Hell’s Consort

New Chapter of Highest Tier (May 2021)

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Archdemon Empress Luna

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"Will O' Wisp?" Luna raised a curious eyebrow as she glanced up at him, waiting for his reply. 

Was it the spring pub Apollyon told her about where she had a drink with Prince Aspen? 

"Princess Sapphire was too young to get in there if she ever spied on me." Apollyon said as he watched his mother with suspicion. 

Princess Ourania gave them a half-shrug before placing the sandwiches she sliced on her parents' plates while Queen Titania was busy preparing the tea.  "You don't understand. Princess Sapphire wasn't a mere lackey. She was the head spy." Luna's jaw dropped at her nonchalance. "The rest of our spies looked up to her for their next move."

That confirmed what Apollyon and Luna had thought about the fact that Princess Sapphire wasn't alone. 

Her husband guessed that their approach of espionage was systematic.

Who would have thought that a fourteen-year-old teenage royal princess could be the leader of a group of unknown spies following her husband around the Spring Courts without their knowledge? "The princess might be brilliant when it came to  perilous missions but training this young girl to do these things is beyond me, mother." 

"Xerxes is my protector—" Round eyes met her husband's while her mouth chewed on blueberries. "--and  you aren't a bad person so I don't consider you too dangerous, brother."

"You see…" Apollyon smirked, amused by his sister finding him harmless as a teddy bear"--That statement usually makes me prove that what you just said was wrong."

King Oberon cleared his throat loudly as he pointed an accusing finger at his grandson. "Apollyon." His grandfather's tone was as brutal as lightning hitting a tree. "First time you met your sister and you are threatening her."

Propping his elbow on the table, Apollyon said coldly as he rested his chin on his hand. "I will only claim her as my half-sister if I know who her father was. I haven't seen him anywhere."

Queen Titania snorted. "That's interesting. Even we don't have any idea who her lover was or what he looked like, grandson, and we just leave your mother be." 

Shock rooted Luna on her chair.

Apollyon's mother still hid a lot of things from her parents.

"She is good at hiding her secret lover way before you were even born."

"We know she had a lover." King Oberon nodded. "This time, Princess Ourania was honest but we haven't met the man who got her pregnant." 

"I never knew my father and mother refused to tell me who it was."

Luna patted Princess Sapphire when she detected anguish in her voice.

"No need to tell you if he wasn't here in this Realm anymore, Princess." Princess Ourania cooed with an unsettling smile on her face.

"So, he was dead before Princess Sapphire had the chance to meet his father?"

"You could say that."

The elegant crockery looked poised around the flower petals ad garlands scattered on the table, absorbing the warmth from the ambiance.

There was a bowl of fresh strawberries soaked in rum, yam cakes glazed with sugar, sandwiches, cheesecakes with vanilla cream on top, mango and pineapple fruit cakes, chocolate cookies, and puddings which can infuse a bouquet of flavors in a Faerie's tongue.

The visual stimulation was superb in that it made her mouth water, but she and Apollyon couldn't eat anything from here since it would only make them feel sick.

She loved the taste of her mate's blood, but this was one of those times where she wished the Blood Beast hadn't turned her into a vampire.

Luna felt awkward that she was the only adult female in the room who wasn't doing anything while the Summer Queen served them with tea by herself instead of hiring a court attendant for this. What a good host!

She made a full circle around the table to pour each of them with the tea.

The fragrant scent of hibiscus mixed with honey permeated the air.

It must have been made with dried hibiscus flower steeped into hot waters for many hours, including other faerie herbs.

Luna saw her standing between them when it was Apollyon's turn.

Head-turning, Luna asked, "Let me take over, Grandmother."

The hand that held the teapot paused on Apollyon's cup when Luna's hand gripped the shoulder and handle.

"Empress."  Luna gently pulled it, and she was glad that the body didn't sear her fingers. "No need to do that."

"It's fine, darling." Queen Titania's light blue eyes were incandescent flames. "I'm the host of this tea party."

"Let me handle it."  Luna urged as she carefully got up from her chair, wearing a bright smile on her face. "Your Highness."

She could sense Queen Titania's resolve wavered.

Rolling her eyes in annoyance, Princess Ourania enunciated. "Maybe, you can do it at your own tea party, Empress Luna. You, desiring to take away the teapot from my mother, makes you look ill-mannered."

"Wife. Leave it be." Apollyon pulled her wrist hard.

She yelped when her buttocks landed back on the cushions,  "Sit down."

Luna was trying to help and be compassionate to Apollyon's grandparents so that they would like her, unlike Apollyon's mother, who threw passive-aggressive comments here and there.

Her lungs constricted, making it harder to breathe.

Was Apollyon angry at her for attempting to help his grandmother?

'You don't have to be pushy to force them to like you. People will either like you or not. It had nothing to do with you serving them whatsoever. Don't do anything.' Apollyon told her in her thoughts, and she could sense his ire, and she wondered if it was directed at her. 'My wife isn't a servant.' 

Luna finally understood.

'Apollyon.' As warmth flushed her cheeks, Luna mused as she scowled at him. 'You got too comfortable reading my mind over here.'

'I like talking to you but I should be careful with my words in front of the Summer Monarchs.' Apollyon asked calmly. 'Do you have a problem with me talking in your head?'

'I'm alright with it.' Luna replied. 'But we have to pay attention to the Summer Monarchs or we might sound like idiots if they ask as something.'