Mirror Crown
Xavier had barely settled into the idea of becoming Christian—of wearing his crown his own way—when yet another storm came knocking: the family dinner.
He didn't even know Christian had a weekly dinner tradition with his family until a staff member mentioned it casually that afternoon.
"The Classic family dinner is tonight, sir. You'll be hosting."
Hosting?
He wasn't even sure who exactly was in this family, let alone what they expected of him.
By 7 PM, the grand dining hall was lit like a castle banquet scene. A chandelier hung like a frozen firework above the table, where polished silverware and wine glasses sparkled under golden light.
He stood by the entrance, dressed in a dark fitted shirt and slacks, trying to calm the war going on inside his chest. The door opened. In came the first guest.
A woman. Striking. Confident. Eyes sharp as cut glass. She walked in like she owned the place.
Christian's sister.
He recognized her from the airport.
"About time you started acting normal," she said as she kissed his cheek, though her tone was laced with suspicion. "You've been weird lately."
Xavier gave a small smile. "Vacation gave me time to think."
Her eyes lingered on him a second longer than he liked, like she was trying to scan behind his skull.
Then came the others.
Christian's uncle—gruff, business-minded, already sipping scotch.
His aunt—aloof, always comparing Christian to their father.
Two cousins. Loud. Competitive. Bragging about investments and social media clout.
And finally… the parents.
Christian's father had a presence that silenced the room. His mother? Elegant, always composed, but watching with eyes that missed nothing.
"Christian," his father said with a nod, sitting at the head of the table. "Hope you have something of value to say tonight."
Xavier's palms went cold. He sat.
Dinner was served.
At first, the conversation swirled around him. Business. Politics. A hint of gossip. But then came the questions—each one a test.
"What's your take on the London deal?"
"Are you still seeing that girl—what's her name?"
"Did you hear about Elijah's promotion? That used to bother you."
Xavier didn't flinch.
He didn't fake familiarity either. Instead, he leaned into the new Christian he was shaping.
"Honestly?" he said between bites. "I've been looking at things differently lately. I'm not obsessed with control anymore. I'm more interested in… meaning. Legacy."
The room went still for a second.
Christian's sister chuckled darkly. "Now I know something's off."
But Christian's father—who hadn't laughed once all evening—set down his wine glass slowly and looked at Xavier with narrowed eyes.
"Legacy, huh?" he muttered. "Well... about time you started sounding like a Blackwood."
Xavier forced a smile but inwardly winced. The name Blackwood—Christian's real surname—felt like a crown made of thorns. Heavy. Painful. But powerful.
As dinner ended and guests started trickling out, Christian's mother approached him quietly.
"You're changing," she said, voice soft but unreadable. "I don't know if that's good or bad yet."
Xavier met her gaze. "Maybe it's just time for something different."
She stared at him for a beat, then kissed his forehead.
"You remind me of your grandfather tonight."
That shook him. Because he knew nothing about Christian's grandfather.
He just smiled and nodded.
But as the doors closed and silence returned to the estate, one thought echoed in his mind:
If I'm going to live this lie… I'm going to rewrite the truth in my own image.
Even if it meant shaking the foundations of everything the Classic family stood for.