Silence!
Absolute silence...
Then---
Someone choked.
At first, it was a light chuckle.
Deep.
Cutting.
Cruel…
Another burst out laughing.
Then another.
And another...
Until the entire room dissolved into chaos.
Sera ignored them, her focus entirely on the demon before her.
Lord Virex didn't laugh.
Not at first...
He just stared at her, although something in his gaze had shifted ever so slightly. But if she hadn't been paying such close attention to him, she probably wouldn't have noticed.
He blinked once.
Slowly...
"I'm sorry," he said at last, voice quieter now. "Would you like to repeat that?"
Dead silence again…
As if everyone was holding their breath, waiting for the hilarious punchline.
Sera rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in front of her. Good thing she'd anticipated this reaction, or this would have been really embarrassing.
"I said," she repeated, her voice crystal clear in the marble hall. "I'm going to become your betrothed."
A beat.
Then---
He laughed!
The Demon Lord actually laughed.
Well, it was actually more of a snicker.
Not loud.
Not explosive.
Just---
Sharp!
And amused...
Like she had just said the most ridiculous thing he'd heard in centuries.
"You walked into my domain," he grinned, crossing his legs and leaning back, clearly making himself more comfortable on the throne. "Announced yourself like a particularly aggressive bird---"
Seriously?!
What was with all the animal analogies?
"---to propose marriage?"
"Well, at least you're not hard of hearing," she mumbled under her breath, ignoring how utterly humiliating this experience was. Sure, she'd anticipated that the Demon Lord wouldn't be jumping for joy at her proposal, but was humiliating her really necessary?
Or did all the men in her life just have weird kinks like that?
*Sigh!*
And did he really have to look at her that way?
"Tell me," he added, eyes glinting faintly.
Mocking her...
"Are you insane?"
Sera didn't hesitate.
"I would have to be to want to marry you, wouldn't I, My Lord?"
The answer came so fast, the room went quiet again. Even the Demon Lord seemed to be taken aback, watching her with something she couldn't name.
"You're rude," she listed on her fingers, holding them up at him one at a time. "You haven't once addressed me by my title, which is the custom even in Angelita, last I checked...?"
She glared at him, daring him to contradict her.
Which seemed to hit a nerve somewhat…
Good!
"It is, My Lady!"
He begrudgingly admitted.
And dang, that felt---
"You're old," she quickly continued, before she was swept away by the victorious sensation bubbling in her belly.
"Now who's being rude?" He growled, but Sera made a point to ignore him.
"You don't have any heirs," she continued to list his flaws. "No alliances through marriage, no political leverage, no emotional support system---"
"Emotional support system?" He echoed flatly, and even some of the demons present seemed baffled by that one.
Some even snorted a laugh.
He did NOT appreciate that!
"Yes!"
Sera sighed, losing patience now. She hated to be cut off all the time, and yes! As much as she'd tried to make herself a better person, her temper was something that never seemed to bend to her will. She spoke often before her mind had caught up with her, and on more than one occasion, she'd been called cold, blunt, and rude.
Like I said.
Not all of us can be perfect...
"I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that," he grimaced, as if she'd confessed to eating sails.
Sera waved a hand.
"Point is: you're the oldest Demon Lord in recorded history without a bride!"
"Which is by my own design," he admitted--- completely throwing her off.
"...Huh?!"
Finally, he looked down at her again--- and once more that detached smile curled his lips.
"I seek no bride, My Lady," he replied, his tone once more mocking.
Well---
That sort of threw a wrench in her plan!
If he didn't want to get married, then would her plan even work?
Good thing she hadn't planned on this being easy…
"Then how about a contract bride that will make you insanely rich, Lord Virex?" She lured--- and cured her lips much in the same way he just had.
"By solving your crystal shortage?"
A pause.
Longer this time...
Lord Virex stared at her, as if seeing her in an entirely different light now. Even the other demons had gone still, truly seeing her for the first time.
"What makes you think there's a shortage?"
Oh!
He was good…
"You're saying there isn't?" She snickered, channeling her inner villainess – the one who'd died a cold, lonely death in her first life.
"Oh, how silly of me to assume, My Lord. Oh, well…!"
She shrugged and tapped her chin, pretending to think.
"I guess I'll just have to find someone else to inform about all the stolen crystal…"
"And where to find them!"
That---!
Got his attention...
Not visibly.
But something shifted.
Just slightly...
"If you were my fiancée, I could secure your supply lines, stabilize your trade, and stop the crystal losses that are bleeding your territory dry. But alas. I guess I'll just try my luck elsewhere!"
Now the room was quiet.
Not amused.
Not mocking.
Listening.
Carefully.
He stood--- and the whole room shifted!
Tension grew heavy.
Even Sera felt a lump of fear clog her throat; her previous bravado completely evaporated.
The Demon Lord stepped down from his throne, his wings expanding with each step he took. Before she knew it, he stood right before her, his golden eyes blazing with something cold that had shivers running down her spine.
He truly was a Demon Lord in every sense of the word…
"And how, pray tell, My Lady," he said slowly, his words calm yet landed like knives. "How did you come to possess such information?"
Oh---
Well, I didn't think of everything apparently…
Because how did I answer that?
Oh, I was reborn a couple of times, and I sort of memorize all these things…
Yeah…
If he thought I was insane before, he'd be ready to throw me in a straitjacket then.
But that might be preferable, right now.
With the way he was looking at me, he definitely believed that I was somehow involved. And well, any sane person would assume that, so maybe revealing that so bluntly wasn't my smartest move.
So---
What now?
Sera lifted her head, meeting his gaze head-on ---
And took a huge gamble…
"I don't owe you an explanation, My Lord," she said calmly, her tone as crisp and cutting as his. "But know that I have the power to destroy you if I so see fit!"
A beat.
Then another…
"So all I have to do," Lord Virex asked softly, despite there being no warmth in his tone. "Is become your fiancée?"
Sera smiled.
Cold.
Fearless...
Then she pulled out a card and held it up to him
"This is my information, My Lord," she continued, knowing she was baiting a shark – and she was in the deep blue. "If you'd like to take me up on my offer."
He didn't take his eyes off her.
He didn't even move.
But somehow the card disappeared from her hand---
And appeared in his!
Sera blinked--- unable to hide her surprise.
Which he seemed to find enjoyable…
But annoyed her!
In her defense, she never had much experience with magic. She was as easy to impress with those things as a child!
So rather than indulge in his entertainment, she spun around and marched out the same way she'd entered.
But before she left---
"You might want to take a day trip to the eastern ridge convoy routes," she said without turning around. "Three days from now. I think you'll find something interesting there, My Lord."
"An ambush, My Lady?" He questioned, clearly not impressed.
She threw a glance over her shoulder.
Her smile as sinister as his own…
"That's for me to know…"
"...And for you to find out, Lord Virex!"
But it wasn't enough.
She had to convince him...
She moved!
A whisper of motion, as graceful as a dance...
And then---
Lord Virex was fast, catching the knife with a snicker that told a story of a man who'd survived countless assassination attempts. He was no stranger to the dangers of a pretty face.
Or luring promises!
His chest burned, ready to strike down---
The wings fluttered before him…
And then---
A fly dropped to the ground.
Dead!
A bug that had annoyed him.
But no one else had noticed...
She'd killed it!
Silence!
Absolute silence…
He looked at her again, wondering if that had been her plan all along.
Sera stood where she had been before.
As if she had never moved.
The gleam in her eyes told him everything he needed to know...
"Try not to see it as an engagement, My Lord," she said, waving over her shoulder as she moved along. "But a business deal that will benefit us both!"
She didn't stop.
Didn't hesitate.
Didn't look back!
"I'll be looking forward to your answer."
And then---
She was gone...
***
The massive doors shut behind her with a deep, echoing boom, leaving the throne room in a deafening silence.
Then---
Everyone seemed to talk at once!
Louder this time.
Crueler...
"...I've never seen such insolence---!"
"...Torture her! If she knows anything---!"
"...I will gladly hunt her down for you, My Lord!"
The Demon Lord didn't move.
Didn't react.
But his eyes---
Sharpened!
He looked down at the name and the address on the card, reading it out loud to himself...
Lady Seraphina von Eidelweiss
It tasted foreign on his tongue.
Different!
"Interesting…"
The paper rested loosely between his fingers. His gaze lingered on the space where she had stood, as if expecting her to reappear out of sheer audacity alone.
She---
Actually amused him!
"…A human," someone spat as if the word was laced with poison.
"...What arrogance!"
"...Clearly suicidal that one!"
"...Shall I kill her?"
The voices overlapped.
Low.
Irritated.
Some outright offended...
"...She insulted you!"
"...She threatened you!"
"...She---!"
"Is that any way to talk about your future queen?"
Silence...
Instant.
Absolute!
Lord Virex hadn't raised his voice.
He didn't need to...
His gaze scanned the room, looking at all the nervous faces.
They had reason to be nervous.
If he so decided, he could kill them all and not even break a sweat.
Lucky for them, he wasn't that kind of demon.
But he kept that information to himself…
His eyes dipped to the paper in his hand, turning it once between his fingers, as though weighing it.
What kind of human would enter a demon lord's castle
A desperate one?
A reckless one?
Was she trying to escape something?
Had she gotten in too deep with the black market dealers?
Were those the people she was trying to escape?
If so, her move made perfect sense. Who better to protect her than the Demon Lord himself? He had, after all, a high stake in securing those convoys himself.
And reclaiming the lost crystals…
But did he really have to make her his bride for that?
He could just as easily offer her a deal or protection without the matrimony. But perhaps she believed she had better security if he was bound by honor to defend her if she was his fiancée?
How--- intriguing…!
"You---?!" Duke Raveth Krynn gasped, outraged on behalf of his Lord. "You're not seriously considering making her your bride! Are you, My Lord?"
Lord Virex glanced at the avigat and noticed how his scaled tail was flicking with rage that he was trying to hide.
Raveth was a loyal adviser and servant, one of the few people Lord Virex barely trusted. But even when the avigat had sworn his life to him as gratitude for saving his family, the Demon Lord knew better than to trust anyone blindly.
"Whatever I say," the lord of all demons replied, and returned to his throne. "It will be so. And you will accept it."
None dared to argue.
None dared to challenge him…
He sat, glancing down at the card he held in one hand once more.
And then the knife, he still held in the other.
Then---
He'd made up his mind.
"General Vhalis!"
The crowd separated, and a massive figure stepped forward.
The temperature of the room shifted once more.
Not out of fear---
But respect!
She was tall, taller than most demons present. Her skin burned a deep crimson, like embers caught mid-glow. Massive, curved horns swept back from her head, ridged and battle-worn. Four arms – two relaxed at her sides, the other two folded across her chest – each one corded with strength, marked with faint scars that told stories no one dared ask about.
Her eyes were sharp.
Gold—like his!
But unlike his…
Hers burned.
Focused.
Loyal!
She was the only one there that Lord Virex counted as a genuine friend...
"Say the word, My Lord," General Nyxara Vhalis said, her voice steady, yet edged with something lethal, as she keeled before him. "And I will dispose of her."
A murmur of agreement followed.
"...She's a liability."
"...A human queen? That's unheard of…!"
"...What kind of offspring would that even produce…?"
Lord Virex didn't respond--- immediately!
"What news of the Eastern Ridge?"
His question took the general by surprise. But she understood why he had to question it. This was too important not to...
"Nothing to report, My Lord," she replied without hesitation. "That road has been the main route for the convoys to travel since the signing of The First Contract! A babe could travel that road alone!"
The room stilled again.
His fingers tapped once against the arm of his throne.
He knew all this and yet...
"Three days!"
That was what the human had said…
In three days time---!
Then what?
He'd been lured into ambushes and assassination attempts by far prettier faces than hers.
So why did her words get to him?
Nyx watched him closely.
"She could be lying."
"Yes."
He agreed.
"It could also be a trap."
"Most likely."
He'd thought of that as well...
"Then---"
"She walked into my domain," he cut the general off, finally raising his eyes enough to actually look at her. "Insulted me, threatened me---"
A faint pause---
Before his lips curved...
"And then handed me information she believes is valuable enough to bargain her life on."
His eyes flickered with amusement...
"That level of confidence is rarely unfounded."
Nyx's expression didn't change, but she understood him better now, so she kept her mouth shut. Her lower arms tightened slightly against her sides.
She would do whatever Lord Virex decided.
She had complete trust in him...
The Demon Lord leaned back slightly, the paper resting loosely in his hand as his gaze drifted – thoughtful now. In his other hand, he hadn't even noticed that his fingers were playfully caressing the knife she'd thrown at him. Upon studying it further, he realized that it was good quality, light, and perfectly balanced.
She certainly knew her way around weapons...
"You're considering this?" General Vhalis questioned gently, knowing that despite having grown up with the lord of all demons, she wasn't protected from his temper.
Or murderous tendencies...
"I'm considering," Lord Virex corrected, still grinning. "That killing her now would be… premature."
A few demons shifted uncomfortably.
Others bristled.
General Vhalis exhaled slowly through her nose.
"What are your orders?"
...Orders?
Hmm…
Lord Virex's gaze returned to her fully now, his amusement gone. What was before them now was the full force of the cold, vicious Demon Lord.
"Have a unit set up at the Eastern Ridge Road," he ordered. "Lay low and report back about your findings. And keep an eye on the convoy."
"Yes, My Lord!"
A pause.
"And the human?"
His eyes returned to the card.
"Keep an eye on her, Nyx," he told her, not missing a beat. "She's never to be out of your sight!"
Nyxara's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Only watch, My Lord?"
"For now."
He confirmed.
"And if she's right?" The general pressed.
Silence...
Then---
Lord Virex smiled.
Slowly.
And something dark and sharp unfurled behind it...
"If she's right," he said, his voice dipping just slightly, threaded with something no one in that room had ever heard before.
"Then I might just have been offered an engagement…"
His eyes gleamed.
Alive in a way they'd never seen before!
"…to the most intriguing female I've ever met!"