Lovely (Ruby x Dyrroth)

twenty-two

She faltered after hearing that. So that was why his people's word held so much power to him? To be honest, it made sense. If his role of Prince of the Abyss were to be taken away, then he'd be nothing but an ordinary demon, and that probably wouldn't be pleasant. Plus, with what he'd said earlier about him thinking more and more differently from the rest of the demons, he probably wouldn't fit in. 

Still, Ruby felt as though she had to be sure. Her assumptions probably weren't all that reliable nor accurate. 'Um, just out of curiosity, what would happen to you if you got dethroned?' Ruby asked him.

 A dark look passed over Dyrroth's face, only briefly. 'I'm not really sure. But there's a possibility that I'll die, at the hands of either Alice and Thamuz, or the rest of the demons.'

Ruby was shocked. There was a possibility he would die? 'But why? I don't understand.'

The corners of Dyrroth's lips rose into a bitter, humorless smile. 'It's just their way of doing things, of course. I'm pretty sure you've heard that much about them. Monstrous, bloodthirsty, merciless...they all describe my people perfectly.'

'You said you had their respect,' Ruby argued indignantly. She didn't know why she was saying this. Perhaps it was because she cared for him, despite knowing the last thing a prince would need was her care. 'Why would they still-'

'I have their respect as a prince,' Dyrroth responded, his voice becoming quiet. 'But as nothing but an ordinary demon, things would definitely be different.'

Ruby quietened, too. He had a point, and in all truth, what he'd said about what his people would do to him wasn't so hard to believe. As someone with friends who'd encountered the Abyssal Demons before, Ruby had heard quite a lot about their brutal, inhumane ways of doing things. It wouldn't be surprising if they treated a former ruler the same way, too. 

'Oh well,' Ruby said simply at last, 'as long as you remain the prince, none of that ominous-sounding stuff is gonna happen. So you better not get dethroned.'

A fleeting smile that was almost a smirk crossed Dyrroth's face. 'Don't worry, I won't.'

Ruby folded her arms, mirroring the crooked smile he was giving her. 'I'm sure you won't,' she answered matter-of-factly. 'You're Dyrroth, after all. You never mess up.'

He broke into a grin. 'That's right, I never mess up.'

Ruby groaned inwardly, absolutely regretting the fact that she'd praised him without thinking.

'Wait.' Dyrroth's voice abruptly jolted her out of her regret-filled trance. Ruby glanced up at him to see that he was pointing at the heavy ring of keys she'd hung on her leather corset. 'Uh, Ruby, are those the keys to your cage?' 

'Huh?' Ruby said, a little startled. As much as she hated to admit it, she'd completely forgotten they were there. And that was saying a lot considering how uncomfortable it was to hang a ring of huge iron keys on her waist. 'Um, yeah. I stole them. From a random demon who was literally quaking when I spoke to him.'

'I wonder who that could be,' Dyrroth muttered under his breath. 

'And, I, uh, kinda stabbed him before taking them. With a wrench. A pretty sharp one.'

The prince blinked, not saying anything for a few seconds, and Ruby was almost convinced he was angry at her for causing harm to one of his demons when he ran a hand through his silky hair and let out a noise not unlike a snicker. 'Wow, Ruby. Wow.'

She didn't like the tone he'd used when he'd said that. 'What?' she said suspiciously, glaring at him.

'Nothing.' That annoying smirk she both despised and adored had appeared on his face again. Ruby was pretty certain it wasn't just nothing, but she decided there would be no point in prolonging such an aimless topic and didn't say anything in response.