The last thing I remembered was yelling at that smug bastard before my whole world went black.
And now?
I woke up in a bed so soft I thought I had died and gone to some rich person's afterlife.
I blinked up at the ceiling, trying to register where the hell I was. The room around me was massive—dark walls, gold accents, and expensive decor that screamed royalty. But what caught my attention the most?
Everything was black.
The silk sheets, the curtains, even the fluffy-ass rug under my feet when I swung my legs off the bed. It was all in my favorite damn color.
Oh, this motherfucker.
Before I could start cursing him out properly, the door swung open, and a group of maids rushed in like I was some princess—oh wait, I was.
"My lady, your clothes are ready," one of them chirped.
Another held up an all-black outfit—not just any black outfit, but some rich, noble-level shit with expensive diamonds sewn into the fabric. My favorite gem.
I stared at them. "...You gotta be kidding me."
They just smiled and started dressing me like I was a damn doll.
—---
I had been sent to kill the Demon King, and now I was dressed like his spoiled queen?
Oh hell no.
I needed answers.
Still chuckling to myself like a crazy person, I stormed out of the room, marching down the grand staircase like I owned the place. The castle was unnecessarily huge, but I followed the sound of voices until I reached a dining hall big enough to fit an army.
And there he was.
Xareth.
Sitting at the head of a long-ass table, surrounded by demon nobles who all looked like they bathed in gold and power. They were deep in conversation, probably discussing war, bloodshed, or whatever evil shit demons talked about.
I didn't give a damn.
"You bastard!" I yelled, storming towards him. "Who the fuck gave you the right to keep me here?!"
The room went dead silent.
Every single noble turned to stare at me, their eyes widening slightly. A few of them smirked, some looked amused—and some were staring a little too damn hard.
Why were they—
Oh.
Oh fuck.
I looked down and nearly screamed.
My nightgown—the one I had slept in—was short as hell.
Like, barely-covering-my-ass short.
Like, bend-over-and-commit-a-crime short.
Like, no-wonder-these-horny-demon-bastards-were-staring short.
Heat rushed to my face. My hands instantly went to pull the fabric down, but before I could die of embarrassment
Smirking like the absolute piece of shit he was, he stood from his chair, walked over way too casually, and before I could protest—
He wrapped his royal cape around me.
The heavy black fabric dropped over my shoulders, covering me completely.
Then, in a voice smooth as silk, he turned to his demon guests and said, "If you value your lives, you will stop staring at my wife."
Silence.
The demons immediately looked away, some clearing their throats, others pretending to be very interested in their drinks.
I, on the other hand, was about to combust.
I shoved his damn cape off. "I am NOT your wife, you oversized cockroach!"
Xareth just chuckled. "Not yet."
I gasped in rage. "I will stab you."
"Again?" He arched a brow. "It didn't work the first time."
The nobles laughed softly. Oh, these assholes were enjoying this.
I clenched my fists. "You think this is funny?"
Xareth leaned in slightly, his golden eyes gleaming. "Oh, princess, this is the most fun I've had in years."
I was still fuming from Xareth's bullshit when I heard a deep voice chuckle, "Well, I suppose it's true then. The Elf King really did sell off his daughter like a sack of grain. What a pathetic—"
Silence.
I froze.
The whole room froze.
Did this horned, overgrown mosquito just say what I think he said?
I turned slowly, my eye twitching. "What the fuck did you just say?"
The noble, a tall demon with sleek black horns and an ugly personality, had the audacity to smirk. "Oh? You didn't know?" He gestured around. "It's the latest talk. The great Princess Sylara—trained assassin, feared warrior—was sold off by her own family to save her weak little stepsister. What a tragic story."
The demons around him chuckled.
Xareth's golden eyes flickered dangerously, but I was already moving.
I stalked over to the dining table. My eyes locked on a very expensive bottle of demon wine.
Then—
CRACK.
I smashed the entire fucking bottle on the noble's head.
The room exploded into chaos.
Wine and glass rained down his stupid face as he stumbled, blinking in pure shock.
Xareth burst out laughing.
The noble gasped, his fancy black robes drenched in deep red wine. "You—you crazy bitch!"
"Oh, now you wanna talk about crazy?!" I shouted, grabbing the remaining half of the bottle. "Say that shit again! SAY IT AGAIN, YOU DEMONIC PEACOCK!"
He stumbled back, raising his hands like I was about to stab him with the broken glass—which, honestly, wasn't too far from reality.
"Calm yourself, Princess," another noble muttered, clearly holding back laughter. "Violence isn't necessary."
"The fuck it isn't!" I snapped. "This asshole thought he could disrespect me and get away with it?!"
The demon noble groaned, rubbing his bleeding forehead. "I was just stating facts!"
"Well, here's another fact—you have no fucking survival instincts!"
The room erupted into laughter. Even the guards at the door looked like they were struggling to stay serious.
Xareth leaned against the table, grinning like a lunatic. "You know, I was really hoping you'd fit in here." He gestured to the broken glass on the floor. "Looks like you'll do just fine."
I pointed the jagged bottle at him. "Shut the fuck up, Xareth."
He chuckled. "Careful, princess. If you keep acting like this, I just might start to like you."