Disclaimer: Makai Ouji and its characters rightfully belong to Yukihiro Utako and Takadono Madoka.

A/N: This chapter is dialogue-heavy.

Solomon hummed merrily as he guided Dantalion into a field of white flowers that stretched out to the horizon. Dantalion froze in place as he took in the breathtaking view. The white flowers glimmered intensely as rays of sunlight shone down upon them.

"These flowers..." Dantalion thought aloud as he struggled to find the exact words to convey his thoughts. "They shine as bright as the stars above."

Taking advantage of his lover's moment of pure astonishment, Solomon wrapped his loving arms around Dantalion's narrow hips and gently showered the nape of his neck with kisses.

"Are they to your liking?" asked the blond king.

"Very much so."

Solomon burried his face into the nook of the Grand Duke's neck, relishing the tranquility that the meadow enveloped them in.

"I'm glad," Solomon muttered.

Dantalion squirmed his way out of the blond's embrace to turn and face him. He then leaned forwards and pressed his soft lips against Solomon's, draping his arms over the king's broad shoulders.

"Thank you for bringing me here."

A mild breeze blew across the field of flowers, past the two lovers; white petals dancing in the wind.

"What are these flowers called?" Dantalion asked the young man out of the blue. Before answering the nephilim's question, Solomon snaked his arms around the other's waist and pulled him closer.

"Star of Bethlehem," the blond man replied. "These mere flowers sprung from the earth, yet they rival the stars in the sky. They remind me of you, Dantalion, a demon who stands as an equal to the angels of Heaven. You and these flowers are my miraculous stars."

"If that is so," Dantalion hesitantly mused as his worries of being abandoned by the king were slowly washed away. "Then you are our sky."

Dantalion was never one for romantic words, yet he found that Solomon was able to change that fact.
Tempted by Dantalion's bold words, Solomon swooped in and captured the brunet's lips in a fervent kiss, licking at his lover's bottom lip in a desperate plea for entrance. As soon as Dantalion slightly opened his mouth, Solomon hurriedly delved his wet tongue into the demon's sensitive mouth.

"Bedrooms exist for a reason, Solomon."

Surprised by the words of an unexpected guest, Solomon pulled away from the kiss, freeing Dantalion from his lustful vice. The young king glared towards the direction from which the voice of the intruder came. He had thought that no one knew about the meadow; Solomon and Dantalion's special place.
Dantalion's eyes wandered from Solomon to the figure who had interrupted them. A tall woman with dark skin, complemented by her dark, purple tresses stood before them; Queen Astaroth, to be exact.

"What do you want from me, Ashe?" the blond asked as a look of irritation washed over his face.

"We were all looking for you. The thing, remember?"

"Ah," Solomon's eyes narrowed as he remembered that he had plans with the other Pillars. "I'll come with you. Dantalion, stay here for a while. I'll send Sitri to come and fetch you later."

Solomon then returned to the palace with Astaroth, leaving Dantalion to stand alone among the Stars of Bethlehem while pondering about the suspicious conspiracy he had witnessed.

"Is it alright to leave him like that?" the nephilim queen questioned the blond who walked ahead of her. "I thought the two of you were inseparable."

Solomon felt a heavy weight fall on his shoulders upon hearing the last words that Astaroth uttered. She was right.

They were inseparable.

"Be that as it may, we'll be separated soon enough. There are only a few years left before I have to take my leave."

Astaroth scoffed, crossing her arms as she walked behind the human king.

"I don't approve of your plans of promising to spend an eternity with him even though you know it's impossible."

"You don't have to remind me. I know everyone loathes me for sweeping the Grand Duke of Hell off his feet."

"That's entirely your fault," Astaroth claimed. "You treat us like your slaves, then take away our ace against the angels."

"I didn't take him away," Solomon bit back. "He's still here with all of you."

Angered by the mortal's ridiculing remark, Astaroth harshly yanked Solomon back with the sleeve of his robes. The young king merely stood frozen, however, as if nothing happened. He refused to look Astaroth in the eyes, knowing that she would only give him a guilt trip.

"You're isolating him," the queen hissed. "If you keep this up, he wouldn't be able to live without you."

"That's exactly what I want. Dantalion shouldn't be able to live without me. This is for his sake as well. I have faith that he'll pull through for me because he's not one of us."

The young blond had never seemed so possessive. To think that he would become this manipulative and go through such lengths to get what we wanted was slightly unsettling to Astaroth.

"But then, what of your plans?" the queen asked vaguely; a secret between Solomon and seventy-one of his seventy-two Pillars.

"Rest assured," said Solomon, as he gave Astaroth a confident smile. "I already have everything calculated. Dantalion will make it through."

"You're too cruel to your most beloved."

Solomon shook his head insistently. Dantalion was not his most beloved; he wished to correct Astaroth and convey it to the world.

"My only beloved."