Chapter Text
Cole couldn’t be any happier; here, standing before him, with his body pressed against his, was his new husband. The scent of lilies and roses surrounded him like a heavenly cloud. His hands wandered around Zane’s back, feeling the silkiness of his suit underneath his palms. Never would he have thought that this day would come. Never would he have thought that he would be married to his soulmate, then they would be crowned King and Prince in the same day. He wished that his mother and father could’ve been there to witness it, to celebrate with them, but he knew that they were watching over them. Cole started to get light-headed; they finally broke apart as the world around them returned.
“Need to catch your breath?” Jay murmured, giving Cole a smirk.
“Are you ready, my Prince?” the Priest asked.
Cole and Zane nodded. He took in a deep breath, thought of his parents one final time, and smiled. “I’m ready.”
The Priest gestured for Kai to approach with the scepter. He thanked him, took the scepter in his right hand while Cole and Zane knelt down on one knee, and cleared his throat. “Colton Brookstone; son of Lou and Christine, the rightful heir to the throne, and newly-wed husband to Zane Brookstone. Do you promise to give your life to Ninjago?"
"I do," he said.
"Do you promise to give everything to Ninjago?"
"I do."
"Do you promise to put the lives of the citizens in front of yours?"
"I do."
"Do you promise to put the welfare and future of Ninjago in every decision you make?"
"I do."
The Priest looked at the audience and called out, "Do you, citizens of Ninjago, accept Colton as your next King?"
The audience called back, "We do!"
The Priest turned to Zane and asked, "Will you, Prince Zane Brookstone, rule beside your husband with grace, love, kindness, and patience?”
Zane said, "I do."
The Priest nodded and turned back to Cole, who lifted his head up. The golden crown was placed on his head, then the scepter was tapped on each of his shoulders. The silver crown was placed on Zane’s head as the scepter was tapped on his shoulders. ”In the hearts of the citizens, the legacies of the past kings and queens, and with our blessings, I crown our new King! Here, in the grace and presence of our eyes and hearts, is King Colton Anthony Brookstone of Ninjago!" Cole and Zane stood in unison then faced the crowd; the newly crowned King held the scepter in one hand while he held Zane’s in the other; he grinned as the audience cheered and praised them.
"Long live the King and Prince!”
"Long live the King and Prince!”
"Long live the King and Prince!”
***
The ballroom was filled with rambunctious laughter, muffled chatter, and songs that wafted through the air. Families meandered about, some were talking with other citizens, others were at the tables to find something to nibble on, but the dancing area was empty. It was waiting for the guests of honor to arrive.
King Cole and Prince Zane had decided to take a few moments to themselves after the coronation; they promised to meet with their family after a minute or two break. Lloyd, Kai, and Nya were raiding the sweets section of the dining table while Misako and Garmadon were talking with Rowen, Darreth, Seliel, and Jay. The orchestra was playing a soft tune but it was mostly covered up by the chatter of the villagers and family.
Then, one of the servants standing by the grand doors called out, “Attention, attention! Introducing the royals of Ninjago; King Colton Anthony Brookstone and his husband, Prince Zane Nicholas Brookstone!” The crowd stood and clapped as the doors opened, revealing the two joined at the hip. Zane and Cole waved at their friends and family as they entered the room, both had grins that lit up the room like the dawn.
“Thank you, everyone, for the kind wishes, blessings, and gifts you have given us,” Cole called out. “We are blessed to know such wonderful people and hope that you have a fun time tonight!”
“Please enjoy yourselves,” Zane finished. The crowd settled back down as the music picked up once again, the sounds of chairs scooting against the wooden floors deafened the music for a few seconds before the orchestra’s sound returned to normal.
As Zane and Cole made their way to their family’s table, they thanked their guests for the well-wishes and gifts, shook hands, and joked briefly with long-lost friends. Eventually, they collapsed into the white chairs with heavy grunts.
“Heads up, boys, this is going to be the whole night for the two of you,” Misako chuckled.
“Chatting, endless thanking, struggling to get a bite to eat, dancing, and laughter until the moon is high in the nighttime sky,” Garmadon said. “Then, once the party has finally finished and you two are all alone in your bedchamber—"
“Montgomery!” Misako cried, lightly slapping his arm.
He held his hands up and chuckled, “I was going to say that they’ll be so exhausted that they’ll fall asleep in an instant.”
Zane and Cole snickered as their mother-in-law covered her blushing face with her handheld fan. Then, the trio of teens rushed over with plates overflowing with pastries, cake slices, and candy. Lloyd slid into the chair beside Zane and grinned at his bounty.
“This has to be the best night ever!” he chirped, already buzzing from an early sugar-high. “I’ve never heard of these kinds of candies! And this cake! Oh, it’s so delicious!”
“We hired the best baker in all of Ninjago for our event,” Cole said with a hint of pride hidden in his voice.
“Well, we knew we couldn’t have our big celebration without Cole’s favorite dessert,” Zane teased.
Then, the music was silenced, allowing the drone of chatter to fade away. One of the servants stepped in front of the orchestra and called out, “For the first dance of the night, the honorary King’s Dance. To the tune of the Pas de Deux, the King and his new husband shall share their first dance as a married couple, as well as the new royal couple of Ninjago.”
Cole and Zane stood up from their table to the sound of applause filling the ballroom, giddiness rolling off of them, contagious to those around them. Hand in hand, they glided onto the wooden dance floor with hundreds of eyes locked onto them. To Cole and Zane, though, it felt as if they were alone, lost in each other’s presences. They stood in the center of the floor, surrounded by the balloons and streamers floating lazily around them. Cole placed his left hand on Zane’s shoulder while his right hand rested on his waist, Zane mimicked his hand placement.
The orchestra started to play; the quiet tune danced through the air, twirling around the crowd, and sang in their ears. The King and Prince started to sway, tapping their feet to the beat as their eyes wandered around the room. They could see Kai and Lloyd laughing, lost to their sugar high, while Nya snuck a few pastries from her brother’s plate. They could see Misako and Garmadon beaming with pride, nestled in each other’s arms. Seliel was murmuring something to Rowen and Darreth, giggling at their replies.
Cole faced Zane once again, feeling the world fade away around them. His whole world was tucked between his hands, spinning around in slow circles as the sun set to the West, filling the ballroom with its fiery red light. The chandelier glistened above them, reflecting hundreds of rainbows across the dance floor. Zane’s eyes glistened like the stars at midnight, his heart skipped uncontrollably at the sight. Cole grinned, placing both hands upon his waist, lifting his Prince into the air with ease, twirling him around.
A laugh escaped Zane’s lips as his cheeks blushed a light pink, slowly he was eased back into the ground as Cole sped up their dance. Their hands locked together, spreading an arm’s length apart, as they twirled faster and faster. The room started to blur as the balloons were kicked out of the way, streamers trampled under their wildly kicking feet. Zane thought he heard Lloyd, Kai, and Nya cheering them on, whooping and hollering at their speed. A wild grin grew on the pair’s lips, helpless to stop the joyful laughter bubbling out.
The pair started to slow their spin, growing closer to one another with each step until they were chest to chest, their faces only inches apart. Zane knew the song was just about over, but he had one final trick up his sleeve; with the final notes of the Pas de Deux being played, Zane placed his right hand near the top of Cole’s back while his left rested on his lower back. In one swift motion, he dipped the King and gave him a soft kiss on the tip of his nose.
Cole raised an eyebrow, wrapped his arms around Zane’s neck, and pulled him into a deep kiss. The audience cheered, standing from their chairs as they clapped and whistled in excitement. The pair broke apart and stood tall once again, bowing alongside the orchestra and maestro. As the announcer called out the next dance, this time letting the audience dance to the next song, Cole led Zane off of the floor. The King led his Prince to the wall of windows, opened the double-doors, and guided him onto the balcony.
The Sun had sunk halfway below the horizon, glistening off of the Sea of Storms in a dazzling array of oranges, reds, and yellows. The Sea itself appeared to be made of fire, while the sky above ranged from pink to orange to blues and eventually violets and blacks. Off to the right, drifting on the Sea, the boats filled with the fireworks waited for the Sun to completely set.
Cole rested his arms against the stone railing, taking in a deep breath. After a moment, he murmured, “When I was younger, I never would have thought that I would be King. Every day I was terrified at the idea of running my father’s kingdom by myself, I was so scared I passed the throne to Morro.” He gave a harsh scoff, then softened his voice, “Though I would never say this to his face, but I feel like I owe him a thank you for turning me into a Nutcracker. Without that, I never would have met you or your wonderful family, and the castle would be so empty, devoid of any joy. Destiny works in strange ways.”
Zane leaned against his new husband, resting his head on his shoulder. “Though I wish you never had to suffer under that curse, I am thankful that it led us together. I will love you through eternity, I will be by your side through thick and thin. When things get rough, I will support you, giving you the strength you need.” He laced his fingers with Cole’s, then pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. With a gentle murmur, he said, “I love you.”
Cole, with adoration in his eyes, replied, “I love you, too.” He lifted Zane’s chin, gave him one last smile, and fell into another kiss. The Sun sank below the horizon, it’s fiery rays faded from existence. With shrill shrieks and thundering booms, the fireworks burst in the sky, exploding like flowers in bloom. Reds, blues, yellows, and whites shimmered in the sky, illuminating the couple lost in each other’s arms. The crowd stepped onto the balcony, oohing and ahhing at the display in the sky. Misako, Garmadon, and Lloyd stood beside Zane, while Kai and Nya stood next to Cole. Surrounded by family and friends, Cole and Zane nestled deeper into each other’s arms and hummed in content.
Cole murmured, “Together forever.”
Zane replied, “Until the end of time.”