Disclaimer: I don't own BE/ANE or any of its characters!
Chapter one,
The Beginning of the End
"Can you please stop doing that?" Rin pleaded after yet another pin pricked him in the side.
"I'm sorry Master Rin, but I must ask that you stay still for a little while longer. I'm nearly finished." The seamstress replied in a soft voice. She was an older woman whose eyes crinkled when she smiled and her hair was starting to turn gray. If one didn't know any better, they could easily mistake her for a human, if not for the two small horns poking out on either side of her head.
"How could I possibly sit still? I've been locked up here for nearly two weeks and I haven't been able to do anything. Not to mention that I have to make my first royal address in Assiah in less than a day..."
"And you'll do just fine." A low, familiar voice said from the doorway.
Rin craned his neck to the side so he could get a good view of his visitor. The seamstress next to him sighed in resignation and set down one of her pins. She was never going to be able to get him to stay still.
"Ah, Lucifer. I didn't see you come in."
"You were preoccupied." Lucifer gestured at Rin standing in front of a body length mirror. Lucifer looked to the seamstress and commanded, "Leave us."
"Yes, your highness."
"Thank-" Rin tried to say, but she had gathered her things and ducked out of the room before he could get the words out,"-you."
Rin gave Lucifer a scathing glare before turning back to face the large mirror. It bothered him to no end when Lucifer, or any of his siblings for that matter, dismissed people out of hand. Servant or not, they should still be treated with respect.
Instead of fixating on negative thoughts, Rin admired the seamstresses handiwork in the mirror. It was heavy, black uniform-esque attire with blue embroidery. Blue being the color of the royal family. There were a few pins left in the side that she was working on, but other than that it looked to be one of the finest things Rin had ever worn. Additionally, he also wore dark leather boots and a thin silver crown.
'I wonder what my coronation get-up will look like...' Rin wondered before turning his attention back towards Lucifer.
"What if they don't bow?" Rin asked, thinking of the days ahead.
"They will bow to you." Lucifer said, dismissing the conversation with a wave of his hand. He and Rin had already had this conversation a dozen times and nothing he ever said seemed to calm Rin's nerves.
Rin's eyebrows knitted together. He tried not to worry, tried to stop fretting over the little things, but there were so many things that could go wrong. Too many variables. There had been many resistance groups throughout the years that threatened the sovereignty of the empire. Yes, they were all later crushed by the empires military forces, but the fact remained that there are still those who would happily see Rin and his family executed.
Rin looked about his temporary living quarters and sighed. The room was luxurious and great in size, but they didn't feel like home. He felt like a stranger living in a castle of ghosts.
'I just need some fresh air.' Rin thought. He opened the doors to his balcony and stepped out. The cool breeze and starry night sky did little to help his nerves, but standing alone in the night made him feel free. Below him, the dark streets of Assiah slumbered on. There was something about being awake when the world was asleep that brought him comfort.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Rin asked, gazing out at the night sky and the city below. The streets were quiet and the chirping of the birds had long gone silent.
"It is." Lucifer agreed.
Even though Assiah was a territory of Gehenna, the two places couldn't be more different.
The crisp, clear waters and green landscapes of Assiah were a stark contrast to that of his home. Gehenna had long suffered from many years of drought and famine. The rivers ran a deep, bloody red and the water itself was undrinkable. All food and water used to either be imported into the Empire, or taken from the surrounding areas.
Gehenna and its citizens lived without hope for many years, but on night Rin was born, his father, Satan, led a successful siege on the Kingdom of Assiah and killed all of their ruling monarchs. That night, the blue banners of Gehenna flew high over the streets of Assiah.
In the empire, the people bowed down to Rin, his father, and his siblings. The people kissed the very ground they walked on and revered them. Their armies would willingly fight and die for them. Above all, the people saw Rin as a living reminder that they could overcome anything in their path.
But here in Assiah, the people didn't know him.
Not yet.
He and Lucifer stood in silence together for a while longer before Lucifer spoke up, "You should get some rest, Rin. Father will be here in the morning and you have a long day ahead of you."
"Right," Rin nodded in agreement. Tomorrow would be a long day indeed. "You should do the same."
And without another word, Lucifer turned and left the room.
Rin took one last look at himself in the mirror, while in uniform, he looked uncannily like his father. Except for the hair. His father's hair is a pale white, whereas his own is black as the night. He got it from his mother, or so he had been told. He took off his silver crown and set it on his bedside table, he peeled off his clothes, carefully to avoid getting stuck with another pin, and he set it on his dresser so the seamstress could finish it in the morning.
After getting into a comfortable pair of night-clothes, he slipped under the warm bed covers and fell into a restless sleep.
-~x~-
Rin awoke the next morning to bright beams of sunlight poking their way through the curtains. He pushed himself upright and groggily wiped the sleep from his eyes. Rin tossed his bed covers aside and slowly got to his feet. He looked around his room to find something suitable to wear. Delighted to see that his uniform was finished, he picked it off the dresser and admired the handiwork.
A knock sounded from the door, pulling at his already distracted and groggy mind. He definitely was not a morning person.
"Come in." Rin called out.
Two servants walked in, a boy and girl slightly younger than Rin himself, and bowed deeply.
"We're here to help you get ready for the day." The girl said meekly, trying her best to avoid eye contact with Rin.
"That won't be necessary," Rin said dismissively.
"Are you certain, master Rin?" The boy asked hesitantly, "With the royal address today, Prince Lucifer requested that we aid you-"
"I'm perfectly capable of getting ready myself. Why don't you two take the morning off?"
"Your highness?" The girl asked, exchanging a hopeful look with the boy, "Are you sure?"
"Yes, yes you're both free to go." Rin replied absent-mindedly, raking a hand through his disheveled hair. The royal address was today! Why didn't someone wake him up sooner? Not only that, but his father was arriving today. Hell, he was probably already waiting downstairs!
Rin took a quick shower, turning the water in the shower up until the temperature was almost unbearably hot. After that, he dried off and got dressed in the clothes the seamstress had left on his dresser. They fit snugly, but they weren't tight or restricting. He was on his way out of his room before he remembered something vital. Rin rushed back into his room and grabbed his crown from the night stand and put it on, the familiar weight on his head was comforting.
"Which way to the dining room?" Rin asked one of the guards outside of his bedchambers. They pointed him down a set of stairs and gave a short bow.
Rin quickly descended down the stairs, almost tripping on the way down. The dining room was easy enough to find. There were two servants standing outside of it. Rin gave them a nod and they pulled open the large doors for him.
Taking long strides into the room, Rin tried his best not to show it, but he was excited to see his father. They had been apart since Rin discreetly arrived in Assiah several weeks ago.
"Hello father," Rin greeted, but his long strides faltered and he stopped in his steps.
Rin was greeted by the sight of two of his older brothers, Lucifer and Mephisto. Two people who were definitely not his father.
"Where's father?" Rin questioned, disappointment seeping into his voice.
"Not here, brother dear." Mephisto replied playfully.
"Clearly. What are you doing here?"
Rin and Mephisto never really saw eye-to-eye. Mephisto was the sort of person to create trouble and Rin tried his best to avoid it, even if it always found him. Instead of answering his question, Mephisto winked at him and proceeded to sip his tea. Ignoring the question altogether.
"He won't be arriving today," Lucifer explained, setting down his drink
"What? Why not?"
"Mephisto arrived first thing this morning with a message. There's been a slight change in plans. Father and the other members of the Baal determined that it would be too dangerous to have both the king and crown prince in former enemy territory for the royal address. Especially considering recent uprisings that we've had to deal with." Lucifer explained.
Rin shook his head, "That doesn't make any sense. I can defend myself and father has fought plenty of battles single-handedly and won-"
"It is not a question of strength, Rin," Lucifer interrupted, "but a matter of security. We cannot risk losing the both of you."
Rin's shoulders stooped, "Will he be coming at all?"
"Of course he will." Mephisto said cheerfully, "He'll be here later this week to commence the celebrations! He'll be arriving at a time where there is minimal risk of something going haywire."
"Right. Fine." Rin sighed, "I'm going to go prepare for my speech."
Rin turned on his heel and left the room. He wasn't sure how long he had until his speech and a little preparation never hurt anyone. Instead of going back to his room right away, he found himself wandering the castle. Most of the artwork from the previous royal family that occupied this castle had either been destroyed or stolen, so there was very little art to appreciate. Eventually, Rin found himself in a large, quiet courtyard. There were lavish gardens and fountains sculpted after people Rin didn't recognize.
"Do you like the gardens, your highness?"
Rin whipped around to face the person who had spoken. He had thought that he was alone in the courtyard, but there was a lone guard standing near the entrance. The guard sounded young, Rin's age at most.
"Your highness?" The guard questioned, seeing Rin's bewildered expression, "Are you alright?"
"Yes, I just thought I was alone." Rin took a step closer to get a look at the guard, he didn't recognize the persons voice and only a handful of people were made aware that Rin would be attending the celebrations this year. "Who are you?"
Rin tilted his head curiously, trying to get a better look at his face. The guard was young and had dark hair. His face was mostly obscured by the helmet.
"Lieutenant Jun, sir."
"Master Rin, it's nearly time!" A servant called.
Rin straightened out his back and replied, "I'm on my way."
The servant led Rin up a set of stairs into a large, circular room. There was a large set of glass doors that led out to a balcony where his speech would be made. Lucifer was there waiting for him and Mephisto, thankfully, was nowhere in sight. Rin looked to Lucifer nervously, to which his brother just gave a firm nod.
Two servants opened the glass doors and Rin stepped out into the balcony, keeping his head held high. Even if he was nervous on the inside, he had to look cool and collected. It was what was expected of him. He surveyed the crowd, everyone had their eyes on him. There were crowds upon crowds of people below him. Hundreds, no, thousands of people as far as the eye could see. They were all whispering. No one in Assiah had seen Rin in person before.
Rin took a steady, deep breath. He opened his mouth to speak and-
Suddenly a deep, deafening boom shook the entire castle. Rin lost his footing, he clutched on to the balconies banister to keep himself upright. The people below didn't fare any better than him, they too lost their balance and grabbed at anything they could to stay upright.
Rin's ears rang loudly and everything sounded muffled. When he looked up, all he could see was clouds of smoke and debris scattered across the square.
That's when the screaming started.
Cries of horror and pain met his ears. Down below, people were calling out for their loved ones or screaming in pain. Rin caught sight of a little girl whose hair was plastered to the side of her face with blood.
"What the hell was that?!" Rin shouted at the nearest guard, his ears still ringing loudly.
The guard didn't respond, instead they grabbed Rin roughly by the arm and dragged him back inside to safety. They wore the same black and blue uniform that all of his guardsman wore.
"Where's Lucifer?" Rin asked. No answer.
'What's going on?' Rin thought to himself. The guard continued to jerkily pull him along, they were now going down the same set of stairs that Rin had walked up just minutes ago. They neared the main entrance of the castle and Rin heard yelling and shouting coming from the other rooms.
Rin looked around and took notice for the first time of the bodies that littered the floor. Everyone was dead. All of the servants, the cooks, and all twenty of his personal guards. He even recognized the bodies of the two young servants that had been sent to dress him just that morning. They were all dead. The smell of their blood hung heavily in the air.
If all of his guards were dead, who was the person pulling him along?
Wrenching his arm out of the guards grip, Rin demanded, "Identify yourself!"
The guard didn't respond but instead, weapon drawn, advanced towards Rin. Thinking quickly, Rin grabbed them by their arm and used their own momentum against them, flipping them on their back. They toppled down a another set of stairs with a loud clatter, their helmet smashing against the edge of one of the steps.
Rin strode forward, drawing his sword. The blade was instantly engulfed blue fire. Rin poised the tip of the sword precariously on the fallen guards neck.
"Who do you work for? Answer me and you may be rewarded with your life."
Suddenly, something wrapped around Rin's neck and yanked him backwards, knocking his sword from his grasp. Gasping for air, Rin tried to call forth more fire to burn his attacker alive, but before he could they chanted, "O Lord, make weak, exile, and drive out every demonic power and presence; every evil deed aimed against I, your servant."
Immediately Rin felt all of his energy leave his body, his flames flickering out. In a last-ditch effort to escape, he threw his head back and slammed it into his attackers face, hearing the satisfying crunch of bones and a cry of pain. Their grip lessened on Rin, but Rin's legs were too weak to support him. Rin fell slack against his assailant and despite his best attempts to stay conscious, his eyes fluttered shut against his will. He was out cold.
The assailant set Rin gently on the ground and helped the fallen guard to their feet. They gingerly touched their now broken nose and asked, "Are you feeling alright Yukio? You hit the ground pretty hard."
Yukio, dazed, took a few breaths to steady himself. He removed his helmet and wiped blood off his forehead and out of his eyes. He must have hit his head harder than he anticipated.
"I'm fine. Lets get him out of here before their reinforcements arrive."