose. He wasn't doing anything. He was just... existing. His voice, his hair, the way his eyes casually darted from one street to the next like he was trying to map out patterns...
His lean muscles were outlined perfectly by that black turtleneck and the white sweatpants clung to him just enough to drive logic out of several minds.
Even Eldrigan, who was more annoyed than anything, had to clear his throat as a few vampire started edging closer.
Adelasta turned and looked at them. One glare and the crowd backed off like they had seen death itself. Meanwhile, Vastarael was still confused.
He was holding Adelasta by the waist, looking around the city with a slightly lost expression on his face, his long white hair catching the breeze like a sacred banner.
"This city's weird. Isn't Rise Borough the actual business center of Anqerise? Why does this place get the title?"
Eldrigan's eye twitched. "You come back from the dead and your biggest concern is city branding?"
"I just think people exaggerate," he replied with a shrug, absent-mindedly stroking his thumb along Adelasta's hip. "It's loud and overpriced. They charge five hundred Enousi for bottled water and say it's 'Divine Filtered.'"
"Okay, you've been alive too long," Eldrigan muttered.
Vastarael finally met Eldrigan's gaze properly. "How's Peroncerea?"
"She"s Grand Duchess of hell now, " Eldrigan said with a laugh. "She never shut up about your death. She didn't believe someone like you would die. I didn't believe her until now."
"Cute. I wish Phaenora was here. Too bad she decided to go on a world tour."
The way he said it made a few hearts implode on the spot. Eldrigan sighed, rubbing his temple.
"You're going to give the rest of the Seventh Enlightenment a collective seizure. They think Adelasta's been single and emotionally ruined for five years."
"She has," Vastarael said casually. "She missed me. I stayed away from her for a day and she cried about not taking her with me."
Adelasta nodded. "I did. Deeply. Now let's go. We need to plan for our trip to the Islands. It's time for us to get stronger."