The Asmodean
By
Neztro
Chapter 23: The Ball
Authors note:
I see you have come back for another chapter of the harem anime owl house… thank you and I am sorry for the cringe. Hello everyone I hope you are enjoying the chapter and I want to say thank you for sticking with me to this point. Let me know what you think of my story on the reviews… please don't be a creep.
The empresses ball was held in her own house or castle as should be said. It was huge and imposing with a drawbridge being the only entrance. Under the bridge was a chasm full of spiked spires jutting out from the rock.
Lilith and eda were the first to walk onto the bridge followed by luca and luz.
Lilith was dressed in a raven black summer dress, she had some black heels, and splurged on some perfume which made her smell irresistable at least to Luca.
Eda was dressed in high heeled boot, whit epants, and a red blouse with her gold gem on it. She wore a frown as she didn't like being here.
Luca and Luz both had masks on their face which made them appear to be bestial demons thanks to eda's illusion guy. Luca wore a typical black tux, pants, white undershirt, and bow tie combo.
Luz meanwhile wore a black jacket, a white blouse, and a tutu… she had the biggest grin here.
"now when we get in there you kids stick close to me and lilly. We can't let the empress divide us."
"right!" they responded.
They enter the gate and eda gave the invitation to guard who read and let them pass.
The castle was done up for the occasion. Bright lights, long tables full of food, and a chandelier hanging overhead.
"wow, the empress pulled out all the stops for this shindig… well let's get this over with." eda made her way to the snack bar and started eating a few of the entrees.
Luca looked at the high table and for the first time in real life… he saw the empress. She looked exactly the way she did in his dream. He could feel the magical power radiating off her but also he had a sense of familiarity about her.
Is she someone I met? He thought, no that's ridicoulous.
Luca couldn't put his finger on it but he knew that there was something about the empress that didn't seem right.
"Misses clawthorne, I have been requested to take you to the empresses table… alone." a guard said walking up to eda.
"Ugh fine let's do this. Lilly your in charge while I'm gone… no sticking out… you hear me."
"Yes sister." Lilith said raising her hand but she had her fingers crossed behind her back.
Once edalyn was out of ear shot lilith turned to luca and whispered in his ear. "would you like to dance, my beloved prince."
"I would love too, my raven haired angel." Luca took lilith's arms and they were lead into the dance floor.
Lilith and luca swayed and swooned as they made their way around the dance floor. Lilith's heart raced as Luca kept perfect time with her. She was worried that she would step on his toes and he'd think she's a clutz but she was doing amazing and so was he.
"this is like a dream, luca." she swooned as luca dipped her down.
The boy smiled at her and pressing his lips to her neck, took a little nibble out of her leaving a small bruise which made Lilith shiver. "then I never want to wake up, lilypad."
"you're such a charmer, how could I live without you?" Lilith said as luca lifted her up and did another lap of dancing as luca held her close.
"you'd get on fine, if it wasn't for you I'd never have been able to show my love."
"Oh nonsense, I bet you were very popular with the human girls back in school."
"actually no, I was never popular. I was too busy protecting luz… you are my first girlfriend ever."
Lilith's eyes went wide and then she blushed then turned her head. "I have had a boyfriend or two but none of them were like you."
"Lilith I'm having a great time with you."
"Me too." lilith and luca held each other close and they could feel their warm breath on each others necks.
"ahem, mind if I cut in?" A woman asked from behidn Luca.
Luca turned around to see esdeath standing with her arms crossed in a white dress showing her light leg with a v cut on her chest.
"actually esdeath, I do mind… this Is someone very close to me and we are on a date." Lilith said turning her head from esdeath.
"Now Lilith, didn't your sister teach you to share or does that beast of a woman not even fit to be a sister."
Lilith growled as she grinded her teeth.
"Lilith, it's okay… I'll do one dance with esdeath and then I'll come back to you." Luckily Luca's voice was hidden from detection by magic.
Lilith gulped and then looked at luca. "I love you my prince. Be careful."
"I love you too my angel, don't worry I'll be fine."
"Yes now if you don't mind lilith it's my turn to dance with this mysteriously handsome demon."
Lilith stormed away from Esdeath and then sat next to luz who was watching the ball with wonder in her eyes.
Esdeath took luca's hand and lead him on the dance floor. Once she had control she did not let it go but instead ran with it. Wheras luca and lilith's dance was one of mutual respect and love. This one was of dominance and control.
Esdeath held luca's waste so he could not move back with her right hand. Her left hand held his hand in an iron grip. Luca placed his right arm around esdeaths waist which was the only support he had as he tried to keep his feet from the falling out from under him.
"you're quiet light on your feet for a boy." Esdeath commented as she did a flourish around the dance floor.
"t-thank you, you're quiet assertive for a woman… if I may be so bold?' Luca replied he was exhausted trying to keep in step with esdeath.
"if you weren't so cute I'd take offense."
"and if I wasn't in a relationship with a lovely woman then I would totally date you."
"oh? Does lilith know about this lovely woman?" esdeath smirked at that.
Luca's eyes narrowed beneath his mask and if it wasn't for this being a public setting he would've killed esdeath right then and there.
"What exactly has drawn you to me, lady esdeath."
"The fact that I can see through illusions… a gift from the empress to all her champions." she smiled.
Luca began sweating as esdeath's grip tightened around him. She knows! Which means that every champion here knows! Luca would've tried to fight his way out but he knew he was outclassed.
As esdeath was about to pull him to her to give him a kiss one of the guards came to her. "Uh miss?"
"what is it!?" she growled.
"the empress demands your presence… it's almost time for the annoucement." the guard eeked out.
Esdeath grinded her teeth and shook her head. Then looked at luca with a creepy smile. She pulled into a vise-like embrace and held him close to his chest. "someday, you'll come to the empresses light and when you do, you'll be mine." she said releasing luca and then stomping toward the empress.
Luca shaky legged ran to Lilith almost tripping over himself.
"we need to leave… they can see past our illusions." Luca exclaimed grabbing luz's hand.
"what!?" Lilith and Luz exclaimed.
"we need to leave, can one of you message eda?" Luca asked looking at the table where the empress was sitting right next to eda and her eyes locked on luca.
"I can." Lilith said using a spell to talk to eda.
Luca noticed that eda's head snapped toward them upon hearing the message. The witch talked with the empress and they laughed for a second then she took a step toward them.
"what is it?" she asked when she came to them.
"the empress can see thru our illusions?"
"what? I knew that witherby couldn't be trusted with this kinda work. Let's go."
Just then the lights of the ball room dimmed and a giant crystal ball came floating from the ceiling.
"citizens of the boiling isles, it is with humble pleasure and great joy that the empress reveal the true culprits in the kidnapping incidents of the young women stopped by agents of the empress herself…" the guard's voice annouced.
The crystal ball showed the image of Luz and her mother as evil carcicatures of themselves holding a bag and taking a witch girl by the hair and pushing them into it.
"It was the hated hated stepmother and stepsister who the hated emperor belos put in charge of taking care of luca. It was there plan to use these woman and have them escape to undermine our glorius empire. It is with heavy heart that the empress was too late to save most of them but managed to send agents to save the girls and met the asmodean himself."
the next image shows a bunch of men on a gallows and luca recognized them as the kidnappers that were hired by the empress. Before anyone knew anything the man were dropped and were hung to death.
"the stepmother had many evil agents and we have captured them all. Their execution is the justice the girls richly deserve." the guards voice replied.
The people attending mumbled amongst each other.
The empress then rose clicking her staff to the floor as the lights came up but the crystal ball did not leave.
"the asmodean has returned… he is waiting to see if we are worthy. He is testing us to make sure we are loyal. Thus we have been given a mission capture the stepmother and the stepsister and the day fo unity can commence." the empresses voice was smooth to luca's ear and he felt safe but it wss unnatural like a powerful magic was forcing it's will on him.
The others of the owl house heard it and felt like a serpent was crawling in their ears. It made their skin crawl.
"we have already captured the evil stepmother as displayed here."
The crystal ball flashed to show camilia in a frightened pose turned to a stone statue.
"M-mom." Luz and luca asked, horrified that they did this to their mothers remains. Luz held on luca as the tears started to flow.
"hey, we need to go… now." Eda grabbed both Luca and Luz then dashed away with lilith following.
"it is with heavy heart that the step sister was not caught and thus we are offering a ten million snail bounty for the capture of the sister… whose fate is the same as her wicked mother unless the asmodean himself forgives her and gives his pardon."
luca barely listened his heart was broken as he thought of his poor mothers remains being descecrated by this horrible process. Mami, lo siento mami, I am so sorry… I wasn't strong enough.