Kathrine Ann walked out of the castle into the garden, she was annoyed with her stupid husband, but he was right. Why should she care? If he wanted to go off and screw around with Angelique, then fine. It just meant he would leave her alone, right? Forcing the unwanted feelings away, she entered the dark garden only lit by the glowing lamps above her. The cool evening breeze wrapped around her, causing a shiver, but it didn't bother her. She had always preferred cooler weather.
Kathrine Ann made her way down the path, not heading in any particular direction as she contemplated her new life. Veering off the dirt path, she headed for the woods planning on visiting the river, but just as she hit the tree line, a hand grabbed her shoulder, causing her to jump,
"Not a wise decision, my dear." The strong voice of Lord Lucifer said, and she turned with a curtsey.
"My Lord." She greeted, looking up at the man. Had she never paid much attention to the King of Hell's features before, or had she just never stood so close? Whichever it was, Kathrine Ann had never realized how much her Prince resembled his father. Mainly in the face, both had a defining jawline, high cheekbones, and those mesmerizing blue eyes. Though her Lucifer usually had a bit of stubble on his chin, the Lord was clean-shaven, and his hair was blonde, unlike Lucifer's inky black, but they both had full wavy locks though Lucifer's hair was a bit longer than his father's.
"And what might a sweet young woman such as yourself be doing roaming alone this late?" He quired.
"Just wanted a bit of fresh air, my Lord." She smiled, feeling a bit nervous as the Lord walked back to the path, and she followed, trying to keep up with his long strides.
"Understandable. I take frequent evening walks myself. I'm curious, why is my son not accompanying you?" He asked as she nervously chewed her lip. What was she supposed to say, "He had other plans?" Lord Lucifer sighed, relieving her from the embarrassment, "Why am I not surprised? I apologize, Kathrine Ann. The boy isn't, uh, accustomed to,"
"It's fine, my Lord. God didn't send me here to live a pleasant life." She justified.
"Humm, were you not? I can't help but wonder why my father chose you?" He questioned, tapping his chin, "I truly wonder who you are. My father wouldn't think twice about damning any other soul for the crime you committed, yet he spared you." He pondered as they walked.
"Was what I did so bad?" She mumbled, crossing her arms behind her back and looking at her feet, "I just tried to save a person,"
"Butterfly effect." He interrupted, "Interfering in a time that is not your own and changing even the slightest detail can cause catastrophic repercussions. It has happened at different times on other planets, trust me when I tell you souls are rotting for eternity because of the very same offense, so I ask again, who are you?"
"I don't know, my Lord, I truly don't." She shrugged, wrapping her arms around her front as another cool breeze prickled her skin.
"I believe you. I just don't trust my father. But that is none of your concern. Tell me, what is bothering you?" He asked, looking down at her with a half-smile.
"Bothering me?" She questioned, feigning innocence.
"You can't lie to me, Kathrine Ann. I am 'the master of deception' after all." He rolled his eyes.
"It's not true, is it? What my world believes about the Devil." She asked.
"No, but it's not just your world. Even in many of the worlds who know of Hell's existence, they still fear my people and me, convinced that all I want is to drag them down here and feast on their souls. That I send my demons to lure them with vices or abduct them, drag them to Hell, and throw them into pits of fire and brimstone where they'll suffer for all eternity because of one tiny mistake like smoking marijuana or having premarital sex." He chuckled.
"Yea kinda feels like you're taking a stab at my world." She replied with a small laugh herself.
"A bit. Humans have always been more…fanatic. However, the truth is I'm not, nor is Louie, an evil mastermind bent on hoarding souls and turning them against the light of God.
Honestly, I hate them, all of them, those wretched souls. I hated that my father didn't destroy them, and now I'm forced to watch over them. Though I suppose it wouldn't be much of an eternal punishment if I enjoyed it, right?" He hummed, looking up at the dark and speckled sky as they looped around the end of the garden, "Now tell me what is bothering you."
"I don't know exactly." She sighed, kicking her heel on the path, "I just don't know how to handle Lucifer. Sometimes, I feel we're growing closer like he might actually care, but then he turns around and does something stupid and hurtful, making me feel like I imagined everything. That I'm nothing more than 'his doll.'" She sighed, "Then again, I can't blame him. I at least deserve punishment. Lucifer didn't do anything wrong, so why should he be punished? Why should he have to change for me?"
"You both need to stop looking at this as a punishment. You, my dear, have gotten off pretty easy. I think we can both agree on that." She nodded, "As for Louie, er, just trust in my father's plan, whatever that may be."
"But didn't you just say you don't trust him?" She pointed out with a suspicious look.
"That's me. I lost my father's trust long ago, so he lost mine, but he is God and always has a plan." Kathrine Ann nodded again, unsure how to respond, "Now, what to do with my son? Louie has a lot to learn, and maybe you can teach him. He's had very little experience with love, and the bit he has had, I'm afraid, jaded him. Sadly part of that is my fault. I made the mistake of trusting someone I shouldn't have. Unfortunately, what she did and how I responded scarred him." He sighed, "I doubt Lucifer has mentioned his mother to you?"
"His mother? No, I was under the assumption she left or something." She shrugged.
"By left, if you mean died, then yes, she did do that." He replied smartly.
"I didn't know. That's terrible. I'm sorry for both of your losses. Did Lucifer take it hard?"
"Oh yes, he was angry with me for years, and there's part of him that still is."
"Why would he be angry with you?" She asked, curious about what the Lord had done or if Lucifer just used his father as an emotional punching bag.
"I killed her." He answered coolly as if he had just told her he killed an annoying bug buzzing around his ear, not his only child's mother. She stopped and stared at him wide-eyed and shocked, "This is a different world, dear, and Louie's mother…do you truly wish to know?" He asked, stopping and turning to face her, "I can show you if you want, but you will not like it."
Kathrine Ann contemplated the idea knowing that if Lord Lucifer said she wouldn't like it, then she wouldn't, yet it felt as though she needed to know. She needed to know if there was a way for her to understand the Devil she's married to. So with a deep breath and a nod, a familiar smirk crossed the Lord's face, a smirk he had passed down to her Prince. The Lord grabbed her face, his eye's burrowed into hers, and she felt like her body was dissolving. Unable to look away from his captivating gaze, she felt pulled from her body, and everything swelled around her. Images, glimpses of things, and unfamiliar people passed before her eyes until finally, the world settled.
Kathrine Ann sat in the dining hall, everyone in their regular spots except for Lucifer, who was nowhere to be seen, and the position where she sat now was opposite her usual place. She could see the dining hall door and went to get up, but nothing happened. Her body didn't move at the mental command. Kathrine Ann tried to look around, but she couldn't. It was then she realized her hand was tapping away without consent. She tried to stop the tapping and pull her hand back, but it didn't react, and it was then she took in the details of the hand. This wasn't her hand,
"Where is my son?" The voice boomed out of her, verifying what she had just deduced, "It's well after the start of dinner."
"I'm sorry, milord, Belial went to fetch the young Prince, but I'm not sure," A younger Vassal began as the doors swung open and Belial jogged in out of breath,
"Lucifer…I can't find him. His teacher said his mother took him from her care under your orders." Belial gasped for air.
"What!" He yelled, pushing himself to his feet as Kathrine Ann just hung on for the ride.
As Lord Lucifer ran from room to room, she watched helplessly, out to the garden, into the front, back through the castle, and into the woods, where he finally stopped.
The tree's leaves were dying and falling to the ground, the leaves were a dark brown when they died, just like Earth, and Kathrine Ann didn't know why of all times she took this moment to notice them, but she did. Lord Lucifer tried to calm himself as panic and rage flowed through him. She couldn't react or do anything, but she felt everything. Fear, worry, and guilt all caused her heart to ache as the desperate man tried to collect himself.
"Louie!" He called, and something caught his attention as his body suddenly stiffened before he took off deeper into the woods. Everything was a blur to her before he stopped, and they were in a small clearing surrounded by trees void of most leaves. In front of them was a tall, thin, and menacing woman with long black hair and eyes to match. She had an exaggerated sneer on her face, and her teeth were all pointed, but the small boy in her grasp shocked Kathrine Ann the most. The woman had one hand grasping tightly to the back of his neck and a knife in the other that she held shamelessly to his throat as tears rolled out of his big blue eyes. His tiny fist fists clenched tightly to his pants, and his whole body shook with fear.
"Lucifer!" She called upon deaf ears.
"Argnea, what are you doing?" Lord Lucifer asked calmly, but the feelings she felt were nowhere near calm.
"I gave you what you wanted, Lucifer, but you treat me like nothing! I birthed you an heir!" She spat as he slowly closed the gap, the leaves crunched under the Lord's feet, "Stop! Any closer, and he'll spend eternity with his Grandpapa, assuming he's welcome in Heaven."
He froze, "I compensated you very well for your role. Life in the castle, never having to work another day, jewelry, clothes, whatever you wanted,"
"I want to be queen Lucifer! I told you that! If I'm good enough to birth your child, I'm good enough to reign beside you." She demanded, stomping one of her feet as her eyes turned red, but Kathrine Ann's eyes wouldn't leave the young Lucifer. His knuckles were white as he clung to his pants, trying futilely to hold back his sobs while his own mother threatened his life.
"I will never have a queen Argnea. I thought I had made that clear," He tried to explain, but she pushed the knife into the young Lucifer's neck, causing him to cry out.
"Momma, please!" He sobbed, his eye's shut tight, as blood ran down his neck, and Kathrine Ann called out, knowing she would be crying if she had her own eyes right now. Her heart was breaking, and she felt Lord Lucifer struggling as well,
"Don't keep me waiting, Lucifer. You forget I know what you're feeling, so you can't bluff. I also know what he's feeling. Do you want to know how scared your son is right now?" She asked, her sick smile growing even wider as she dug the knife deeper, only for the young Prince to cry out again.
"Okay! Okay. Just let him go. He's just a child. He's our son, for fuck sake! Please let him go." He pleaded as she smiled and tsked, her eyes returning to black.
"Your word, Lucifer." She demanded, "The Lord of Hell would never break his word."
"I promise, Argnea, now let him go." She smiled the most wicked smile Kathrine Ann had ever seen as she released the young Lucifer, but not before giving him a shove.
Louie stumbled forward, catching his foot and falling to the ground. Quickly pulling himself up, he ran to his father as a trickle of blood fell down his forehead from a scrape.
"Dad!" He sobbed uncontrollably as Lord Lucifer crouched and wrapped his arms around the small boy.
"It's okay, Louie. You're okay. I need you to go back to the castle," He instructed, wiping the blood off his already healed forehead, but the cut on the throat seemed to still be bleeding, "Belial should be right outside the woods. Go to him. I'll come to tuck you in tonight, okay?" He reassured, running his hand over the boy's hair.
"I'm sorry, dad." He sobbed, "I know you said not to go to her, but he, I really wanted to see her. She said we would,"
"Shh, it's okay. Just go, Louie, go to Belial. Tell him to have Vassel get you something warm to eat. Go on, now." He ordered, and the young Lucifer ran off. He waited till his footsteps disappeared, and then the Lord stood up with a rage burning through his whole body as he looked at the smirking demon. He began to walk closer. The leaves crushing under his feet seemed almost deafening, yet she stood glowing with pride.
"So when is the wedding?" She asked, twirling the knife in her hand confidently, but with one quick move, Lucifer had his hand around her throat and her body pinned against a tree, her feet dangling, "You promised." She gasped as she clawed at his hand uselessly.
"I lied." He spat, "Have you forgotten who I am, Argnea? I am Lucifer. I stood against my own father. I am the beloved son who betrayed God." He laughed, "What makes you think I'd keep my word to a filthy demon like you? Especially one who dares to threaten my son! You disgusting creature. I gave you a chance out of the kindness in my soul, and this is how you repay me? I should have killed you once you birthed him." He hissed as he squeezed her neck, "You'll pay for your betrayal, but don't think your death will come quickly. I will make you feel as much pain and fear as you caused your son. Who knows how many centuries that'll take."
It felt like someone grabbed Kathrine Ann by the back of her neck and pulled. She gasped in the cool night air. She was on her knees with the Lord crouching in front of her, "How?" She huffed.
"Louie's not the only one with a few tricks. What you saw were my memories of that night. It is one of the worst memories I have. I thought I was going to lose him. Sadly I was not the only one scarred by those events." He explained, holding out his hand and helping Kathrine Ann to her feet before looping her arm through his and turning back towards the castle.
"You killed her?" She asked in barely a whisper.
"Eventually. My only regret is I didn't do it sooner. I knew Argnea was power hungry creature and figured she would try and use Louie against me, so I told Louie to stay away from her. Though, I never fathomed she would go as far as threatening the life of her own child. The worst part is the knife she used against him. She didn't know what she was wielding. She had taken it from my room, knowing it wasn't a normal knife and could cause lasting damage, but she had no idea its true purpose. Only two of its kind exist, one for my father and one for me. Nicknamed the soul destroyer, the soul dissolves if killed by one of those blades. Gone forever, no Heaven, no Hell just gone, and she threatened to use it on my son, our son." He sighed, "I did what I had to do."
"How could a mother," She stopped as her eyes filled with tears, "How could she?"
"Life can be so unfair, can't it?" He replied, and her body froze, "A mother so undeserving given an angel as a child." He scoffed, "Louie deserved better, yet here we are." They had made their way back to the entrance of the castle.
"Thank you, my Lord." She bowed, trying to hold her tears, "What you showed me explains some things. Have a good evening."
"Good night Kathrine Ann. Please call on me any time you need. After all, I'm your father-in-law."
She made her way upstairs and into their room, unable to get his sad, tear-filled eyes out of her head. Shedding her clothes, she slipped between the covers and tried forcing the images out of her mind. It was horrible what his mother had done to him and knowing what his father did in response. Her heart ached for that poor boy, but at the same time, he wasn't that poor boy anymore, and though she understood him a bit better now, it didn't change his actions or how they made her feel. She wasn't his mother, and she shouldn't have to suffer for that thing's mistakes, but he shouldn't still have to suffer either. Maybe she can help him see not everyone is out to use him. How, though simple words wouldn't work on his thick head, she'd have to show him. She would show him, but at the same time, she wasn't going to bow down and take his crap either. As she tried to formulate a plan, sleep did what it did best, stole her consciousness, and sent her into a land of dreams.