The Demon Lord's Bride (BL)

Zia was in the middle of jumping over a group of popular musicians playing on the central stage when Angwi tapped on her shoulder and signaled her that their free time was over. Even while pouting, she knew that exceeding the time her strict cousin gave her would cost her the entirety of tomorrow.

And it was probably a good thing that she didn’t dawdle, since both her Lord Cousin and his pretty bride were already in the carriage, with the latter bundled up in a blanket, sleeping so deeply inside the Lord’s embrace, being cradled like a baby.

"Oh, did you wait long?" her disappointment of having to go back in the middle of the show vanished when she looked at Val, who seemed to have been sleeping for quite some time. Along with the slight guilt was fear, as she looked at the Lord’s face keenly.

Thankfully, Natha didn’t seem to be angry. He was busy watching the sleeping face and patted the human’s arm with a soft gaze that Zia would never be able to see if Val wasn’t there.

"It’s fine since Angwi gets you in time," he spoke flatly. How he could speak like that while bearing that smitten face was beyond her.

Zia leaned back on the headrest as the carriage started to move and asked carefully. "Did something happen?"

Val looked like he was sleeping peacefully, but she could see the slight tinge of red below his eyes, and the way his hands curled into a fist. There was also the way Natha wrapped his arms around the human in such a protective way.

"He’s exhausted," Natha answered with a smile, finger stroking the fair cheek gently.

"Because of the festival?"

"Among other things," he turned his gaze toward Zia, who instantly straightened her posture. "I have to put some fire tonight, probably tomorrow too, so you have to take care of him."

Zia raised her brow, very much wanting to ask what fire her cousin meant, but knew better than to ask. "I thought you want to use the event to have a date with him, but now you’re leaving?"

"Mm," a slight frown formed on Natha’s forehead, and Zia gulped unconsciously. But he just sighed and made a forlorn gaze, for a while looking more like a vulnerable lover than a mighty Lord.

It was such an unfamiliar sight that Zia was at a loss for words. The way he looked at Val with a deep longing, even as the man was right there in his arms made Zia avert her gaze, looking down with a blush creeping on her face. It looked so intimate that just being together in this confined space with them made her feel embarrassed.

So intimate, and yet somehow, it also felt sad.

"Zia,"

Startled, she looked up with widened eyes. Natha had never called her by her nickname before.

"Please be good to him," he said while brushing a stray hair from Val’s face.

Zia huffed, sinking herself into the couch while frowning. "I do that already even without you telling me, Lord Cousin."

Natha just smiled, and continued to caress the human into a deeper sleep. Zia remembered a fairy tale she heard during her childhood, about an elven princess who sacrificed herself to save her tribe. She was encased in eternal ice that preserved her beauty. Both in body and soul.

Val wasn’t an elf, and he definitely wasn’t a princess. But watching him looking so pretty like that even while sleeping, with his disguise still on, she couldn’t help but picture him as the elven princess in the story.

"He’s so beautiful," Zia muttered, eyes glowing brightly inside the dim carriage.

"Yes," the silver eyes rippled, glowing like a moonlight, staring deep into the man inside his embrace, into the place where it was dark and lonely. "His soul has always been beautiful."

"Umm..." Zia closed her eyes, and the glow diminished from her orbs. "Is that why you fall for him, Lord Cousin?"

"Probably?"

The romance fan Ra Zidoa perked her ears, eyes sparkling the same way when she babbled about the festival. "Like...like love at first sight?"

Natha smiled deeply, eyes curved softly as he looked deep inside Val. "He was...the most beautiful thing I’ve ever laid my eyes on. So much suffering, so much pain. He was in tatters, easily broken with just a touch, so fragile. And still..." he stroked the cheek that was wet with tears not long ago. "Still, he was holding on, desperately struggling. It was so beautiful."

He shifted the man for a bit, so Val could snag more comfortably on his lap, head laying on his shoulder. He was glad that at least Val was able to rest deeply after pouring his heart out. It was a silent downpour that agonized him so, but it was better than storing everything inside and letting it fester into an invisible wound, cracking that beautiful soul even more.

This man was someone who used to hide his emotions from others. Even when he had a lot of messy thoughts swimming in his head, he’d put out an aloof smile like he was trained to do so. Trained to adapt to an uncomfortable situation and just accept it as part of his fate.

It was this part of him that Natha exploited before, trapping the man into this contractual relationship so he could win the man’s heart slowly.

See, he was accepting the term and situation in no time, in a foreign land with no one to trust or rely on. Even started to enjoy his life inside that tower. He accepted Natha’s flirty gestures and advances so easily, going so far as to ask the Demon Lord to not abandon him.

"He didn’t even know it, how much he craved for love, for affection, for kindness. Such simple things...how silly, he should be greedy for more, for everything,"

He craved those things so much that it was so easy for Natha to insert himself into his heart, his mind. Just a little bit of kindness and affection that he deserved, but he reacted to it so sweetly.

"So you take advantage of that..."

Natha raised his brow, before the silver eyes curled into half-moons. "But of course. I am Greed, after all," he said in a sweet tone, pressing his lips on the crown of the man’s head. "I’ll do anything to have him, even if it means trapping him into becoming my bride."

Zia pouted, her illusion of pure love suddenly shattered. "At least I can see that you love him dearly."

The Demon Lord smiled, replying in a sure and firm tone. "More than you would even know,"

She stared at her cousin, who’s been acting like someone with deep lovesickness throughout the carriage ride. It still felt so weird, seeing the usually cold and impassive Natha acting like this, but she was also strangely happy.

"He said he won’t escape," Zia said, and added with an embarrassed tone. "So you know...umm...you don’t have to worry too much..."

"I know that," Natha chuckled, once again kissing the sleeping man’s forehead lovingly. "He’s too good and considerate for that."

Natha could imagine it; Val would feel too indebted to him to do something that might hurt his feeling. He was so worried he might get Natha angry, too used to never demanding anything that he had no idea how to be selfish. Couldn’t even ask for something without being told to before.

Which was why he was equally surprised and happy when Val wrote that message for him, asking for the Amrita.

His sweetheart was trying to live, and he wanted to provide the man with everything he should enjoy while continuing that life.

Even if it meant trapping the man into the contract.

Unlike his sweetheart, he wasn’t someone who would concede of what he thought should be his. He was the Lord of Greed, and should he desire over something, he shall have it.

He brushed the silky hair, arranged it neatly after he laid the man in bed. Val stirred then, emerald eyes flickered open slowly, dazedly.

"Natha?" a hazy, soft voice that made him want to stay by the man’s side forever.

But he couldn’t right now. "You should rest more, sweetheart."

"...are you going somewhere?"

Ah, how could he leave this adorable man behind? But no matter how good Malta was at confining Caba, his other subordinates would already question what exactly happened. So he had to do some damage control right now, before the Castle turned even more chaotic.

"I’ll be back as soon as possible,"

"Ah, if you’re busy, you don’t..." Val paused, and then closed his mouth. His fingers fidgetted over his blanket, and he bit his lips in contemplation. It really took all of Natha’s willpower to hold back from kissing those reddened lips. But he smiled patiently, until Val nodded slightly. "Okay, I’ll be waiting."

Natha smiled wider, rubbing the puffy eyes gently. "Good job," he praised the man who finally stopped being too considerate. "Would you open your mouth for me?"

Val tilted his head as the Demon Lord took out the Amrita, eyes widened slightly. "But you give it to me three days ago?"

"You’re stronger now, so it’s getting absorbed quicker," Natha opened the golden bottle, and Val parted his lips obediently, like always. "It’ll help you sleep better."

The golden liquid dripped once, and the long lashes fluttered for a second. Natha watched the color come back to the pale face, and rubbed the slightly pink cheek. If he could, he would wait here until the man drifted into sleep, but Malta had been flashing emergency signals for him.

"I have to go," he whispered, leaning down to watch the lovely face once more. Ah, he really wanted to kiss his sweetheart, but he didn’t think it was right to do it when the man’s head was still a messy tangle of thread. So he touched his lips, and pressed his fingers lightly on Val’s lips.

"Good night, sweetheart," he whispered, the low, soft voice echoing inside the room as he disappeared into thin air.

When he reappeared, somewhere far away, he was greeted by ten pairs of eyes, as if they had been waiting. At the end of the room, Caba was on the floor, still being held by Malta. But the other eight were standing straight, looking at him in attention.

Matsa Ra Natha sat down on the Lord’s Throne, addressing the gaze of his subordinates, and open his mouth.

"I have an announcement to make."