Ridley
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When we had been confronted by demon guards outside of the palace, we were convinced we would have to fight them. To our shock however, they told us that Prince Vandel had requested to meet with us in person. I had expressed my doubts to Percival, pointing out it could easily be a trap, but Percival had only shrugged and responded that we could fight our way out.
As we were led through the castle to the throne room, I swallowed hard.
I hated this place. Everything about it felt off. I could see no demons, other than the guards who led us, but I could still hear the sound of footsteps through the halls and the faint echo of the whispers of voices. This was especially unnerving due to the fact that everyone around me was completely silent.
We were led to two towering iron doors which opened, as if pulled by an invisible string, as we approached. Finally we stepped into the throne room. It was large and circular, the floor made up of the same shining black glass as the castle's exterior. Dangling from the ceiling was a large, crystal chandelier, illuminating the room in an eerie blue glow.
A large throne sat at its center, twisting high above our heads. Attached to it were two large, iron extensions, meant to look like wings. They perfectly framed the young man seated within it. There he was, the infamous man of the hour—Prince Vandel.
There could now be no denying he was the demon I had locked eyes with at the wedding.
I had never seen anything as outrageously gaudy as what he was currently wearing. His sleeves were jeweled, glittering rubies spiraling up the dark fabric and a black diamond sparkling at his throat. Gold lacing crawled up the garment's front and a silver crown (which stuck up like the sharp, uneven teeth of some creature from the depths of the sea) rested on his head. An ink black collar stuck up from behind him, so big that I had no idea how he was even able to move his head.
He looked up now, a calm expression on his face. Erica, Percival, and Thomas all instinctively bowed but I refused. I would never bow to this monster.
"Ah," he said, "so the gallant knights arrive at last." His voice was smooth and cold like marble and when he spoke I noticed the sharp points of his teeth.
I took a step forward, trying to keep myself from being unnerved by him. I could show no weakness. "We want Princess Annette returned to us."
Vandel smirked. "My, you're a brave one. If this heroic act wasn't quite so annoying it might just be cute." He crossed one leg over the other and I noticed little purple bows attached to the tops of his boots. "Now, I don't really want to fight with any of you. There is no need for bloodshed on either side. That's why I simply invited you here. The princess will be returned to you...after she marries me."
I glared at him and he held my gaze. "She'll never marry you."
Vandel shook his head. "Oh, I quite disagree."
I stiffened slightly. He seemed so confident...could it just be an act?
A sly grin spread across Vandel's face. Suddenly he stood up, the train from his long cape dragged behind him as he slipped down the marble steps descending from his throne. "Actually, I should be thanking you, sir Ridley."
I froze. How did he know my name?
"You see, I could have tried a variety of techniques to get the princess to agree. But really...all I need is you."
And then suddenly I realized I couldn't move. It was like my legs were attached to the floor. Vandel snapped his fingers and a fire sprang up in front of the door.
My stomach turned to ice water.
I should have known better. This was an obvious trap and still I had trusted that even demons would at least have some honesty and chivalry.
Vandel turned to the remaining three knights, winking. "If you extras leave now, I'll let you live. Seem like a good deal?" He snapped his fingers once more and the fire instantly vanished.
I went to call out for them to stay strong but, before I could even open my mouth, they all raced to the door—even Percival. When they were gone the iron doors slammed shut once more.
Vandel snickered. "What good are friends, right?"
My throat felt dry and my eyes stung but I attempted to appear indifferent, unafraid. Maybe they were planning something else. Maybe the other knights were going to try and take Vandel by surprise.
Vandel began to circle around me, his arms clasped behind his back. He looked smug and I hated it.
"You won't get away with this," I said slowly.
Vandel continued to circle. "Watch me. It should be incredibly easy for me from here on out. All I need to do is torture you in front of the princess and she'll do everything in her power to save you...including marrying me."
I shook my head. "What makes you think she would surrender due to the state of only a lowly knight."
Vandel paused his circling for a moment to sneer. "Are you really so naive?" He abruptly began to laugh and the sound made my skin crawl. "The princess is clearly madly in love with you."
"You don't know that!"
Vandel arched a brow. "You're right. I suppose I'm not a hundred percent certain. There's only one way to find out for sure." A sly smile spread across his face and he suddenly leaped forward, grabbing me by the arm. He leaned close, his face only a breath from mine and whispered, "Let's go see how far the love of the princess really goes for you, shall we?"
Suddenly I could move again but my entire body felt heavy, like I was being weighed down with led. Vandel pushed me forward, feigning annoyance at how slowly I was moving, despite clearly being the one causing it.
We made our way into a dark hallway off the main throne room. The more we walked, the more dispersed the candelabras lining the walls became. They glowed a ghoulish green, enveloping the hallways in an eerie glow. Soon we were walking in almost complete darkness but Vandel seemed to have no problem with that.
Finally, he came to a stop. In the pitch black hallway I heard the clang of metal. I assumed he was removing a chain of keys. To further back this theory, following the sound there was a light click before light instantly flooded into the hall. Vandel had swung the door open, grinning as he ushered me inside.
"Ooooooh, Princess," Vandel cooed.
Then he stopped.
The room was empty.
Vandel furrowed his brow, taking a step inside as he looked about. Even his cold and calm exterior couldn't hide the confusion that flashed across his face. He began to circle the room and it quickly was obvious he was trying his best not to panic. Clearly, keeping up the facade that he knew what he was doing was quite important to him.
Slowly, he turned back to face me, arms crossed. "Well, I guess they moved her to another room-"
And that's when Annette appeared behind him and slammed a large glass plate over the back of his head.
Vandel froze, mumbling only the words, "Oh shit," before he crumpled to the ground.