Sarah Anderson and Diana, Throne Room.
Meeting Diana's parents, King and Queen of the Lilith Kingdom, was quite something if I'm allowed to speak out. In all honesty, I was never good at leaving a good first impression but, I always gave it my very best, putting my heart into everything I did. And that time was no exception. It was just like my mother taught me while I was growing:
«Politeness is a sign of dignity not subservience »
Honor guards stood at the door of the Throne Room. The red double-door had four carved panels, which gave it depth and texture.
"The time has come," Diana murmured.
I stared at the huge door and I gulped down a bit o saliva that had been increasingly forming in my mouth the whole way. I wasn't sure if I still wanted to go in. A few moments ago I was excited to meet her parents but, now, I was afraid of what I might find on the other side. "W-Would you hold my hand Diana, please?" I asked her.
"Of course, darling. If that makes you feel a bit less nervous, I'll do it." Her palm caressed mine as her fingers slowly started to intertwine with mine; her hand cupped perfectly with mine. Her long and thin fingers, completing the space left in mine.
I closed my eyes and breathed in and out, trying to maintain a proper lady-composture and not panicking. "I'm ready." I finally said.
Then, at my command, Diana gave a slight nod to both honor guards. They immediately opened it for us.
Saero, who was designed to escort us to the throne room, announced Diana's demoniac name followed by her royal title loud and clear. "Princess Ezaeur, entering the room." As the three of us took a step forward and entered the room, the door shut close behind us, with a loud thud; I jumped at the sudden sound of the pegs clicking with each other so, I stopped and looked back paranoiac. I unconsciously squeezed Diana's hand.
Diana looked at me; her lips were stretched into a small, kind smile. As soon as she smiled at me, part of my nervousness and fear of the unknown fled away like a bunch of fruit-flies caught in a heavy gust of wind. "It's going to be alright." She mimicked.
My mouth twitched as I managed to form a smile to return hers.
It was Diana who took the 'second' first step and so I was obligated to do as well. Saero followed suit, not far behind. I walked the red carpet side-by-side with both of them. I was so anxious that I swear I couldn't think straight. Just taking a single step made my breathing rapid and shallow. I felt like drowning without water. I could feel my pulse pounding in my temples. I tried to stay calm as my eyes searched the room for something soul-soothing. I focused on the walls. They seemed to tell war stories. For example, one of them had this huge, wild mural of a griffin wielding a sword and an astounding dragon ridden by someone I assumed to be the king. "Wow..." I whispered completely mesmerized by its perfection and conciseness.
Ahead, there were two different throne chairs; one in silver and another in gold. Both were carved of fine oak, crested with several jewels and decorative metals forming an elegant coat of arms. The King sat on the right one and the Queen on the left, both with very distinct crowns. The Queen's was for sure the big one; the bottom was essentially a handmade crown of Lilith flowers and its golden frame was engraved with several diamonds and pearls, uniting on the top with a crossed turned backward. The King's was more simple but still royalty material.
Finally, they stopped by the center of the room, which made me come to a sudden halt. "Your Majesties," Saero and Diana bowed before the two figures sitting on the throne, as for me, I grabbed my dress and curtsied, just like I've seen in the movies.
The King wore a serious, tense expression, almost an angered one that you only see in battle or the one you put in front of your enemy. At first sight, he seemed very strict, hard to approach even; which turn out to be what happened in the end. Yet, the Queen was quite the opposite. She had a radiant, contagious smile on her slight chubby, rosy lips. I almost felt like smiling myself, however, I knew better. It was incredible! Nowadays, no one on this earth and the other, smiled like that, with both eyes and mouth.
The Queen instantly got up from the golden-adorned throne and started walking gracefully towards us. We did the same as well, side by side. The Queen had pure, innocent chromatic eyes and a pair of silver horns on each side of her head; they went almost unnoticed with all that platinum blond hair surrounding her slick, oval face and body curves. She was so thin and elegant that, if I didn't know beforehand that she was pregnant, I would never ever have guessed by just looking at her form. The marks dispersed all over her much feminine body was extremely gorgeous and completely different from Diana's. There were three, blue-sky colored, straight marks surrounding her neck, and several spiral ones, ending in heart shape-like, tainting the rest of her figure. I was in awe at her demoniac figure.
Diana stopped; so did I. "M-Mater..." She stuttered on the verge of tears.
"Filia mea... Ezaeur--!" The Queen welcomed her daughter with the most strong, warm maternal hug. Queen's arms squeezed a fraction tighter and Diana breathed more slowly, her body melting into her mother's as every muscle lost its tension to the spring air. After what seemed to take forever, they finally departed. Still, they remained for a short moment, just looking in each other's eyes, making sure it was not a mirage in front of them. And so, without saying a word, they said all. The Queen whipped her daughter's tears with her thumb and smiled out of relief.
Diana smiled at her mother as well. "I've missed you, mother..." She murmured happily.
That gesture... one filled with such powerful feelings. Upon that, I ended up remembering my mom. Mom... I just... wish you were here...
Suddenly, the Queen's gaze fell upon me, which caught me off guard.
"Ahh--!" I immediately bowed to her. Due to the surprise and my nervousness, I think I took the whole 'bowing-thing' too far; I ended up sitting on the floor.
"No need for that, human child." The Queen said as she stretched her arm and offered me her hand; I took it without hesitation. Didn't want to come out as rude, for as she has shown herself to be a kind being. She helped me get on to my feet once again. "Thank you for bringing my beloved daughter home." The Queen said.
"N-No mention it, your majesty." I grabbed the bottom of my dress and slightly squatted.
She smiled kindly. "You can just call me, Lunaris. Now come, child." Then, she guided us towards the throne where the King sat in silence. Diana's mother stepped-up into the podium, where the two thrones stood, with the help of her personal guard, and sat once again.
Diana bowed respectfully her head. "Pater."
A tall, imposing figure, as stated before, with long brown hair, tied up in a ponytail at the moment, chiseled face, and huge áries-like horns on the sides. His dark tone of skin definitely highlighted his wild red markings and the multiple war scars imprinted all over his tooled chest and six-pack. The King had an intense stare; his eyes were the same as Diana's: crimson red, as the blood. "Ezaeur." He reciprocated, no emotion at all in his voice.
"This is Sarah. The human girl who helped me." Diana presented me to her father.
I quickly bowed to the King. "Y-Your Majesty, it's an honor to--!"
"I'm aware that you made a deal with my daughter." The King simply muttered; his lips merely moved. "And what do you intend to do after you obtain what you want, human child? What are your intentions towards our princess?"
"Father--!" Diana tried to intervene on my behalf but was immediately hushed; the King raised his hand, compelling Diana to stay put.
I lowered my head in deep respect. "Yes. I can assure you that my intentions are good, your majesty. I wish no harm to your daughter."
"How long are you going to stay in the Demon Realm?" He asked.
"As long as it takes to bring my very own prince home," I answered.
The King played with his short beard, softly caressing it up-and-down."Interesting." He paused for a brief moment, thinking about his next question. "And, whose prince are you talking about?"
Saero knelt down and put the cards on the table for me. "Uzaeris, the second eldest son of The Demon Lord. My King."
"How did these two ended up knowing each other?"
"The Demon Lord's sons escaped the Demon Realm and went to live freely in the human world. If my sources are right, they have used energy from some 'powerful' human sorcerer to get there. I assume that they must have crossed paths once there, they would sure need someone to help them move around the Human Realm, my King." Saero explained.
I felt tears build up as he spoke about my grandfather so bluntly. How dare he?
"Hm, I see..." The King leaned back in his seat. "A demon and a human... intriguing..."
I lowed my head even further. I knew what he was thinking... A relationship between a demon and a human could never ever work out; that I was living in some kind of a fantasy world and I should just wake up and get back to reality. Dreams were for freshmen."Your majesty--!" I yelled, capturing his attention for sure. "I-I love him!" I threw my heart out there without a second thought. I had nothing to lose, I've lost it all already.
The King ceased his hand-movement. Surprised with the reply he obtained from me and from Saero as well, he said. "How is that possible? Demons can't feel love. They are beings of passion and lust."
"Ra-kaell..." The Queen lodged her hand on top of King's hand. "Remember when an angel fell in love with a demon?"
The Queen's intervention made the King's mouth curve into the purest smile with just the right touch of fondness. I had no idea that he could do that. "Yes, dear. How could I forget?" He took her hand in his and kissed longingly her knuckles. "And then, she turned into Chaos."
The Queen kept her kind expression as she continued, "She was an angel craving chaos... he was a demon seeking peace. They were naturally drawn to each other, like magnets."
"And, how did things turn out for them? Hm?" The King insisted on putting the highlight on the forbidden side of the relationship between the angel and the demon.
"They accepted their fate and surrendered their bodies and souls to each other." She replied undisturbedly by the King's skepticism. "The love they had for each other was more than enough."
"The awful ending they received for their forbidden, sinful act against God..."
"Yes, dear. But, the cycle would always reset." She kept smiling, telling the story so accurately that gave me the feeling that she had lived it in the first person. "Every cycle, they would meet again and fell in love for the first and last time."
"It did not end well. You think after three thousand years, they would learn." He interrupted, rolling his eyes annoyed.
"When you're young and in love, you do the craziest things, my King."
"Yes, know. But most of the time, it doesn't have large repercussions. With this story, the disc plays a bit differently." The King's gaze was stern, but his voice was calm."She was condemned to hell because of him. How can that be a happy ending?!"
"A bit melodramatic don't you think, Ra-kaell?" The Queen rhetorically asked.
"If it weren't for him--"
It was the Queen's turn to interrupt the King this time; she silenced him with a finger over his lips. "In every angel, a demon hides... and in every demon, an angel strides..."
"No one expects an angel to set the world on fire!"
The Queen giggled amused at the King's stubborn side. "My King, it seems age has been affecting your mind. If I remember correctly, It was you o approached me first."
The King sighed defeated. "Indeed, my love."
The Queen's palm caressed his cheek, her long bony fingers stroking it gently. "Even after I pushed you away so many times..."
The King closed his eyes and cupped the Queen's hand. "I kept my grounds." He muttered.
"Yes, my love. I remember it like it was merely a decade ago." The Queen recalled.
"I confessed my feelings to you." He said.
"And I rejected you. Over and over...."
"That's true but, I knew better." He said, proud of his woo skills.
"And over and over and over..."
"Hey! Watch it, young lady! You are hurting my feelings~!" The King took a hand to his chest and feigned a look of pain.
The Queen laughed; she seemed the teasing type.
"Mother... Father... please stop..." It was obvious; Diana was feeling embarrassed.
"But, finally, one day, in my pure, innocent judgment I let you stay. I stopped fighting the increasing feelings inside my chest. And that was the best thing I ever did." The Queen confessed, blushing.
"I remember that day like it was yesterday. You got very ill so, while you were unconscious, I carried you in my arms and stayed by your side until you fully recovered. All I wanted was to be your angel despite me 'being evil'. If that isn't Love, what is?"
"It is rare for an angel to fall in love with a demon but, not impossible. I think that might be also the case here." The Queen stated, "Love deserves a chance."
The King chuckled. "Always." He drew closer to the Queen and kissed her cheek morosely. "My young, wise queen~"
"My old, stubborn King~" The Queen reciprocated.
They looked forward to the three people in front of them already with their mindset on a course; they stayed with their hands entwined. The King cleared his throat and projected his voice. "After my beloved queen reasoned with me, I decided I will help you, child--"
I raised my head, eyes sparkling at the king's words.
"--but after you accomplish your mission, or not, either way, you return to your world. Saero, arrange a meeting with our war leaders."
"Of course, my King." He leaned forward. "With your excuse." And, he turned around and left the room with a countered, annoyed expression.
I instantly jumped in joy. "Oh, my lord! Thank you! Thank you!" My heart was filled with joy and relief. "Thank you so much, your highness!"
The King scoffed and waved his hand up-down, "Now, now... there's no need for that much of excitement."
"O-Oh--! O-Of course! I-I'm so sorry-- Your majesty." I bowed awkwardly.
The Queen giggled amused, "Kids nowadays. Don't you just agree?" She addressed herself to the man standing beside her; the guard simply nodded.
"Father, if I may... I need to speak to you. In private please." Diana asked.
"I'm a bit occupied at this moment. A lot to set for the counterattack." Said the King.
"Then I'll ask for an audience with a King, as the future heir to the throne" Poor Diana. What she had to do just to talk with her father.
"Darling..." The Queen sang in a melodious scolding voice.
The King sighed troubled. "You have ten minutes of my attention."
"Thank you, father. Ten minutes is all I ask then." Diana said.
"Guard!" The king called out, his voice echoed loudly across the room. "Please escort the lady to her chambers." The King commanded to his loyal subordinate, which was a brute demon. I wondered if that guy knew Beiser somehow and if he was still alive...
The Queen got up hand-in-hand with her own personal guard and was escorted through the door on the left side of the Throne room by two other muscular guards. Has the King ever got jealous upon seeing his mate always in the company of other men? If so, some heads would roll I bet.
I bowed and thanked the King once more for his kindness before I was escorted out of the room. I was left to find my way back to the guest chambers because something urgent seemed to have come up, the brute demon was being forced to leave me alone and deal with whatever it was happening in the war room. I assured him that it was completely understandable and that he should go. He didn't dwell too much on the issue and went his way, to mend whatever was wrong. I turned around and began the search on my own.