The Demon’s Bride

With shut eyes, Hallow placed both of his wings over his head, his small yellow tail trembled as he saw Lady Caroline's hand hover before him. In his mind was simply curses that he uttered enough for his entire life, cursing everyone his head could think of when by brushes of death, he heard the sound of door creaking which sounded like church's bell to his ears.

Lady Caroline's hands stopped as Hallow slowly peeked between his shut eyelids to see the woman's head turned to see the door. He slowly moved back again as if wanting to mould into one with the teapot his back was resting on. 

"...Room seven?" Lady Caroline's voice immediately filled itself with anger. "Show that trespasser their place... You can't find them?" The woman clicked her tongue before she looked back at Hallow and raised her hand to her side over the servant who had just came to relay the news to the Lady. "Guard this little one. We will continue, little chick. Stay on your place for the sake of your own self."

On Hell's name, no! thought Hallow in his mind. As he saw the lady leaving, he also saw Beelzebub coming out from the back of the door which close in time. The servant who was told to keep an eye on Hallow narrowed his eyes on the small being, "What is it with this furry animal?" He asked, wondering why the lady had instructed him to wait for the small fluffy ball.

As the servant tried to touch Hallow, Beelzebub said from the back, "It's the princess's pet. I think you are better off touching it."

The servant, alarmed, snapped his head to the back and quickly pulled the spear he had been holding to swung it dangerously across Beelzebub who at once slammed his hand to whack the servant's head over the wall. 

Hallow was smoldering with anger as he glared at Beelzebub, "You traitor!"

"Better shut up chick, I am no less frightening than that lady earlier. Come or I will leave you here," Beelzebub jerked out his pocket and with a mouthful of stifled grumbled Hallow jumped inside the pocket.

"Just so you know I wasn't scared of her," Hallow whispered when he entered Beelzebub's pocket.

Beelzebub only scoffed in response, "If it saves you from humiliation, think as you like."

In the meantime, Elise discussed to her father outside the court. Not wanting to waste more time the castle of the King, both her and Leviathan talked as they pave path to the underground. "What did you talked with Lady Caroline? You took time."

"Some story about the past," Leviathan answered and realizing his short reply, he said, "Ariel, your grandmother and my mother, she was an angel. When she first come to Hell there were many who dislike the very thought of welcoming an angel as the Queen of Hell due to grudge and disgust most demons held against angels. When your grandmother first came, not only was Hell a terrible place for her, she had no home, no one who could be there to listen or talk to her. There is Satan but what she needed was a friend who doesn't betray her like all other demoness who envied her position."

Elise had seen her grandmother. While the woman was undeniably beautiful, somewhere, Elise could also feel that she was a fragile person. 

"And Lady Caroline is?" Elise asked.

"Your grandmother's only friend. She was Satan's friend but they were not too close. One day your grandmother came to the underground from the overground. One would think Caroline would punish her as she did to everyone who entered the underground but they talked and it seems Caroline noticed that your grandmother had only lost her way to there," answered Leviathan. "Caroline was similar to an existence of an aunt to me. But even to our close relationship to ask her for an item from the underground is close to impossible. She would not agree."

"Which mean we only have two left method..." Elise answered. She now could tell one or two things about Lady Caroline such as how strict the woman was, her ambition, but also her soft side. It would sound manipulative but now that she had gathered the information, Elise tried to make out the best of what she knew. "Once I took the wings," Elise said and her father nodded his head for her to go on. "Can we truly leave here? There is one rule in the deal made which said I cannot break the deal one sidedly."

"I will think of a method," Leviathan started when Elise shook her head.

"I think I know of a method but I am not too certain."

Leviathan furrowed his brows to think. Elise was a bright one and Leviathan was sure his daughter knew the consequences of slipping up which she was cautious of. He didn't see why he should stop her, "Do what you think is right and save. If anything went out of your handle, I will always be here to help you."

When a child, Elise had wanted someone on her side, her wish was granted when she met Ian but now he was gone, there was fear of loneliness of being left alone. Fortunately, there was her father. Although the time they spent together hadn't been for more than two days old, Elise was grateful of her father's dependable presence.

"Thank you," Elise sincerely said and she could see the slight furrows of regret on her father's face. She then suggested, "We should meet Lady Caroline before grandfather notices."

"Correct. Follow me."

The underground was right underneath the castle of Satan. It didn't take long for them to appear on the large gate which was made below on the lowest floor of the castle. The walls were made with brown chunks of bricks that turned red as the torches illuminate the corridors. Elise could feel the eeriness that will cause one to shiver from a cold air which had never entered the lowest part of the castle where there was not even a single window.

When the servant looked at her, she saw how vacant their eyes were... it was almost lifeless. The underground seemed to be the complete opposite of the overground where one was vivacious and the other was deadly grim.

"Lady Caroline is in search for a thief, your highness but she should come here anytime soon,'' announced the servant as Elise felt her heartbeat picking a race when she heard how Caroline was in search for a thief.

It wasn't Hallow and Mr. Bell, was it?"