His Mistress, His Bride

The large hall had no windows, only black stone and the sound of chains. Torches burned blue. He knelt on the obsidian floor, manacles biting his wrists. His eyes burned gold, his body scarred with purple veins pulsing under skin that wasn't quite mortal. Stronger than the warlord who chained him. Everyone in this room knew it. And that was the problem. The high inquisitor stepped forward. Clad in black. "Ryan, son of the king, blood of both worlds. You stand accused of treason against the Abyss. How do you plead?" Ryan looked up, gold eyes meeting his "Treason? I pulled a child from your claws last night. She was only six. She called me monster until she saw I didn't eat her. Tell me, Inquisitor, who's the traitor?" A ripple went through the court. Demons hissed. A few younger ones looked away. Lord Vark slammed his hand down. "You're stronger than me. Stronger than our captains. You could take the throne. Instead you play saviour to cattles! You shame our blood!" The chains rattle as he stands, though he's not supposed to. "My blood is ashamed of you. You call humans cattle while you rot from the inside. I've seen your world, Lord Vark. You don't want a kingdom, you want a s*******r house. And I won't be the butcher." "If you're not demon....then you're nothing. And nothing has no place in the Abyss" Lord Fredrick spoke. His voice came soft, but the whole hall heard it. "Then let me be nothing. Let be nothing in the human world, where nothing means a boy gets to grow up. I'll take that rather than being something here." The blade of judgment hovered Ryan's neck. Blue flame licked the edge. "The punishment for treason is death. Do you have any last words, traitor?" "Yeah... Tell my father.... I wasn't trying to be his heir. I was trying to be better than him" His eyes pierced through the shadows as he spoke. Before the blade could fall, the king stands. The throne groans. His voice cracked the silence. "My son.... Is not a traitor!" The whole hall froze. You don't interrupt the inquisitor. You don't question demon law. Kings especially don't. Lord Vark bows but his voice is steel "Your majesty. He spares humans. He bleeds for them. That is treason by every law of the Abyss" The king walks down the steps. Slow. Each step heavy. "Then change the law " he stopped right in front of Ryan. Putting himself between the blade and his son's neck. Everyone gasped. Demons don't do that. Kings don't shield weakness. "You call him threat because he's stronger? Good. Let him be threat. Let him be threat to every demon that thinks a child is cattle. I am king of the Abyss...but I was a father first. And no law, no crown, no blade, will make me kill my own blood for having a heart." The inquisitor's voice shook with rage. "If you defy this, you defy the abyss itself. You will lose the throne!" "Then let me. But I won't lose my son" Ryan's gold eyes finally broke. Just once. "Father, don't..." "Too late, son. I chose the moment you were born" he smiled faintly. The hall exploded. Half of the demons drew weapons. Half looked unsure. Because for the first time...their unkillable king looked mortal. The king's words still hung in air when the doors slammed open. "Enough!" queen mother yelled, her voice cracking the walls. She didn't walk, she descended. Her eyes colder than the abyss. The court dropped to one knee. Even the king bowed his head. She looked at her son, then at Ryan. "You would go down for him, my king? And he also wants to go down for them" she sighed like the weight of centuries was on her tongue. She faced Ryan "You saved them. You did exactly what I hoped you would" Demons' brows creased at what the queen said. They were confused. "Which is why... you can never be king” “So I will give you both what you want. And neither what you need” She raised her hand. The blade of judgment shattering into dust. The high inquisitor stepped forward “Your majesty, treason demands….” “Treason demands death” she cut him off with a glance “Love demand exile. I am queen. I choose the third part” She turned to Ryan. Her face wasn’t cruel. It wasn’t heartbroken either. “Ryan, son of two worlds, you are banished from the Abyss. From this throne. From your father’s name. You wanted to be nothing in the human world, so be it. You will live among them.” Ryan sagged in relief. Too soon. She placed two fingers on his forehead, red flames flared. “But mercy has a price, child. Hear my judgment. A curse, to ease both sides. You will protect every human who calls for help. And at every cry, at every ache, every scream, every whispered prayer in the dark…. your heart will ache with them” Ryan groaned. His veins bulging, lighting up like chains. The king lunged forward “No… Mother, you can’t!” “You wanted to save them? Now you cannot stop. You will feel their fear when demons come. You would taste their grief when you arrive too late. You will carry the weight of every life you touch until the day you wish you were dead instead.” Ryan choked, falling to his knees. The king roared but was held back by guards at the order of the queen. Her voice softened but only for a heartbeat “But even curses can have mercy, child. Even the abyss bows to one thing – Choice.” The red flames split. Half seared into his chest. Half floated above his heart like a second pulse. “The curse will break… only when a human bride confesses love to you. Freely. Without fear…. without doubt. She must love the monster you are, not the Savior. Not what you do for her” Silence. And then the court laughed. Cruel, sharp. “A demon-blood, half breed?” Lord Vark laughed “The girl will run the moment she sees his fangs and claws” “Then let him be lonely. That was your father’s fear, wasn’t it? That you’d die without knowing what it is to be chosen. Now you’ll live with it.” “If your bride doesn’t find you before the curse consumes you….you will become the very monster you swore to destroy” She stepped back. The floor cracked open. A portal of dark light flared wider. Ryan was dragged towards the darkness. Manacles gone but the curses burning in his chest. The last thing he saw was his father on his knees. Eyes red, burning like hell. Groaning out his name like that would stop the force that pulled him. “Father…” the words tore out of his mouth like a whisper. And then the portal closed, with him gone from the Abyss. As the portal closed, the queen whispered “Pray she finds you before you forget how to love”