ᴍʏ ɢᴜᴀʀᴅɪᴀɴ ᴀɴɢᴇʟ | ᴢᴇʟᴅʀɪꜱ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

ᴍʏ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛʟᴇꜱꜱ ᴘʀɪɴᴄᴇ ᴄʀᴏꜱꜱᴏᴠᴇʀ

━━🌹 ━━

━━🌹 ━━

"ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴ' 'ʙᴏᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴀᴋᴇꜱ ᴍᴇ ᴡᴀɴɴᴀ ᴅᴏ ᴛʜɪɴɢꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪ ꜱʜᴏᴜʟᴅɴ'ᴛ."

ᴀʀɪᴀɴᴀ ɢʀᴀɴᴅᴇ

━━🌹 ━━

"Zel," I quietly call out to the Goddess King when I realise how distracted he is. "Zeldris? Zeldris!"

"Wh—What?" he squeaks and I wince slightly when I hear the sound of his quill ripping the paper he was writing on. "Sorry, my mind was elsewhere for a moment. Is something wrong, darling?"

"Take a break," I insist, my tone firm. "You've been busy all morning. Come here. Rest with me."

"I can't right now, sweetheart," he responds weakly and then runs a hand through his jet-black hair in frustration, grunting. "I still need to go through all these reports that Mael's sent and—"

"Zeldris," I whisper his name and my husband immediately snaps his gaze over at me. "Please."

Sighing quietly, he finally gives in and puts down the quill. He slowly gets up and walks over to our bed, sitting down next to me. I smile, delighted, as he wraps his arms around my waist and gently presses the side of his face against my stomach. I start stroking his hair as he hums softly.

"I can't wait to hear their heartbeat," Zeldris says after a minute of silence. "Or feel a little kick."

"That won't be for a while," I blurt out and then feel him squeeze my waist questioningly. "I..."

"I'm not leaving," he reassures me. "I'll be with you every step of the way. Don't worry, (Y/n/n)."

"I don't doubt that," I argue, frowning a bit. "I'm not worried about that. By the end of it, I just..."

"Just what, darling?" Zeldris murmurs in confusion with his thumb lightly kneading into my hip.

"I just don't want to end up being useless," I admit, my voice so quiet that it ends up cracking.

"Useless?" Zeldris spits the word as he quickly sits up to face me, scowling. "Are you serious?"

I squeak when he suddenly kisses me roughly. "Zel, I just meant that I won't be able to help—"

"How the hell is carrying my child in any way being useless?" he growls and my breath hitches in my throat at the sight of his darkened jade-green eyes. "You're having a baby, (Y/n). That isn't an easy task. What you're doing is already enough. And I won't have you seeing it any other way."

"Bu—But I won't be able to do enough," I choke, my hands balled up now. "I have to—I can't—"

"You having this child is enough for me, (Y/n)," my husband says as he cradles my blushing face in his hands, a stern expression on his own pale face. "I don't expect more from you. You being healthy, you being happy to have this child, is all I could ask for. Do I make myself clear, (Y/n)?"

Biting hard on my bottom lip, I shakily nod my head in response, trying my very best not to cry.

"Hmm. I can't hear you, dear wife," the Goddess King says teasingly, tilting his head to the side.

"I understand," I whisper and give him a weak smile as he gently pulls me in for a tight hug.

"Why don't the two of us," Zeldris says quietly as he lies back down and draws my head to rest on his chest, "have a quick nap? I can't think of a better way to relax with my gorgeous (Y/n/n)."

Giggling at this sweet statement, I snuggle closer and close my eyes, sighing in contentment.

"Dream of me?" my husband requests jokingly as he drags a strand of my hair behind my ear.

"Heh, of course," I say, laughing. "You should know by now that I always dream of you, angel."

His hushed laugh is the last thing I hear before falling asleep.

━━🌹 ━━

The sound of the birds loudly twittering outside is what wakes me up.

"Angel?" I call out sleepily as I open my eyes and then slowly sit up, looking around. "Zeldris?"

I pout in annoyance when I see that my husband is not by my side and that he's left the curtains of the main balcony drawn open, letting the bright light from outside to seep into the bedroom.

Placing a hand over my stomach, I whisper, "Your daddy's left me all alone. How irritating, no?"

"Ah, you're finally up," a deep voice speaks up from behind me and I spin around to see who it is.

An excited smile quickly takes over my lips when I see the Goddess King standing at the entrance of our bedroom, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest, grinning.

"Angel—" I suck in a sharp breath when I suddenly sense an unfamiliar magic emitting from him.

Ah, crap. Something's terribly wrong here.

"You're not my Zeldris," I whisper in realisation and he immediately freezes at this declaration.

"And you're not my (Y/n)," the imposter responds quietly as he hesitantly walks over to the bed and stands at the end of it, his emerald-green eyes wandering all over my body. "Who are you?"

"(Y/n)," I answer him with narrowed eyes, my seven hearts racing now. "And who might you be?"

"King Zeldris of the Demon race," he says simply and my jaw drops in shock, my eyes widening.

"King of the Demon race?" I choke out the title, shaking my head in disbelief. "You're a Demon?"

"Judging from your appalled reaction, the Zeldris you're familiar with is not a Demon," he states curiously, lips curving into a presumptuous smirk. "If he's not the Demon King, who is he then?"

"My Zeldris is from the Goddess race," I answer and surprise flickers in those eyes so similar to my husbands'. "He was the youngest son of the Supreme Deity. But he's now the Goddess King."

"The Goddess King?" the other Zeldris breathes. "What an intriguing title. But I'm afraid we don't have a Goddess King in this world. So, I'm assuming my older brother is still the King of Liones?"

"Yes, he is," I say, shifting on the bed a bit. "With his wife as the Queen of Liones, my older sister."

"Your older sister?" Zeldris chokes. "You've got to be kidding me. Elizabeth is your older sister?"

I dip my head to the side, rubbing my stomach slightly. "Uh yeah, she is. Is she not over here?"

"Elizabeth is an only child, just like you are," he explains to me as he places his armoured hands on his hips, looking thoughtful for a moment. "And she was the daughter of the Supreme Deity."

I immediately burst out in laughter. "Wow. So she was the only child of the Supreme Deity? Now that's just hilarious. I really can't imagine my eldest sister being anything other than a Demon."

A symbol of light. My eldest sister. Those two really do not go together. Although, I suppose she is changing for the better. Slowly. Just like I'm trying to do right now. For Zeldris.

"If Elizabeth is the Queen of Liones," the other Zeldris trails off with his eyebrows scrunched.

I smile crazily. "I'm Queen (Y/n) of the Demon race. And it's a pleasure to meet you, King Zeldris."

"Huh," he murmurs, smirking in return. "The pleasure's all mine, Queen (Y/n). Now that we've got introductions out of the way, may I ask how exactly you managed to get yourself here?"

"Uh," I say as he walks over and comes to sit beside me. "Well, I was hoping you would know."

"I'm afraid I don't," he says, chuckling. "Why don't we head over to the Kingdom of Liones right now? I'm certain Meliodas and Elizabeth could help us figure out a way to get you back home."

"That sounds good," I say and then blink when he offers a hand to help me up. "Oh, thank you."

"I think we can agree that my wife has most likely swapped places with you," Zeldris says as we leave the room. "Now, I'm not entirely sure whether it's magic from your world or mine that has caused this. But I'll ask Meliodas to contact Merlin and inform her that we'll require some help."

I nod my head silently in response as I observe his familiar movements and facial expressions.

If I hadn't detected the dark aura surrounding his soul earlier, I think it would have taken me a couple of minutes to realise he wasn't my Zeldris. But everything else, his physical appearance, his mannerisms, his attitude, his habits, are all uncannily the exact same as my dear husbands'.

"Um, what's wrong?" I question hesitantly when I see that he's been staring at me for a while.

"Sorry for staring, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," he says, quickly turning his gaze forward. "I was just thinking that it's quite nice that I'm still with you even in an alternate world."

My smile immediately softens at this. "Yes, I'm really happy that you're mine in this life as well."

He subtly clears his throat before asking quietly, "So, how did we meet? I mean, in your world?"

"Well, we first met during the Holy War," I start to explain. "And Gelda introduced the two of us."

The other Zeldris wrinkles his tiny nose. "So...is Gelda a Demon in your world? Or a Goddess?"

I pout in confusion, saying, "Uh no, she was a Vampire. Do you not have a Gelda in this world?"

"No, I don't know any Gelda," he responds slowly as we both leave the palace grounds. "And a Vampire you say? That's interesting. We don't have the Vampire race in this world. Alright, why don't you tell me everything that's happened in your world, (Y/n)? In return, I'll do the same."

Nodding my head in agreement, I then eagerly tell the Demon King everything about my world. While I explain how things work where I come from, I can't help but smile fondly when I see that dazzling shine in those leaf-green eyes. Once I'm finally done telling him everything, I quickly notice that we're now near one of the main passages that will lead us to the lands of Britannia.

"This is honestly the quickest way to get to the Kingdom of Liones," Zeldris says as a pair of dark wings slowly spread on his back. "However, we'll only go this way if you don't mind flying, (Y/n)."

"I don't mind that at all," I say as I stretch my arms above my head, my joints cracking slightly as I smirk. "I actually haven't flown for quite a while now so this would be a good exercise for me."

"Too busy with your royal duties now?" Zeldris teases me as my own wings extend on my back.

"Not just that," I hum. "My husband's been pretty insistent that I stay home since I'm pregnant."

And with that, I launch myself off the ground, heading straight towards the passage up ahead.

"Y—You're pregnant?" I hear the other Demon holler in shock and I burst out in laughter. "(Y/n)!"

"Yeah?" I say breathlessly, looking over my shoulder to see a worried look on his pale face now.

"That's a rather major detail you failed to mention," he says disapprovingly once he reaches my side, his jade-green eyes darting to my stomach and then back to my face. "Don't you think?"

All I do is shrug. "Maybe. Maybe not. Are you planning on treating me differently, Demon King?"

"We—Well, of course!" he exclaims, exasperated. "You need to take it easy, (Y/n). You can't just—"

"And why should I?" I question quietly. "Because I'm fragile now? Too delicate in this condition?"

"Because it's not about taking care of only yourself now, (Y/n)," Zeldris says firmly and my hearts flutter at his slightly distressed expression. "You have another life growing in you right now. So you can't carelessly do whatever you want anymore. You have to think for the both of you, (Y/n)."

My lips very nearly twitch into an amused smile. "Hmm. Well, I guess when you say it like that..."

"So damn stubborn," he mutters under his breath but I hear every single word. "And annoying."

"Yet you still married me," I immediately counter to which he reluctantly grins. "You...love me."

Zeldris hesitates for a second at this. "I love my (Y/n). You're still (Y/n). But you're not my (Y/n)."

"Yeah, that makes sense," I say, nodding in agreement. "I'm her, but at the same time, I'm not."

Smiling faintly, Zeldris then asks, "Now, shall I tell you stories of my world, Demon Queen (Y/n)?"

━━🌹 ━━

"Meliodas," I say the name of my lover's older sibling without looking up. "You're staring. Again."

"Whoops," the Demon sitting in front of me quickly apologises as he rubs the back of his head, grinning. "Heh. Sorry about that, (Y/n). I mean, I can't help it. The similarities are just...uncanny."

"I know," I murmur, reassuring. "From all the paintings you've shown me...I don't blame you."

It's been over an hour since Zeldris and I arrived in the Kingdom of Liones. Everything looks the same. It's just everyone else who looks so different. Especially Meliodas and my older sister. The Meliodas from this world is not as humble as the one I know and this Elizabeth is so much more kinder and polite. But other than that, the couple are exactly the same; perfect, goofy, content.

"Here," I hear the Demon King say quietly as he places a cup of hot tea on the table. "Drink this."

I pick it up and blow at it lightly, breathing in the steam. "Ah, it smells really good. Thank you."

"No problem," he says and then sits in the chair next to me. "So, Meliodas, what do we do now?"

A heavy sigh. "Honestly, Zel, I have absolutely no clue how to approach this...bizarre situation."

"My Merlin will figure something out," I state and the other Boar Sin of Gluttony swiftly looks up at me with a slightly offended look so I raise a hand as a sign that I'll explain myself. "Don't take it as an insult. I'm not saying that my Merlin is smarter than you. Far from it. I'm just saying that she's more knowledgeable in this particular field since she's been studying it for the past year. However, I am aware that it's quite possible for you to come up with something before she can."

"Thank you for the kind words of encouragement, (Y/n)," the Daughter of Belialuin says quietly, almost shyly, as she stands up and dusts herself. "I suppose I'll get going then. Wish me luck."

Before I can, she snaps her fingers, disappearing. Narrowing my eyes, I take a small sip of my tea.

"Odd as ever," I mutter under my breath but Zeldris clearly hears this and then looks over at me.

"Odd for you to say something like that," he notes and I raise an eyebrow in question. "My (Y/n) is very fond of Merlin, she sees her as her own little sister. Even though you're not her (Y/n), Merlin still got flustered around you just now. I'm surprised you couldn't pick up on her nervousness."

I pout, tilting my head to the side. "I'm...close to Merlin? In this world? You didn't mention this."

"Well, there's a lot to tell," Zeldris responds, shrugging. "I'll most likely forget a thing or two here and there, (Y/n). But I'll make sure to fill you in on anything you're unsure or confused about."

"So, have you thought of any names yet, (Y/n)?" a soft voice suddenly speaks beside my ear and I immediately snap my head to the side to see shining blue eyes watching me carefully. "Hmm?"

"Elizabeth," I breathe her name. "Jeez. Someone really needs to put a bell on you or something."

She giggles, light and free. "Ah, my apologies. It wasn't my intention to startle you, sweet (Y/n)."

I flinch at the endearment before saying to her quietly, "We haven't yet. We only just found out that I'm with child so we haven't really had the time to think of any names. Besides, I'm not that great with choosing names so I'll probably leave that for Zeldris. He's better at this kind of stuff."

"Indeed, early days," she agrees and I feel my chest tighten when she gently drags a thin strand of my hair away from my eyes. "But are there really no names that come to mind, sweet (Y/n)?"

It's...strange. Even though we're not sisters in this world, Elizabeth seems to be very fond of me. Physical touch is evidently not foreign for her and the (Y/n) from this world which is something I'm not used to. My Elizabeth is well aware of this so we've both been taking it one step at a time.

"I suppose there may be one or two," I admit and I nearly smile when I see the Demon King's emerald-green eyes sparkle with interest, a smile growing on his lips. "What's with that look?"

"Do tell," he responds simply and leans on his elbow, his chin on his hand. "I'm intrigued now."

"(Y/n)!" someone suddenly yells my name as the doors loudly burst open behind us. "Oh (Y/n)!"

I turn around in my seat to see five members of the Seven Deadly Sins enter the room. I wheeze in surprise when I feel the Serpent Sin of Envy hug me tightly, her cheek pressed against mine.

"I know you're not our (Y/n)," she whines as she squeezes me and I blink in confusion, "but it's been a long time since I've seen (Y/n) and I always love our hugs and I just thought we could—"

"Take your time," I say as I pat her back awkwardly and she lets out a tiny excited squeal at this.

I'm not sure how to react to this. The Diane I know wouldn't come anywhere near me. No, that's mean of me to say. She's trying her best. So are the other Sins. They're all trying for my husband.

"Yeah, it's kinda obvious that ain't our (Y/n)," the Fox Sin of Greed comments and the Grizzly Sin of Sloth quickly shoots him a disapproving look. "What? I mean, look at the way she's acting—"

"How much exactly has Merlin told you?" I question once the Giant Queen pulls away from me.

"Not enough," the Fairy King answers me truthfully, crossing his sleeved arms over his chest.

Sighing softly, I look over at them, saying, "Then I suppose I should start from the beginning."

━━🌹 ━━

I'm not that far in my pregnancy and I'm already feeling so much more lethargic than usual.

"Ugh, damn it," I groan as I place my forehead against the stone railing, my fingers digging into the stone painfully. "Whatever you do, (Y/n), don't throw up. Don't throw up. Don't throw up."

Once the urge passes, I slowly look up and allow my eyes to wander over the Kingdom of Liones.

Everyone here is trying so hard to help me get back home. But nothing seems to be working. The Boar Sin of Gluttony still hasn't returned which most definitely means she's struggling to find a solution. Even though I'm visibly staying calm, I feel like I'm about to implode from the inside.

"You look quite conflicted," someone speaks up. "Is it something I could help you with, darling?"

Hearts skipping a beat at this unfamiliar voice, I swiftly turn to see a beautiful woman not too far away from me, leaning against the stone railing of the balcony. Light brown eyes shimmering, her (y/h/c) hair is neatly tied up in a high bun with a couple of strands that fall across her (y/s/c) face. A pleased smile graces her lips and she has both of her hands clasped behind her back.

"Hello," I greet her a bit cluelessly and I can't seem to stop staring at her gorgeous face. "Um—"

"My name is Arica, darling," she introduces herself, offering her hand. "And you must be (Y/n)."

"I am," I say slowly and dip my head thoughtfully. "Apologies for staring. You look very familiar."

"I should hope so," Arica says as we shake hands, giggling politely. "After all, I'm your mother."

"Mo—Mother?" I choke once she lets go of my hand. "Yo—You're my mother? In—In this world?"

This angelic being in front of me...is my mother? The (Y/n) from this world is so damn lucky.

"Elizabeth had informed me that you were from another world," she states as she moves closer to me with her hands behind her back again. "But I didn't think that our worlds would be that different. So if you don't recognise me as your mother, (Y/n), who is your mother in your world?"

I lick my lips nervously before answering her, "My mother was the Demon Queen, Lady Arica."

"Oh my," Arica squeaks in surprise, her brown eyes widening. "I...was not expecting that at all."

Not knowing what to say, I just shrug, my gaze shifting to the ground in front of me. I try to not freeze when the other Demon cradles my face in both her hands, her touch so loving and gentle.

"My little girl is also broken," Arica whispers out of nowhere and my hearts jolt at this statement, my hands shaking by my sides. "But I'm glad to see both of you are healing. Slowly, but surely."

"Yeah," I say, my voice hoarse. "It sounds like your...daughter had it rough during the war. Being the vessel of Insanity and all that. But you won the war. So I'm sure it was all worth it in the end."

"Indeed," Arica agrees with me and draws her hands away. "But there were repercussions for it."

"Repercussions?" I repeat the word with a confused tone as Arica waves for me to follow her.

She nods her head sombrely. "My daughter still has terrible nightmares. The Demon King tells me there are times when she cries out for her father in her sleep, begging for him to not leave."

Sir Dagon, the infamous Demon adopted and raised by Pacifier Fiend and Napping Reaper, the husband of Lady Arica, and the father of (Y/n) of the Dark Shadows. And I was shocked to learn that the (Y/n) from this world was the very being who brought the end to this powerful warrior.

"She wakes up screaming sometimes," the Demon beside me goes on. "There were two Human children (Y/n) wasn't able to save during the Holy War; Gaia and Grace. Zeldris wakes up at times to these names being sobbed. After everything she's sacrificed, she still suffers. My poor girl..."

"I don't think the nightmares will ever go away," I blurt out. "What we've been through...is not normal. Far from it. I have a feeling that these nightmares will haunt us till the end of our days."

"Maybe," Arica says breathlessly, a worried expression on her face. "Fate can be so very cruel."

Fate, destiny, all of that can get pretty ugly, the wise words of the Fox Sin of Greed from the past suddenly quietly echo at the back of my head. But I say screw that.

"If you allow it, then yes," I murmur softly. "Yes, fate can be cruel. But there are times when you have to stand your ground, Arica. Fate kept trying to separate Zeldris and I. But we fought back."

"You love him very much, don't you?" Arica coos and I start blushing. "You're adorable, darling."

"I love him with all my hearts," I say firmly and then come to a sharp halt when my stomach jolts.

"(Y/n)?" Arica calls out as I rush over to one of the garden bushes and then throw up. "Oh, (Y/n)!"

"Sorry about the bushes," I groan as Arica rubs my back soothingly. "That came out of nowhere."

Arica pushes my hair away from my face. "Was it something you ate earlier? Oh, you poor thing."

It takes me a few seconds to realise that she has no clue that I'm pregnant. Arica must have just arrived in the Kingdom of Liones so the others might have forgotten to mention this fact to her.

"No, it's not because I ate something," I reply, hands on my knees. "It's because I'm pregnant."

There's silence for a solid minute. I then burst out in laughter when Arica shrieks in excitement.

━━🌹 ━━

Pouting, I raise an eyebrow. "Zel, I really don't need any more blankets. This is enough for me."

"You sure?" he questions and I snigger when I see how many blankets he's holding right now.

"Yeah, I'm quite sure, Zel," I reassure him, slowly leaning back against the headboard of the bed.

"Just want you to be comfortable," he explains as he puts away the extra blankets. "That's all."

"Thank you," I say as he walks over and sits on the edge of the bed next to me. "Busy day, no?"

"Yeah, very busy," he answers. "As the Demon King, there's so much to deal with. But it's been easier with (Y/n) by my side. I would have most likely lost myself in the work if it weren't for her."

My smile grows. "Heh. You sound just like my husband; completely lost without his dear wife."

Zeldris laughs loudly, clearly amused. "And that sounds just like something my wife would say."

I playfully stick out my tongue at him and he adorably returns the gesture with his eyes closed.

"Hey, angel—" I cut myself off when I realise what I called the other Demon. "Sorry about that—"

"It's fine," he reassures me, grinning cheerfully. "No need to apologise. Cute nickname though."

Blushing, I roll my eyes fondly and then draw the blankets further up, covering my upper body.

"I find it crazy that Lenora in this world was your mother," I whisper out of nowhere and the two of us immediately burst into giggles. "But it is, isn't it? Your mother in this world but my sister in my world. It's just insane how similar yet so different some of these alternate worlds can be."

Zeldris chuckles, slowly nodding his head in agreement as his gaze drifts over to my stomach.

"If your Zeldris really is like me," he speaks softly, "then...I hope your child looks just like you."

"Ha," I snort inelegantly at this statement before placing my fingers over my lips. "Excuse me for that...sound I just made. That's what my Zeldris keeps telling me. Of course, I want the complete opposite. I want our child to look like him, with those dreamy green eyes, that adorable smile..."

"Oh? Dreamy green eyes, huh?" the Demon King says teasingly and I stick out my tongue again.

I let out a small yawn before turning on my side to get more comfortable, my eyes falling shut.

"Rest well, darling," I hear Zeldris say very quietly, his soothing voice sounding so far away now.

"Don't let me go," I mumble out of nowhere and I hear him immediately draw in a quick breath.

"I never have," he whispers after a brief pause and then leans in closer, his lips brushing over the side of my forehead, "and I never will. Sweet dreams, my love."

━━🌹 ━━

Waking up from the darkness, I feel an unfamiliar hand gently running through my hair. Without opening my eyes, I swiftly grab hold of the hand, my fingers tightening around the slim wrist.

"Oh geez," I hear someone above me say breathlessly. "Hey relax, would you? It's just me, (Y/n)."

My eyes flicker open to be greeted with a pair of dark purple eyes staring at me, lips pursed into a frown. The wrist in my hand suddenly twists so that my hand is now the one being held tightly.

"I'm afraid," I say groggily, my mind still heavy from sleep, "I have no clue who the hell you are."

The newcomer flinches, her eyes widening. "Ah. So it seems that there's no Juno in your world."

"Juno?" I repeat the name as she lets go of my hand. "No, I don't know any Juno in my world."

I blink, trying to get a better look at this woman. She has jet-black hair that cascades down onto her front, blending well with her tanned skin. Her intimidating gaze softens, purple eyes shining.

"Huh," she says simply and tilts her head, watching me curiously. "And yet you're still my (Y/n)."

"I look like her," I say as I slowly sit up, "but I'm not her. I'm not the (Y/n) you know, young one."

Juno snorts at this. "Young one? Really? You're only a couple of decades older than me, (Y/n)."

Squinting my eyes, I grumble, "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Why the hell did you wake me up so early?"

"Early?" Juno scoffs and then lightly boops my nose with a finger. "It's way past morning, (Y/n)."

"Wait, what?" I squeak in surprise, my mind wide awake now. "Past morning? How the hell..."

"You must have been really tired," Juno notes as she starts tidying up the bedroom. "Hungry?"

Before I can even answer, my stomach rumbles loudly. Juno giggles behind her hand as I blush.

"We made your favourite this morning, (Y/n)," Juno informs me once she helps me out of bed.

My head immediately whips around in her direction. "Huh? (Y/f/f)? You made (y/f/f) for me?"

"Yup, we did," Juno answers proudly as she heads towards the main door, the ends of her black dress gliding across the floor. "However, our King insisted that we cook several other dishes for you in case you didn't like (y/f/f). So there's other food if you want to eat something else, (Y/n)."

"Nah, (y/f/f) sounds good," I say cheerfully as I follow her, a wide smile spread across my lips.

"Tell me, are you fond of chocolates?" Juno suddenly asks and I shake my head in response. "I only ask because our (Y/n) has a sweet tooth. She's loved chocolates ever since she was a child. And our King constantly spoils her with different kinds of chocolates made across Britannia."

My seven hearts flutter fondly. "That's sweet of him. Sounds like something Zeldris would do."

"Indeed," Juno hums. "The Demon King loves his wife dearly, more than anything in this world."

But from all the stories I've heard from the others, this Zeldris is a little more unhinged than my Zeldris. I won't lie, he sounds a lot like who I was when I was drowning in my grief and rage after the war. Maybe it's because he's a Demon in this world; he was less sympathetic, less caring, less kind. And this poor, lost Demon only changed after his (Y/n) tried to save him from the darkness.

Zeldris was like me—exactly like me; a heartless prince determined to protect the love of his life.

"Afternoon," a deep voice draws me out of my preoccupied thoughts. "Did you sleep well, (Y/n)?"

I quickly look up to see familiar leaf-green eyes admiring me and my chest tightens at the sight.

"I slept well, thank you," I reply as we make our way over to the Demon King. "What about you?"

"Not too well," he responds truthfully, smiling softly. "I'm not really used to sleeping by myself."

"Right," I say, wincing. "Sorry to hear that. Perhaps some breakfast will make you feel better."

"You mean lunch, sweetheart," Zeldris lightly teases me as the three of us enter a massive hall.

Just as I'm about to retort sassily, my body freezes when I spot Elizabeth sitting at the end of a long table filled with different food dishes. Meliodas sits on her right while Arica sits on her left.

"Good afternoon, Juno," I hear Zeldris politely greet the other Demon from behind me. "Thank you for bringing, (Y/n). I believe they require help tidying up the kitchens. Could you please—"

"Of course, my King," Juno cuts him off softly and I turn around to see her start leaving the hall.

"Thank you!" I blurt out and she glances over her shoulder, blinking. "For, uh, waking me up."

"No problem," she says quietly, smiling widely as she heads out. "Enjoy your meal, my lady."

Once Juno leaves us, Zeldris brings me over to the table and I choose to sit beside Arica. I let a small smirk take over my lips when the Demon beside me shoots me a sweet, reassuring smile.

"You look quite refreshed," she compliments me, gently patting my cheek. "Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, a little bit," I answer her stiffly at the unfamiliar yet calming connection I have with her.

"Please, help yourself," Zeldris tells me as he sits down beside his older brother, opposite me.

Hesitantly, I start serving myself some food on my empty plate. I can feel everyone's eyes on me but when I look up, they quickly divert their attention to their own meals, the sound of cutlery and dishes clattering filling the silence. I slowly purse my lips and then focus on my food again.

"How are you feeling today, sweet (Y/n)?" Elizabeth abruptly speaks up and I very nearly choke on the fruit I'm eating right now, my eyes widening for a moment. "Oh dear, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," I answer her once I finally get a hold of myself, clearing my throat. "I feel much better. I'm not getting those sudden urges to puke which is...great. Thank you for asking, Elizabeth."

She dips her head to the side and then smiles brightly. "That's good to hear. Isn't it, Meliodas?"

"Yup," he responds cheerfully, grinning at me. "You take all the time you need to rest up, (Y/n)."

"Thank you, Meliodas," I say gratefully and my gaze wanders over to Zeldris, my breath hitching.

"Try the (y/f/f)," he says quietly, waving a hand towards the (y/f/f) dishes. "I made them myself."

"You did?" I say, blinking. "Oh, thank you very much. That was kind of you. You didn't have to—"

"I wanted to," he cuts me off smoothly and I immediately shut my mouth, my chest feeling light.

"Thank you, Zel," I say again as I quickly take some of the (y/f/f), a blush taking over my cheeks.

"We haven't heard back from Merlin yet," Meliodas informs me while I start eating my food, my stomach finally settling down. "But don't worry, (Y/n)! I'm sure she'll figure something out soon."

"Don't put too much pressure on her, Meliodas," I blurt out unexpectedly and I immediately stop chewing when I realise what I just said. "Uh, I just meant that she shouldn't—Well, you know—"

Giggling behind her hand, Elizabeth says, "No one can force Merlin to do something she doesn't like. Like to hurry up with her research or to finish it on a certain day. I can't imagine something like that ever happening. After all, she's not so different from your Merlin, right sweet (Y/n)?"

"From what I've seen," I say, "Merlin appears to be the same. If you ignore the shyness, that is."

"The Daughter of Belialuin is only ever flustered like that around you, Elizabeth, and Meliodas," Zeldris explains to me before drinking some of his tea. "Remember what I told you yesterday?"

I nod my head slowly, lips pressed into a thin line. "Yes, your (Y/n) appears to be quite close to the Boar Sin of Gluttony. And if I remember correctly, she saved Merlin when she was a child."

"Correct," Meliodas drawls with a pleased smirk as he slowly leans back, sinking into his seat. "And that happened way before the war. So we've all known Merlin for a very long time now."

I take another big bite of my (y/f/f), my focus oddly starting to stray elsewhere. "Hmm, alright."

I stay silent for the rest of the meal while the others talk to one another about things they need to get done for today. From the corner of my eye, I notice Zeldris glancing over once in a while.

Maybe I shouldn't have told Zeldris about my pregnancy. I know he's looking out for me, but he has the same mindset as my Zeldris; he takes care of me so well but treats me like some delicate piece of pottery without even realising it. It's endearing but also demeaning, to a certain extent.

Call me an awful wife, but I grew up as one of the most powerful Demon warriors Britannia has ever seen; I have witnessed war, bloodshed, suffering, death. I have a right to feel...trapped.

Once I'm finally done eating my food, I look up to see Zeldris silently observing me. I may have seen it a thousand times, but that soft smile of his will always get me so flustered and nervous.

"Would you like to go for a walk with me, (Y/n)?" he suddenly asks me and I blink in confusion before slowly nodding my head. "Excellent, let's get going then. Meliodas, we'll see you later."

"Alright, have fun on your walk," Elizabeth says, beaming, as both Zeldris and I get up from our seats and start leaving the hall. "See you guys at dinner! The rest of the group will be there too."

"See you, Elizabeth," I say quietly and my hearts jolt when Zeldris gently takes my hand in his.

"You know, I couldn't help but notice you seem a little uncomfortable with my brother's wife," Zeldris remarks as we walk down the long, empty passages of the castle. "Everything alright?"

Damn, am I that easy to read? I guess only to the Demon King. I need to get a hold of myself.

"I'm not really...used to it," I answer hesitantly, my gaze cast to the stone ground in front of us.

"Not used to...what?" Zeldris questions and I shiver slightly when his thumb rubs my knuckles.

I shrug my shoulders. "Her touch, her affection. The older sister I know isn't always so...touchy."

"Oh," Zeldris says and wrinkles his nose. "I can't imagine Elizabeth...not being affectionate."

"The hatred you had for your older brother," I try to explain to him, "is the same hatred I once had for Elizabeth. I forgave her after the battle against the Supreme Deity, but I'm still healing."

"Older siblings," Zeldris mutters under his breath, "bring so much pain but also so much love."

"You can say that again," I say and then suck in a sharp breath as we enter the gardens. "Wow."

"Meliodas had them made just for you," Zeldris says, chuckling when he sees my appalled look. "He didn't make them now. He did it for my (Y/n) before our wedding. My (Y/n) loves flowers."

"Right," I say, clearing my throat. "Well, these gardens are absolutely gorgeous. Oh, thank you."

I sit down on the spot the Demon King brings me over to, his hands steadying me. I roll my eyes fondly at how cautious he's being and then pat the area next to me, waiting for him to sit as well.

"Show me your mark," I request out of nowhere and this immediately causes the other Demon to suppress a choke, his jade-green eyes widening in shock. "Your royal mark, you dummy."

Blushing in embarrassment, that wonderful green colour fades away from his eyes, the colour ebony black taking over. The royal demon mark similar to mine forms on his pale forehead.

"Incredible," I whisper, my voice full of wonder. "It's just like mine. And it looks so weird on you."

Zeldris gives me an exasperated look. "Oh well, thank you very much for your kind compliment."

"I just meant that I'm unaccustomed to seeing you with Demon features," I clarify for him quietly and then slowly raise a hand, my fingers reaching out to touch the royal mark. "That's all, Zel."

The Demon King takes hold of my hand before I can and asks, "Do you like white roses, (Y/n)?"

"Well, I think they're...beautiful," I answer as he lets go of my hand and stands up. "Uh, why?"

"Wait here for a moment, darling," he instructs and walks off to some of the lush bushes nearby.

Do white roses mean something to Zeldris and (Y/n) in this world? Otherwise, why would he—

"Oh," I murmur when Zeldris kneels in front of me and offers me a white rose. "These are lovely."

I jerk in surprise at the feel of his cool fingers against my skin as he tucks the white rose behind my ear. Blinking, my hand hovers over the white rose, a crimson blush taking over my cheeks.

"Beautiful," he speaks softly as the royal Demon mark gradually fades away from his forehead.

Everything around the two of us seems to come to an abrupt halt, the silence deafening my ears.

"No matter what world I'm in," Zeldris speaks in a low tone as he envelops my hands with his, a tender expression on his face, "no matter who we are in other worlds, I'll always love you, (Y/n)."

Something tightens in my chest when I hear these sweet words, tears building in my eyes. I grit my teeth, trying to stop myself from crying, and then nod my head shakily, my throat tensing up.

Zeldris wears a soft smile. "I don't want anyone else, because you're the only one for me, (Y/n)."

"Zel," I choke when he gently squeezes my hands. "You should be telling your wife this, not me."

"But you still have the same hearts as my (Y/n), right?" Zeldris notes with a cheeky grin and then scrunches his eyebrows as if just realising something. "I guess one heart in my wife's case. Heh."

I burst out in laughter at this remark and tears start to roll down my cheeks, my vision blurring.

After all the cruel things I have done to others, after all the pain I have caused, he still loves me. He still chooses to see the good in me rather than the mistakes and awful sins I have committed.

"Hey now," Zeldris coos, kissing my hands. "I'm sorry. What I said, it just came out of the blue—"

"Wherever you go," I say, sniffling quietly, "I will follow you. Whoever you are, I will accept you. And even if you fall in love with someone else, you will always, always, have my hearts, Zeldris."

Chuckling with amusement, he slowly stands up to press a delicate kiss on my forehead. "Bold of you to assume that I could ever fall in love with someone other than you, my dear (Y/n)."

━━🌹 ━━

"It's rather unnerving to see you glare at me like that, (Y/n)," Mael of the Four Archangels states with a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his head. "One would think you want to kill me. Ha."

"Ah, forgive me," I apologise, sighing as I lean back in my chair, the comfy pillows allowing me to relax. "You and I don't...get along in my world. I shouldn't be treating you like you're my Mael."

"There's really no need to pressure yourself," he insists and the sight of his unexpected smile surprises me. "I would rather you be yourself than force yourself to be someone else, (Y/n)."

I blink before nodding in agreement. "Thank you, Mael. You're...very kind. I'm not used to that."

He winces at this, tilting his head to the side. "Please don't tell me I'm that rude in your world?"

"Only to me," I tease, smiling back. "Our personalities clash a lot. We've gotten better since the war. But, obviously, there's usually a big fight here and there. At least Lenora is there to stop us."

"Lenora?" Mael repeats curiously as he strolls over to sit in the chair beside me. "Who's that?"

"Lenora's my second eldest sister," I answer as I cross my arms. "She's your wife in my world."

"I'm her husband?" Mael blurts out, his eyes widening slightly. "Oh, wow. I didn't...expect that."

"Didn't expect what?" I hear a familiar voice question and I glance over Mael's shoulder to see Zeldris walking over to us with a tray in his hands. "What might you two be gossiping about?"

"Ouu, wonderful," Mael says appreciatively as he rubs his hands together. "Thank you, Zeldris."

"No problem," the Demon King says as he carefully sets the tray on the centre table, his hands steady, and then passes over the hot cups of tea to both Mael and I. "So, may I join you guys?"

"Of course," I say quietly and watch him as he takes a seat on my right. "Thank you for the tea."

"Try it," he says so I do, nodding my head in approval. "Is it good? My (Y/n) is usually the one who makes our tea. She really hates the way I make it. She says I always put too much sugar in it."

"Oh gosh," I say, giggling politely behind my hand. "In my world, Zeldris is the one who always makes our tea because I tend to make it either too bland or too sweet. He's usually quite picky."

Mael barks out an amused laugh at this while Zeldris just smiles, his warm gaze fixated on me.

"Life works in strange ways, doesn't it?" the Archangel remarks before taking a sip of his hot tea.

"It really does," both Zeldris and I agree at the same time and then burst into delighted giggles.

"Guys, dinner's ready!" I hear a loud voice announce just as the doors of the room swing open.

"Oh my, looks like you three are having a secret tea party without the rest of us," Elizabeth says with a tiny snicker, appearing from behind her visibly excited husband. "Mind if we join as well?"

"But what about dinner?" the Serpent Sin of Envy questions with an upset pout but she smiles when Elizabeth squeezes her cheek affectionately. "I guess another five minutes wouldn't hurt."

Distracted by this interaction, I don't notice Meliodas leaning over and brushing a lock of my hair away from my face. Hearts panicking, I whip my head around and narrow my eyes in confusion.

"Oops," he says sheepishly, grinning. "Force of habit. I'll stop if it makes you feel uncomfortable."

"I...don't really know how to feel about it," I admit to him hesitantly, fingers tapping against my cup of hot tea. "The Meliodas I'm familiar with isn't usually this touchy with me. So I'm not..."

"I respect your boundaries," he reassures me and leans back to move out of my personal space.

Despite staying in this world for two days now, I'm still not used to most of these personalities. Of course, this particular Meliodas is a lot like the Meliodas I know. What I mean to say is that he acts so differently with me. This Meliodas seems to treat me like his little sister most of the time.

"So how've you been feeling, (Y/n)," the voice of the Grizzly Sin of Sloth draws me out of my thoughts. "Do—Do you need anything? Some water? More tea? Maybe some blankets—Ow!"

"Would you shut up with your damn whining," the Fox Sin of Greed says as he raises his pale clenched fist from the other Sin's head, scowling. "You're treating her like the damn baby itself."

"Hey, I'm treating her like a lady who's pregnant," the Fairy King snaps, pointing a finger at Ban.

"Oh stop bickering, you two," Diane scolds them, huffing. "This is the last thing (Y/n) needs—"

"Would you like me to fill your cup, (Y/n)?" a hushed voice asks from beside me and I shift my gaze to see the Goat Sin of Lust, his expression calm. "I noticed that you finished your tea."

"Oh, that would be great," I say appreciatively as he takes my empty cup. "Thank you, Gowther."

While he fills my cup with more tea, I look up to see that only five of the Sins are here. The Boar Sin of Gluttony must still be working on a way to get me back home. And the Lion Sin of Pride...

"You are looking a little tired, darling," Zeldris notices and then places a hand on my knee, his emerald-green eyes wandering all over my face. "Do you...want to lie down for a little while?"

"No," I say firmly, flicking his nose. "I'm perfectly alright, Zel. I just...slept a bit oddly last night."

"Oh no," Elizabeth says and squeaks when she nearly drops the teapot but Mael grabs onto it before she can. "Whoops. Did you sleep in an awkward position or something, sweet (Y/n)?"

I shake my head. "No, nothing like that. I kept hearing these...strange voices in my head. So—"

"Voices?" the Fairy King's younger sister and wife blurt out at the same time. "What voices?"

"I'm not too sure," I admit and shoot Gowther a grateful look when he passes over a fresh new cup of tea to me. "They were muddled, too loud. I couldn't understand what they were saying."

The two Demon brothers immediately lock eyes, worried expressions on their identical faces.

"It may be one of my crazy dreams again," I try to reassure them, smiling. "It's not uncommon."

"But having dreams when you so happen to be another world?" Meliodas questions, frowning.

"Sounds a bit too coincidental," Zeldris agrees with his older brother, sharing the same frown.

"With this family, anything sounds coincidental," I snort and start drinking my tea very quickly.

"Woah," Mael exclaims, shocked at this behaviour. "Your tea's not going to run off anywhere—"

"I wish to feast right this moment," I announce with a very deep voice, imitating the Demon King. "So I shall finish this cup of tea swiftly. Come, we must make haste, Mael of the Four Archangels."

"What the hell?" Zeldris mutters while some of the Sins laugh heartily. "I don't sound like that."

"Just a tiny bit," I tease him quietly, poking his cheek. "Don't worry though, I find it adorable."

Zeldris grunts at this attempt to justify my joking as he helps me stand up. "Yeah, sure you do."

My hearts feel so at peace as all of us begin to make our way to the main hall. I worry that I will become too comfortable in this world even though that's the very last thing I need right now.

I flinch when Elizabeth unexpectedly wraps her arm around mine but before she pulls away, I use my other hand to keep her still, a clear sign that she can stay like this and I'm alright with it.

"(Y/n)," she speaks quietly enough so that the others don't hear. "Do you hate me in your world?"

"Ha—Hate you?" I choke and look over to see her turning her gaze to the group ahead of us. "I—"

"If I hurt you in your world," she says faintly, squeezing my arm, "I truly am sorry, sweet (Y/n)—"

"Elizabeth," I say her name sharply as I grab her chin which visibly catches her off-guard. "Listen very carefully to me. The Elizabeth in my world is not you. So you've never hurt me. Not really."

A flicker of resistance instantly flashes in her piercing blue eyes. "But that Elizabeth is still me—"

"No, she's not," I say slowly, almost in a mocking tone. "That Elizabeth was the eldest daughter of the Demon Queen, the former leader of the Ten Commandments. Her husband is the elder brother of the Goddess King and the two of them now rule over the Kingdom of Liones. This is the Elizabeth who abandoned me during the Holy War but is doing her best to amend her ways."

With my emotions running wild, I can feel the (y/e/c) colour in my eyes flicker to ebony black.

"If what I've heard about Elizabeth the Goddess from this world is correct," I speak with a softer tone, "she has always loved (Y/n) of the Dark Shadows, ever since her lover introduced them to each other. Tell me, does that sound anything like the cruelty I endured from my eldest sister?"

Speechless, the Goddess simply stares at me, her cheeks squished because of my hold on her.

I dip my head to the side. "You were born with a kind heart, Elizabeth. Unfortunately, my eldest sister was born with a broken one, one that blinded her to love and affection. This was the same case with my other sister and I. And the three of us were only saved by the men who loved us."

"At least you now acknowledge the love that you deserve, sweet (Y/n)," she tells me very quietly.

I exhale heavily at this statement, amused. "Consider your words right now. Just moments ago, you believed you were as callous as my eldest sister. But with that assertion, you are far from it."

"You have an odd way of complimenting people," Elizabeth observes once I finally let go of her.

"I'm well aware," I state simply, grinning madly now. "But my dear husband seems to enjoy it."

From the group up ahead, I hear Zeldris choke. Elizabeth giggles at this while my grin just grows.

"Alright everyone, dinner time!" the King of Liones says with a raised voice as the massive doors swiftly swing open to reveal an abundant feast on the main dining table. "Sit wherever you like!"

As I take a seat beside Zeldris, I blink in surprise when the Fox Sin of Greed sits on my other side.

"You alright with me sitting here?" he asks gruffly, his crimson-red eyes sparkling with mischief.

"I don't mind at all," I respond, lips pursed. "However, would you rather not sit with your wife?"

"Nah," Ban says simply when the two of us look over to see the Fairy happily sit in between her older brother and his wife, a radiant smile on her adorable face. "She's just fine where she is."

"Hmm yes, she looks quite content to me," I hum in agreement and then smirk gratefully when Zeldris starts serving some food on my plate. "So are you guys planning on having children?"

"Children?" Ban repeats the word while the Demon King squeaks quietly, embarrassed, "(Y/n)!"

I pout in confusion at this reaction. "What? I'm just curious, that's all. If you're not comfortable with the question then you have no obligation to entertain me with an answer, Fox Sin of Greed."

"Ain't nothing wrong with the question," the Human says slowly while Zeldris lightly pinches my shoulder. "I mean, I don't think Elaine and I will have children just yet. I wanna spend more time with her before thinking about all that. We just won the war; we have all the time in the world."

"Of course," I say before taking a bite of my food. "Forgive me, my curiosity got the best of me."

"Don't have to apologise," Ban says softly, shrugging as he scratches his chin. "You're pregnant. Must be wondering now if any of the others here will be having kids and not just you, right?"

I shrug as well, straightening my back slightly. "Maybe. Or like I said, maybe I'm just curious—"

"(Y/n)!" the Giant Queen calls out to me as she passes a dish to her husband. "You gotta try this!"

As everyone passes different dishes for me to try out, I struggle to not look overwhelmed at the sudden attention focused on me. My hearts skip a beat when I feel familiar fingers interlock with mine, squeezing my hand lightly. I glance to my side to see Zeldris smiling encouragingly at me.

Gradually yet steadily, a tiny smile takes over my lips. And this time, it's not as forced as usual.

━━🌹 ━━

"Sir Dagon sounded like a good person," I say to break the silence between both the Demon King and I. "Your (Y/n) was very lucky to have him as her father. And also Lady Arica as her mother."

"Indeed. But everyone has their flaws," Zeldris says quietly as we look out to the large, blue lake in front of us. "Including my wife's parents. There were many things they did that I didn't agree with. I know that they did all of that to protect her, but it just resulted in hurting their daughter."

"Ah," I say just as quietly, my nose twitching slightly. "There's your proof that no one's perfect."

"Hmm," Zeldris hums and then crosses his arms over his chest. "(Y/n) said that if we ever had a son, she would want to call him Dagon. And if we had another son, she'd like the name Escanor."

I blink in surprise at this statement. "Escanor? After the Lion Sin of Pride. Huh, that's interesting."

"You didn't get along with Escanor in your world, did you?" the Demon King notes, smiling wryly.

"At the start, no," I admit with a soft chuckle as the gentle winds whip through my hair. "Not one bit. But the Lion Sin of Pride eventually gained my respect. My Zeldris was...very fond of him."

Zeldris makes a small sound to let me know that he's still listening, his gaze focused on the lake.

"You seem quite fond of this beautiful place," I observe simply as I start to slowly walk along the empty shoreline, spreading my hands to the side to balance myself. "Of this lake, specifically."

"My (Y/n) comes here sometimes when she can't sleep," Zeldris answers as he follows behind.

"I can see why," I say. "It's very serene. Wish I could have a place like this to come to at night."

"It must be hard to leave the castle at night," the other Demon says to me teasingly but also a little sternly so I try to subtly roll my eyes. "Hey, I saw that. I'm just worried about you, (Y/n)—"

"Zeldris," I say his name firmly and then swiftly spin around on the spot, my hands on my hips now. "I am the Demon Queen. I am currently leading a race. I think I can handle one baby."

"And what if you end up having twins?" he blurts out and I widen my eyes at this notion. "See? You didn't think of that possibility, did you? I mean, it could even be triplets or quadruplets—"

"No," I immediately squawk. "No, no, no, no, no. One little Demon's enough. If there's more—"

"But what if there is, (Y/n)?" Zeldris insists so I start waving my hands in front of me. "Darling—"

"I—I don't like thinking of such possibilities," I stutter weakly and when my voice cracks horribly, Zeldris reaches out for me, panicked now. "I really don't want to talk about this anymore, Zel—"

"(Y/n)," the Demon King quickly says and grabs both of my hands, his warm touch so soothing. "I'm not—Please don't get upset. I didn't want you to feel—I was just trying to say—Damn it."

"Eloquent now, aren't we?" I joke, sniffling. "Don't worry, Zel, I know what you're trying to say—"

"I'm making it sound like it's the end of the world," he interjects as he plants tender kisses on my hands and it feels like a fire's trailing up my back when he does this. "But it's not. It's far from it. This is a new chapter in your life, (Y/n). You have every right to be happy. All I'm saying is to be..."

"Careful," I finish for him as quietly as possible. "I know. And all I'm saying is to trust in me, Zel."

Sighing heavily, Zeldris eventually nods his head and then smiles at me. I immediately return his smile as he lets go of my hands and I continue walking along the shoreline, humming to myself.

The Zeldris from this world has absolutely no problem conveying his worry and concern, which is good; he's just like my sweet angel. However, it's quite obvious that Zeldris is still getting used to being expressive so he struggles at times to articulate his feelings and thoughts to others. It's a good thing I can read him so well otherwise communication would be more of a problem.

"(Y/n) sweetheart?" I hear the Demon King abruptly call out from behind me so I gracefully twirl around to face him and then answer with a cheerful tone, "Yeah? Everything alright there, Zel?"

"What the hell are those marks on your body?" he asks quietly as he starts moving towards me.

Out of nowhere, a burning light bursts into existence above my head, blinding me completely.

"(Y/n)!" I hear Zeldris roar my name in the distance as I stumble back with closed eyes and fall.

When I sense the bright light finally fading away, I quickly open my eyes to see that I'm falling through a dark, open space. Fear rushes through my whole body the moment I realise I can't form my wings. Gritting my teeth in frustration, I try to use my magic but it refuses to awaken.

"Don't worry, I've got you!" I hear someone yell from below as black magic engulfs my body.

This magic...Why does it feel so very calming yet so deadly? My mind is screaming at me to run away as far as possible. But my seven hearts are telling me that it's alright, to trust the magic.

"What the hell," I mumble under my breath as I'm placed on the ground, resting on my knees.

I glance up at my saviour and then inhale sharply when I see a familiar (y/e/c) gaze fixed on me.

"Hello there, (Y/n) of the Dark Shadows," I breathe the name once I finally regain my composure.

My alternative self winces, (y/e/c) eyes darkening. "Ugh, I really hate when people call me that."

"Apologies," I respond as I slowly stand on my feet. "I just wanted to see how you would react."

"And you must be Queen (Y/n) of the Demon race," she says with a chuckle, dipping her head as she spreads her hands to the side and bows to me. "Your husband's quite worried about you."

"And so's yours," I counter, clasping my hands behind me. "Um, may I ask where exactly we are?"

My alternative self frowns in response. "No clue. I was with your husband when a light suddenly surrounded me and I found myself here. Could this possibly be a bridge between our worlds?"

"It most likely is," I say quietly as I look around but only see a dark landscape. "Now the issue we face is figuring out how to get the hell out of here. Damn, I was really hoping that the Boar Sin of Gluttony would help us. But it seems like we'll have to find a solution ourselves. Troublesome."

"Very," (Y/n) agrees, her (y/e/c) eyes darting to my stomach. "Uh, everything alright with the..."

"Baby?" I complete her question as I rest a hand on my stomach, smiling softly. "Or babies. Have absolutely no clue at this point how many I've got in here. But yeah, everything's fine. I don't feel like throwing up at the moment. Surprising considering how much I ate for lunch an hour ago."

"Are you, uh—" She clears her throat, licking her lips. "Are you not nervous? You know, to have a baby. I mean, for me, I feel like raising a baby and having a family with Zeldris, all of that stuff..."

"Is something we're not worthy of?" I go on gently, grimacing when I see the look on (Y/n)'s face.

The self-hatred, the self-contempt, the strong belief of not deserving anything good...Honestly, it's almost painful to look at. Is this what Zeldris and the others see whenever I...act like this?

"I have committed many regrettable acts in my past," I whisper as images of my loved ones flash through my mind. "But those who I fight for, those who I care for, do not care about this. Not one bit. All they want is for me to do my best to become a better person, to just be...happy and free."

I shift my gaze to my alternative self before walking over to her. Once I stop in front of her, I poke her nose and she lets out a tiny sound of surprise, her (y/e/c) eyes sparkling with confusion now.

"You want to stop being a burden to everyone you love, right?" I ask (Y/n) of the Dark Shadows very quietly before she hesitantly nods her head. "Then stop hating yourself so much. Because seeing you in such a self-deprecating state is ultimately hurting everyone, especially Zeldris."

Her eyebrow immediately twitches in annoyance. "Uh-huh. You really think I'm not trying here?"

"Try harder," I say with a harsher tone as my fingers slowly curl into clenched fists, my wedding ring cool against my skin. "Wallowing in your self-pity and regrets will do nothing to help you. If anything, it will just drag you down. And trust me, you really don't want to end up in that pit of darkness. Zeldris may have saved you the first time, but you may not be so lucky a second time."

Oops. I may have overdone it. But if this (Y/n) really is just like me, then she'll be able to take it.

"I see. You barely made it," my alternative self whispers in realisation. "The second time, that is."

"My two best friends saved me during the Holy War," I explain to her softly. "And then the love of my life saved me again 3,000 years later. But I was at my breaking point. If I had lost myself again for a third time...I don't think anyone would have been able to save me, even my sweet angel."

(Y/n) falls silent, thinking. She eventually nods in understanding, her lips pressed in a thin line.

"We have a bad tendency to let the darkness swallow us whole, don't we?" she finally speaks.

"We do," I agree, sighing. "But trying to see the light is all that our husbands ask of us, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is," (Y/n) responds with a weak but loving smile. "So let's do our best then, Queen (Y/n)."

"Of course," I reply and then catch sight of a familiar (y/f/c) (y/f/s) ring. "Ah, your wedding ring?"

"Yes," my alternative self answers as she flexes her fingers. "Looks like we have the same tastes."

"Slightly different designs," I hum thoughtfully as I reach for her hand, "but yes, they're similar."

The two of us let out shocked cries when our joined hands suddenly erupt with a blazing light.

"What the hell?" (Y/n) hollers while I scream, "Holy crap, what the hell's happening right now?"

Our dark surroundings quickly fade into the same colour as the bright light and I immediately squeeze my eyes shut, unable to keep them open any longer. I feel (Y/n) protectively wrap her arms around me, keeping me close. Hearts racing, I wrap my arms around her neck in return.

"We're going to be alright," I say to her reassuringly even though my seven hearts are panicking.

"I think we might be going back to our worlds now," she says quietly just as I figure that out, my grip on her tightening. "We didn't really have a lot of time to talk but I'm glad I still got to spend some time with you. Sounds a bit weird to say that considering we're the same person. Heh."

"I mean, we're still quite different from one another," I point out, chuckling softly. "But yes, I'm happy that we got the chance to speak to each other. Hey (Y/n), please take care of your Zeldris."

"You too, (Y/n)," she whispers, hugging me. "And...take care of yourself. And the baby. Or babies."

Before I can say anything, my hearts drop to my stomach when (Y/n) is roughly tugged out of my arms. My eyes grow wide when I see a massive, shining portal appear behind her, pulling her in.

"We're going to be alright," (Y/n) of the Dark Shadows cries out what I just told her moments ago.

"Hell yeah, roger that," I yell back and then flash her a smile, saluting her with two of my fingers.

Giggling in pure delight, I slowly close my eyes again as I fall back into the portal to my world.

"I see her! I see our (Y/n)!" I hear someone shout, anxious, from below me. "Boys, be quick!"

"I've got you, sweetheart," someone grunts just as they catch me, carrying me with great care.

"Angel," I whimper as I open my eyes to see a handsome face staring back at me. "I'm home."

"Yeah, you are," he says simply with a relieved sigh and rests his forehead against mine, smiling.

The Demon King loves his wife dearly, more than anything in this world.

No matter what world I'm in, no matter who we are in other worlds, I'll always love you, (Y/n).

I don't want anyone else, because you're the only one for me, (Y/n).

"I love you," I whisper to the Goddess King, voice unsteady, and then cradle his adorable face with a trembling hand. "I love you so much, Zeldris of the Goddess race. You mean...everything."

That doesn't even scratch the surface of how much I appreciate Zeldris, what he means to me, what I feel for him. But the words I want to say to him seem to be escaping me at the moment. My mind is frustratingly blank, but my hearts are filled with so much love for this sweet Goddess.

"I love you too, my beloved," he whispers back, kissing me so gently. "And you're everything that I am, (Y/n) of the Demon race; all the good, all the bad, everything. I love you with all my heart."

"Don't let me go," I quietly utter the words my hearts had told me to say all those months ago.

"I never have," the Goddess speaks with his leaf-green eyes glowing, "and I never will, (Y/n)."

Tears well up in my eyes as I choke, "Go—Good, that's good. You stay right by my side, angel."

"I wasn't planning on leaving, darling," he murmurs into my ear as we finally land on the ground.

From the corner of my eye, I see everyone running towards us but I keep all my focus on Zeldris. Staring into his jade-green eyes, I gasp lightly when I feel the slightest flutter in my stomach.

My husband kisses me again and then whispers against my lips, "My dear wife, let's go home."

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