Arthur barely had time to protest before Raven pulled him through the corridor and into his room, the door closing behind them with a soft click.

He stopped in the middle of the room, looking between the two of them with a growing sense of suspicion.

"...I don’t like this already."

Raven didn’t even acknowledge that. She released his hand and took a step back, eyes narrowing slightly as she examined him like a problem that needed solving.

Kara, on the other hand, walked a slow circle around him, arms crossed, head tilted.

"...Yeah, no," she said after a moment. "This is bad."

Arthur looked down at himself again, then back up.

"You two are acting like I’m covered in mud."

Raven raised a finger.

"No.. It’s just that..."

She lifted both hands slightly, violet energy glowing around her fingers.

"Now, stand still."

Arthur blinked.

"I am standing still."

"More still."

"That doesn’t make sense."

Kara snorted.

"Just don’t move," she said, stepping closer. "Think of yourself as... a mannequin."

Arthur gave her a look.

"Mannequin?!...I’m the Shadow Monarch..."

"And now you’re being dressed," Kara shot back. "Life’s unpredictable."

Raven’s magic flowed over him in soft waves,

He exhaled slowly.

"...I actually missed you two."

The words slipped out without much thought, quieter than his usual tone.

Raven paused just slightly.

Then resumed, her voice softer when she spoke.

"I’m sure you did.."

She stepped closer, adjusting the collar forming from her magic, "To us," she continued, "you were gone for three months."

Arthur nodded faintly.

"And to him?" Kara asked, her earlier teasing gone,

Raven answered before he could.

"Three years and four months," she said, calmly. "Based on his description of the time flow."

Kara froze.

"...What?! That long?!"

Her eyes snapped back to Arthur.

He simply nodded.

"I tried to navigate every corner of that dimensional gap," he said calmly. "And it still wasn’t enough time to map it completely."

Kara stared at him, she was in shock, concern, maybe a bit of guilt.

Arthur didn’t linger on it. "That’s why it’s the perfect hiding place for them," he continued. "But I knew the others weren’t there. Not the ones you faced. I made sure of that."

Raven’s eyes flicked up to his.

"They didn’t want to fight you there."

Arthur shook his head faintly.

"They didn’t even dare to, they sent some of their monsters, to scout but they didn’t get to report back."

Kara had moved closer without realizing it. Her hand lifted, fingers brushing through his hair.

It was longer now, softer than she remembered, strands falling past where they used to. She didn’t even try to hide the fact that she was more playing with it than styling it.

"You saw everything that happened here, didn’t you." she said quietly.

Arthur’s gaze softened slightly.

"I did."

Her fingers slowed. "And you still let us fight them."

"I trusted you to survive them."

There was no hesitation in his voice.

Kara’s lips parted slightly, then closed again as she kept working through his hair, more gently now.

"I have to say that, all of you impressed me," Arthur added. "Their plan would’ve worked, partially. Stretch my forces, keep me occupied, make me hesitate and corner me."

Raven crossed her arms.

"They used us as bait."

Arthur’s expression didn’t change.

"Yeah, I was the main target, and they know I care about this planet."

Kara’s hand stilled for a second.

"...Figures, typical villains."

Arthur continued,

"Igris predicted part of it. I had a counter plan in place, but it relied on you. I knew Rakan and Querehsha would engage here, and that someone like you and Clark would give them serious trouble."

Raven’s lips pressed into a thin line.

"So that’s their names," she muttered. "That bitch and that oversized mutt."

Arthur almost smiled.

"Nobody liked them."

"They were irritating," Raven said flatly.

"They were dangerous," Arthur corrected, though there was no edge to it. "But even then, they would’ve struggled against all of you."

Kara let out a quiet breath.

"They still managed to wreck half the city."

Arthur didn’t deny it.

"They always play dirty," he said. "They exploited your weaknesses."

His gaze lingered on her for a moment longer than usual.

"But you still weakened them enough for me, enough so they can’t even escape."

Kara didn’t respond to that, but her fingers tightened slightly in his hair before relaxing again.

Arthur shifted his focus back to the explanation.

"While you were dealing with them, I was watching the others. Yogumunt, Silaad... the other two monarchs. they were watching me too. But they didn’t engage in a fight with me."

Raven’s eyes narrowed.

"They were waiting for the other two to complete their task..."

"Until you forced their hand," Arthur said. "Yogumunt panicked and came here."

He paused briefly.

"Silaad tried to keep me occupied... threw random armies at me."

"And?" Kara asked.

Arthur’s tone didn’t change.

"I went straight to him, because I realized he was trying to buy time for the others, their only mistake is that they didn’t realize that I have people I rely on here, other than my own shadows."

Raven huffed softly.

"Of course you did... what of him now?"

"I wounded him," Arthur said. "He ran, he escaped the dimensional gap."

"And then you came back here," Kara finished quietly.

Arthur nodded.

"And the rest... you saw."

There was a brief silence.

Then Raven stepped forward and placed a single finger against his lips.

"Enough."

Arthur blinked.

"...What?"

She held his gaze, with a firm expression.

"Not tonight, enough talk about battles and whatnot."

The violet glow around her hands brightened again.

"Enough about monarchs and war."

Her magic surged gently around him once more.

"Just... this."

Arthur exhaled through his nose, but didn’t argue.

"You are right."

Kara smiled faintly at that, stepping back to actually try styling his hair now. She gathered part of it, tying it back in a loose, controlled style that left a few strands framing his face.

"...Okay," she murmured. "That actually works."

Raven’s magic settled.

When it faded, Arthur stood in a tailored black suit, clean lines, perfectly fitted, subtle detailing, his hair, now styled, gave him a composed, almost regal look, something older than his years, but it was undeniably fitting.

Kara’s mouth opened slightly.

"...That’s.."

Arthur looked down at himself.

"Too much."

Both girls immediately spoke at once.

"No.."

They stopped, glanced at each other, then continued, this time more composed.

"You look..." Kara started.

"Presentable," Raven finished.

They both coughed lightly.

"...Great I mean," Kara added.

"...Elegant," Raven corrected.

Arthur raised an eyebrow.

"...You two are terrible at compliments."

Raven ignored that entirely, her own outfit shifting with a subtle pulse of magic, black, refined, sharp in its simplicity. It matched the tone of his, not identical, but close enough.

Kara noticed immediately.

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

"...Oh."

Arthur caught that look.

"...Don’t start."

Kara huffed, then crossed her arms.

"I’m not starting anything."

She paused.

"...But I do want something different."

Raven tilted her head.

"I have a better idea."

A flicker of magic, and Kara’s outfit changed.

Soft pink and white, elegant but lighter, flowing just enough to contrast sharply with the darker tones beside her. It felt like warmth and brightness.

Raven stepped closer, placing a small blossom into Kara’s hair.

A cherry blossom.

Kara touched it lightly.

"...What’s the flower for?"

Raven’s expression softened just a little.

"It symbolizes beauty," she said. "Mortality and.."

Arthur spoke before she could finish.

"Hope and life, Renewal."

Raven glanced at him, then back at Kara.

"It suits you."

Kara blinked once.

Then realized what they meant.

Her cheeks flushed instantly.

"...If you say so."

She looked away, but didn’t remove the flower.

For a moment, the three of them just stood there.

Different, but somehow... fitting all together.

Kara cleared her throat lightly.

"We should go," she said. "We already made them wait long enough."

Arthur nodded once.

"Yeah."

Raven gave him one last look, making a small adjustment to his collar.

"Try not to mention your war strategies to the guests."

Kara laughed under her breath.

"I’m afraid that’s happening..."

/-\

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