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 Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 8:11 pm
Her hands were fisted tightly at her side, the hallway coated with an inch of thick ice. The servants avoided her gaze, the younger ones eyeing her beastly sharp teeth with more than a healthy dose of fear. Some of them whimpered, which did nothing to appease the ice demoness as she stood in the hallway that was the only egress from the Unconsecrated Queen's throne room. She was so pissed off, her cheeks were actually flushed a bright red that was especially striking against her icily pale skin.
There. The object of her ire proceeded towards her - nonchalant, of course he wouldn't think about stealing her career, her obsession, in the name of some ridiculous coup. Zuleika watched Prince Asmodeus proceed down the hall and tried to pull herself together enough to bring the ice back under the control of her mind, rather than her emotions. An unearthly, cruel chuckle managed to slip past her as she considered the image of that a** falling on the ice - but no. That would not be the right response.
"You son of a goat-whoring b***h," she said, her voice perfectly modulated and deadly in its crooning. "Who do you think you are."
Her armor glinted in the strangely wintery light as she moved to intercept him. Zuleika knew she could stop him in his tracks if she so chose - he was higher ranked, he had more legions, but combat was what she did, it was her purpose, and now she could no longer employ those skills in the service of she who needed it the most because of this outsider Prince. "Explain," she ordered, barely even noticing that she had already half-drawn her sword.
By all the gods of Hell, she was so. pissed.
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Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 8:37 pm
Asmodeus strode down the hallway. It was certain that Lilith wanted to see him for what he had done. Zuleika. He would not apologize for it. Even to Lilith. This demoness pulled at him in ways that few others ever had, but he would never admit that to the queen of demons. And he was quite sure he would be punished in some way. He'd not done it without expecting that.
Would she have rathered that the demoness fell to one lower than he? Most likely not, but then Lilith had not wanted Zuleika to have such a weakness. It was why she trained constantly. And whether he wanted to admit it or not, Zuleika was a weakness of a sort to him. He had wanted her not just because of the bets by the lower ranked demons, but because HE had simply wanted her and she was worth more than those gambling on her. But it had been thrilling to pursue her and succeed. It made him remember the days when he had been above. Everything was an adventure then. Zuleika was definitely one.
A grin nearly broke across his face at the ice, but he managed to keep it under control showing none of the amusement he felt. The one thing he knew was that she was deadly in combat. Something he admired about her, but she was wasted protecting Lilith, though he knew someone had to do so. The demoness was worth far more than that and should be out fighting and bringing souls back. At least he felt she should. It would take time to make her see that though.
This was but the first step. The next step was getting out of hell. He was tired of the court and its ways. It had been centuries since he'd been in the world directly. And the demon wanted that. He had plans. Zuleika was but a portion of it.
"Asmodeus, a demon prince." he replied seriously. "Do you really think this was merely about some low level coup, Zuleika?" He folded his arms to watch her a moment. She was beautiful and he enjoyed looking at her more than he had others in a long time. "You are worth more than that, but you consented to my seduction. It is not entirely my fault, but I must say you are beautiful even if angry. And I'd tell Lilith the same thing."
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Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 8:54 pm
Was he blaming her for his indiscretions? By all the powers, she'd done nothing wrong! It was a consensual relationship, as if that mattered in Hell, but no matter, she had not abandoned her duties to be with him, never had she served Lilith to anything less than the Queen's perfect satisfaction. Even if she desired another demon romantically, didn't the Queen know that Zuleika's purest devotion and loyalty was hers?
"Well, sweetie," she said, her sneer adding a cruel twist to the word, "if it wasn't about a threat to my Queen, I wouldn't have lost my position, you - you -"
Ugh, she was not going to lose any more control because of this b*****d! She gritted her teeth and pressed her fists to the side of her head for a moment. Analyzing the situation from a calmer place - the ice began to melt, the first flames of her fury almost extinguished - she noted something rather odd about his posture. It was relaxed. Almost casual, like he was - like he was - laughing at her - "I love - loved you and you used me," she snarled, descending quickly into a more dangerous, frozen rage. Her eyes had glazed over, turning from a painfully virulent red to something... icy, like blood when splattered on snow. Almost a dark, burgundy red, and it was a shade that barely anyone had ever seen.
Lowering her hands for a moment, she said, "What am I supposed to think? I don't know what you do, you b*****d, and -" The enormity of the situation hit her, again, and without thinking she slammed a fist into the side of his arrogant-a** worthless unthinking face with all two thousand years of near-constant training behind it. Her right hook had put Princes to the floor before; she hoped sincerely, with vicious pleasure, that it would do so again.
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Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 9:24 pm
Asmodeus staggered backwards, nearly losing his footing completely. Instead he went down on one knee hard, shaking his head. He'd almost swear that it rattled. For a moment he'd seen stars. Or perhaps ducks. Either way it hurt as he knew it would. Getting back to his feet, he rubbed his jaw, just watching her. "Nicely done, Zuleika. The Queen should be proud of that, but the threat perceived was hers. My intent is what should have mattered and it is not what she thinks. She sees plots against her where there are none and ignores the real threats. I could care less for the plots of the court and the other princes except where they affect me and mine. Then I'm obligated to protect."
He stared at her a moment, then openly admitted, "I did use you and the results are exactly as I expected. But know this, I did not touch you for the supposed coup. I did because I loved you- wanted you and for what I do have planned. It was simply my plans that mattered in the beginning, but it was not lightly done between us." Asmodeus said, folding his arms again. "And I do not expect you to know what I do or even to believe me. Are we finished here now? I was ordered to see her."
Asmo had admitted to her more than he had ever confessed to another. He did love her, but he was sure she hated him now. This could have been done no other way, and he knew she would not believe him. At least not now. He hoped she had enough sense to come to him when she understood he was not here. There was more for them yet and he smiled inwardly. Much more.
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Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 9:33 pm
A visceral satisfaction warred for the barest moment with nausea; she stood there, at the end of her follow-through, half-collapsed herself and vulnerable. "What pretty words," she laughed, but the syllables were oddly jarred as she tried to draw a full breath. This had been everything. Her entire existence as a demon had been centered around protecting the Queen Mother. Now she had lost her vantage point. Some other demon would take her place, would not be as skilled as Zuleika, no matter how hard they tried or how many hours they trained. "I despise you. I want you to die."
Zuleika was not one for pretty lies. She turned her gaze up to his face, the glazed look warring with despair, as if she didn't recognize him. "We're demons, Prince," she continued in a tone of dead formality, straightening and pulling herself rigidly under control. A shake of her head set her straight locks of ink-black hair back into order. The armor protecting her from shoulder to wrist glinted and clinked coolly as she hugged herself tightly. "We lie like we were born to it. We lie because we were born to it." Then her gaze sharpened. "This is not a lie: I will see you bleeding for your betrayal. Not of the Queen, even though that's a crime deserving of the final death. But because you lied, and now, faced with this, you continue to lie!... Even lower-ranked, useless demons like me have a breaking point."
She started to push past him, giving him the option of moving out of her way or slipping once more on the ice.
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Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 10:03 pm
Asmodeus moved to the side, bowing to her. "As you say, Zuleika. But one day you will know the truth of this and perhaps more. There are times when it is important that even we tell the truth. Don't wait too long when you understand. Even I will cool from what I truly want and take another."
He stood back and watched her go. He could not not watch the demoness leave, but she was not ready to hear, trust, or understand his words. Not yet. Perhaps one day she would.
Turning back to the door in front of him, Asmodeus shook his head. Now to face Lilith. Hopefully she would word it in such a way that he could take it to mean as he wanted. And he would.
To leave Hell. That was what he wanted. Needed. He was tired of the intrigues and plottings. Of watching his back all the time. It was getting old when faced with the same manipulations and threats all the time. But up there, he had a chance to see something new. To do what he wanted. It had been a long time since he had been in the upper world. The world of humans. And he wanted it again. How he craved the rush of life there. He could almost taste the blood pumping out into his hands as he tore the heart and soul from some human. And enjoyed it.
Of course, he had used Zuleika, but that did not mean he did not love her. It was the only way he was certain that Lilith would give him the space he wanted. And that he'd be able to bring her with him and into her own. The demon prince was unsure when he had begun to plot this. Whether it was upon first meeting her when she first became Lilith's guard or when the bet had been made amongst the lesser demons. He had not wanted anyone to have her, but him.
And now all he had to do was face the Queen.
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