The Demon’s Bride

The breakfast went on smoothly. Instead of sitting far, Ian directed Elise to sit beside him. This could be one of their most peaceful day where the couple weren't intrude by people. During their lunch, Elise noticed how unlike before the maids who once opposed to the idea of her sitting beside Ian until they would go far as spreading false rumors about her now didn't even dare to make eye contact with her. 

The dining room was soon cleaned out by the maids and Ian dismissed the servants who would stand on the side of the walls, waiting to be ready when he would drop an order. 

Maroon also see there was no need for him to intrude the couple's time as long as the plates had been cleaned out and the drinks were present. Being a person who once had a lover he knew how couples like to spend their time together without a third wheel. 

Seeing everyone left, Elise also stood up from her chair, removing her napkin she placed on her lap but Ian took her wrist before she could push herself further away from the chair. "Where are you going?"

Elise was unsure if she should tell him, "Work?" she asked unsure.

"Have you ever heard of a Lady of the house working in her own house?" Ian smirked as he said this, watching how Elise's complexion turn red when he reminded her of their marriage. "Take a seat," and Elise rest her bottom to the cushioned chair again, "What do you like in your marriage?"

Elise wondered if Ian had questioned her like any groom would before their marriage, questioning what kind of marriage they would like. Being a girl who live in a village since childhood, she replied, "I would like a simple marriage, with the people we know as a guest." and her cheeks grew with happiness when she thinks that they were talking of marriage.

Ian leaned his head to the side, appearing to put his imagination to the wish she makes, "I don't hate that idea. I loves to do grandiose thing, but taking it simple isn't that bad." and like a dutiful groom, wanting to make the best marriage for Elise he asked, "Would you like to hold your marriage in the church and the party in the mansion?"

Elise looked at him carefully, "I heard from Mr. Beel that Demons don't like Churches."

Ian rolled his eyes at the name she uttered as if bored, "Never put an ear to his words and even if he talks only take the important thing and put a deaf ear to the rest. Beelzebub loves to spout nonsense."

With Beelzebub being brought again to the conversation, Elsie recalled about Lucifer. From what she gathered after her talk with Father Redrick, there was a high possibility that Lucifer wasn't born in Heaven but born from a wedlock between an Angel and Demon. "Is it alright for us to believe Mr. Beel and for me to interact with him?"

"I would say no," Ian replied, and she wondered if this was a hard choice for Ian to make, while he claim he and Beelzebub wasn't friend, somewhere in her she could tell there were a bond they shared that fell closer to the line of friends rather than enemy. 

"But you are my bride, Beelzebub might be in a pickle which he drew himself to, but he won't be as stupid to go far as harming you. Even if he did, Lucifer won't." Ian brought a glass filled with the deep red color of wine to his hand, twirling it for the liquid to slant toward the direction he tilted the glass to. 

All this time Elise had only heard ambiguous stories about Lucifer, not knowing which one is correct or how the person was. With Ian who knows all about Demon because he had went to Hell, she wanted to know what person Lucifer was, "Why not?"

Ian pulled the glass away from the seam of his lips, "There are rules and order erected to protected the peace in Hell, one of it being no one is allowed to attack another unless they they wanted to be punished this include Lucifer himself."

"I thought he was the ruler of Hell," said Elise as that was what she heard.

"The knowledge of humans are different than the truth," Ian corrected her, with the false informations the Church taught her. "The ruler of Hell is the Devil, Satan, a different person."

Which was true, Elise agreed in her mind. Stories about Angels and Demons seems to be different from what the Church said, although some are correct. Looking at Ian, she saw him dawning on the wine again. "But I am not you, attacking me wouldn't directly attack you."

Upon her words, Ian brought his hand over his lips and burst to a chuckle, settling the glass he held between his index and middle finger, he placed on the table as well as pushing himself to leaned forward and kiss her lips. Elise felt surprised but didn't hate the kiss at all. "Why are you so silly and adorable? You are a part of me now, Elise, remember we'll get married soon."

The reminder turn Elise's cheeks that had cooled down red again. "Have you directly met Lucifer before?"

Ian nodded a look of nauseate appeared on his eyes for a moment that Elise didn't miss to note on as she had been staring at his side profile as they talked. "In Hell, I did, a few times with the first time being the most memorable."

She noticed the specification he gave. "Why the first time?" 

"He tore my wings," Ian staley stated, causing Elise eyes to be wide as she was caught off guard by his statement. "It's hard to forget it when he was the one to issue the punishment and watched it unravel in front of him with a wide smile."

Elise's curiosity to Lucifer immediately dropped, she watched Ian who had went back to taking a sip from his wine, "T-Tore your wings?" 

"After I made a breakthrough as a Demon and killed my family, my demonic side wasn't the least satisfied by the living sacrifices that I made, wanting more. Therefore," he looked at Elise who was watching closely to her and uttered without shame or guilt, "I killed the people in the village where I once lived with my mother, and the town where my mother was killed. I spared no one."

Elise was surprised to hear Ian's wings was torn from his back because she was sure she had seen his wings and he had brought her to fly with him to the sky. She was also surprised to hear he had killed people, while it was correct to say he was in a blood of revenge, and that his demonic side demand him souls, it was not right to justify his action. But Elise had decided to accept him, including his murkiest past. 

From the moment she decided to be with Ian after knowing he was a Demon, she was aware of how bloody his shadow was, and with that it mind she accept him. She won't change her choice now.

"I thought most Demons kill, why do you have to be punished for killing them?" With the teaching Elise was told she learned that Demon was the evil one who takes lives, spread misfortunes, and effect bad influences to humans, while the angels bring peace. She didn't see why would Demons subject Ian to such a painful punishment when they also kill themself.

"Because I killed more than needed which disrupt the balance between Hell and the mortal's world. One more reason being they needed a scapegoat for letting Caleb whose mental and emotions unstable under their sight and escape from Hell."

Elise frowned at this, "That's unfair."

"To them it seems like it is," Ian hummed, seeing how anger come her eyes was incredibly pleasing as it was out of concern for him.

Elise took a moment of silence, gathering her hands together to clasp it under her laps, "How does he look like?"

Ian raised his brows, "Who?"

"Lucifer," Elise looked down on her hand before looking up at him, "I was just a little curious about him, I heard from Father Redrick he was a child between a Demon and Angel."

"That's the stories which goes on Hell. They believe Lucifer was a child of a Demon and angel, who then was raised in Heaven but then fell to Hell as he turned to the wrong path, going against God, just like a child throwing tantrum," Ian threw a shade as he shrugged his shoulders and leaned forward, "What got you curious about how he look?"

"His wings, was his wings likes yours?" It was always caught to Elise how his wings was with feather, "And your wings was torn, how could you fly?"

"I attached it back," Ian dropped a simple answer, he flicked his hand and the crow that had always settled itself on his desk as if it was a furniture came from the window which opened on its own and came toward his finger, "I realized that wings work like limbs to Demons, and even when it was torn from me it still flap as if it was alive. Before the other Demons could burn it to fire, I took it back and put my magic into it, turning it into this. Lucifer don't always show his wings, but if I have to guess I don't think it is like mine."

"Why are you sure?"

"One more reason for them to burn my wings is because it was unique, something that was out of normal from Hell. Like how Sullivan was ousted and treated like a freak in Hell, it happened to me too." Elise who knew how it felt to be ostracized from the people around her due to how she was told to be cursed and her red hair being a part of the reason, felt it was unfair, but it was true how people would treat other with a different part to them sometimes in the most offensive way. 

As if seeing the frown on her brows tightening, the crow moved its head toward Elise, and she slowly bring her head in front of the crow for the pitch black bird to snuggle on her palm.

"Is he a part of you or does he have a soul?" Elise asked as most of the time the crow stood silent like a statue. 

"He is my wings, he does move but have no soul, more like a silent pet," and Ian let him away from his finger. The Crow instead of leaving took rest on Elise's shoulders which attained a raise of an eyebrow from his master. The crow didn't speak but begin to leave as if afraid. Elise noticed Ian staring at the crows and his face turned at her with a smile, "I forgot to teach him manners, next time he rest on your shoulders and weigh you, shooing him away is the best method."

Elise smiled watching Ian, "He isn't heavy."

"If you say so," he then moved to look at the envelopes placed beside his left hand where the teacups were placed. Taking the pile of envelope, Elise watched Ian throwing most of the envelope once he read the name to the floor, and noticing her gaze he commented, "Letters like these often come but today there is more and I think it's because of our engagement. They want to meet you. We can come to the peaceful ones but so far it's only the noisy family who are no less than Count Gerald's family," and that's bad thought Elise. Ian suddenly halted when he read one different letter and taking it between his finger, he turned the letter front and back to read what's written. 

"I think this is for you," Ian placed the letter on her side. 

Elise took the letter to her finger, catching the very familiar sign that stamped the wax to secure the letter which belonged to the Church. She didn't need to open to know what's written in it as Edward had told her the day before, "It is the invitation to the second exam."

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A/N: update, I'm going to open the stature today, therefore the early update. It's two chapter at one~ and the trip to the Hospitals would make take time and make me a bit busy and as anyone might have noticed, I am having a busy day that it's quite a handful thing to organize a proper schedule for the update but I hope it's not confusing for everyone. I thought about separating the chapter into two but mostly it was conversations in this chapter, separating them wouldn't be too interesting. And anyone wonder about the shadow?^^