Selene listened to her father tell her that she could not go home just yet. Allowing herself to lift her head and look upon the majestic angel, she smiled weakly. “Yes, father… When I am well…”
Turning around, she walked to the vanity in the corner of the room that the servants had supplied her should she start feeling better. Sinking into the seat, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She looked horrible. Her blonde hair was plastered to her face and bare shoulders, her eyes their normal color but still shiny from tears. Looking at her father in the mirror, she asked softly “Mother is here?” That could mean nothing good. If she had heard of Selene’s condition, there was little doubt in her mind that her mother would just let it be. Her father had said she was here, and that meant she was pissed. Looking down at her fingers, she whispered barely audibly “I did fall in love…” Her father commented on their natures clashing and it only made more tears fall.
Standing up from her chair slowly, Selene gasped and almost fell over from how weak she was. Rhonda had returned and rushed over to help steady her. The servant turned to look at the king “M’lord, I suggest she gets a warm bath and rests. It has been a very trying time for the princess.” She gave Henry and encouraging smile to show she could manage. Your presence seems to have done her a lot of good. Her voice dropped to a whisper and added “There is a rumor The Majesty Queen has arrived…”With that tidbit of information, she turned to undress Selene and help her into a warm bath. After allowing her half an hour to soak, Selene was then dressed in a new white gown and was placed in bed to rest. Rhonda had left the room but Selene did not sleep. Instead, she looked at the ceiling and remained silent with her hands on her stomach.
Finally, Selene agreed to do as he wished, and that was to stay until she was well enough to travel, that and he knew their Mother would be arriving soon, after getting the answers she sought from the Brax family Monarchs. For now, all he could do was watch over his daughter, whose appearance was one of a girl that had been to hell and back, literally. King Henry stood back from his daughter who had taken a seat at the vanity, and was staring at her reflection. Seeing her like this was indeed heartbreaking to watch, and sometimes, a Father simply doesn’t know how to handle the troubles of a young girl in love. Only from experience can he offer advice, and though his own life in his mind had been blessed by the wondrous union with his beloved Queen Metia. Selene’s question that her Mother was there, had the King reply;
“Not as yet, my dear daughter. Though I am sure she is going to be here as soon as she is able. Your Mother is usually prompt in her dealings.” He knew she was a no nonsense woman, and would do all she could for the best for her daughter. The King placed his hands on her shoulders, as she whispered that she did fall in love, just as he suspected. This brought from him a heavy sigh.
“Love and other bruises….hard to believe that you are the loser in this. I wish I understood all this.”
Stepping back, his wings started to fall back in behind him, when his daughter rose to standing, and then Rhonda stepped in, as her daughter was feeling faint once more. Advised that she would do better after a warm bath and rest, the King nodded politely, only to bend his head to her, on the whisper that the Queen was in fact in attendance, just not having come to see her daughter or Husband yet. King Henry patted the servant’s shoulder and discreetly left the room, so that Selene could have some peace, and he also intended to search the inn for his beloved Metia.
<3>
The sky released bolts of lightning, with darkened clouds shielding out the light as the Demon approached the village, high on the wing. His face was both stricken and angered, and coming into land, his hulking red body started to recede, his wings folding in and his horns going back into his skull. As he walked, his appearance continued to change, right back to that of the Demon Prince that Selene had first met, which was a far cry from the fiery demon who let rip at her Mother on the mountain top. His boots crunched through the snow laden ground, as he came to stand outside the Harroway Inn, and gazed up at a window, where he saw a maid helping Selene. So, she was here, and not dead…yet.
Was the Queen lying about her health? Was she even pregnant. or was this a ploy to make him pay for taking her daughter’s virginity? There was only one way to find out, and he knew he would have to go in and see her for himself.
The inn door swung open easily, and his cape blew back behind him as he tipped his hat at the Innkeeper. The Innkeeper was shocked to see so many royals were coming though the door and wondered just what the hell was going on. Why were there no guards, or knights to ensure their protection? Joffrey crossed the timbered floor, and then said in a nice voice, which didn’t match his facial expression.
“I am here to see Princess Selene, and order you show me to her room at once.”
“Y-Yes, your Grace.”
The portly Innkeeper led him up some stairs, and then pointed to the room where Selene was residing. The Prince tossed him two gold coins, then approached the door, taking a moment as he gathered himself in composure and then he did what any fiance’ would do, he simply opened the door.
Looking in, he could see Selene lying on the bed in the centre of the room, wearing a white nightie, and staring at the ceiling. Joffrey crept in and closed the door gently, before gazing over her. She had just had a bath, by the scent of the room, and he now had a question that needed answering.
“Are you with child, Selene? Don’t lie to me, or I will leave this room, and you will not see me ever again.”
<3>
Selene heard the door open, but assumed it was her father. Not looking, she murmured in her deadly quiet voice “Daddy, it still hurts.” Turning her head, she was horrified to see it was Joffrey and not her father. Sitting up immediately, she pressed back against the wall of which her bed was leaning against and put her hands up defensively. “Don’t step closer, please!” Her voice came out in a croak as the creature within her began to put up a fight in Joffrey’s presence. There was no soothing aura like there was with her father. His cool attitude towards her sent her into a downward spiral all over again.
As his first and only statement was asking if she was with child and then the added threat, she could only stare at him. Of course that was the only reason he was here. Staring him down with her green eyes, she spoke in her sick voice, but there was a slight edge to it. “Yes, I am. And you may leave the room and never see me again anyways. I am returning home where this child will either kill me or grow up away from your vile destructive nature.” The words were hard to say, but she didn’t want him staying with her only for the sake of their child. He was a demon, and she figured he impregnated many women with spawn. As she was an angel, she wouldn’t be as fortunate as to be able to die and not have to deal with it as a human might. Standing up, she went to walk away from him but staggered and fell into the chair. Wincing, the child began to cause mayhem in her stomach. Biting her lip to keep from crying out, she gripped the chair so hard her knuckles were white. After she could catch her breath, she turned her head but wouldn’t look at Joffrey. “Leave. You are no longer bound to me. Marry someone you seem worthy of dealing with this darkness you wish to keep me from.” Turning her back on him, she walked away and stared out the window. Tears rolled down her face as she struggled to regain composure. Her mind wanted him gone, but her heart ached for that tender moment they shared. God, how she still loved him. But she couldn’t tell him that, not when he only came because of a child he didn’t even want.
The child like voice of his beloved Selene weaved its way into the dark part of his heart, like a fine needle that burst the blackened pool of malice into his blood. On seeing Joffrey, she immediately became defensive, like an angered cat that was warning him to keep his distance. The rise of the demon spawn that recognized the evil presence of Joffrey would have sent alarm bells ringing through Selene’s body, which had only just recovered from her possessed state. All the work that her father had done to bring back the light, was slowly being unraveled. Yes, Joffrey’s first question was one that would chill the bones of any woman, to be treated like they were some lying fool. But you have to remember, he had just been told the most outrageous thing, considering he didn’t recall implanting his seed in her womb. Naturally, Selene took great offense, spitting out that she was, and that she panned to return home, to either die or at the very least be kept from Joffrey;s volatile nature. The dramatics were over 9000.
Joffrey refused to speak, instead watching her closely, and every so often stared at her small belly, then back up to her eyes, that he couldn’t look away from. The girl was definitely ill, there was no mistaking it. As well as pregnant. He knew that it was his, for it was he that took her virgin flower, and now she was suffering for it. Joffrey, for all his hatred and vile ways, did not wish anything like this upon her. The more she stumbled about and gripped a chair, with white knuckles and that breathless voice, his questions were answered.
“Leave. You are no longer bound to me. Marry someone you seem worthy of dealing with this darkness you wish to keep me from.”
She finally stopped in front of the window, clearly at her ends, the baby inside of her was giving her hell, and there was only one way to stop it. Joffrey closed the distance between them and then wordlessly, placed his arms around her, his hands resting over her belly. He closed his eyes, and then with a low voice, he whispered;
“There is only one worthy of me. But I am not worthy of them. You need not say another word, but at least let me take the pain away.”
He summoned up his channeling and his hands started to glow a fierce red, the energy to soothe the unborn demon spawn, to give it comfort inside the womb of light. Only with his touch, could he keep the baby from killing its mother. He brought his head down and whispered into Selene;s ear.
“I can only ever love one woman….and that is you.”
<3>
Selene’s immediate reaction to his touch was to try and recoil, fear bubbling up inside of her irrationally. Was he going to hurt her? His arms snaked around her waist to wrap on her belly. Without even thinking, she instinctively leaned back against his touch. Tilting her head, she closed her eyes as she waited to hear more words of rejection from him. She was surprised. Swallowing hard, she looked down at his hands on her belly. Slowly her own hand lifted to brush fingertips over one of his hands. He was being so gentle with her. As he soothed the child, it began to calm down immediately. It certainly had a sense of who his father was. It was suddenly as if a breath of fresh air washed over Selene. Sighing contently, she lifted her head to brush her lips along his jaw. She felt so much better…Feeling light as air, a small smile curved her lips up. As he bent down to whisper in her ear, goosebumps raised along her bare arms and she felt the wind get knocked out of her.
He said he loved her. Again, doubts flooded her mind, her own inner demons seeming to whisper accusations in her ear. Disentangling herself from his hold, she walked away from him and shook as she saw visions of black and red. “No no…” She whispered. Think of Daddy…think of Daddy…” Looking up, she glanced over her shoulder to look at Joffrey. There was no malicious demon in the room with her. Just her beloved dark prince. Her father’s face melted from her mind and the images of Joffrey holding her close replaced them. She watched in her mind as he bent down to kiss her for that first time. It was if she had just woken up. Stepping back towards Joffrey, she reached up with one hand and stroked the scruff on his face. Smiling gently, she pushed down all fears that he was only here for the child. She wanted to live on their love, not her fears. Standing on her toes, she pressed her hands against his chest and whispered “Will you just kiss me already…”
At the moment he held her, Selene let go of her inhibitions and found herself leaning back against his chest. The light touch as her finger tips caressed his hands had him almost smile, but he was not done, for he had to stop the baby from trying to destroy its mother. Now at least, the infant spawn knew its father was close, and Joffrey had a gift that no one else could give her. The love of his being, that proved paternity, as well as the fact he loved her. At first she broke free from his hold, and up came that look again, questioning everything.
“No no…”
“Selene…”
He only said her name, not about to start fighting with her again, not after everything that brought him back to this place. He had himself made the demon within his being dormant, and what she would see, was the same man that she fell in love with. He was there all the time. Only when truly in rage, did he release the callous dark side to his nature, but for now, he could only see his love, the mother of his unborn child, and he just wanted to hold her.
Finally, Selene turned around and then she crossed the floor, going up on tip toes, and brushing her fingers along the scruff of his face. He could see the love in her eyes returning, this was the woman he wanted…he needed so desperately.
“Will you just kiss me already…”
Barely had she finished the sentence, and he swept her up in his powered arms, and kissed her with such passion, the ache in his heart, heard through the light moans that escaped through the corners of his lips. She was like oxygen, the very air that one needs to breath to live. His hands traced all over her back and only broke the kiss to see her tear streaked face, gazing at her beauty.
“You never have to ask that again.”
<3>
