That morning I woke up as usual. Angry and depressed. Tired and frightened. I didn't want to leave my bed. I didn't want to leave my room. But I had no choice. He didn't love me, but I loved him. I had to fight for what was his. I had to be where he wasn't. I had to protect his kingdom so once he was back, he would at least smile at me for that.
The suffering of demons in my realm made me sad. The young succubi dying every day fighting the monsters Lantana sent to our world made me feel weak. The ones dying due to lack of Lust Leaves made me feel helpless. But the fact that my Brunos had abandoned us, that he had married the daughter of the witch responsible for all those sufferings left me depressed.
Till now, I wasn't sure why he left. If it was because of me as Fellene told me, or if it was really because he loved Lantana's daughter. All I told him was that I would never open my mouth unless he agreed to love me back. But that didn't mean he could abandon his demons for hundreds of years. It didn't mean he could avoid me like a plague.
Perhaps I was stubborn when I made such a decision. But that didn't mean he could marry Lantana's daughter. How beautiful was she to make him fall for her? How could he love a daughter of a witch whose actions led to the death of hundreds of our kind every day?
Maybe she really was that beautiful. But where did they meet? I never left Brunos's side even at night. I was with him throughout his childhood. Did they meet when he left for war? Where else? It was for this reason that I wanted to go to war with him.
'Father, look at what you've done. You should have allowed me to go with him to war that day.' I internally scolded my father.
Reciting the encouragement words he used to recite to keep us motivated while in training, I stepped out of my bed. The least comfort I felt left me. The least joy I felt left me. And I felt like crawling under my sheets again. At least in the bed I would fall asleep. At least I would meet him in my dreams. We would roam the lands, fly above them and talk to each other. He would come into my room, climb into my bed and do all the wicked things I always wanted him to do to me.
I reminded myself that protecting his kingdom was the only way I would get a chance to speak to him when he returns. To ask him something as a reward of having kept his throne safe. I would not ask him to love me like before. I would ask him to at least take my virginity. I would ask him for a child. Any. I would prefer a son because he would at least be as handsome as him. A son to marry me once he grows. But that was impossible. Ever since Lantana cast a spell on our Realms, no one has ever gave birth to a baby boy.
"My lady!" Uliva's voice startled my thoughts. I knew what she wanted. To tell me I should prepare for the day. To give me bath and dress me for the meeting to come.
Bang! Bang!
Banging two times on anything meant she could come in. This time it was a bedside table to be banged.
I walked towards the bathroom. The second place I loved after my bed. Being inside the bathtub, lying and Uliva's soft fingers caressing my skin relieved my always tired body. The body which was always tired of waiting for Brunos. Tired of fighting the monsters in the Pergus valley for the sake of his kingdom.
As I stood beside the bathtub, my eyes searched for what had been replaced this time. It was customary to always change something everywhere so that we wouldn't get bored of living endlessly. The lion statues spitting water into the bathtub were still yellow, the towels the same and everything was the... No! The followers in the hot water were red. My favourite colour.
When Uliva entered the room, I felt her hands around my waist as she untied my night gone from behind. I made my body flexible and allowed her to take it off.
"My lady!" Her call meant I had step into the wide bathtub made for me and Brunos. Since he wasn't there, the far edge remained unoccupied.
"Uhm!" I made a prolonged sigh of satisfaction as the warmth of the water engluffed my body. Since there were not many things that gave me joy, I cherished this moment and the feeling it gave. This made my lips fall open as I hummed the song only me and Brunos knew. We were staring at a flowery field when we first sang it. It was the birds in a tree we had climbed that inspired Brunos to start singing. That inspired me to sing along.
"My lady!"
Uliva was asking for permission to wash my breasts. Since I would not speak, she never asked questions or use standard statements. She would only call me and I would know what she wanted. A routine I have memorized for hundreds of years.
Normally, I would do that myself and she would wash the rest. But not when I had dreamed of Brunos. His touch in my dreams always left me longing for real touch. That's why I twirled to face Uliva. The sign that she could go ahead. I assumed it was Brunos touching me as Uliva's careful soft hands blushed against my skin. I knew using her that way wasn't right but I couldn't fight the demon I was.
"My lady!"
I allowed her to proceed and now her touch on my hips made my toes curl. Still in allusion that she was Brunos, I stayed still as she made her way near my treasure pot. After seconds she stopped and I felt like crying.
"My lady!"
She wanted me out of the bathtub but I wanted more. I wanted something inside me. Something only Brunos had. That way, I had no choice but to climb out.
Uliva made me sit in front of a huge mirror and I stared at her reflection as she combed my red hair. We shared many things in common. Her green eyes always had darkness inside them; her round face was never happy. Maybe because of her husband's death. Her son's death. Lantana has stole the important thing from us. Happiness.
After covering my horns with protectors, a heavy weight brought fear and fatigue back to my body. The fear which increased when she called me. She wanted me to stand up. To summon my wings back. My tail back. My misery back.
Uliva had chose breast protectors that only covered my nipples. A succubus must look seductive. Must wear to tease not to hide anything. I wondered whose idea was that. It could have been good if I had who to tease.
She put on my arm, thighs and treasure pot protectors. They all rhymed with the colour of my wide wings. Now I was back to my normal. Back to Valeria I hated. Alluring and beautiful, yet sad, terrified, and tired.
The sky was crystal blue when I stepped out of my chambers. Thankfully, Lust Leaves allowed me to skip meals because otherwise I would have died of hunger. Thinking about him in a way of why did you leave me alone always stopped my appetite. I would feel depressed by his choice of Lantana's daughter instead of me. He could have at least chosen someone who was not our enemy.
Since the Crimson Star failed to give me awe-inspiring views at daytime, I walked towards the Red Triangle where the monthly meeting was supposed to take place. My brothers would be there but instead of being happy, I was frightened. I had defeated them but I knew they still wanted the throne I had. If it weren't for Fellene who fought on my side, they would have won.
Everything went as planned until night fell. Talking about our achievements, being entertained by dancers, taking lunch and talking about problems in our Realms. Before the evening, everyone danced except for me and Fellene.
Since succubi exceeded incubi in numbers, it had become normal for the succubi to dance among themselves. Zeal and Pagern would be switching, but Fellene never bothered getting up. I knew what he wanted. Me. But I didn't want him to think otherwise. I used to dance with him, but when he said he wanted more than a dance, or a dance of another ilk, I started distancing myself from him.
Now it was time for quarrel quest; the last session of the monthly meeting. The part everyone hated and liked at the same time. We would point at each. Tell each one what they've done wrong; something everyone hates, especially me. My realm... forgive me. Brunos's realm was huge and the richest so I was always accused of stealing the population from other realms. The population they said I couldn't manage since the dying numbers increased everyday.
I would tell them that demons came willingly, that dying numbers were high for we were so many but they wouldn't understand. Then the quarrel quest would begin.
"No! You are the one." Pagern scolded me.
I glanced Fellene's way for assistance but he wasn't there. Something that had never happened before. Was he angry with me? Maybe he was. What about Zeal and Pagern? Why did they leave soon after? I sent Uliva after them but she reported they had teleported. Something was odd. What were they planning that night to go that far? I never trusted them, so when they took so long to come, I ran outside to check on them myself.
Who would have thought I would be greeted by noise from servants and guards cheering for what was in the sky? Staring at a colourful butterfly? So big and beautiful as Brunos promised? Was this why Fellene left? Did he know how to do it and wanted to surprise me with it?
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Special thanks to Me_The_Harem_Lover