[Disgaea] 7sinsvirtuesFenArt [Drabbles] [Complete]

Chapter 2

Envy

"Sir Werewolf..." Artina said, lacing her hands behind her back. She took a deep breath, before continuing on. "I must thank you for taking care of Valvatorez for me."

Fenrich gave a disdainful snort, not even bothering to glance towards Artina's direction. Every hair on his body seemed to bristle from Artina's very presence in the room. "There's nothing to thank me for. I do everything for my lord. I serve him his favorite dish, sardines, every day. I straighten his cape and collar, I keep records of the daily happenings within Hades, I make sure that his coffin is well-prepared when my Master retires for the night, I make sure that his fangs aren't chipped and his teeth are pristine. Granted, there's nothing to thank you for. The only thing that my Master thanks you for is developing an unusual taste for sardines, which isn't the proper nutrition for a vampire such as himself. However, that is to exemplify my Master's virtue of making a positive out of any situation, no matter how appallingly pitiful it may be. Now let me ask you this. How do you have the gall to come here and say something like that with a straight face? You are just the absolute epitome of virtue and purity, aren't you, pretending that you actually care for my Lord and by thinking that saying such fruitless words could undo that damage that you have done. How do you explain yourself?"

His words were like a slap to the face. Here Artina tried to be nice to the werewolf steward, who had been nothing but abrasive to her throughout their journey together. Everyone else seemed to have accepted Artina into the group, all except Fenrich, who insisted that Artina was nothing but a hypocrite, a mere obstacle in terms of Valvatorez achieving his goals. Artina felt the stirrings of anger within her, though Artina decided that she wouldn't let go of her dignity by returning harsh words back to Fenrich. She will keep her calm; she won't allow Fenrich to get the best of her. "I see your point, Mister Werewolf. You may see me as a villain or the horrid seductress who stole away your vampire, if that would help put your mind at ease. However, I am truly sorry for what happened to Mister Vampire. It was not my intent to make him keep a promise that would inconvenience him so. I only wish to set things right and smooth the tension between us."

Fenrich merely gave a humorless chuckle at Artina's words. He finally turned to face Artina, and the angel could see a glint of fang in his smile. "I'm sorry, did you just say inconvenience? How about irreparably destroyed? You made him keep a promise that he had no choice but to fulfill by abstaining from human blood. You made him keep this promise for 400 years, while you simply went and got killed by bleeding heart altruism. If you helped out an enemy of your country in a time of war, not only are you a hypocrite, but you are also a fool. Or did you think that you would be automatically rewarded by getting a free pass into Celestia?"

Artina straightened, her back stiff and her face flushed. She told herself she wouldn't raise her voice, that she wouldn't indulge in this silly little game with Mister Werewolf, but it was becoming tempting to lash out and point out his shortcomings and flaws. "You tried to manipulate Valvatorez by pretending that you were dying, all so that you could get him to drink human blood."

"The ends justify the means," Fenrich said, putting a gloved hand against his chest. "All is for my Lord. And need I remind you that you were the cause of everything that happened? All because of some silly promise."

A sad cast overcame Artina's features. She turned away from the werewolf and clasped her hands together in front of her chest. "I know. It was my fault that I made him make that promise, especially since Sir Vampire always took promises so seriously..."

"Then we've finally come to an understanding. You were nothing but an inconvenience from the start."

Artina remained silent for a moment, before she said softly. "You know...I always envied how close you were to Sir Vampire. You did everything for him that I couldn't. So I guess..."

Fenrich put a hand on Artina's shoulder, turning her to face him. He then leaned forward to capture her lips within his own. Artina's eyes widened, though she eventually submitted to the forceful kiss. There was an incessant hunger to that kiss, a raw passion that Artina never had been exposed to before. Her pale skin began to flush and heat seared through her body. A dizzying rush of lust washed over her as she returned the kiss that Fenrich took for himself.

Fenrich pulled away, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. His golden eyes stared at Artina, seeming to strip her naked, making her feel vulnerable and exposed. Artina put a hand to her lips, still disbelieving that her first kiss was taken away from Fenrich, of all people. "W-Why? Why'd you kiss me if you hate me so much?"

"My Master's first kiss belongs to me. Do you understand?" Fenrich said, his voice a little husky. "You will not speak of this to anyone. Not even Lord Valvatorez. If you so much as breathe a word about this, I will strip your tongue from your mouth and ruin your vocal chords."

"Y-Yes," Artina said, putting her hands behind her back and nodding. "I understand."

"Good."

The werewolf then departed from the room. Artina still lingered inside, replaying the moment over in her head. His lips felt warm...and Saints and Sinners, she actually enjoyed it. She licked her lips nervously, before whispering, "Even if you hate me...I don't hate you..."