The Demon’s Bride

Michael was quiet as he showed them the way to the inside of Heaven's castle. Even without the need of looking around, Elise could feel the gazes of the people around her. Most angels looked at them with a wary gaze as they knew who Ian was and whose granddaughter she was. 

On the other hand, Elise paid no attention toward the people. Instead, she looked over the place. After a while, her eyebrows knitted together, "I don't see any humans soul here."

Michael appeared to be one of the person who speak only when it was necessary and dislike entertaining small talk. However, at this point, he turned his head and looked at Elise. 

He answered, "In Heaven, what do you think is the most important for us, the angels, to protect?"

Ian hummed at the question, "Your King?"

Michael chuckled faintly before shaking his head. "Our king had ordered us to protect him the last. It is instead, the soul of those innocent humans, who have acquired the ticket to live in Heaven before then ourselves and him. Considering all that, will us put our most treasured people outside the castle?"

Elise shook her head in response, "There's a separate place for the humans."

Michael nod only once, not putting any afterwords. They continue walking in silence until he finally spoke again, "One thing you two shouldn't misunderstand. It wasn't I who had suggest this reward to you two. It is rather the King himself."

A slight grin appeared on Ian's lips, "If he would like to thank us, I would ask him for an additional request."

"If it is about Caleb, he has receive his own reward," Michael answered before turning back to look away from them and waving his hand to the guards who were standing at a large golden framed door. "God has never turn a blind eye to anyone's pain. He is working to help us all, even though there are limits to the thing his majesty could do in order to protect the balance of the world. Without balance, the world will only be destroyed. Therefore he cannot favor one person over another."

"Is this your way of saying forgive me?" Ian questioned while pulling the right corner of his lips into a tilted grin. 

"Yes," Michael answered. His straight reply was unexpected to both Elise and even Ian who was always able to guess a person's reaction around him. "And also a way to thank you," Michael reached out his hand forward where a flower suddenly bloomed over his hands. The white flower had a short petals but abundant, looking soft and fluffy to the eyes. "You two shouldn't go empty handed."

Ian stared at the flower, realizing the same flower which his mother had always placed next to window of her room back when she was still alive. 

Taking the flower to his hands, Ian's smile softened, "You can actually mellowed too by age, Michael. This is surprising."

Elise also took the flower which Michael then offered her. But unlike the flower he had given to Ian, the flower she received was a yellow tulip. "It's a flower which your mother liked."

"How do you know?" Elise can't help but ask as even her doesn't know what kind of flower her mother would like.

"My task in Heaven isn't simply to guard the soul, but offer them the best possible accommodation. It's only right for me to remember by heart of what they like and dislike. Some of the humans who arrive here wasn't in their best state. There are scars each of them suffer, both physically and mentally. I am here to help them ease their wounds," replied Michael who then looked at the humans who gathered at the small garden which was located inside Heaven. "Go on."

Elise held Ian's hand, and from where she stood she could see the brimming happiness on Ian's face, making him almost like a child which was an extremely rare expression for her to see from him. 

She held his hands, sharing the same joy with Ian.

"Mellowed, yes, you have become quite sweeter aren't you?" Lucifer's voice then appeared from behind Michael. While his appearance was sudden, Michael wasn't surprised the least. Deep down, Michael had expected Lucifer's appearance as the Duke of Hell would never fail to appear at the best time to annoy him. 

"Should I put more honey to your taste?" Michael answered before rolling his eyes. 

"Look at that sarcasm," Lucifer chuckled, not offended the least by his friend's snippy tone, "Seems like I have influenced you well. You started from a burnt fish and now… a salted fish… still burnt though."

Michael opened his lips, as though he wanted to refute Lucifer's words before realizing how stupid it would be for him to continue replying Lucifer's remarks as the man had million of words he could say to continue annoy his speaking opponent. 

Michael then asked, "What do you come here for? You're not allowed inside Heaven again. I turn a blind eye today but this will be the last time. Speaking of which. I heard you haven't been in Hell, what are you up to again?"

"Me?" Lucifer raised both of his eyebrows to appear innocent. "Please, not everything I do is to make trouble. You see… I was wondering about Apollyon's soul. While I noticed his soul is not in any existent in the world anymore, I can feel a small wisp of soul left when my nephew and niece killed him. I suppose the soul is too weak to do anything but I would recommend you to look at it so nothing worse could repeat again."

Michael heavily frowned at the news which could be bad. "I will do so. But the fact that you are here to tell me this means you need to know something in exchange, don't you?"

"You know why I love talking to you, Mickey? It's because you always understand me," Lucifer raised his hand to pat Michael's shoulder but the latter swiftly swatted his hand aside with his golden eyes glowering. "Okay, getting to this business. Not long ago, I saw something quite fascinating. It was a human, a female human. What makes this woman fascinating is I think I have smelled her scent somewhere in Hell before. I have been following her but all of a sudden she disappeared."

"You want me to find her?" Michael asked with his frown still tied tightly. "I do not support your action to harm humans, Lucifer. Never." 

"That's where you're wrong. She fascinated me, Michael. Fascinating. It's rare something or someone could catch my attention much less fascinating me. I will go there to protect her also to find more amusement," Lucifer reached out his hand toward Michael. "Come on. My information can protect your castle and your beloved souls and I can swear in God's name I will not hurt that girl."

"Do you know that swearing a person's name would mean praying for a misfortune to befall on that person as well?" Michael chastised but stopped. "Fine. I will allow you meet Uriel and ask for his help. But remember a wound or scratch on that human and I will put you to the prison."

Lucifer was undaunted by the warning, "Of course brother! I love you," exaggerated Lucifer who then laughed aloud seeing how disgusted Michael appeared on receiving a loving word from Lucifer.

As Michael had only led them to the entrance of the human's place, he didn't completely show the way inside or the way to meet Lady Lucy. Elise could only guess that to find Lady Lucy would be up to themselves.

Ian made his way across the garden confidently despite this being his first time in Heaven. "Do you know where she is?" Elise asked him as he appeared to have faith on where his feet brought him. 

"No," he replied, "But I do have a feeling on where she would be." Believing in Ian, she followed beside him, holding the flower on her hand. 

They had moved away from the crowded place of people, and instead went to the only place where it was the quietest amongst the garden. On the middle of the garden was a large tree. A lone woman stood near the tree, holding a watering can toward one of the flowers she grew there. 

There was no one beside her but the swan which came from the nearest lake. Some of the swan stood beside her while the rest on the lake and others sleeping underneath the tree as if they were all soothed by the presence of Lady Lucy near them. 

The swans were the first to notice their arrival as some made a fly away from the place. Lady Lucy noticed how her friends left her side and looked over their side before she realized the appearance of someone close to her. 

Elise watched from the side how Lady Lucy's bright black eyes widened upon seeing Ian standing not too far from her. She looked at the smile that widened on Ian's lips. There was joy as well as sorrow. Ian didn't say a single word, and Elise released his hands to let him run toward his mother's side, pulling the older woman into his warm embrace. The hug was for a short time and yet felt like an eternity of peace to the mother and son.