Lucifer made good on his promise and stayed by his Baby Girl's side for the rest of the reception though he wouldn't have wondered again anyway. Viskiam wasn't the only one who eyed his beautiful doll. Though he knew the half-elf had no ill intent, the same can't be said for the others. He'd known Kiam for hundreds of years and was rather fond of him. He, like most elves, was remarkably intuitive. Picking up on the mannerisms and body language of those around them that most others wouldn't even notice. Lucifer knew Kiam's actions tonight weren't meant to get a rise out of him but to show him how easily trusting his Baby Girl was. A simple act of kindness, a show of affection, some sympathy, and off she goes arm and arm. She was so delicate and needy, but he couldn't blame her, she was human, and his Grandpapa had made almost all those creatures crave affection. Giving her to him was very cruel indeed for both of them, it would seem, but he would have to try harder. After all, it was in his best interest to keep her safe. The rest of the evening was almost pleasant, talking, forced smiles, and cheesy jokes about marriage, but she stood beside him smiling sweetly, answering questions and playing the part of a happy bride.
"How about we call it a night, Baby Girl?" He asked as he led her back towards the castle.
"Yes, please! I'm so exhausted." She answered as her flood of relief hit him, followed by a yawn as if to prove her point.
"Come then, let's make our grand exit." He instructed.
"Does it have to be grand?" She moaned.
"Unfortunately, it does." He replied, "I suggest you get used to it, Princess. After all, there will be many more grand events in your future."
They walked a bit further before stopping at the front of the venue. Lucifer cleared his throat and quickly gained the attention of those closest to them, which caused a ripple effect to the rest, "Thank you all for joining us this evening. Both my new wife and I were pleased to share this; our wedding day with you, but a day it has been. We hope you enjoy the rest of your evening, but we will be taking leave. Good night." He announced, and everyone present bowed their heads or curtsied as they turned for the castle. As expected, the Dukes, Duchesses, and a few others gathered by the door to bid them farewell. The newly married couple worked their way through the group and thanked them for their presence. Then he noticed her chatting with Duchess Margery, the one he promised to stay away from.
"Krant, Katarina," He greeted as they walked up to the creepy couple and received a light head bow from both, "Thank you for attending. I know it's a long journey for you."
"Think nothing of it, Young Lord. It was our pleasure to make the Lady's acquaintance," Krant replied for both of them.
"The pleasure was mine. I hope to see you both again soon." She smiled as the discomfort extruded from her, he pulled lightly on her arm, and she quickly followed, unaware of the next guest.
"Margery," He smiled as they approached, "Angelique. Thank you both for attending."
"It was an honor, Young Prince." The Duchess replied with a slight curtsey.
"My Young Prince," Angelique spoke next with a pretentious smile, which caused him to press his lips. Truth be told, he couldn't stand the girl's personality, but one could overlook certain things. However, it irked him at how she stared down at his Baby Girl. Especially after the warning he had given her earlier.
"When your father returns, tell him I wish to have a word as soon as possible." Was all Lucifer replied as he gave his Baby Girl a tug to move along,
"Of course, Milord, I'll see you soon." She replied too sweetly, and Lucifer let his head fall forward and groaned before turning back to the stubborn girl while his doll fumed next to him. Her grasp tightened on his arm as he let go of hers.
"I'll just be a moment, Baby Girl." He reassured before taking a few steps back to where Angelique stood, "Your father should be back in a day or two. Why would I have any reason to see you again?" His words came sharp and cut deep as shock and annoyance floated off of her, and he smirked, enjoying the reaction. Lucifer flashed a quick look at Margery, who awkwardly bowed and stepped away. He took another small step closer to Angelique, ensuring that she would be the only one to hear the words he was about to speak, "I thought I made myself clear earlier. If I want you, I will find you, under no condition are you to come to me, also stop acting like a petty brat before you and I have issues, and you don't want issues with me, now do you?" Lucifer could see the scowl on her face, "Fix your face. Scowling at the Crowned Prince is very unbecoming of a future Duchess." He advised before turning his back to her and returning to his Baby Girl, who, to Lucifer's surprise, was talking to Duke Prangarth. "Prangarth, what a shock to see you willingly socializing." He smiled, looping his arm through his Baby Girl's as the Duke scowled but bowed as they walked on, "I swear after tonight, one would think scowling at the groom is a new tradition." He grumbled as they left the group, and he heard his bride chuckle.
Once they got into the castle and the door was closed, She let out a deep breath and slumped into him, which made him shake his head and smirk. He was used to keeping himself composed and stoic, especially for grand events like this, but she wasn't, "Do I need to carry you, Baby Girl?" He teased.
"No, thank you, I think we've both been forced to endure enough tradition for one evening." She quickly replied, straightening up as they headed back to their room, her arm still looped through his.
"Is carrying the bride a tradition on Earth? I've never heard of such a thing." He queried.
"Yea, the groom is supposed to carry his new wife over the threshold of their home." She explained, "Also, on Earth, the bride usually wears a white wedding dress to symbolize purity."
"Well, if anyone should have been in white, it's me." He claimed.
"Oh? How's that, Jr.?" She laughed.
"For all you know, I could be the purest being here. All you have to go on is rumors. You, however? Yeah, no way you should be wearing white."
"Hey!" She fussed, letting go of his arm and punching him playfully.
"It's true! By your own admission, you admitted to being previously married." Lucifer laughed, "Definitely not a pure woman."
"And by your own multiple admissions, you've painted yourself as Hell's number one playboy." She accused.
"Maybe I want to look cool in front of my friends." He shrugged.
"Oh please," She rolled her eyes, "Just today, I've been in the presence of three separate women you've slept with."
"Oh, there was a lot more than three." He informed, "I mean, if you believe the rumors." He winked, and she shook her head but wore a big smile.
"What am I going to do with you?"
"I have a few suggestions." He offered.
"I'm sure you do, but they'll have to wait. I'm just too worn out to teach my innocent husband the basics."
Lucifer couldn't help but laugh. His little wife turned out to be much more than he expected.
As soon as they returned to their room, she kicked off her heels and took off the crown, carefully placing it back into its box.
"Where does this go?" She asked, closing the lid.
"Wherever you want, it's yours." He shrugged, removing the band from his head and tossing it onto his dresser before unbuttoning his jacket and removing it, then the tie and his cufflinks. He untucked his shirt and undid the top couple of buttons when something caught his attention, causing him to look back over and chuckle, "Need some help?" He asked, walking towards her while she struggled with the buttons.
"No, I got it, just a bit difficult." She reassured, but he rolled his eyes and walked up behind her.
"As amusing as it would be to watch you struggle, I wish to relax, and this display is quite distracting. Put your hands down and hold still." He ordered, and with a huff, she listened. He pushed her long hair over her shoulder to get it out of the way and began his work on the top buttons as he smelt her embarrassment, "Why are you always so embarrassed when I see a bit of skin, hum? Do you think I'm not going to like it? Jump back aghast at the small bit of extra skin suddenly revealed. Oh no, you temptress, get out of my room!" He laughed, and though the embarrassment grew a little stronger, so did her amusement.
"I don't know what to expect. You're so innocent, after all."
He shook his head as he unfastened the last of the top buttons and moved to the ones starting at her waist. Giving in to the temptation, he let his fingers lightly brush the milky white skin on the small of her back, quickly causing her to tense up, "Sorry, accident." He lied, a bit annoyed at the reaction.
"It's ok. You just startled me. Your hands are cold." She replied as if she was the one who could read him. He worked on the buttons until he had undone all she needed to slip out of the dress.
"Should be good enough." He told her, only catching a glimpse of the blood-red undergarments she was wearing, and lust swept over him. He wanted to see all of her, but it would have to wait, "It's a bit cliche, but crimson red is my favorite color." He teased, unable to resist messing with her, and it worked. She thanked him, quickly scampered into the bathroom, and within a couple of minutes, heard the shower running.
Lucifer moved back to the other side of the room and finished undressing before slipping into pajama pants. He ran both hands through his hair to loosen it from that damn hair cement with no luck. He needed to rinse it out, so he crossed the room to the bathroom door. As he opened it, he was greeted with a wave of steam.
He smirked as the idea of just walking into the shower crossed his mind. Taking a couple of steps towards the tiled walk-in shower, he stopped and sighed. Instead, he turned to the tub and turned on the hot water. After giving it some time to warm up and adjusting the temperature, he leaned his head over the tub and scrubbed his head till he was sure he got all the gel out. However, with the water running right by his ears, he didn't notice the shower had stopped, and as he rose and turned around to grab a towel, his Baby Girl walked out of the shower. His eyes went wide, and his mouth curled up into a smile as he took in what was in front of him while her eye's stared back at him wide in shock before she screamed,
"Lucifer! What are you doing, you shameless, shameless,"
"Devil?" He helped, grabbing the nearest towel and tossing it to her as the water from his wet hair dripped down his back. "Apologies, Baby Girl, I was rinsing that horrid gel out of my hair and didn't hear the shower stop, but I regret nothing. I didn't know you had a tattoo on your right hip." Her anger and embarrassment filled the room as she pulled the towel around her tightly and looked away from him, walking to the sink and mirror, "There is no reason to be embarrassed. You are a beautiful woman." He reassured, grabbing another towel before bending his head over and vigorously rubbing his hair before tossing the towel back onto the hook, "Besides, it's only a matter of time before we're sharing that shower." He smirked, approaching the other sink while she glared at him as she pulled the brush through her hair, causing his smile only to grow.
"You're in your pajamas?" She questioned, annoyance still in her voice.
"Yes, you complained enough about me walking around naked," He retorted, picking up his comb and pulling it through his hair, "But I won't be sleeping in them, that you will not guilt me into. Too hot."
"No, I mean, I figured you were going out." She replied, looking away from him and focusing on her reflection.
"That's not what I was talking to her about." He groaned, annoyed, "We were discussing the ongoing renovation plans for the theatre in Central City. I'm not so cold-hearted to spend our wedding night with another woman." He explained, and she smiled as relief and happiness peppered the air, "I will be out late tomorrow night, though." He added, ruining the moment on impulse, and quickly wondered why he felt it necessary always to keep her on edge.
"Why was she so upset?" She asked, rolling her eyes as if the second remark didn't phase her, and if he hadn't been able to smell her true feelings, he might have believed it.
"The theatre is one of the oldest structures in Hell City. The owner wishes to renovate and make a few minor updates but, overall, hold on to the classic look. Angelique wants to remodel the whole thing to be more chic and modern. Unfortunately for her, it's not her business, and the owner has his mind made up. She has been harassing me to speak with him about it." Lucifer explained, putting his comb down and leaning his hip against the counter, "Of course, I told her I would not, and she got all huffy."
"Is that why you kissed her?" She accused, taking Lucifer by surprise, "To make her feel better?"
"Kissed her? I did no such thing. I may not be the best of partners, but I'm no monster." He replied, pushing himself off the counter, "Besides, I don't show public affection to anyone."
"I saw you grab her face and lean in,"
"Aye, I was telling her to stop acting like a spoiled brat." He clarified, taking a couple of steps forward and grabbing her chin just as he had grabbed Angelique's. He leaned forward till his lips were barely an inch from hers, "And you, my dear wife, need to stop acting like a jealous one." He whispered while Kathrine Ann stood so stiff, she could have been frozen. With a chuckle, he backed up and gave her some space to thaw.
"Right. Can you go so I can get dressed, please?" She asked, glowing brighter than he had ever seen before.
Lucifer left the bathroom and rolled a cigarette before walking out onto the balcony. Lighting the tip, he took a long puff and Looked down onto the garden. Everyone was saying their goodbyes, shaking hands, and a few hugs as the staff encouraged those who were being drunkenly stubborn to make their way to the exit. He took a pull and smiled, remembering how cute his Baby Girl was by the stream with her alcohol-fueled courage. She had sobered up over the last couple of hours and seemed back to normal, but part of him liked her blunt honesty. It was refreshing. As if on cue, he heard the door click indicating she had finished in the bathroom. He pulled a drag from his cigarette as he watched the people below. He saw his father bidding everyone a good evening, and Angelique stood close to him, talking about something. He smirked, thinking about how annoyed his father probably was at the moment. Lucifer could hear her now trying to explain to his father why they should do the theatre her way. His father never cared for the girl, but Angelique is convinced he loves her.
"Not too embarrassed to join me, hum?" He smiled, sensing her walking out onto the balcony.
"Figured if you're forced to spend the night with me, the least I could do is try to keep you company." She answered, walking forward, a glass in each hand and her long wet hair draped down her back, soaking the oversized shirt.
"Oh, Baby Girl, I'm not forced to do anything. Your 'shameless' Devil does only as he pleases." He smirked, taking one of the glasses.
"I see they're shooing everyone out." She noticed, leaning on the railing next to him and taking a sip from her glass, "Is she waiting on you?"
He snapped his eyes to her with annoyance only to catch a smirk on her face, "Could make it where I never darken her doorway again, just say the word." He winked, and she rolled her eyes, "So what's the tattoo?" He asked.
"Just a tribute to someone I lost. A black ribbon tied into a bow with three beads and a blue feather." She answered with a sigh.
"Must have been someone important." He pried only for her to nod, her silence telling him she didn't wish to talk about it, "I suppose you've lost a lot of people, whoever they are, mother, friends, colleagues, William." Another long pause as he took a drag, "Did you ever ask my Grandpapa about him?"
She nodded as she sucked her teeth, "He remarried, had a couple of kids, a few grand, two great, and died shortly before his wife of old age." She admitted, betrayal and sadness filling the air, "It's pathetic, really. I gave up my heavenly afterlife so he could live on. I wanted him to be happy, to move on, and yet I hate that he did exactly that." A bit of guilt was added to the air around them as she said, "It was one of his coworkers. I liked her. She was a sweet girl, bout ten years younger than us, but she was sharp. Very smart, beautiful, and sure of herself," She sighed, "I always had the sneaky suspicion she had a bit of a crush on William, but it never bothered me because I knew William loved me and he would never cheat. Luckily for her, I died," She added with a half-hearted joke, "I always believed William and I would be together again. Ironic, really, because we might have been if I hadn't interfered. I should be happy, right? I saved the person I held most dear and helped him live a long and happy life, and he did. Loved her longer, had the children I could never give him, died at a ripe old age with a fulfilled life."
"This woman got everything that was supposed to be yours, not her fault, but she got your husband, his children, and your happily ever after." Lucifer replied, pulling from his glass, "You have a right to be upset."
She sighed, "To William and Heather, both, I'm sure, are living peacefully in heaven." She held her glass up in front of her.
"To Lucifer and Kathrine Ann, Hell's more fun anyway." He countered, reaching his glass out and tapping hers. She smiled, taking a sip, and just then, as if his Grandpapa wasn't satisfied enough with her torture Angelique had noticed them and was waving, "Go on, it doesn't matter in the scheme of things. You prefer her company so go be with her." His Baby Girl said, faking a smile and turning for the door, "Just keep your word. I don't want want to be the pathetic wife," but he grabbed her arm.
"I believe I already told you I do what I want. If I wanted to be with her tonight, I would be. I may enjoy her body, but that doesn't mean I like her more than you. Believe me; you are much more pleasurable company." He reassured, yanking her back to him, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her so close their bodies pressed together and their faces only a foot apart, all while pretending he hadn't seen Angelique, "You don't have to worry about her taking me away from you. After all, I married you, not her."
"Only because you had to!" She laughed, trying to push away, but he tightened his hold.
"Semantics." He brushed off, and she rolled her eyes, but the sadness and frustration had faded, and he wondered why that made him feel better. He frustrated her constantly and sometimes made her sad, but someone else, causing her to be upset, bothered him. "Come on, let's watch a movie or something." He suggested tossing the cigarette and releasing all of her but a hand as he led her back inside.
"A movie?" She asked excitedly, "You have movies?"
"Naive little doll, we have most things any of the other worlds have. The advantage of being the universal prison is that we have access to everything. Horror or comedy?"
"Horror." She smiled as she hopped onto the bed.
"Fine, but if you get scared and start climbing all over me, I can't promise I won't take advantage of the situation."
She rolled her eyes as he turned on the projector and the wall in front of them lit up.