Lucifer awoke to the morning light that came peeking from the window of the room. He stood up from the chair in which he had slept in and waited to see if the master of the castle would show himself anytime soon. When no one appeared and he realized how worried his children might be should he stay gone a moment longer, he decided to take his leave.
"Thank you noble sir for your hospitality." He called out.
He left the dining room and moved to approach the front gate but stopped upon glancing through one of the windows which allowed him to see something very intriguing. A part of the castle that was much brighter than all other rooms that he had seen. Not at all dark and gloomy. This place that contrasted so much with the castle had Lucifer's curiosity greatly peeked and he just had to get a closer look at it.
It was a rose garden beyond imagination. The most beautiful flowers blossoming while giving off the sweetest scents. He was almost blinded by their color and overwhelmed by their perfume. Lucifer was then reminded of Charlotte's request to bring her back a rose and could not resist plucking one for his favorite child.
"At least I can bring a smile to Charlotte's face." He told himself as he admired the garden.
And as he looked around to choose which rose would be perfect for his daughter he once again was unknowingly watched by a set of red eyes and the owner of said eyes was becoming very anxious with this man trespassing in his garden.
"You should not have spared his life. Now he plans to take advantage of your generosity."
Lucifer pulled a small knife from his coat pocket and cut the loveliest rose from the branch. But no sooner had it been removed, the man suddenly felt a chill in his heart. Shadows seemed to be gathering all around and the ground felt as if it were shaking. A clawed hand gripped his shoulder from behind and when he turned around to see who or what had grabbed him all of his blood turned to ice.
"Well that's a fine way to show gratitude." The figure spoke in a sinister yet humorous voice. "Because of your gift to me I chose to not only spare your miserable hide but also to offer you food, drink, and shelter for the night. All under one condition, that you take nothing from this castle! Yet you not only violate the policy of my abode but you steal what is most precious to me!"
Lucifer could not speak. In that moment he had been rendered silent by extreme terror for he had never seen anything so hideous and frightening in all his life. Although the figure was masked by the shadows, Lucifer could make out his face perfectly and he tried to turn away from it.
"Don't look away from me when I am speaking to you! It shows great disrespect!" The creature moved his intense grip to the man's face and forced him to look at his own. "Yes my face is horrible isn't it? Ugly? Atrocious? Not at all handsome or beautiful!"
He laughed.
"It is a face that you have probably only seen in your nightmares! A face that has been spoken of in ghost stories told by the elderly! And it is a face that shall be the last thing you ever see in this world! For I intend to eat you alive!"
"No!" Lucifer cried, finally able to speak again. "You...You cannot be serious...Do you truly mean to eat me over plucking an insignificant flower?"
"That rose maybe insignificant to you but it is more valuable than all the treasure in the world to me! You have taken what I loved most so now you must die!"
"Wait! Let me explain!"
"I'm not interested in your pathetic excuses! Theft is theft, and all theft must have severe consequences! Yours will be your life which shall be slowly and painfully devoured by me! Not at all quick and painless like it is for my usual prey!"
"But I...I...I meant no harm...I...I only picked the rose for my daughter."
"You have a daughter?" The figure inquired.
"I have two daughters and I promised them both riches. But due to unfortunate circumstances I am ruined. Only a king's ransom could afford what my youngest daughter requested but my oldest one merely requested one rose. I just wanted to bring at least one of my children happiness."
"So your daughter is to blame for this thoughtless robbery?"
"Yes!" Lucifer shouted without thinking and his hand flew to cover his mouth in hopes that creature didn't hear him. But he did. He heard him.
"Quite low brow to direct all the responsibility to your children. How old are they?"
"My eldest is twenty-one and my youngest is nineteen."
"So they are both fully grown and in the prime of their life. Interesting..."
The creature took a moment to think to himself. He appeared to be contemplating something.
"This could prove to be a delicious opportunity. The old fool will taste of nothing but brittle bones, dry flesh, and blood that is no doubt close to becoming ash. His daughter on the other hand would have a much more satisfying taste. A young throat, ripe blood, tender skin. Doesn't it sound divine?"
"If what you say is true then this changes things." The creature said. "I am not so cruel, I will allow you to go home to say goodbye to your family but in three days time you must return to my castle and accept your fate as another one of my killings. Unless you somehow manage to convince another to take your place."
"Another? Who?"
"I'm not too picky but I do have preferable tastes. I can devour you but your taste is most likely much too old for me to enjoy the meal. So perhaps someone younger? With softer flesh? After all calfs are much more tender and rich tasting than bulls."
"Are you suggesting that I send one of my daughters to take my place? To be savagely eaten by the likes of you?"
"You could send one of your daughters but any young thing will do. However you won't be sending anyone to me. This person must come of their own free will and know the full terms of our arrangement. So if you can actually find some youth willing to come here to be devoured in your place I'll let you live. If not then...Well you get the idea, don't you?"
"You're mad!"
"I know." He smirked in twisted glee.
"Surely there must be some other way to appease you?"
"Nothing will absolve your crimes against me except for the glorious taste of flesh and blood! Now leave this castle and go to the front gate. You'll find a horse waiting for you, a horse that knows the way back to wherever it is you live. It will bring you home and in three days the horse will return to bring you back here. I expect to see you or someone youthful arrive here in three days."
Lucifer meant to protest more or propose another arrangement to satisfy the monstrosity but then the shadows closed in and just like that the demon he had spoken with was gone. He fled from the castle and toward the gate where a magnificent black stallion stood waiting. He saddled up on the horse and it immediately took off.
The poor man had never been so frightened. As he rode further away he tried to convince himself that the whole encounter was only a bad dream. But the rose in his hand was real and he feared that who he had stolen it from was very real too. Yet as his journey through the woods drew near an end he began to think to himself,
"What am I so worried about? I don't really have to go back to that monster and he can't really harm me or hold me to this deal. He doesn't even know where I live. I'm sure that within a month it will be as if that thing never even existed."
He told himself that over and over again during the whole ride through the forest. Trying to convince himself that it was true and that once he had arrived home then there would be nothing more for him to fear. That he would be completely safe and never have to worry about that dreadful creature ever again. But he was wrong. So terribly wrong.