"Mard comes into the garden, almost drops his book and growls," Jackal's eyes open wide as he starts to chuckle, "I never pulled up my pants and ran so fast in my little life."

Mard face palmed as Jackal kept talking while poking the campfire with his stick, "he chases me and suddenly… Boom!" – he clapped his black hands – "Mard slips in the puddle and…"

Rosebud was laughing, tears gathering along her lashes as Jackal comically fell into Silver's lap. The undead mage poured some wine into Jackal's mouth before pushing the storyteller off him. Jackal tilted his head back and spit the wine in the air like a small shower, "splashes puppy piss everywhere."

Mard shook his head as the demons all laughed at the story. Rosebud rubbed her face into his arm as she laughed against his white shirt. He could feel her body vibrate from her hearty laughter and gently kissed the top of her blonde head as he finally let himself chuckle at the memory.

This was still new to him, showing a side of himself that he had never let his demons see before. It was a side of him that only Rosebud had known, she never needed to meet the old him. If only she knew that if it wasn't for the humiliation of the cat form, if he had met her prior to that…

No, he didn't want to think about that.

He wanted to laugh with his demons and hear old stories with a new sense of peace and knowledge of himself. Mard wanted this time to rest around the campfire before they would have to meet the gathering storm. Most importantly he wanted his demons to know his mate and see the parts of her that would make her their Queen.

Silver threw back his head and laughed, the lich always had a certain spirit to him. Mard held a slight smile as he watched the different levels of joy from his demons. Under a starry night sky and lit by a roaring campfire they all looked different to him. More human and less human. More animated and calm, rather than on guard and tense.

Except for Silver, the old undead mage didn't have an on-guard button or a fuck to give.

"That was the last time I let Jackal out of my sight till he was fifty," Mard added.

Silver scratched his facial fuzz, "still not as funny as when Jackal tells how you woke up with a scared demonling who pounced on you."

"What?" Rosebud asked, her coffee colored eyes pleading to hear this story as her bottom lip stuck out a little.

Mard let out a breath, "that is not fair," he said pressing his finger to her nose and watching her scrunch it. The demons all inched to the edge of their seats (for those that had them) and leaned forward. He could feel the anticipation dripping from their awaiting faces and Mard stood up.

He looked into the crackling fire and took in a small breath, scenting the fresh air, burning wood and wildflowers. Mard slowly rolled up his sleeves, trying to prepare his thoughts for the story. "Jackal used to have nightmares as a pup," he started.

Mard had never fostered a demonling before, this was new territory for him. He had no idea about things like proper potty training – don't pee on his roses – and that demonlings imitate the adults to try and understand. He didn't know how creative and wild they were or how sensitive their minds were to things he was immune to. The King had no idea what he was doing.

"He saw me decapitate a criminal. Not thinking much of it," he shrugged, "why would you? I went about my day, not talking to him. That night, I thought everything was fine." Mard looked down at Rosebud before looking over at Jackal, who was frowning, and staring lost into the flames.

Mard pursed his lips and decided to skip over the part of his story about the succubus he entertained that night. Rosebud did not need that detail. "I was dead asleep when out of no where I heard this whimper," he looked at Jackal and smiled, "and as Jackal said," Mard slapped his chest, startling the demons, "Boom! There was a shaking small demonling on my chest." He chuckled, "I shot straight up, sending the small pup tumbling down on my legs."

"Aw come on Mard, according to pup here, you screamed like a bitch…" Silver added.

Mard shook his head, "I did not."

"He did. Lucy, you ever hear his shocked screech?" Jackal asked with a bit of humor in his eyes.

"Yeah, come on Lucy, fess up," Silver goaded.

"Actually…" Rosebud began to speak and Mard quickly put his hand over her mouth, making her laugh. She licked his hand and Mard pulled it off her mouth, wiping it on his pants. She got up and ran over to the other side of the fire.

"Rosebud," he groaned as she whispered into Silver's ear. The human's eyes widened before he let out a loud and long guffaw.

"What?!" Jackal asked as he pulled on Rosebud's arm. "Come on, tell me." She whispered to him, and he started to turn red as he held his hands over his mouth.

"No, Rosebud. Stop," he pleaded as Keyes, sitting next to Jackal, started to laugh. It was an odd sound and Mard along with all the other demons looked over at the no face Black Archbishop.

The strange laughter, crickets and crackling logs were the only sounds as confused demons traded glances. Keyes never had a sense of humor, that Mard was aware of, and rarely spoke. For all intents and purposes, he was now an animated skeleton, lacking anything that would give him facial expressions but somehow in this moment he was expressing several things at once.

Amusement.

Laughter.

Joy.

That unusual laugh began to infect the others and soon Mard was sitting down on the log and resting his chin in his hand. Rosebud was sitting between Silver and Jackal, the trio looking as thick of thieves. Seliah was wiping her eyes as Kyoka was muffling her laughter into the purple haired demoness's pale shoulder. Tempester, Torafuzar, and Ezel were all but rolling around on the ground, looking like children more than the large animalistic demons they were.

He had never had this kind of levity with this group before. It almost took him back to his earliest days and the original camp that took him in. The stories and spiced wine and a successful hunt before the songs and dances to finish up the night before the demons went to rest. Mard sat and absorbed it all, remembering his most humble of days but seeing it through much older eyes.

The laughter passed and left Mard feeling a comfortable silence with his demons. They were in various states of picking themselves up from the ground, still clutching their stomachs or wiping away the tears caused by too much laughter or just catching their breaths. Most importantly, he noticed how they looked at Rosebud with a warm affection.

Apparently, picking on him was part of the bonding process and if a little humiliation was the price to pay for her acceptance. Mard would not argue. He would grumble internally about it, but for now he was just going to enjoy this one little moment.

"Now that you have all had a good laugh at my expense. We should turn in for the night. Seilah and Kyoka you have first watch, Jackal and Silver the second, and Ezel and Torafuzar the third. Wake me when the sun begins to rise." Mard stood up and grabbed his coat off the log as he looked over at Rosebud.

Silver placed a kiss to the back of her dainty hand as Jackal gave her a one-armed side hug. She said her good nights to the demons and followed him into the small purple tent. After taking off shoes and slipping down to their underwear, Mard curled into the large sleeping bag wrapped around his little Rosebud.

"I like your demons, Mard. They are neat people."

He placed a kiss to the back of her golden head, "I believe they like you as well. Though was it necessary to troll me, like that?"

She chuckled, "yes."

"What am I going to do with you?" he teased.

Rosebud let out a long yawn, "cuddle."

"I excel at cuddling," he stated as her breathing started to even out and find its deep rhythm. Slowly his eyes closed as he fell asleep feeling at peace with the night, even if he didn't get to finish his story.

Also, he did not scream like a little bitch.

Silver poked at the rocks around the campfire, "alright. Opinions on Lucy?" None of the demons had gone to their bedrolls as instructed. They stayed around the campfire and kept a weighted silence over the area. He knew they were each listening and waiting for the King to sleep before they would talk.

They had a busy day, scouting the unusual cultists and taking a head count. Over two hundred of them had gathered. What caught his attention the most was not the numbers but how the area all around them was drained of all life. Not dead, just drained. It was as eerie as the song they kept humming in between otherworldly sounds of chittering.

They didn't even talk like any human or demon or other creature. It was maddening and after several minutes, Mard deemed their work done and to retreat before they risked infection. This was the first time Silver ever encountered something this creepy and he lived in the Underworld. Least demons made sense, these things… not so much.

After such a heavy day and the creeps, Silver was glad when Lucy and her spirit showed up with food, wine, camping gear, and a bright smile. Most importantly he saw how quickly Mard's expression changed when she was around him. This night was her idea, food and then campfire stories. She was eager to get to know them and that gave Silver a new appreciation for her.

"She is funny," Jackal said.

"There is a certain innocence to her," Kyoka opined, "I am not certain if I like that."

Seliah nodded, "also a kind of strength, it matches our King."

"Dinky," Torafuza added and Silver rolled his eyes, at least it was a word.

"She is terrified of us and yet sits at our fire," everyone paused and looked at Keyes. It was hard to read him, so Silver listened carefully for any kind of clue. "It is clear the King is gaining a human perspective and his demeanor has changed drastically. Admitting weakness. Laughing. I believe this makes him more fearsome."

"How so?" Jackal asked as his tail starting thumping into the ground behind him.

Keyes didn't move, "Mard Geer has something he has not had in a very long time." The Archbishop paused and the demons each held their breaths, "he has something to lose that matters to him more than the monarchy, more than destroying Zeref. He has a heart and one day she will most likely birth to his progeny. From there, even Heaven will tread lightly around that demon."

"She stinks of Celestial and that raven with her, he was odd," Tempester said as he stood up and stretched.

Silver nodded, "Corvus I think his name was."

The large feral demon sniffed, "does not matter his name. He was different, she is different," he scratched the back of his neck and Silver noticed a bit of pink on his bronze cheeks, "she is cute."

He laughed, "yep, she's a cute little thing. Which means we should probably, like skull head said, tread lightly. We know how other demons get with mates. Mard ain't your usual demon."

Jackal let out a breath, "I think he always wanted this though. Look at me," he pressed his black clawed hand against his chest, "did Mard ever seem like a family guy to any of you? Let alone someone to raise a wild demonling."

"You got away with murder in our King's eyes, I was there," Keyes added. Silver knew that Keyes had been alongside of Mard Geer the longest out of the nine. If anyone understood the complicated history of their King, it was him.

"It was never fair, you could do anything and Mard would just pat you on the head and only mildly drop kick you," Kyoka added as she took off her helmet and rubbed the lines under her eyes.

"I am adorable, and you all know it," Jackal said as he stuck out his tongue, making most of the demons grumble and roll their eyes.

"No," Seliah added, "the future Queen is adorable, you are just a wild mutt with bad breath."

The small pebble went flying and from there Silver barely had enough time to lean back as Jackal and Seliah started their own little fight. The pair rolled around in the ground, half growling and half laughing. Silver ran a hand through his hair and chuckled at the pair as Seliah now was yanking on his tail.

"Give it up," she said, her foot on his lower back and hands wrapped up in his wheat colored fluffy tail. Jackal was tapping the ground and gritting his teeth, Silver felt bad for him for a moment before he saw the demon's eyes glow.

"Seliah, back off now!" he stood up and before he could move the ground rumbled. Everyone paused and Silver held out his arms for balance as the earth began to crack and slowly split.

Violently vines came shooting out of field. Seliah and Jackal were lifted into the air and from the corner of his eye Silver saw the vicious man-eating roses appear alongside Mard's tent.

Everyone paused, no one moved a muscle, dared to breath or even blink. Silver could hear his own blood pounding through his head and even the crickets had stopped their nightly symphony. The purple tent flap pulled back and silently out came Mard Geer.

His eyes had turned liquid silver, his pristine hair was mussed, he wore his gray pants and nothing else. Silver noted the pink bird like mark on his chest, the same color and style as the one on Lucy's hand. The roses waved their spiky large leaves and for a second bared their many fangs at the demons, eyeing them up in order of who had the most meat on their bones.

"You woke, Rosebud," he said, his voice dark and the murderous look in his face was not full of fury. No, Mard Geer was perfectly calm.

Silver swallowed, "just harmless fun. Tell her little highness, we're sorry."

Kyota opened her mouth and quickly shut it when Mard turned his attention to her. "You have something to add?" He asked and she shook her head before dropping to her knees and bowing her head.

Mard crossed his arms in front of his chest and kept a slight distance from himself the other demons. He was still close enough to where Silver could feel his power rolling from him. Jackal whimpered, Seliah said nothing, Keyes stood there almost looking satisfied and the others were already quietly groveling on the field.

In all his years, Silver had never seen anger this pronounced from Mard Geer. He understood what exactly Keyes had hinted at earlier. All they did was make a little extra noise and disturb her sleep. Silver did not want to even imagine what Mard would be like if Lucy was hurt.

The fire crackled and a log split, almost sounding as loud as a thunder clap, the silence was that thick. Silver could smell the fear given off by his fellow demons and even his own sweat under the intensity of fear he was feeling. A drop of sweat rolled down the middle of his spine and he dared not twitch as it plopped on his butt crack. Which was always an annoying feeling.

Mard blinked, his eyes turning back to their usual midnight appearance. The thorny green vines vanished, dropping Jackal and Seliah to the ground. The King only gave a short nod before heading back to his tent. The roses remained, showing off their fangs as a silent challenge to see which demon they would eat first.

The demons quietly went to their bed rolls and Silver grabbed a hold of Keyes' thin wrist. He looked at the faceless demon, "how did you know?"

"I was a Shaman before one of the Nine, I gave Mard Geer an answer he did not like. The price was my flesh."

Silver swallowed, "what was the question?"

"Will I always rule alone?" Keyes pulled his arm back and adjusted his sleeve. Silver waited and Keyes muttered to himself before he walked to his sleeping spot. He took off the cloak and head gear, his skull shimmering under the moonlight and reflecting the warm oranges of the fire.

"What did you tell him?"

"Yes," Keyes sat down on the black cloth and looked up at Silver, "now do you understand?"

Silver nodded, he understood much more than he could articulate. This line of events in Mard's life was a shift of fate and now that the King had a future he wanted. He was the most dangerous demon in existence.

A once heartless demon in love.

Cobra sat on the work table, he could say he was bored but not when he was watching Doc McSexy get her medical royal science on. She was such a neat chica and spending this time in Hell with her had been, kind of like Heaven.

Demons were his kind of people.

Who the fuck could have called that?

Not that asshole, that's who.

As he watched her bark out orders in Infernai, he started to wonder how much longer he had here. Getting attached to a place or a person wasn't his usual jam (he was a jelly person, fuck you very much). Cobra lit up a smoke and it was quickly grabbed by Doc as she took a drag, left a little red lipstick on the butt and handed it back to him.

"How goes?" he asked as he ran a hand through his wild hair and watched her scribble quickly on the paper on the black clipboard.

She frowned and looked at him, "we will need more blood from you. Your antibodies are proving difficult to synthesize and your genetic code is unusual."

Cobra tilted his head, "well don't take all of it." He was going to ignore the genetic whatever-the-fuck. Dude was fucked up, he knew that, hell everyone knew that. You even know that.

"No, but we are going to need about a third of your blood supply. That would almost be life threatening to a human."

"Dragon slayer, mage, me no human," Cobra handed her his cig, "I lost that right when I got this damn crystal."

"That crystal right now is going to save your Earth Land." She took a drag and handed it back. Cobra liked that they shared these moments, "you should be grateful for the damage it does to you."

"The genetic whatcha-ma-call-it?"

Doc set down the clip board and leaned up against the black glossy work bench Cobra was sitting on. She pushed her black bangs to the side and pushed up her frameless specs, "your very DNA was forced to realign for it, it left it different. Like it went through a blender and then tried to heal itself with new chains. It is barely recognizable as a double helix. There are almost some demonic fae characteristics to it. Which might explain the fangs and ears."

"Did you just fucking call me a fairy?" Cobra teased.

"Fae and fairy are about as similar as a frog and a scorpion," she looked up at him, "you like Hell because it is quiet," her slender fingers ran over his sensitive ear before she flicked his gold earring.

"Yeah, you guys don't have like souls like I'm used to hearing 24/7," he said as he finished the smoke and put it out into the silver ashtray. That was other cool thing in Hell, smoking was totally allowed like anywhere.

"Very few demonic types get access to soul magic, fae and fallen angels are about it. Some demons eat or collect souls, but cannot hear it, speak to it or anything besides take it."

"Doc, you thinking I wasn't human before this crystal got shoved into me?"

She nodded, "it might also be why you are comfortable in Hell. Does this feel like home to you?"

Cobra cupped her cheek and carefully removed her glasses, setting them on the bench before he looked into her red eyes. He tapped into his inner pussy-whipped-romantic, "you feel like home. I just like the location."

For a second her eyes glowed before large black bat like wings came off her back. Delicate silver horns sprouted from the sides of her head and curled over her ears like ram horns. The demons started screaming and rushing to get the fuck out of there as she flared her wings for a moment. Her little fangs poking out from behind blood red lips as she gave him a smile.

She was fucking majestic and her clothing started to fade away as the door slammed shut, leaving them alone in the lab. Cobra gulped as her black nails ripped through his Motorhead t-shirt.

"Be mine?" she asked.

Cobra kissed her, tasting blood orange and Camel cig on her tongue. "Thought you'd never asked Doc."

He'd suspected Doc McSexy might be his very own mate and holy shit, she was making all the moves. Why not, everyone else was having awesome sex and getting mates. Dude this fine, totally earned some royal mating, worked for Sunshine.

She pulled him off the bench and they tumbled to the polished lava rock floor, a mess of limbs and they both worked to get him naked as quickly as possible. Belial wasn't a gentle kind of girl and in her full-on out demon form, hell yeah.

Instead of doing the sciency shit, Doc McSexy rode his cock like a bull riding champion as he lifted his hips to match her wild movements. Claws cut into skin, teeth mashed against each other as grunts and skin slapping bounced off black walls.

Mating wasn't romantic or pretty, it was as wild as the hearts of the two people on the floor. Unable to stop the natural needs coursing through his body as her wet heat clenched around his dick and she let out the most impressive wanton moan. Her throat working and shoulders tensing as he sat up and pierced the skin above her nipple.

Fuck he didn't even have time for dirty talk, his brain shut off and he fucked his Prince by pure instinct and desire alone. His heels pressed into the ground as she still rode him, and he tried for leverage to meet her movements.

She pulled his hair and then pushed his head more into her creamy breast as her wings wrapped around them, pushing tables and breaking shit in the wake of their powerful movements.

Everything in his body lit up like motherfucking Christmas as Cobra took his mate and was taken by his mate. As he marked her, her nails scored down his back, marking him as her own. It fucking hurt, the burn alone was enough to almost make him fucking scream.

She chanted something in her native language, don't ask him, he was too busy registering some fucking pain and his own orgasm. And you know some mating magic.

Regular orgasm was awesome, but this mating orgasm was like a nuclear bomb. Cobra not only approved but as he looked up at his mate who was gently running her fingers over his cheek bones and holding a satisfied smile to her face, she was too.

"Wow," she whispered.

"Wanna go again?" he asked as his hands settled on her waist and the burning down his back finally ended. Instead he could just feel the connection with her, his dick hardening again and something poking his left ass cheek. Probably his damn belt or some broken glass, whateves.

"You're the buffet, I'm the fat kid…" he quipped.

She tilted her head, "is that a yes?"

Cobra chuckled as he kissed her sternum, enjoying the soft warmth of her boobs against his cheeks. He nodded enthusiastically before pushing her to the ground with a small thud and played with his mate before they had to go all vampire on his fine ass.

Thanks for reading. Stay safe, stay healthy.