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"ɪ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴡᴀɴɴᴀ ɢᴏ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴀᴛᴇꜱ ᴏꜰ ʜᴇᴀᴠᴇɴ ᴛʜɪɴᴋɪɴɢ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴇ ᴍɪɢʜᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴍɪꜱꜱᴇᴅ."
ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴄʀɪᴘᴛ
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When I was younger, when I was still living in the Demon realm with my parents and the Royal Demon family, this was a question I always wondered if someone would ask me one day. I knew I would say yes to whoever asked me because they wouldn't ask me unless they loved me, right?
But this is different, this is so much more complicated. Because this isn't just anyone asking me. This is the leader of the Ten Commandments and the youngest son of the Demon King. And I know he isn't really asking me this with a rational mind.
"No," I give him my answer.
Zeldris immediately pulls away, armoured hands on either side of my shoulders, but he doesn't look hurt. Instead, his dark eyes are full of understanding and he has a small grin on his face.
"I knew you would say that," he whispers as he gently massages my shoulders. "And it wasn't exactly romantic, was it?"
"Not now," I mumble. "Ask me when the war is over, when your father is in the grave, when the next crowned Demon King has proven to be prudent, when we're finally free from all of this chaos."
Zeldris cocks his head to the side. "That's a long list of very difficult tasks to complete."
I mirror his actions and raise an eyebrow, a challenge for him to do exactly that.
It takes a couple of seconds but when the Demon Prince finally realises what I'm hinting at, his grin turns into a nasty smile. He places both of his hands on my cheeks and brings me closer.
"Well, well, well," he says quietly, his breath ghosting over my lips. "Pretty little (Y/n) has proposed a challenge."
"And will you accept it?" I question firmly.
"Yes," the response immediately comes.
Giggling, I pull away and poke his nose. "Now, I have something else I have to deal with."
"Lenora," Zeldris says what is on my mind. "There's nothing going on between the two of us."
"You may see it that way, but—" I stop to lick the bottom of my lips. "Lenora may be hiding her feelings for you."
Zeldris shakes his head. "Trust me, (Y/n), she doesn't see me that way."
"I still want to talk to her," I say and then poke his nose again. "Where is she?"
"She should be in the kitchens with a couple of the other maids," Zeldris answers, grabbing my finger that's poking his nose. "While you do that, I'm going to go find my brother."
I huff, "Where the hell did he disappear to anyway? He was meant to bring me my chocolates."
A soft chuckle. "No worries. I'll get you some for tonight."
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"If you don't leave these kitchens in the next five seconds, my shadows will consume the whole lot of you," I say with a dangerous tone. "So scram while you have the chance."
Tiny shrieks and squawks fill the entire area before all of the Demon maids are rushing out.
All except for a blue-eyed Demon who stands at the far end of the kitchen with both of her pale hands clasped in front of her bosom.
It was a huge risk to reveal myself to the Demon maids but I'm quite sure the youngest son of the Demon King will make sure that they never speak of me to any of the Ten Commandments.
"Hello, my lady," Lenora says loud enough for me to hear.
As I make my way to her, I grab one of the apples from the cutting boards, throw it into the air and then catch it. Coming to a halt in front of Lenora, my (y/e/c) eyes snap to her as I take a loud bite from my apple.
"How are you feeling, my lady?" she politely asks me.
Swallowing my bite, I stay silent and just stare at her.
Right now, all I want to hear is her side of the story. Perhaps what Zeldris said earlier was true. Maybe the two of them only see one another like family. I know for sure that Zeldris doesn't like her that way but that remains to be seen for Lenora.
"Like a Red Demon sat on me," I reply coolly and then take another slow bite out of the apple.
Lenora stays quiet while I finish my apple and once I'm done, I throw the apple core into one of the bins on the other side of the kitchen without looking away from my maid.
"Believe me when I say I see Prince Zeldris like a son," she suddenly says.
I choke on my spit in shock and then shoot her an incredulous look. "Brother would make sense, but a son? I'm pretty sure you're the same age as the Commandment of Piety."
"I am much older than you think, my lady," she says, her blue eyes gleaming with affection. "Trust me."
"Your name," I whisper once I remember what she said to me while I was asleep. "What was the name your parents gave you?"
Lenora opens her mouth but nothing comes out and she stares at me helplessly.
"Alright, what about everything else?" I ask, crossing my arms. "Was everything else true?"
"I did tell the truth about my past, but I didn't give you all of the details," she admits.
"Then tell me all of them now," I demand.
Lenora clutches the pendant around her neck, saying, "My parents sold me to the Demon King so it was just a coincidence when Prince Zeldris saved me from the streets. I just happened to be there at the wrong time. But I never said anything. I let him believe he saved me that day."
"Sold you?" I say as my heart twists. "Why the hell would your parents do that?"
But I already know the dreadful answer. "My parents knew that I had power none had ever seen before and when they revealed me to the Demon King, he believed I could be of use to him."
"So in a way you were undercover," I murmur thoughtfully. "During the day you blended in as a maid and during the night you helped the Demon King with whatever he was doing to try and bring down the Goddess race."
"Correct," Lenora confirms. "That was a...precise judgement."
I blush slightly. "I'm afraid I have quite a wild imagination."
"And that wild imagination can always help you," Lenora encourages.
I smile and she does the same. Damn, I've missed her even though I just saw her a day ago.
"Shall we go for a walk, my lady?" she suggests. "We can leave the kitchens so that the maids can get back to work."
"Yeah, sure," I respond.
Out of nowhere, I grab her hand and start tugging her towards the entrance of the kitchens but not too roughly. Lenora makes a small noise but doesn't do anything else as she follows me.
"What the hell are you all looking at?" I bark at the maids when I see them crowding around the entrance like headless chickens. "Get back to work before I call one of the Princes."
They immediately go back into the kitchens and numerous worried looks are shot at Lenora.
Damn, they must be really fond of her. I suppose she must be like their mother to all of them.
"If you cause any trouble, I will eat her," I threaten them as a chaotic smile spreads across my face.
"Please don't hurt her, (Y/n) of the Dark Shadows," one of the maids speaks out.
I stop dead in my tracks and see Lenora quickly shaking her head at the other maid. Releasing her hand, I turn around and raise a finger in their direction.
"Who spoke right now?" I question with a blank expression on my face.
"I did," the maid speaks up again and takes a step forward. "I did, my lady."
"Your name," I demand.
"Juno," she answers me quietly.
I swiftly walk towards her and the other maids behind Juno move away in fear but Juno stays firm in her spot. When I reach her, I grab her chin and stare into her ebony eyes that are trying their best to appear bold and brave, but I can see a small shine of despair.
"Well, well, well," I drawl while examining her toned face and pitch-black hair. "You really care about Lenora, don't you?"
Juno swallows nervously and then whispers, "Yes."
"Thus the reason why I will not hurt her," I say simply and then gently let go of the younger Demon. "Lenora means a lot to me as well so no harm will come to her, I assure you."
"Thank you, (Y/n) of the Dark Shadows," Juno says gratefully.
I try to not flinch at that name. Waving a hand beside Juno's ear, my black mist forms into a flower and then rests on her ear. I playfully wink at her and start making my way back to Lenora who is trying to hide a bright smile behind her slender fingers.
"Come along then," I say to her as I hear shocked gasps amongst the loud chatter of the Demon maids behind us. "I'm afraid I need to share bad news with you, Lenora."
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"(Y/n), no," Lenora whimpers as she clings to my waist. "No, no, no, no, no."
My maid completely collapsed the moment I told her everything about my awful curse, about my powers growing every time my best friend dies, about the fact that I only have one heart left beneath my chest. But I trust Lenora with my life, with this secret, about what is to come.
"That's why I need you to watch over the youngest son of the Demon King once I'm gone," I say calmly and cradle her pale face in my hands though it's a bit difficult with the current positions we're in. "Promise me that you'll protect him, Lenora."
She shakes her head wildly at this request and buries her face in my stomach, her sobs echoing around us and it breaks my heart hearing her like this.
"My lady, no," she gasps. "My sweet (Y/n)."
"Easy there," I whisper, running my hands through her beautiful bronze hair. "You'll be fine."
"You don't deserve this, you don't deserve any of this!" she cries out.
Allowing myself to sink to the ground, I pull Lenora into a tight hug and say, "Maybe, maybe not. But do you hear my heart right now?"
Lenora shakily nods her head. "Yes, my lady."
"As long as it's beating, everything will be fine," I promise her.
"And when it stops?"
"War will break out amongst all of the races of Britannia," I respond. "And that's why I need you to ensure that Zeldris does not become like his father."
Lenora pulls back to reveal large tears running down her cheeks. "I have always been so fond of you and I always will, my lady."
As she places her forehead against mine, these words swim around in my head but I say nothing and simply listen to the sobs of two Demons who are running out of hope.
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