Damon strolled past a tree and into his dimension, a place he had discovered for his peace of mind and sanity. "Where are we?" Ava asked, her bright green eyes filled with curiosity. She looked around and noticed there were no flowers or trees, just plain ground and darkness. The sky wasn't blue but black. "Damon, what is this place?"
"This, my dear Ava, is a place where I like to find rest," Damon responded.
"Why would anyone want to be in a place like this?" she questioned, puzzled.
"Because this is where Lucifer fell with his lover," I explained.
"A lover?" Ava's eyes met mine, widening with surprise. "Lucifer had a lover?"
I nodded my head and purred, "Her name was Ellen, one of the fallen angels. Lucifer tricked her into falling alongside him, tricked her into falling in love with him."
Ava's brows furrowed as she processed the story. "And why are you telling me this, Damon? Does it have anything to do with us?" she asked anxiously, seeking answers. I remained silent momentarily, bracing myself for what was to come.
"Answer me, Damon. I'm getting nervous," Ava pressed, her voice filled with anticipation.
"When you first saw me," I began, turning my gaze towards her. "Did you hate me?" She shook her head in response. "Then what did you feel?"
"Fear," she replied honestly. "You exuded cold, dangerous fear from your body, and it scared me."
"Hmm," I murmured, contemplating her words.
"Tell me, Damon," Ava moved closer, a hint of unease in her voice. "Why did you tell me this story? There must be a reason. You've always said things after thinking about them for a while. Tell me, Damon. I know you're not Lucifer, so why are you telling me about this?"
"I don't want to deceive you, Ava," I confess, struggling to find the right words. I gasped and cleared my throat before continuing, "I need you to know that I am not a saint, a ghost, a dragon, or a human."
"Why do you keep confusing me, Damon? Just get straight to the point," Ava implores, her voice filled with frustration.
"Trust me, Ava, it is not my intention," I assure her earnestly.
"Then what are you, Damon? Why do you keep so many secrets hidden from me? I thought we shared a relationship now. Don't you trust me?" Her words are laced with disappointment and hurt.
"Ava, I love you, and I didn't want to keep you in the dark, but I have been scared. It's the first time I admit it to anyone," I confess, my voice laced with vulnerability. Ava's eyes widen in response. "I know you might think that men aren't supposed to be scared, but I am. Because if I were to expose everything, I might... I might lose you."
"You won't, Damon. Just tell me what the problem is, and we'll solve it together," Ava insists, her voice filled with determination and love.
Damon chuckles warmly. "I will, silly," I reply with a smile, flicking my finger to summon little butterflies. Trees and grass begin to grow, the sky turns blue, and gradually, the place transforms into a beautiful landscape. "If you find out what I did to Lara, you might hate me."
"I won't. I don't care if you did anything to her. She isn't related to me," Ava reassures me, her love and acceptance shining through her words.
"You're wrong, silly," I respond, observing the confusion on her face. "You are in every way related to her." I watch her carefully, a grin forming as her eyes dance with confusion and frustration. What will she do when she finds out the truth? Will she say Lara didn't deserve to die after what she did to me, betraying my trust and feelings?
I couldn't lie to myself anymore. Ava means everything to me. I would give up everything just to have her heart. She is my life, my soul, and the reason I laugh – the reason I live.
"Tell me one thing," she frowns. "What are you?"
"Ava, I'm a vessel for a demon," I confess, the words hanging in the air. Ava remains still as the realization sinks in. A vessel for a demon. As she looks at me, I see a flicker of something, not fear, but something else. "A demon that loves killing, Ava. A demon that revels in seeing blood. That's the main reason I punish my servants so harshly, to the point where blood is spilled. Please don't look at me differently from now on."
Shaking her head, she refuses to believe. "But you haven't killed anyone in a while now."
"No," I smile, "I have been trying to make you love me. Also, I realized that my demon... he likes you, Ava. He wishes for me to keep you."
"Damon..."
"I asked for it, silly," I chuckle. "Being born weak as a dragon made me hate my life. I despised that my twin brother had everything I wished for. So I left and asked Zeus to grant me something, something that would make me insanely strong. I asked for one of the demons he keeps in a cage."
....
Ava's voice trembles slightly as she asks, "Why do you hate your father?"
"Because he never hated me," Damon's words confuse me. "I was weak, Ava, but that crazy man still loved me. He always let his guard down, his mind filled with everlasting serenity."
"I don't understand, Damon," I reply honestly. "I don't think it's a bad thing for your father to love you. I mean, look at me. I've been yearning for a father's love, but I didn't get any of that because death took him away from me."
"He should have found a solution for me, Ava," Damon growls. "He did for Jeffrey when he was born weak, just like me. He found a solution for him, but when it was my turn, he turned a blind eye... I hate him for overlooking me. I hate him for lying about loving me. You don't neglect someone you claim to love."
I sigh, trying to find the right words. Damon's way of reasoning seems flawed and irrational to me. "Everybody wants a loving father, Damon. Maybe after what happened to you, Fedor made sure the same thing wouldn't happen to your brother. Have you ever thought about that?"
"I don't care, Ava," he shakes his head. "When I returned with the demon inside me and my dragon suppressed, he asked me to leave. He said I wasn't welcome there. He was the first to call me an abomination... An abomination for getting rid of the weak dragon that doesn't help me at all."
"You confuse me a lot, Damon," I mumble, drawing his attention to me. "You had a loving family, well, except for the fact that you had a relationship with your sister. They loved you. Wasn't that enough? Was there a need to be strong?"
"That's the kind of thinking dragons have, Damon," I respond, trying to understand his perspective. "The belief that there's no need to practice or learn to transform faster. But war is coming, and now the vampires are somehow winning. I understand your desire to rely on your strength."
"Now that the king and queen are dead, what will happen?" I ask, concerned about the future of the kingdom.
"I will save this helpless kingdom and become a king," he declares confidently. "A king they will all hate."
"Damon, you..." I start to speak, but he interrupts me.
"I am only soft with you, Ava. Don't expect me to be like that with everyone," he growls. "Things with me haven't changed. No, my plans are still in motion."
"Will you make Anna your queen?" I inquire, wondering about his intentions.
"No, silly," his gaze moves to me. "You will be my queen. That is if you accept me as your king."
"You flatterer," I chuckle, my smile unable to be contained. "I would love that, but the people may not appreciate a human as their queen."
"That isn't important," he dismisses it, emphasizing his intentions.
"You spoil me," I say, teasing him gently. "But how can I see myself as a good husband material if I don't spoil you too?"
"You are not husband material," I tease back, he places his hand on his chest dramatically. I chuckle, enjoying the playful banter between us. The air whirling around us seems to hold a sense of magic.
"You made this place beautiful, master," I compliment him sincerely.
"only for you my love."
"You deserve more, sweetheart." A blush creeps onto my face, and I can't help but smile.
"A flatterer indeed," I chuckle.
***
"So, you're officially my boyfriend now?" I ask as we move out of that dimension and settle on the horse, heading back to the palace.
"Do I look like a boy?" he furrows his brow. "I don't do friendship either."
"What is this, then? A man friend?" I question, trying to understand.
"I am not your friend," he frowns. "You're my future wife, and what we have between us is a relationship that isn't boyish or friendly. The things I do to you in bed are not friendly either," he says, his words causing a blush to rise to my cheeks. I remain silent, unsure of what to say. He leans close and kisses my neck, the townspeople staring at us.
"Damon, they're gawking, you know," I whisper, feeling slightly self-conscious.
"I don't care about them. I only care about you," he replies fervently. "But do you know what it means for a person like me to mark you?" His teeth graze my skin, and I gasp, shaking my head.
"It means you will be mine forever, mine to own and possess," he explains possessively.
"Why haven't you done it yet?" I ask, curious about his hesitation.
"Because I need your approval before doing such a thing to you," he whispers, his lips grazing my earlobe. "Think about it if you wish to belong to me forever."
"Will it ever fade or go away?" I inquire, wanting to understand the implications fully.
"Only if I am to die," he responds solemnly.
"Oh," I remain quiet for a while, contemplating the information he shared. Breaking the silence, I finally spoke up. "Did Lucifer and Ellen remain together?" Silence follows, and I turn my head to meet his gaze. He blinks, hinting that there may be more to the story.
"No," he replies, his expression remaining stoic. "Their love was not two-sided. Ellen grew to feel hostility toward him for bringing her to suffer in Hell. Her words were, 'If you love someone, you won't hurt them.' But Lucifer didn't reason that way."
"Ellen left him?" I inquire, wanting to understand the situation better.
"Yes," Damon's face shows a hint of anger. "She ran into the arms of another man, leaving Lucifer alone."
"I will not leave you, okay? I am not Ellen," I reassure him, hoping to ease any worries or insecurities he may have.
He smiles, the warmth returning to his eyes. "I know that, silly. And I am not Lucifer either. After all... it's just a story." Something flashes in his eyes, a hint of concern or guilt. There's something he's not telling me, something he's afraid might push me away. Why won't he just tell me? I wonder, eager to understand him fully.