"Peace is the hardest throne to sit upon."
---
The Coronation of the Sea
Atlantis gleamed like a dream reborn.
Bioluminescent coral lit the great halls, manta banners drifted like silk beneath the waves, and the sovereigns of Xebel, Fishermen and Brine stood in silence before the throne of pearl and gold.
Arthur Curry, newly adorned in Atlan's armor, knelt before the ancient seat. The Trident of Atlan pulsed softly in his grip, a living relic recognizing its master.
At his side stood Mera, radiant, her red hair haloed in aquamarine light.
Behind them, silent and towering, was King—the immovable witness whose presence alone calmed the entire ocean.
Vulko's voice echoed through the chamber.
"By right of conquest, by the will of the seas and by the word of the unyielding King, we crown Arthur Curry, son of Queen Atlanna as Arthur of Atlantis, rightful ruler of Atlantis and the seven kingdoms!"
The hall erupted with resonance. Thousands of Atlanteans chanting Arthur's name, the waves above trembling with their voices.
Even the Karathen surfaced near the palace, her massive eyes watching proudly.
Arthur rose slowly, lifting the trident skyward.
The ocean obeyed.
A ring of light spread through the water like a sunrise, reaching even the deep trenches and sunken cities once lost to time. Every creature — from the tiniest shrimp to colossal leviathans — bowed their heads.
Mera took Arthur's hand, smiling through tears.
"You are truly their King now."
Arthur chuckled, a hint of disbelief still lingering. "Guess that makes you their Queen."
Behind them, King stood motionless. His gaze sweeping across Atlantis.
Every drop of water, every heartbeat, seemed to pause when he finally spoke.
"Remember this, Arthur Curry.
A throne is not claimed by might but carried by duty and wisdom.
The ocean is vast but compassion is deeper still.
Rule wisely, lest the tide turn once again."
Arthur nodded with deep respect.
"I'll remember."
And for a fleeting instant, the impossible man. The one who had silenced storms and parted oceans... smiled.
Echoes on the Surface
The broadcast of the coronation had already reached the surface. Every major network on Earth replayed it endlessly. The images of Atlantis's rebirth under the watchful gaze of the mysterious King.
In the Watchtower, the League convened again. Amix of awe and unease hanging heavy in the air.
Superman leaned forward on the console, eyes on the feed.
"He stood there… in the deepest point on Earth. The pressure alone should have crushed him into atoms."
Wonder Woman replied, her tone solemn.
"It didn't crush him. It bowed to him."
Green Lantern whistled under his breath. "Man, even my ring can't map his energy signature. It's like the universe itself refuses to label him."
Batman's fingers tightened around a datapad. "He's the one constant in every crisis. Gotham. The Cult of Blood. Atlantis. Every time, he moves like… inevitability."
Red Tornado's sensors flickered. "He's literally invisible to my deeper scans. Whatever he is, he's outside the data spectrum."
There was a long silence.
Flash broke it with a weak laugh.
"So, what? Do we send him a thank-you fruit basket or just hope he doesn't sneeze and split the moon?"
Superman smiled faintly. "He wouldn't. He understands restraint."
Batman, still staring at the replay of King's calm, quiet face beside Arthur's coronation, muttered:
"Restraint is what terrifies me most. Because when he does move, entire worlds shift."
Ripples in the Deep
Back beneath the waves, the celebrations echoed through the domes of Atlantis.
Dancers spun in streams of light; children wove coral garlands; whales sang low hymns of peace.
King walked through the swimming crowd, silent yet acknowledged by every being he passed. The Atlanteans parted for him without fear—only reverence.
Mera approached him with a quiet smile.
"Will you stay for the feast, King? You've more than earned it."
He shook his head gently. "My place is not among crowns. My work is never finished."
Arthur stepped forward, trident resting on his shoulder.
"You could at least raise a glass. You stopped a war."
King turned to him, eyes glinting faintly like molten gold.
"I prevented one. Wars never end, Arthur. They simply… change names."
He began to walk toward the doors of Atlantis. The path leading back to the surface.
"Enjoy your peace. It's rare and fragile. Guard it well."
Mera bowed her head. "And you? What will you do now?"
"The tides whisper of storms yet unseen," King replied. "And I listen. But for now peace within my life."
As he vanished into the water, the currents rippled in silent acknowledgment.
Every soul present knew they had witnessed something undefeatable. Something beyond legend.
Worlds Watching
In secret briefings across the surface. From the Pentagon to the Kremlin, from Themyscira's archives to the depths of the fortress of solitude, one name was repeated with equal parts reverence and fear.
"King."
A being of infinite restraint and infinite consequence.
And while the world celebrated a new ruler beneath the sea, the cosmos itself seemed to hold its breath. Waiting for the day when King would rise again.
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