A pair of golden eyes were looking at her with amusement, sending the alarms ringing in Iris's brain. The upper half of his face was hidden behind a silver mask, with intricate designs of swirls and patterns that didn't make sense on Iris.
Something about the way he looked at her was alarming, as if he had just found a toy that would amuse him for a very long time. She knew right then why Yuri had sent her a warning through Ricci earlier.
"Are we going to waste time discussing this again?" She heard Lord Kieran said, much to her relief. Just the thought of having someone familiar in this place had significantly relaxed her nerves somehow.
Iris lowered her gaze, but knew very well that it was too late. The golden eyed demon lord had long reddish hair that reminded her of the spilled red blood of her hunts on fresh white snow. It was as if it was reminding her that she could end up sharing the same fate as her prey.
She surmised that this demon lord was none other than the 'Red King', the same one Ricci mentioned had a long-standing rivalry with Lord Kieran. Did the Red King perceive her as someone he could use against the Undead Lord?
"They're sending lesser maidens this time. Are they starting to realize that it's pointless for them to send maidens to us?" Another demon lord said, but this time, Iris maintained a low gaze as she had enough trouble on her part already.
"What else could they have done?" Caelea chuckled. "They'll never be able to defend themselves anyway. It's time for them to realize that they have been living inside a bubble."
"Enough of this." The Red King said. "Let's not waste our time and get these ladies tested."
This time, a few ladies with pointed ears entered in a straight line, dressed in pristine, white silk sleeveless dresses that reached their ankles. They looked a lot like Ricci. They must be faeries too, Iris thought.
Some had straight long hair, while others were wavy and curly. Compared to the tribute maidens, they looked so much better with their smooth, lustrous hair and healthy skin.
They were obviously serving these demon lords and yet, they looked better than mortals like them. It just proves the great contrast between how these demon lords and the royals of the Kingdom of Dravial treat their people. Indeed, these darklings looked down on mortal humans like them, but they would never turn their back on their constituents and would look after their welfare.
They had smiles on their faces, so different from the seemingly permanent scowl and frustrated expressions on the human maidens. If anything, it only proved how pitiful they were and how insignificant they were in the eyes of the rulers of Dravial.
Iris's body slightly trembled, not from fear, but from the frustration of knowing that these darklings were leading a better life compared to them. What made their lives less worthy in the royal family's eyes, that they were easily thrown away as a sacrifice while the royals were living lavishly in the capital?
No wonder Amelia was holding deep grudge and animosity against the nobles and the royal family of Dravial, despite her birthright as a noblewoman. It seemed that their lives were no better than the livestock they killed just to make ends meet.
Each of the maidens was brought before the thirteen demon lords to be presented and tested for magic and 'illness'. Half of them had already been tested, while Iris and her friends waited for their turn.
A pit grew in Iris's stomach, heavy and twisting at the same time. She had already unknowingly associated herself with a demon lord, and it seemed that two other demon lords would also take notice of her today.
The treaty forbade any darklings from harming any mortals in Dravial, but here, that treaty wouldn't be able to protect them from the wrath of the demon lords or any darklings who harbor ill intention towards them. It seemed that some members of the Court of Shadows also wanted to abolish the treaty with the humans anyway.
While every inch of this place was clean and spotless, it didn't sit well with Iris. It was as if the place itself was giving them the false sense of security - that no bloodshed would happen while they were being presented to the demon lords.
"Lady Amelia Buchanan? Can you step forward, please?" One of the faeries summoned Amelia to the dais at the center of the round room. "You don't need to worry. This won't take long."
Chrysanthe's hold on Amelia's hand tightened, not willing to let her go when the latter took one step forward, while Iris looked at her best friend with worry in her eyes. Despite what the faerie just said, she wasn't very reassuring.
The previous maidens that were tested passed out as soon as black shadows covered them for a moment. None of the demon lords showed any reactions so far, and none of the three could tell whether it was a good thing or not.
"It's alright, Chrys, Iris." Amelia tried to reassure them. "It's not like they would be able to find something in me that could interest them."
Chrysanthe unwillingly let go of Amelia's hand and hugged Iris instead. Just what kind of magic were these demon lords using to test them?
Amelia stepped forward, summoning all the remaining courage she had. She would be a liar if she said that she wasn't scared, because she was absolutely scared. She hadn't been this scared since she and her brother were chased out from their home by the royal guards after their parents' execution.
She stepped up to the dais, looked up to see the demon lords, but she couldn't see past the dark, thick fog that was covering them.