FALLEN ANGEL: MARRIED TO THE DEMON KING
Chapter 60: THE GOODBYES

Chapter 60: THE GOODBYES

When the last teacup was emptied and the final rays of sunlight dipped below the horizon, Arella rose from her seat. The rays of sunlight illuminated her halo quite beautifully, making her look every inch the angel she was. The noblewomen followed suit, their movements quick in order to not let the queen stand for long on her own.

"It has been a pleasure hosting you all," Arella smiled, her voice slightly warm. Although she had been nervous to meet with the demons, the time she had spent with them had truly been insightful. At the very least, she had made some companions she could at the very least turn to in the demon realm. "I really do appreciate your insights and candor today. I have learned a lot from you all."

The women all curtsied in unison, murmuring their thanks for being invited into the castle. Lady Seraphine and Lady Immera lingered briefly after the others were leaving. "Your Majesty," Lady Seraphine said after the other demons had left. "I do believe it was Velmoria who advised on who you should invite today." Their gazes glanced at Echo, who was being a good mutt and was not moving from his sleeping position.

Arella gave a slow nod, "That is correct."

"We are just a small number of the high lords you have to appease; Velmoria is smart. The king was right to assign her to you."

Arella tilted her head slightly, intrigued by Lady Seraphine’s comment. Demons were all about caste, and Velmoria, being one of the lower castes, had got to have received a lot of hate for just being born. "The king is wise; I notice he keeps smart and useful people by his side," her tone was measured, afraid she might say the wrong thing. "I feel reassured to see that she has garnered respect from others as well."

Lady Seraphine exchanged a glance with Lady Immera before responding, "Respect might be an overstatement. Many of the High Lords will take any opportunity to pull her from the position she is in."

Lady Immera, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke. "Such is the way of the world we live in." Her voice was low, "Especially now that it seems that she is on your side, it is very risky for her seeing as her position has always been unsteady."

Arella tilted her head, confused.

"What we are trying to say, your majesty, is that many of us who were called here today are new nobles, given ranks by the king after he was satisfied with us and our work." Lady Seraphine cut in, "The ones with most of the power are those who have been in power for much longer." Arella finally understood.

Just like she had planned to use them to solidify her power, they also planned to use her to solidify their power.

This was them confirming that they were on the same page.

Her smile softened. "I see." She turned over the revelation in her mind, trying to make sense of whether she understood the dynamic in the dem court any better. From her reading, she had suspected that they were more complicated than they first seemed; now Lady Seraphine’s words helped her understand that she was right. The clarity she had been craving had been tossed right into her lap.

"You are saying that I have to protect you all, and you will garner the same for my position."

"Precisely," Lady Seraphine replied, a hint of approval in her tone, "all those of us who have been elevated by the king’s hand have always had to tread carefully to ensure that his position is secure."

"We shall be frank with you," Lady Immera spoke up. "I advocated for the king to marry a demon from the noble’s faction. Melasva was one of the candidates. He never paid heed to my words, though." Her face had been pulled down in a frown, as if everything in the world was disgusting. "But I do not mind having you as our queen," she relented.

"Neither do I. You are nothing like what we were expecting. Change, though often unwelcome, is important to any kingdom."

"Then, all more important, we support one another. If there are some high lords that resist the change, we must demonstrate that it strengthens the realm rather than weakens it."

Lady Immera’s lips curled into a faint smile. "You speak wisely, your majesty."

Arella laughed, her laughter tinkling across the garden, "Oh, I am way past the age of thinking like a child."

She would not inform them that her pettiness was quite severe and that she would rather sneak in and burn down the house of whoever displeased her rather than try and convince them. After all, she was her mother’s daughter.

At the moment, though, she had to display the gait of a queen.

"I understand now what I must do." She gave the two women a smaller smile this time: "Rest assured, I will not ask of you all more than I am prepared to give in return. The faith the king has placed in me is not unfounded. I may not have been raised to be queen, but angels are quite... resilient."

The two noblewomen exchanged another glance, this one full of mutual understanding.

"We shall also not disappoint." Lady Seraphine was the one to speak up as they both curtsied.

With that, the two noblewomen took their leave, their skirts swishing away with them. Arella watched them walk away from the garden, their footsteps echoing softly down the stone corridors. She stood for a moment in the quiet, the weight of the evening settling over her.

Looking up at the sky, the wind brushed her cheeks, and the strong scent of the roses filled her nostrils. The evening approached fast in the demon realm, and a heavy chill descended over the area.

Arella fluttered her wings open, allowing them to stretch out.

How she wished she could just drop everything and fly up in the air.

Solenne stood silently beside her before she finally spoke up, "We can leave now. Take me to my study quarters." Echo, upon hearing those words, stood and stretched out his legs and led the way to the castle.

Solenne fidgeted behind Arella, rubbing her palms together nervously, obviously wanting to say something. Arella let her stew for a few seconds as her heels clicked softly against the dark floor. Then, after Solenne did not say anything for a while, Arella finally had it: "If you have something to say, you may speak."

Solenne curtsied, obviously startled that Arella had noticed her fidgeting. "They are testing the waters." Her head was not raised as she spoke. "They were simply feeling out just how much they can gain from aligning with you."

Arella fixed her gaze on the hallway. "As expected," she murmured, "but they were quite helpful despite their obvious distaste for my being an angel. I may not trust them, but their views were quite insightful."

Solenne nodded her head. "However, I fear that they may turn against you after they finish using you, my queen."

"What makes you think that they can even use me, Solenne?" Arella tilted her head slightly, confused that someone would even think that she, Arella, could be used by anyone else.

Although Arella did not see it, Solenne flushed a very bright red color, "Well, your majesty, if I may speak freely, you are very kind, and all those who I know that are kind have always been used by other demons."

Arella’s lips quirked up as she stifled laughter. "You think that I am kind, Solenne."

"Terribly so, your majesty. Lysia, Xyra, and I fear that you may be terribly used in the demon realm. We fear that you may not survive here and, in the end, leave the king."

Arella’s smile lowered slightly, and she patted Solenne’s sandy brown locks, "There is no need to worry about that. I do not detest the demon realm thus far. I will ensure the scales remain balanced in my favour."

No one would think to use her, daughter of Lailah, and live to see the next day peacefully, which she would ensure of.

S/T:

Lady Seraphine: (Appears) Hello! I am Daliah Seraphine, half of the high lord of the Seraphine title. My husband is the other half. Please do not be confused; High Lord refers to the title, not the male in the family.

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