Half a Demon, Half a Human

Lady Lavinia stayed still, simply observing Lord Oweil. The latter approached the foggy apparition, and he lifted his head, exposing his ear when it came to perch on his shoulder. The messenger whispered to the Demon Lord's ear words in an ancient language. As soon as it delivered his message, it evaporated into the air. The King chuckled briefly, before turning to face the diplomatic envoy from Ningea, satisfaction discernible over his face.

"So, did we reach an agreement?" she asked with a smile.

In a calm pace, he approached her without a word until standing right in front of her.

"You are the last survivor of the Royal family of Ningea. Until now, I have meant."

These words had barely crossed the threshold of his lips when Lady Lavinia felt a piercing pain in her stomach. Her eyes narrow to the unbearable pain, a trickle of blood soon flowing at the corner of her lips. The Demon Lord had thrust his hand into her stomach in a brisk.

"To be honest, I thought you would be the first to know that we exterminated the Royal family. Isn't that said that at the moment of their death, human souls merge with the one they mostly cared of?"

Indeed, in the world of Aetherld, dying humans' souls vaporate in sparkles migrating to the person they loved the most, spreading into them. However...

"Impossible...'' the Fourth Princess of Ningea began despite her aching body, forcing a laugh. "As you said, they would have to care about me,.. so that it could happen. But the King and the Queen never did, I was just... A failure to their eyes. The Princes and the Princess, my siblings... persecuted me daily."

The harsh words and insults, the contemptuous looks of the Queen, of her brothers and sisters busy in their power struggle had always poured on the youngest one, spitting their venom on Lady Lavinia. Their words still echoed in her mind, the scenes replaying in her mind. Her older sister had fun destroying her belongings, cutting her dresses to shreds, burning her sheets. She even ended up getting relegated to a maid's room by the King. Things have always been simple. Only at official events was Princess Lavinia expected to play her role and behave like the dignified younger sister she then had to appear. The rest of the time, she served as an outlet for their frustration.

"I see." the Demon Lord answered, not feeling concerned. Then he soon added a remark. "That's surprising. With you being so naive since you arrived here, I thought you'd be more taken aback."

Lady Lavinia slowly shook her head.

''I knew your words were mere lies." she said with a smile, blood soaking her frilly dress, spreading over and over... "Especially when you display that slight smile of yours, Lord Osweil."

Raising his eyebrows to her words, he can't help but wonder, "Then, why? Why did you act like this?"

The warmth heating her cheeks slowly faded away, the princess becoming paler. Despite these circumstances, Lady Lavinia's gaze softened, and she replied in a warm voice, though barely above a murmur.

"I couldn't say before why... I wanted to thank you, Lord Oweil... Although I knew that coming here would be a one-way travel,.. though I knew demons have no feelings and that you would just fool me... I am grateful because it was the first time someone wasn't only cruel to me. You spoke to me..."

Her breathing became hard to maintain and she leant a hand against the arm harming her, extending her other hand so her fingers, trembling, barely brushes the Demon Lord's cheek.

"...in a gentle way, you even gifted me your time... Tell me,.. Lord Oweil, aren't humans more demonic? They kill you mentally,.. but they don't have the mercy to finish you off... Lord Oweil..."

Taken aback, the King of the demons half-opened his mouth, unable to answer.

The hand clinging to the demon's arm then slipped, her hands falling along her body as the Princess fell backwards.

"Lavinia...'' he muttered, uttering her name for the first time, not knowing what to think as he watched her falling.

At the same moment golden particles began to escape from her body, floating in the air as she collapsed heavily on the ground. The particles crackled for a few seconds, dazzling, before floating towards the King of Akumirgh, staring in disbelief. One after one, they brushed against his skin, melting into him. A warm feeling spread over his body. Lavinia's soul mingled with his own.

A drop of water smashed on the ground at his feet, as a tear rolled down Lord Oweil's cheek. His eyes trembling, he let himself fall against the paving stones, beside her. Slowly, he took Lavinia Serdargent in his arms, wrapping her with his arms. Inside him becoming half a demon and half a human, he understood for the first time what were feelings, what was pain.

***

Walking through the castle corridors, he was followed by an imposing black-feathered bird, beating his wings until it reached the Demon Lord's shoulder, perching on it. His long tail's feathers floated behind before falling down, to the Lord's hips. Cinder croaked, his blood-like eyes shining.

Passing by the window, he stopped to glance through. A season had passed, and he hadn't pushed forward his plans to take possession of the Human Kingdom. Ningea was gradually recovering from the loss of its sovereigns.

Suddenly, the King of Akumirgh widened his eyes, slightly opening his mouth. Below, in the courtyard, he could distinguish red dots. He stared for a while before going down to the courtyard.

Exhaling a subtle perfume, its petals of a bright vermilion, it was there, flourishing in the midst of the bare expanse of black earth. Leaning in closer, Lord Oweil touched one of the flowers, brushing its silken petals. A warm sensation spread over him as he could almost hear her voice, what Lady Lavinia thought months ago, while standing in the same place that he was.

"I want you to be able to gaze upon beautiful roses, one day. Upon a colourful world..."