I woke up in a dark room. I felt that I was resting on something soft, and when my eyes adjusted, I could see that I was on a large bed in a huge empty room. The moonlight was beaming in through the windows in front of me and made the dark silk sheets shine. 'What happened? Where am I?' My mind began to ask questions when I realized that I felt amazing. My hair was soft and brushed, my skin was clean, and my back didn't hurt anymore.
'How long have I been asleep?' I realized that I was not in my raggedy cloth anymore, and instead, in the most comfortable nightgown. It was a combination of black silk and lace, and it reflected the moonlight as I pulled off the covers. I felt lightheaded and dizzy as my bare feet touched the cold floor. I looked up and saw a mirror in the corner and slowly walked toward it. As I approached it I hoped that when I saw myself, I wouldn't see the same ugly slave girl I always had. When I stepped in front of it, I gasped.
I looked beautiful. I looked even more beautiful than Mary on her best day. There was more color in my face and all my bruises were gone. I turned to see that my back was completely healed, and my skin was as soft as clouds as I hugged myself. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder, but there was no one in the mirror. I quickly turned around, startled, and I saw The Demon King smiling down at me. "Enjoying your reflection, are we?"
I backed up against the wall. 'This is really happening. He is really standing here in front of me.' I looked down and bit my lip to prevent it from trembling. 'Did he have to show up when I'm wearing such little clothing?' Thinking that, I looked back at him and saw that he was wearing a black silk kimono, open enough in the chest that one side was showing his shoulder. I immediately blushed and tensed up even more. He took a step closer to me, then brushed my hair out of my face with his hand. "Are you afraid of me?"
I continued to shake, but I somehow managed to speak through the stuttering. "S-shouldn't I be? Y-you kidnapped me." His smile disappeared and he leaned in close enough for me to feel his breath. "I get whatever I want, whenever I want, and I can do anything I want, to whoever I want." His whisper sent shivers down my spine.
He then raised his hand to my cheek. "So beautiful..." Fear filled my body as his eyes were looking into mine, so close, and so cold. I broke away from his stare and closed my eyes while turning my head away from him. "W-What do you want with me?" I whispered, nervous about how he would react. He stayed silent for a moment, then moved his thumb to my lips. "You're going to become my queen." I froze. 'H-he wants t-to marry me?!' I look back at him with my eyes wide. "What?" He started to laugh as he pulled away from me and let go of my lips. "You're cute."
I continued to stare as he slowly brushed my arm with his hand until he held mine and brought it up to his lips. He closed his eyes as he kissed my hand and reopened them, but did not let go. "You are mine." I shook, not knowing what to do or how to react.
"Why me? I-I'm just a slave." He let go of my hand and his smile faded away. "Not anymore." I was surprised by his response. Then my mind started to wonder about something else. 'Wait. All of my wounds couldn't have just disappeared overnight. Is he the one who did this for me?'
"Did you, heal me?" I asked, hesitantly. He didn't answer, but instead, picked me up by my side and held me tightly against him. I tried to fight back but noticed that I was so weak I couldn't hit him harder than a nudge or every part of my body would feel like it was being stabbed. "What? W-Why...?" He carried me to the bed and lay my head back down on the pillow. "Rest. You'll regain your strength once my magic is done healing you."
A look of worry entered my expression and I covered my face with my hands while curling into a ball away from him. He waited a second before sitting on the bed next to me and brushing his fingers through my hair. "Are you alright, little one?" I didn't answer him and curled tighter into my ball. He continued to brush my hair and lay down beside me. "What's your name?" I don't move, hesitating whether to tell him. "...Silvera." He shifted his position so he could get closer to me. "Are you mad at me for making you mine?"
I sighed and removed my hands from my face. "No. I'm used to being property. What I don't get is why you want me." He then took me by the waist and turned me toward him. I blushed again as he climbed on top of me and looked deep into my eyes. "Something that demons have always been able to do is see the soul within a human's eyes. We can see what color it is, their memories, and whether or not the human has been kind with their life. When I saw Mary's soul, it was one of the most rotten souls I have ever seen. But yours, yours is the most beautiful." His words surprised me so much I couldn't move while hearing them.
He continued to speak. "Yours is a color I never thought was real. It is so perfectly shaped, and not one scratch is on it. I can't help but want it for myself and no one else will take it from me. You are not property. You are the most beautiful being to ever walk this planet, and I will protect you with my life." I found myself blushing so hard that my whole body had turned red. 'Just a while ago, I thought I was the most ugly and worthless bag of onions in the world, but now all of a sudden, someone thought I was the most beautiful?'
I looked down, hesitant about what to say when he climbed off of me and sighed. "But now that you know how valuable your soul is, you must understand that I cannot allow you to leave this castle. If you did, there is no limit to how many creatures would come find you and kill you for it." I sat up, worried. "What? But I've made so many mistakes, and I am so disrespectful. How could my soul be so perfect?"
He looked at me with no expression. "Mistakes aren't misdeeds. You have always been kind to anyone even if they were terrible to you." The more he spoke, the more I realized he was right. "Even so. It is not your responsibility to protect me." He then brushed my hair off of my neck and smiled. "It is now. I have claimed you, and no one else will have you as long as I'm living." He raised his face close to mine before kissing my cheek, and then disappeared into black smoke, leaving me scared out of my mind. 'What do I do now?'