The L word, She'd said the big L word. Sael looked around feeling far more flustered and panicked than he should have. He mentally begged 'Where is a quest or monster attack when you need one.'
Looking up at him Ara gave him the saddest puppy eyes he'd ever seen making him feel like crap. "Daughter please explain what is going on. How could you give yourself so wholly to one that cares so little for you in return. Just look at the state you are in."
Hearing the Fairy Queen's words and seeing Ara made things start to click into place. 'Don't tell me. There is no special ability, no magic healing? Have I just been sucking the life out of her?'
Looking from Ara to her mother then finally turning to Nee who he felt he could trust most. "There is no Summer's Blessing is there? All the healing, it has been coming from her?"
Nee glanced to Ara who gave her a nod before looking away. "Summer's Blessing, the Vitality of Summer is just as you have always through it to be. What you did not understand was the nature of your bond with us, Ara in particular since you relied on her blessing so much." Sael forced himself to ignore the soft sniffle coming from Ara and keep his focus on Nee.
"Fairies are not like Demons. The power does not flow one way, it is shared when we bond and is intended to be shared both ways. Thus it can grow stronger as the feelings for each other grow stronger. You've yet to accept the bond between Ara. So, all the power has been drawn to you and kept to you alone. For a fairy our life force is intertwined with our power. A common fairy wouldn't have many issues in this situation, but she is a princess. The power she carries is far greater and thus a danger to her life."
Sael glanced around at the faces of all gathered, not just the fairies but even his human companions hoping to find some escape. Finally finding none he looked down to Ara who refused to meet his gaze. "Why?" For a moment his mouth opened and closed before he found the words he was looking for. "Why go so far? Why L-care about me? Why not just tell me? Is that what you meant all those times you said a kiss would make you feel better? You weren't flirting but being serious?"
"If I told you. You'd have done what you needed not out of real feelings but obligation. I wanted what you felt to be real. Just like what I felt after you risked everything to save a fairy you didn't even know. A human risked everything for a fairy, tried to comfort a fairy. You never asked for anything, even took care of me when I forced you to take me along. I just… I wanted it to be real."
Guilt assailed him as he remembered much of there time together differently. But he couldn't bring himself to argue with her. Ara still wouldn't look at him and Sael was left speechless not sure what to make of the revelation. "I didn't know? I don't know what to say…"
"Since you don't feel the same for her. Release her. I will give you your weight in gold, twice your weight even. I'll not even force the point of you having one of our crowns." Kera glared in Nee's direction. "Just give me back my daughter."
"Even if I wanted. I can't. She told me before what's done is done and it can't be undone."
"She can not. But you can." Was the queen's response.
Sael looked down at Ara but she neither spoke up or looked at him as he realized her trick with words so long ago. He wasn't sure what to do and he hated himself for how his mind had instantly tried to calculate the value of twice his weight in gold compared to skills and equipment. "Ara…." He didn't get to finish his question before cries were heard from beyond the throne room.
Kera's body stiffened "We are under attack. Demon's are in my castle." She spat out the last line as if it made her ill just to say it.
**********
Shel had never been as excited as she was when she slipped through the still open Fairy Circle to find herself in the Summer Castle. Slipping into the shadow of some creature as it was ushered out of the throne room she could hardly keep the drool from running down her chin. "How perfect. Here I thought I would get to murder that Winter bitch but instead I find an even better prize waiting." Leaving her shadow anchored in the plant creature's shadow she exited her Shadow Hold back into her lord's lair.
Drezzel watched his last general appear from the shadows at his feet to prostrate herself before him. Her features were far less human than before, her face nearly completely that of a spider while her legs were still human in shape, they were encased in an insect like chitin. He'd returned more of her power to her afraid that his last general might be slain just like the other. Now she had as much of her own power back as possible without breaking his subjugation of her. Demon Lords had the ability to take power from those they subjugated. But it was a delicate balance, if they let them have too much they might break the bonds. But leave them with too little to defend themselves and the Demon Lord risked losing all the power. Drezzel had already taken a blow to his strength, losing one general. If he lost his last he risked losing his status as Demon Lord.
So rather than focus on strengthening himself he worked to empower his last general. Little did he know the one that had gifted the demon race with that very power would have been thrilled at its original purpose working so well. It had been designed to force demons to care about others even if it was for the most selfish of reasons.
"My lord" Shel kept her face to the ground as she addressed him. Only lifting her face once he permitted. Drezzel looked into the lovely face of his last general finding her far more attractive now than when she wore the disgusting human guise. Venomous drool dripping from her mouth stretched wide by her mandibles was a far lovelier smile as far as he was concerned.
"I come bearing great news. My Shadow Hold is currently connected to within the Summer Castle." Her voice somehow managed to remain velvety smooth even as venom and spittle dribbled freely from her mouth in excitement.
Drezzel's shocked expression slowly morphed into a cruel grin of pleasure. Standing up he bellowed out a roar and stomped one massive hooved foot down shattering the stone floor of his own throne room. His army answered his call swarming into his hall from every direction.
Shell spread her shadow open allowing them to flood in as Drezzel caressed her cheek with one of his giant red hands. "Today for the first time ever. A Demon Lord shall have a crown."
**********
Queen Kera looked on in horror as demons of all kinds flooded her castle. She had no idea how they had found the castle nor managed to breach it. Until she glanced at the Fairy Circle. 'Damn it. Not now. I just got her back. I can't send them back through the gate, what if they are waiting there.'
Motioning behind her Kera created an escape tunnel. "Go now and take my daughter with you. I can't risk having you involved in this fight until we get you two annulled. But do not think for a moment this is the end of things." With that she turned her attention to her castle. Already demons were rushing out of shadows all over. She cursed out loud at being so distracted she'd missed a Shadow Hold being fragmented all over her castle.
Sael scooped up Ara feeling bound by his guilt to carry her and she neither protested nor clung to him as she once would have. Together with the rest Sael headed down a set of stairs that closed up behind them. They marched down the flights of stairs, each person in their own thoughts. Sael and Ara both felt guilty for the perceived wrongs they'd caused one another. Sael for making her suffer due to his insecurities, while Ara now felt as if she'd trapped him in a relationship he didn't want. The others were mixed emotions ranging from confusion to jealousy but no one spoke as they carried on.
Down below the stairs ended in a hallway that opened up into a large circular room. Sael halted the group before they made it to the entranceway. Something was off though he couldn't tell what. Focusing his senses ahead of them to push past his Combat Awarness's limits through sheer willpower he found nothing but the empty room. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling of danger. Glancing back he found that the stairs had closed up behind them leaving them no way but forward.
With no other choices they moved forward coming to the entrance of the room. Once again they stopped being halted by Sael. He still couldn't sense anything but something was still telling him that ahead lay nothing but danger.
Suddenly a deep booming voice echoed a laugh. "Interesting. She warned me you could sense even a Shadow Hold." Slowly rising out of darkness in the middle of the room was a huge towering red skinned demon. Massive shiny black horns thrust forward from his head like those of a huge bull. Stepping out of the darkness on his oversized furred goat like legs ending in pumpkin sized hooves that shattered stone he was a massive being that radiated power.
Once again Sael needed no appraisal ability to know the being in front of him outclassed him far beyond what he could handle. "So my senses weren't wrong. A human has one of the fairy crowns. Tell me Human did you murder one of the queens?" He tilted his head as if listening to something. "Not the summer whore she still lives. Then the winter one? It was you not her that drove Shel back that day." His laugh bellowed out again. "I have always loved you humans. You remind me so much of my own kind." The demon glared at the group huddled in the doorway. "Which means I can't let you live. But your kind love being noble don't they. How about a deal. Face me and I'll let your little pets run away. You humans do so love this kind of thing right? You're going to die either way so at least you can feel like your death matters?" Cruel eyes watched them all with alien intensity as if studying his actions.
Sael glanced around him at the others then down to Ara in his arms. 'Damn I can't hope for a young Tom Cruise to come by with a mirror can I?' Looking back to the demon. "Would you really let them go?"
A savage grin spread across his face. "Consider it a bargain. We devil's love our bargains and must keep them." Ara was clutching at the collar of his shirt and shaking her head no adamantly.
Glancing around he stopped on Nee and she understood what he was silently asking. "It speaks the truth… But I am against it. You can not win."
Ara pounded her little fist against his chest. "No you can't!" He looked down at her seeing tears in her eyes. "If not for yourself, for me then? Even if you won, I…" she choked up unable to finish.
Sael glanced to the devil who watched them like a kid with a magnifying glass picking his favorite ant. "Ara I'm so sorry I made you suffer just because I was a stupid insecure coward." He stated still watching the demon.
Turning back to her he cut off her reply. "I'm sorry I didn't act like the prince you deserved. I'm sorry I never manned up and did what is right. I'm sorry I never told you that I-" Sael ignored everyone else and rushed along before he could chicken out. "I love you too." Then for the first time ever he kissed her. Warmth flowed between them and her face regained some of its color. He could feel the flow of warm energy between them filling the little fairy. When they finally broke apart he could feel that she'd recovered but he knew she was far from better.
Looking up from Ara he quickly spotted Dego. "I'm counting on you."
Shoving Ara into Dego he pushed the entire group back into the hall as he locked eyes with her one last time. "I really am sorry. But you are neither my consort nor my princess." Even as her eyes went wide with horror he bellowed out at the top of his lungs "SUMMER QUEEN!"
**********
In her throne room a bellow that shook the castle drew her attention away from the attack to her daughter. The moment she sensed the Demon Lord she threw up walls to hide away her daughter and tried to crush him with the full might of the castle. But no matter how much mana she poured into the room nothing happened. It was as if it simply disappeared. Only then did she notice her daughter beating on the wall or that the human was in the room still. Her daughter was already recovering and she sensed that the human no longer had the Blessing of Summer. As much as she didn't want the demons to get the crown she wasn't willing to risk her daughter. She opened up the stairs behind them before she was forced to turn back to the other attack. "We will have to deal with the demon when the other crowns can be gathered. Perhaps I misjudged the human. Too bad."
**********
Sael turned around calling in his spear and wishing he hadn't stripped his armor. "Sorry about that wait, doubt you wanted to see all that mushy stuff. But I can't let you have this crown nor can I let you kill me. You see I need the crown still and I have things to do now. After I kill you I have to go propose properly and make up for being such an idiot before."
Spinning his spear he snapped it to the ready and charged forward calling out "Hasten!"