POV: DUAL (KAELIS + KIERAN)
Timeline: One week before the wedding
Location: Various (This is going to be chaos)
KAELIS' POV
"This is a terrible idea."
"It's a GREAT idea." Kieran is grinning. "Bachelor party. Just us twins. No partners. No responsibilities. One night of chaos before we become married men."
"We're already responsible for KINGDOMS. Adding 'married' doesn't change that."
"It absolutely does. We'll be MARRIED KINGS. That's different." He pulls me toward... is that a TAVERN? "Come on. I researched 'proper bachelor party protocol' from my time. We're doing this RIGHT."
Oh no.
We enter the tavern. It's PACKED. Loud. Chaotic. Perfect for Kieran's definition of "fun."
"Two drinks," Kieran orders. "The strongest you have."
The bartender—a burly man with impressive scars—eyes us. "You boys old enough to drink?"
"We're KINGS," I say flatly.
"That a yes or a no?"
"YES. We're both twenty-two. Legal drinking age. Now the drinks please."
He shrugs. Pours. Slides them over.
Kieran raises his glass. "To marriage. To chaos. To surviving impossible odds and finding love anyway."
"To us," I add. "The twin disasters."
"The best disasters."
We drink.
It's STRONG. Holy—
"What IS this?" I gasp.
"Fire whiskey," the bartender says. "Popular with adventurers. Kicks like a mule."
"It kicks like SEVERAL mules," Kieran wheezes.
But we keep drinking. Talking. Laughing.
About everything. About running through the Night Forest. About dimensional travel. About finding each other. About falling in love with a sea god and a dark king.
"We're ridiculous," I say, several drinks in.
"Completely ridiculous," Kieran agrees. "But also kind of amazing?"
"Kind of VERY amazing."
"We saved the world."
"Multiple times."
"We're HEROES."
"We're DISASTERS."
"Same thing!"
We're laughing too hard. Drawing attention.
A group of adventurers approach. "You boys look like you're celebrating. What's the occasion?"
"Getting married," Kieran announces. "Both of us. Same day. Double wedding."
"To each other?" One asks, confused.
"NO. We're TWINS. To OTHER PEOPLE. But on the same day because we're—" He gestures between us. "—connected. Twin bond. Prophecy. It's a whole thing."
"You're drunk," the adventurer observes.
"VERY drunk," I confirm. "But also getting married. To a GOD. I'm marrying a GOD. How is that my LIFE?"
"It's a good life," Kieran says seriously. Then hiccups. "The best life."
We end up playing drinking games with the adventurers. Lose spectacularly. Get VERY drunk.
At some point, I try to create water constructs. They come out as... ducks. Drunk water ducks. Waddling around the tavern.
"You made DUCKS," Kieran laughs.
"They're GOOD ducks."
"They're DRUNK ducks."
"Like us!"
We're disasters. Complete disasters.
But we're together. And we're HAPPY.
KIERAN'S POV
We stumble back to the castle around 2 AM.
Drunk. Laughing. Absolutely wrecked.
Ravion is waiting. Arms crossed. Looking like a disapproving dad.
"You're DRUNK."
"We're CELEBRATING," I correct. "There's a difference."
"You can barely WALK."
"Walking is overrated." I lean on Kaelis. Who's also leaning on me. We're holding each other up. "We had FUN. Bachelor party fun. Pre-wedding fun. BONDING fun."
"You bonded by getting drunk?"
"It's TRADITIONAL." I try to sound dignified. Fail completely. "In 2025, bachelor parties involve drinking. And bad decisions. And—"
"This is 1833," Ravion reminds me.
"But I'M from 2025. So the traditions APPLY."
He's trying not to laugh. I can tell.
"Get to bed. Both of you. We have a wedding in ONE WEEK and you need to be FUNCTIONAL."
"We're VERY functional," Kaelis argues. Then hiccups. "See? Functioning."
Nyx appears. Takes one look at Kaelis. Sighs.
"You let him get drunk."
"HE let ME get drunk," Kaelis protests. "It was mutual drunk-getting."
"That's not grammatically correct," I point out.
"YOU'RE not grammatically correct."
We dissolve into giggles.
Nyx and Ravion exchange glances. Some silent conversation.
"Bed. Now. Before you wake the entire castle," Nyx commands.
"Yes sir," we say together. Still giggling.
They help us to our respective chambers. Tuck us in like children.
As I'm falling asleep, I reach through the twin bond. That was fun.
The BEST fun, Kaelis agrees. We should do it again sometime.
After the wedding.
After we're MARRIED.
To gods and kings.
We're marrying UP.
SIGNIFICANTLY up.
But they're marrying pretty great too.
Obviously. We're AMAZING.
The MOST amazing.
We fall asleep.