Lunia's previous Queen Garb. ^^
Winca said I needed to wear something warm for the journey to the north.
My body still had aches and pains from yesterday. I was still feeling a little chilly, my Queen outfit, no matter how good, did not help and now I was glad I was getting something warm.
I ate two cranberry muffins with some hot tea as I sat waiting for Winca to choose my clothes. The cat beside me, her head in my lap not begging for scraps but sleeping in peace. I was a bit surprised at her behaviour but I did not pat or stroke her, fearing that she would not appreciate it.
The adjoining room was a dining room/ sitting room. It had one L-shaped sofa , a coffee table and in front of it near the lantern shaped windows was a dining long dining table with six chairs properly arranged around it.
My breakfast was on the coffee table beside a vase of megrum flowers, they were Dinhae's equivalent of roses, as if Nikolai had specially told the person who brought my breakfast here to place them there.
The megrum were similar looking to the rose but were light blue and kinda glowed. Like my skin.
By the time I was done eating our bed was full of clothes. Various shawls and coats and capes took most of the space on the King sized bed.
I liked a black velvet cape with gold borders and a hood attached and so I told her. "Wonderful choice ,my lady. You have to wear riding gear as it's going to be a long journey...or maybe not. But you should wear it."
I did not understand the 'maybe not part' but I did not get to ask as she went towards the wardrobe to remove more clothes.
"People keep cutting me out today." I told the cat. She looked at me, opening on eye and went back to sleep.
I was finally suited up when Nikolai entered the room. I was wearing dark blue slacks, knee length brown boots, a white bell shaped long sleeved button down with a black corset. I was getting my coat on when Nikolai came.
He nodded at Winca. "Sire, shall I get your usual cape? " She asked.
"Yes."
She got him a black cape that was similar to mine. "See? Even our choice of clothing is similar, we're meant for each other. "
"Winca? Maybe there's another cape? Maybe something in blood red?"
Nikolai laughed at that. "Winca, you can leave. Lunia is okay with the cape she had on."
"As you say, Sire." She said and scurried away.
Nikolai came closer when the door closed behind the maid.
"So, where are we going?"
Nikolai put his hands on my waist as an answer and pulled me closer. "You should take a shawl too, it's cold where we're going." He said, his head lowering to kiss my neck.
I turned my head away, even as I felt my core heat up.
"Where are we going?" I asked putting emphasis on 'are'.
"Up North." He said, his lips making a trail to my ear.
"For what?" Now my voice sounded husky.
"To meet the Soul Shredder."
My heart stopped at that name. The heat instantly dissipated. Fear replaced it. Everyone knew the Soul Shredder far and wide. And everyone was happy he was isolated in Dinhae.
"I'm feeling sick, Nikolai. *Cough*Chough*" I said, trying to push him away.
His head remained at the side of my neck and his arms remained around me, caging me. He didn't, budge.
"Liar, Liar ass on fire." He said and spanked me.
"How dare you?"
"I can do anything I want." He said, his head lifting to look at my face. In retaliation, I pinched Nikolai's ass.
He gave me an incredulous look. "Did you just pinch my ass?"
"I can do anything I want." I used his own words on him.
"You can't, Lulu, that right belongs only to me."
"Don't call me lulu! And that's not fair, Lele."
"Lele is a girl's name! And it's fair, I'm the King. My word is law!"
"And I'm the Queen! My word is law ,too!"
"I veto!"
"You can't! You...you bum!"
"I can! You....old hag!"
"I'm not a hag! My hair is naturally white!"
"I'm not a bum! I do not look like one! The weekly demon and many other magazines ask for me to model for them!"
"Yeah and you always use glamour to look dark and dangerous. I've seen your pictures in magazines in the Vampire palace, they're not you!"
"I have to! My real face must only be seen by my people! "
"Why so?"
"Because it's keeps up the suspense."
"You're lame."
"How dare you! I like to keep people in suspense! "
"It's lame because your face is always there in the Weekly Demon, someone could always be passing through Dinhae and could see the magazines. "
"The magazines are enchanted. I always think one step ahead. Only demons can see them, White ass. "
I gasped and covered my eyes with my hands and started making sobbing sounds. Immediately, I felt Nikolai's hands on my shoulders.
"Uh..I'm sorry. Stop crying please. Lunia? Please don't cry, I can't bear it. " I smiled behind my hands.
"Ha!" And I reached out and caught his balls in my fist. Nikolai shouted.
"The ball is in my court, Nikolai, what you gonna do now?"
"Let go!"
"White ass, eh? Old hag? Can you repeat those words for me, Lele? " And I twisted a little, enjoying the torture.
"Let go! I'm sorry! I won't say that again! You'll kill all my kids!"
I twisted a little more at those words, he shouted again. "Sorry! Sorry!"
I let go and started laughing my head off. Nikolai turned around and started checking his goods.
"Behold, King of the Demons!" I declare and start laughing again.
Suddenly, the door opens. Nikolai and I get into position. Winca stands at the entrance of our room. "My lord, my lady are you both ready? The royal guard is waiting. "
"We're ready." We both said together. Winca bowed and left, leaving the door open. Nikolai and I both let out similar sighs of relief.
Hoot-Hoot.
We both turned towards the sound.
Nikolai's owl, Shireen, sat on her perch giving us the owl version of the "Really?" look. The cat, who sat on the couch was giving us a similar look.
Nikolai cleared his throat. "So, shall we go?" I nodded, unable to say anything.
We left the room without another word.
--
Degnites as Nikolai called them were waiting for us. So were Nikolai's brothers, Alexei and Dimitri, and a small band of archers with swords also strapped around their waists. It was a group of twenty demons, each riding their own Degnites except for two of them who were sitting on some creature with wings.
"Those are Bognites. They are cousins to the Degnites." I could see that. They had the same arachnid faces but their bodies were more sleek, like a seal with wings. They had the front legs of a horse though. They looked scary and I was thankful that I did not have to ride one of them.
Nikolai put a hand behind my back and led me towards a familiar looking Degnite. It was Sheba the wonder combo. "My men tell me, that you formed quite a bond with this one yesterday. So here she it. All yours."
I groaned inwardly. I so did not want to embarrass myself in front of Nikolai. This was revenge.
"How cruel." I muttered.
"Hmm? Did you say something?" Nikolai asked, his face looking innocent. I rolled my eyes and suddenly my gaze landed on a huge cage, that was chained to the waist of a lone Degnite whose leash was in an archer's hand.
I walked towards it to get a closer look at the creature inside and I gasped.
Inside the cage was a severely malnourished, naked, young woman. She had so many surgical scars all over her body that I was sure that she had been tortured. Her head was bald, her face scarred. She looked so wounded that I had to look away.
"What is this ,Nikolai?!" I asked sharply, as I removed my cape.
"This is our bargaining chip. With this, the Elder race will be on our side. "
I gasped again but nevertheless I put my hands through the bars to cover her nakedness with my cape.
"Could've atleast covered her. Did Borya have enough fun with her?"
"Those scars are not done by us. She was found in a human research facility. I ordered Borya not to touch her any more. "
"Should have at least covered her though. Where we're going is cold, isn't it?"
"It is, but Elders adapt well to the cold, she'll be fine."
"So..You're going to give her to...The Soul Shredder in exchange for an alliance?" I asked, already knowing the answer.
"Yes. The Elder race has less females. The colony up north in which the Soul Shredder lives has only three females, two of them are too old to mate and one is a just born female. Her mother passed after giving birth. "
"I've heard things..."
"What things?" He asked as we walked back towards my wreched degnite.
"That they...All the pack males..They share females and if there's only one..."
"Yes. They will share her among the males until she gets pregnant. Then they will wait for twelve months until she gives birth and two months more after that. Then they will use her again. "
I frowned and looked back towards the cage. The girl reminded me of the way I was treated. She reminded me that I was on enemy grounds. And I was walking beside my enemy.
"I understand." I said as I climbed up the saddle, hoping that Sheba would not decide to jump start again.
Nikolai raised his eyebrows. "I expected...something more from you." He said, suspiciously.
"My words are not going to change your decision. It's about time I learn that the Demons are a cruel, unfeeling species. They revel in the suffering of others. First mine and now hers. Aptly named 'Demons'"
And all the while I said that, I looked him right in the eye.