Prologue

He didn't even attempt to suppress the annoyed sigh that passed his lips at the insistent buzzing of the D.D.D. laying beside him, wishing he'd turned the thing off before one of his brothers – and he had a fairly good idea which one – decided to disturb his moment of peace and quiet. He'd only just slipped away to the solitude of his private bedroom, hoping to get some reading done, not interested in his brothers' excited chirping about the arrival of the exchange students from the other realms. The entire ordeal didn't concern him either way. He understood the significance, but he simply didn't care. Why would he, if it were only a temporary thing? It wouldn't affect him or his doings in the slightest. He had much better things to occupy his mind, like the page he had already attempted to read seven times over without getting past the first line.

When the device buzzed yet again, he set his book aside with a frustrated groan and picked up the D.D.D. to see what was important enough to disturb him.

Satan, I need a word

Lucifer. As he had predicted. Patience wasn't one of his brother's strong suits, and more messages followed.

I know you're not asleep, I would appreciate it if you stopped ignoring me

I'm not asking you again

Satan's fingers ran over the keys with aggravated speed. When it came to his oldest brother, his patience was limited too. In fact, he jumped at every opportunity to thwart him, even if there usually were repercussions involved. Fortunately, he was no coward.

You rang, Milord?

Quit your rancor. Come see me in my study

Lucifer also liked to act like he owned the entire realm, and it pissed him off.

I'm busy

Even if in the end he didn't have a choice, he couldn't resist to flout.

Now

Came the simple reply.

He almost growled at the idea that he was once again forced to do his brother's bidding, and as an act of defiance decided to at least finish reading his page before making his way downstairs.

As he moved down the hallway and passed his older brother Leviathan's room, he almost smiled to himself at the sounds of enthusiasm that drifted through his door. It was closed as always, but he was no doubt in the middle of one of his strange games or DVD's. Even though Satan didn't understand his interest in such things, he did appreciate the fact that Levi, like him, preferred isolation. Probably even more so than Satan did – after all, he wasn't a recluse – but he felt that of all his brothers, they understood each other best when it came to the need for solitude, even if they had different reasons for it. Desolation aided Satan with his restraint, helped him control the anger that sometimes threatened to burst from his every cell.

Needless to say, Lucifer's interruption wasn't helping.

Voices traveled up the staircase from downstairs, where the rest of his brothers were still engaged in conversation about the exchange program, alternated by the occasional insult thrown at his idiotic older brother, Mammon. If he actually managed to think before opening his mouth, he wouldn't be so bad. They were degenerates, the lot of them. His youngest brother Belphegor was so lazy he didn't even bother to open his eyes most of the time. Said lazy brother's twin, Beelzebub, would eat his own hand if they'd let him. And then there was Asmodeus, who had the most one track mind in Devildom history. His nymphomania could make a Succubus retire.

But at least none of them were as annoying as Lucifer, who's very existence ticked Satan off. Unfortunately, without it, Satan wouldn't have been here either. But at least then he wouldn't have to listen to Lucifer's commands.

When his D.D.D. received another message from Lucifer, Satan had half a mind to turn around and let Lucifer choke in his pride, but he was almost there anyway.

He knocked on the door a little more aggressively than he had intended, but he didn't mind. Not that Lucifer would be impressed with his displeasure, but that didn't stop him from expressing it. In addition, he simply opened the door without waiting for an invite to come in, and found his brother by the window, staring out into the impenetrable darkness beyond the glass. There was something off about the way he stood there. His back was as rigid and his bearing regal as always, and yet it seemed like there was a weight pressing down on his shoulders that he wasn't pleased with carrying.

He was dressed in his customary formal wear in the colors black and red – though of course black wasn't a color – but he'd stripped himself of his mantle and gloves, making him seem even more slender than usual. The black hair that ended in slightly lighter tips was still immaculate, framing his brows on both sides.

Lucifer didn't look up when Satan entered the study, another indication that he hadn't summoned him over a feeble matter. But Satan had already expected as much.

Satan quietly closed the door behind him and waited for his brother to speak.

When he finally did, his voice was softer and less defined than usual. There had only been a few times in his long life that Satan had witnessed Lucifer like this, and he automatically braced himself. Whatever it was, he knew he wasn't going to like it.

"Do you agree that as brothers we should trust each one another?" Lucifer asked him, his gaze still locked on something in the dark beyond. "Regardless of what we think of each other?" This time, he did face Satan, locking his wrists behind his back to draw himself up to his full – not insignificant – height.

It was no secret to Lucifer how Satan felt about him, and he'd never attempted to change it. It was one of those things that were simply unalterable, a state of mind between them that had been there for as long as Satan could remember. He knew why, he simply didn't give a damn. He felt no need to be close to his brother, and yet… Lucifer was right. As brothers, they had been through a lot, and even though they hardly ever agreed or saw eye to eye, they had always been there for each other in times of need.

Satan almost groaned at the idea of trouble. What a nuisance. And just when he'd started on a good story.

"Get to the point," he replied impatiently.

Lucifer watched him silently, not a hint of his own thoughts reflected on his face. Only his eyes, those black and red irises that looked at him vigorously, showed a hint of his emotions. A shadow of remorse stirred in their depths, but that was all there was to see. His brother had always been master of concealment.

When he felt like he'd weighed his words enough, Lucifer finally continued. "I'm afraid that there is something that I need you to do. I already know what your answer is going to be, but believe me when I say, I have no other options. As for the reasons for my request, I cannot tell you at this present time, but Lord Diavolo has given me his support."

A hundred potential possibilities ran through Satan's mind, the worst of which would be being sent to the human world as an exchange student. He dismissed the idea however, since two students had already been chosen; a lesser female demon three classes below his, and his youngest brother Belphie.

"The two students arriving from the human world, one of them is a girl," Lucifer said.

"And?"

"And I need you to betroth her."

Silence. Satan's mind went blank. Not even his ever present wrath had anything to say on the matter.

"...What?" Then the words sunk in, and resentment bubbled up to the surface. "No," he firmly said, offering his oldest brother a look of pure loathing.

A small smile played around Lucifer's lips, the only indication that he had heard his brother's refusal. "As I said, I had expected as much."

"Then why even bother to ask?" Satan demanded.

This was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard, and he'd heard quite a few ridiculous things in all his years. Betroth someone? A stranger? And a human at that? If he wasn't so insulted he'd have laughed.

Instead of starting an argument, Lucifer sighed, almost apologetically. "Because there is no one else I can ask. Please, hear me out," he added when Satan opened his mouth to protest. Satan remained silent, but his green eyes were ablaze and fuming. "This girl is special. She's in danger and in need of protection. Having her stay here will grant her that protection, but she will need a reason to remain beyond this year, otherwise it will raise suspicion, which in turn will draw unwanted attention to her. Demons –and angels, in particular, tend to stick their noses where it doesn't belong. Perhaps when the time comes I can tell you why, but for now, I need you to trust me."

Satan tsked and looked away from his brother in annoyance. "Aren't you the noble savior," he muttered. He wasn't sacrificing himself on behalf of this human, now was he? No, of course he wasn't, because Lucifer thought himself too important for such things. He had other things to concern himself with, being the head of the RAD Council and Lord Diavolo's puppet. He couldn't very well be seen with a lowly human on his arm, now could he? Because it was all about image and reputation with him, wasn't it?

"You know I wouldn't ask you unless –"

"Why me?" Satan interrupted him boldly.

In truth, there was no need for him to even ask that question, but he grasped every opportunity to stall this conversation, to not have to give in to his brother's wishes. If this human needed someone to protect her, he wasn't the most obvious choice, but at the very least the safest by far. Belphie wasn't here, and Beel cared for nothing but food and lost the ability to reason when he was hungry. Asmo would eat her alive. He would be all over her, most likely to the point of driving her insane, which in theory wasn't an entirely bad prospect. Still, that was clearly not what Lucifer had in mind for her. Levi would probably die on the spot if asked to tether himself to a human, and a normie no less, which was what he called everyone who wasn't like him. He'd refuse to acknowledge her very existence. As for Mammon, he would completely neglect her and leave her to her own devices and forget about her very existence. Hardly the knight in shining armor that Lucifer had in mind, even though the Great Mammon himself would disagree. Not that he would ever go along with such an abysmal arrangement. None of his brothers – apart from Lucifer himself – were mature enough for this kind of task, and for the first time ever, Satan resented himself for being who he was; responsible, sophisticated and reasonable. At least, compared to the bunch of baboons he called his brothers. If only Lucifer wasn't so aware that he knew how to compose himself.

"Do you honestly need to ask?" Lucifer replied, as if he'd read Satan's mind. "I wouldn't entrust this task upon anyone else. Despite what you may think of me, I'm not blind to your qualities. Do this for me, Satan. For us."