The Villianess story: A 100 ways to kill your husband
Chapter 467: The rulers of Netheralis

Chapter 467: The rulers of Netheralis

Azrael’s lips were pursed into a thin line. He tried to read Cedric’s expression, but his face was still calm. He was certain Cedric already guessed what was right before him.

The night Azrael saw Cedric in that forest was purely by coincidence. He was on an errand when he sensed familiar rampant energy. Instinctively he was drawn to it that’s when he saw the strange boy with features similar to his mother

Azrael, the youngest prince of Hell, had believed for aeons that he had no other siblings. So when he first sensed a rampant, familiar energy and found Cedric, he helped on a whim. But he lingered around Deaconia, curious, and his suspicions grew until one day, he accidentally mentioned the boy to his mother and watched her face go pale.

Elysia, the queen of hell, had 7 sons she bore for her husband, Raziel, the king of hell, and they were called the 7 princes of hell by some other Netheralis, as hell and Netheralis were often mistaken as the same. When they weren’t quite the same.

Hell was just a small part of the dark divine realm, a part of Netheralis.

They weren’t demons in an actual sense, but gods’ belongings outside the holy divine realm of Elaris were deemed demons because of their evil and dark nature. Raziel ruled Netheralis and the forsaken souls with his 7 sons, Azrael being the youngest.

The eldest was Damael, the one who came in with Raziel; he gave off a cold calculating aura. Then came second Malakiel, third Kaeliel, fourth was Javiel, fifth Zaraphiel and the sixth prince of Netheralis was Thamiel.

They all held complicated gaze and strong presence, aside from the fact that all except Azrael, the youngest, weren’t fond of him. Cedric could not deduce much about them. He didn’t even trust Azrael that much for starters.

"They are your brothers and I hope you can get another." Elysia introduced all the princes in order of their birth. Cedric was amused, honestly, it turned out his looks, which he inherited from his mother, were famed to look like a beauty beyond comparison, and ’ out of this world ’ was true; his mother was the queen of hell.

The question lingered, how did she end up with Kaiden when she was already married with 7 sons? Was Kaiden truly his father? Cedric wondered.

"If I can bear staying here for centuries, there is nothing I can’t handle," Malakiel sneered, his tone holding a strong, sarcastic tone. He was one with the strongest presence among the brothers and a literal copy of his father Raziel.

"Mind your tone," Elysia cut him off sharply. He only scoffed. From the dynamics of the family, it was deduced they all respected their mother, and that stems from the fact Elysia was cherished by Raziel; going against her was the same as going against the king of Netheralis.

"Last but not least, this is my husband, Raziel, the king of Netheralis," she introduced, trying her best to act like the bridge. She was determined to make them accept Cedric whether they liked it or not.

Cedric watched Raziel, the man who might be his true father, give him no more than a glance. That single moment said more than words ever could. Cedric’s jaw clenched. He wasn’t sure if he wanted the man to acknowledge him or feared it.

The meal continued, after the introduction. They spoke of the complex politics of the divine realm and also spoke about a few affairs of the human realm. Cedric didn’t bother to understand what they spoke about.

He focused on his meal trying to gain his strength back. Elysia felt awkward the way Cedric was obviously sidelined. She sighed, knowing they were all minds of their own, and she could not force them to accept Cedric.

He had to win them over himself. Damael sensed his mother’s mood and decided to extend the olive branch.

"What was it like growing up in Draconia?" He asked, the table went silent, Javiel’s eyes narrowed at Damael, surprised that he was the first cave in.

Cedric glanced up, his dark eyes meeting Damael’s Ruby eyes. "I always stuck out like a sore thumb. My very existence spite a lot of people." He replied, his tone was casual but carried a sarcastic tone.

Javiel laughed hearing Cedric. "At least something doesn’t change." He chuckled, earning a glare from Elysia that shut him up.

"Yeah, the same. I never cared about what people thought about me or called me." Cedric sneered, his eyes deadlocked on Javiel. Javiel’s jaw clenched.

Damael was impressed that Cedric faced Javiel head-on. He wasn’t intimidated by their overbearing presence despite being the weakness here.

The meal eventually ended, and the room emptied, leaving just Cedric and Elysia. Raziel was the last to leave, his gaze lingered on Elysia who didn’t acknowledge him

She ignored him, leaving him defeated. Her anger was understandable. "I will walk you to your quarters." She suggested.

Cedric nodded and they left the dining hall. Silence lingered between them; no one spoke first. Only their footsteps echoed through the walls until Elysia decided to break the silence first.

"I never meant to be absent from your life. It was beyond my control." She started. Cedric didn’t reply to her. His demeanour was still calm like he was unaffected but he wasn’t exactly calm and accepting

To be honest, he still hated his mother. His childhood was a complete hell because he grew up in the royal harem without a mother. While he was suffering she was probably living lavishly with her real family.

"Was I a mistake, or just... inconvenient?" Cedric’s voice was low, bitter. Elysia stopped walking. They had arrived at his quarters. "No child is unwanted. You were a blessing." She answered avoiding the question.

Cedric smiled, but his eyes were still dead. "Things were complicated but there is no excuse truly on my part. I should have tried hard." She added..

"Then tell me what happened. Let me know what was so complicated." Cedric asked her. Elysia’s heart squeezed, and her eyes trailed away to the door. She slowly pushed the door.

"That’s my intention but it is a long story." She said then walked into the room. Cedric’s fingers curled, and he released a shaky breath before following.

Elysia was already seated on the bed. She patted the side of the bed, beckoning for him to sit beside her. Cedric stalked towards her and then sat beside her.

.

She reached out for his hand; this was the first time they had held his hand like this since he was born. Her heart was filled with complicated feelings.

"The story behind your birth is complicated, and I don’t blame your brothers for the way they welcomed you; neither do I accept it."

"Everything started decades ago a few years before you were born."