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Charlie and Mammon both glared at each other, silent fury burning within their eyes. The Princess stood protectively over Vox, a tight frown gracing her features, holding her right arm out to get the message loud and clear to Mammon that he wasn't to come any closer.
"Well well well, if it isn't Little Miss Morningstar…" Mammon sneered as a large twisted grin grew on his face,"Such a sneaky little girl, aren't you? I hadn't even noticed you were there until you rudely shoved me. Tell me, what was the reason for your rude intrusion? You know I was in the middle of something personal with Vincent…"
Charlie growled, that bastard was belittling her and she wanted nothing more than to tear that terrifying smile of his right off his smug face.
"That is none of your concern," She hissed, contempt seeping into her usually chipper voice,"Now leave."
"Leave?" He balked,"Oh heavens no, I couldn't possibly leave, now while I still have business with a certain someone. Know if you wish to speak with him then you'll simply have to wait your turn because Vincent and I were having a moment before you came along," Mammon attempted to reach for Vox but Charlie slapped his hand away,"Ow! You insolent brat, what is your problem!?"
"My problem is you, Mammon," The Princess retorted,"I've tried to be cordial with you but it's clear you are handled in any other way. If you value your life you would turn back while you still can because I will not hesitate to force you out…"
Mammon seemed offended at this and scowled,"Oh really young lady? Is that how you're going to go about this? Trying to toss me out like I'm a piece of garbage?" He then pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation,"Listen here, Charlotte, just because you are Luci's little girl doesn't mean you are free to do as you please and boss the adults in the room around with your little temper tantrums. I understand you haven't grown out of your childish faze after these centuries, but you still need to keep yourself in your own lane and not enter situations that have nothing to do with you."
"It is my business, is my toy and I refuse to let you hog him for your own sake!"
"Don't you have other toys, Charlotte? You have nine toys in total counting Frederick's brats. Why does Vincent fascinate you so much that you feel the need to intrude on our private time? Is there something you see in him? Or perhaps there's something you want of his that you don't, or rather, can't have, like his soul?"
Charlie narrowed her eyes; she had to be smart about this play…
She had to keep up the facade of being a bratty princess, else her cover was blown. She had to think of a good reason for wanting Vox's freedom(or more accurately his soul in this case)without risking suspicion and quick, the more quiet it was, the more suspicion she garnered.
An idea then hit her and she did something that caught both men off guard, she giggled childishly.
Mammon cocked an eyebrow,"What are you laughing at, Charlotte? Is something about this situation funny somehow or am I missing the joke?"
"Oh nothing, it's just that I'm surprised it took you so long to realize what I was truly after. I guess you're not as much as a fool as I took you for…" The Princess said, a devious smile curling up on her lips,"You see, I've always wanted to have a soul under my command and Vincent is just brimming with potential. I want my own minions, my own court for that matter and I will garner the respect I deserve one way or another…"
Mammon caught on,"Oh I see, you're desperate to earn the respect of your peers. You want to be feared and respected just like the rest of us, don't you? Is that why you're trying to get your claws around Vincent's soul, so you can start getting your own private circle of minions to abide by your every command? If that's the case, then perhaps I underestimated you, not only are you a brat but you're a devious one at that. I have to give you credit however, your meticulous planning is truly something but I unfortunately have to remind you that you cannot just take another person's property from them on whim. Vincent is mine and you cannot have him."
"And why not?" She asked,"If my heart desires something then by my divine right I should have it!"
"Saying you want something doesn't mean you are allowed to have it,"He hissed,"I know it wounds your pride to say it but the world doesn't belong to you, Princess. You cannot claim everything that moves on this planet,especially towards those who are already property of someone else."
"Are you forgetting who you're speaking to?" She asked, her voice filled to the brim with attitude and haughtiness,"I am Princess Charlotte Morningstar Magne, the daughter of Lucifer himself! I shall not be refused just because some pompous bastard believes his authority is over mine! If you do not do as I command I shall alert my father that you denied my request and we both know you wouldn't want that…"
"Are you truly that immature?" He asked,"Are you going to run to your Daddy just because you didn't get what you wanted? How petty are you, Charlotte? You're a little old to go crying to your Father just because you weren't handed the thing you desired on a gold platter. Not everything belongs to you and it appears this concept simply refuses to pierce that blonde head of yours you cannot simply sic your Daddy on your problems."
The Princess glared at him hatefully,"You may be right, Mammon . But that doesn't mean I cannot make your life as difficult as possible. You may have more power than me, but do not misunderstand,I'm far from being a helpless little girl that you think I am. I may lack physical strength but I can pull my weight if needed…"
"Are you threatening me, Charlotte?"
"Threats are taunts, what I'm doing is a promise," She said,"And I make good on all my promises, no matter how long it takes for them to be achieved. Like it or not, I will have his soul in my grasp and your hold over him will be wavered one way or another."
"My, my, you're quite a daring little girl aren't you? You've got quite a mouth on you for a girl without any powers…." He grabbed her chin for a moment only to chuckle at Charlie moving away,"Such a rebellious little lady. Just like your mother, almost as beautiful as her too. Your youthful spirit is as amusing as it is irritating. Such young children believe they can change everything that their elders created. We've been in this world far longer than you, Charlotte and we are wiser than you will ever be within your lifetime. Know that no matter what you accomplish, you will always be nothing more than Lucifer's little brat."
Charlie grit her teeth as her fist clenched with silent fury, wanting nothing more than to punch Mammon's teeth out. God how she wished she still had her demonic powers so she could show him what for. It was taking everything within her not to snap at Mammon and call him every name in the book in her native language.
"Charlie…don't…"Vox said from the ground, the blonde speaking up in a shaky voice,"Don't tempt his ire."
"You should heed his warning, Charlotte. It's not wise to tempt powers you can't dare to comprehend," Mammon sneered.
"I do not fear you, Mammon…"
"And Little Red Riding Hood didn't fear the Big Bad Wolf…" He remarked,"And look how that turned out for her? Got herself devoured. Don't you think there's a reason such tales exist? To warn children of the dangerous monsters lurking inside this hellish world. Young, naive girls like you should fear beasts, especially when they are right in front of you."
The Princess stood tall in her place before saying,"No monster will be enough to scare me from what I desire, Mammon. Not even one as large and powerful as , leave us be and do not come back. I forbid you from interacting with Vincent so long as he's bound within this jail."
"You cannot forbid me from seeing my own property! You do not have that power!" He snapped.
"A mere whisper within my Father's ear is all I need to get what I want," She growled,"And I have my ways of getting what I want…"
Mammon's expression became somewhat irritated,"You wouldn't dare.."
"I can and I will," She declared,"I will not let you do as you please without a fight and I shall be putting my best foot forward. I suggest you get going and go back from where you came."
The Sinful Jester sent her a fierce glare for the longest time before a small smile grew on his face,"So that's how you're going to play, Charlotte? Fine, I'll play along. You want to keep Vincent from me within this dungeon? Fair enough, but make no mistake, the second Lucifer agrees that Vincent's punishment is over by the end of the month, he'll be coming with me and no one, not even you will be able to do anything about it. Do feel free to protest this change, it won't do you any good. I, on the other hand will eagerly come to collect what is owed to me by the end of the -tah, Charlotte. Have fun while you can…And goodbye Vincent, I'll be seeing you very soon…"
Mammon snickered before turning his back on them, maniacal laughter echoing throughout the cell before it became quieter and quieter…until it was gone.
Charlie sighed,"Thank god that bastard left…" She wiped the sweat from her brow, relieved that Mammon had finally left the area. The Princess then turned her attention to Vox, who was still staring at her in shock."Are you alright Vox?"
"What was that!?" He snapped,"Seriously,what was that, Charlie!? You were never like this when you were disguised as a man. Has being Princess made you more bitchy or something?"
She scoffed,"Of course not. That was just an act in order to get the other Sins off my back. They still believe I'm their Charlotte that they lost long ago and I had to put on a more cold facade in order to get them to stop questioning my motives concerning your well-being. It's the only reason you guys are still in prison and not being drawn and quartered for your actions."
"Figures…" He muttered,"Still, I do not understand why you are here. Why'd you come all this way for me? Don't you have actual friends to tend to Charlie? Why bother wasting your time with me?"
"Husk told me what happened-"
"Of course he did,"He growled,"Goddamn that son of a bitch, I told him not to tell anyone what happened between Mammon and I. That was supposed to remain a secret…"
"Vox, don't act so resentful, Husk was just worried for your well-being."
"Pfft, as if I would believe that…'' He grumbled,"That old man doesn't give a damn about me, Charlie. Quit trying to make up a story just to try and make me feel better because I'll tell you what, it's not going to work."
"I'm not lying," She replied firmly,"I know it's hard to believe Vox, but Husk was worried for your well-being when I spoke with him and he seemed freaked out when I informed him that Mammon was coming over. Take that as you will but I believe he was worried for you back there and he did encourage me to go after you…"
Vox seemed caught off guard by this for a second before rolling his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose,"Regardless, it wasn't 'wise for you to come here. You should've left me here while you had the chance because now you've got Mammon's eye on you. And I'll tell you something Charlie, Mammon doesn't like the idea of giving his things away and he won't let you have me without a fight so I suggest dropping the subject while you can…"
"No!" She snapped,"I will not stand idly by while my teammate is abused and mistreated! I know you're scared, Vox, you're scared of what he'll do to you, what he'll do to anyone else who tries to interfere! I understand that and I'm aware you have valid reasons to fear him, however you can't shut people out because of it. I know you're trying to protect me from him, that you believe this is a burden you have to bear but you don't have to do it alone. I can help you in a while. I don't know how I'm going to get you out of this, I promise you that I will find a way to keep Mammon away from you for as long as I can…"
"You really don't know when to give up do you, Charlie?" He asked,"Honestly, I'm kind of impressed you care this much. Even Vel gave up on me and yet you still think I'm worth saving? Why is that?"
"Because I know there's good in you, Vox. It may be buried deep inside of you, somewhere where you don't want the rest of the world to see, but I know it's there. You are not beyond salvation and there are still people who care about you, Vox. I know that it seems like everyone hates you and while some may, I promise the other's just need to know the full truth. If they knew what happened to you and what you've gone through, I promise they'd understand you better…"
"You are too good for your own good, Charlie," He remarked,"Demons cannot be saved and you're delusional if you think you can save someone like me…"
"Call me naive but I believe anything is possible if you just try," She then reached out and touched Vox's face. He seemed a little surprised by this but didn't move away.``I understand opening yourself up is hard and that you don't believe things can get any better, but I promise we'll find a way to help you.." She then averted her gaze as she said,"And Vox, I'm…I'm sorry…"
He replied,"For what?"
"I'm sorry for leaving you alone with Mammon the last time he was here. I should've known better than to leave with him but I just didn't think about what would happen if he was alone with you. If I had known what he had done to you I would've never let you and him even be in the same vicinity as each other. I'm sorry my foolishness allowed him to force himself on you."
His gaze softened as he rubbed the back of his head,"It's alright, Charlie. He didn't touch me that night…He just…laid there and held me close. Besides, he didn't rape me the other times and it did feel nice after the pain subsided…"
Charlie's eyes narrowed as she firmly asked,"Vox…did you want him to touch you?"
"I…I'm not sure."
"Vox…tell me, did you want him to touch you? Did you REALLY want him to touch you or were you just scared of what would happen if you resisted? Did you ever feel scared of Mammon when he was intimate with you? Did you fear he would hurt you?"
"I…I'm not really sure. It hurt a lot…but it still felt nice in a way and I don't really know how I feel about it, even after it happened. And I never said no to him whenever it happened," He said this while recalling their previous encounters.
Mammon was rough, cruel and mocking and yet Vox still found himself melting within his grasp, crying out his name and eagerly meeting his thrusts despite the overwhelming pain and tingles of pleasure inside of him. His voice was enough to drive Vox crazy and the rare gestures of mercy only made him more wild.
God, he could feel the shivers going down his spine just thinking about it. His touch was so controlling and dominant yet gentle and almost loving at the same time, like when he played with his blonde locks when they slept and held him close to his body.
He still thought about those moments from time to time, he knew it was foolish since Mammon could never truly love him but his body enjoyed the sensations he provided despite hating the bastard with all his heart.
Charlie made a face, this was no doubt going to be harder than she thought it would be. Mammon had such a tight hold over Vox and it didn't help that was adamant on keeping him. His disturbing fixation on him was no doubt going to make rescuing Vox ten times harder than it would've been normally.
The tactic of throwing money at Mammon didn't seem like it would work in this instance. He was too attached to just let him go and she'd need more than just money to tempt Mammon into relinquishing his hold over him.
"It doesn't matter if you enjoyed it or not, it still wasn't right. What he did to you was wrong and I refuse to stand for it. I will find a way to get you out of this, Vox, mark my words. I do not care how long it will take but that bastard is not going to have his way. I will save your soul, Vox, one way or another…"
"God, you're just as stubborn as your parents," He said,"I would've thought you would've given up on me…but I guess I should've expected you to still try and save me despite it all. I don't quite understand what you see in me but I am kind of flattered you think you can save me despite how I've doubted you at every turn. I mocked your ideas and yet you still think I'm worth salvation…"
"You're not the first person to doubt me, Vox. You're far from the first person who called me naive or foolish, but that doesn't mean my beliefs will waver. I can see there's good in you and while you don't believe it yourself, I can tell you're worth it…"
"I can't say I understand your beliefs about redemption or how you think any of us are worthy of salvation but I'll give you some credit, you've got some boobs of steel to put up with this mockery and still stay strong with your values."
She chuckled,"I'm a rather stubborn person if you can't tell. Wouldn't have lasted this long had my beliefs not been set in stone. I know most people doubt me but so long as I breathe, I believe that any demon who tries can change for the better. We're going to find a way out of this, Vox, no matter how long it takes."
"So…what now?"
"What do you mean, what not?"
"Well,Mammon isn't going to be coming back until the end of the month. Assuming he takes your word seriously he won't be back here for a while. Is there anything you plan on doing in the meantime?"
"I'm going to be trying to find a way to get you guys out of here and I am going to be trying to see if I can find some sort of loophole in your contract to Mammon. If I cannot bribe him I'll have to find a way to convince him to release his hold over you."
"Good luck with that, Charlie. I doubt it'll be easy for you. Though before you go, I want to ask you a small favor since I don't know when you'll be back."
"What is it?"
He narrowed his eyes,"I…I need to speak with Helsa. I haven't gotten the chance to see her and I really would like to have a word with her about her actions towards me. Do you know where they're keeping her?"
"I'm not too sure. I could ask Zestial though. He's the one in charge of where the prisoners are kept. I can leave and ask him if you want…"
"Actually Charlie…I'd prefer if you let me out," He admitted,"Before you ask, no, I'm trying to escape. I'm not that foolish. I just…don't want to be left alone just yet. It's kind of lonely around here and I'd appreciate it if you were at my side just a bit longer. I know it sounds weird and I'm probably just pestering you and-"
"It's fine, Vox. I understand,"She assured before motioning him to follow her,"Come on out, Vox. As long as you stay by my side, things will be alright…"
"Wait..you're serious? You're actually going to let me come with you?"
"Why wouldn't I? It'd be cruel to deny your request. You deserve a little something after all you've been through."
"Thanks Charlie…" He followed Charlie outside of the cell, sticking by the Princess's side.
Charlie leads Vox to Zestial's office. Acting as the dungeon's prison warden, he sat in his office. He was an unnaturally tall humanoid with gray skin and neon green eyes He wore a black suit with armor shoulder pads with a cape behind him. He wore a black hat with a small feather sticking out of his head.
He appeared to be looking through some of the paperwork on his desk and peered up when he heard the door to his office open. He narrowed his eyes at Charlie and Vox, glaring at Vox in particular,"Princess Charlotte, is there any reason you let Mammon's toy out of his containment?"
"I needed him out for a particular purpose. He's done me a favor and I feel the need to reward him for keeping me entertained. It's nothing for you to be concerned about. You see, I have a question and I need it to be answered right this second."
He rolled his eyes,"What is it that you want, Charlotte? It better be quickie because I have important things to do and I don't appreciate you barging in on here for your childish desires."
"I want to know where the sirens are being kept. I need to have a few words with them."
Zestial sighed,"They are being kept at the lower portion of the dungeon that has been unused for centuries. They had no place amongst the rest of the prison population given their lack of mobility to Frederick and I decided to put them in the lower section of the that answer your question, Princess?"
"It does. Now if you excuse me, I'll be going…"
He scoffed,"Just be sure to put the blonde back where he belongs. Mammon expects him at the end of the month so you better return him to his cell once you're done playing with him."
Charlie grit her teeth,"I shall…Come on Vincent, let's take our leave…"
The two took their leave and located the lower section of the dungeon through the flight of stairs. The stairs were archaic and the stone seemed aged with time, the place looked mostly untouched and as if it hadn't been properly cared for in over a century…
Vox cringed, the only sources of light down here for the dim candles that looked as if they were about to go out and what little he could see was dirt, grime and even cobwebs that literally infested the place…
"God…this place is disgusting…"
"Tell me something I don't know," Charlie said,"No wonder this place has been abandoned. It looks like they've left this place to rot…"
"Probably because until Helsa and Seviathan were brought here, they did…"
When they got to the bottom of the stairs, they saw a bunch of abandoned cells covered in rust and filth.
"So…where do you think they put the twins?"
"Probably in separate cells. If I had to guess, they put them on different sides of the dungeon purely to isolate them. I'm certain they're around here somewhere. We can search for them together if you want…"
"Actually,I think it'd be better if we split up. This place is huge and it'd take forever for us to find them here."
"Are you sure? You know you could get lost or even hurt. Who knows what's truly down here…"
He shook his head,"I'll be fine. Besides, if anything comes up, I'll be sure to yell. You should do the same if you happen to encounter anything. As for me, I'll take the right side and you can take the left, sound fair?"
"Sounds fair…"
The two split up and went their own separate ways. Vox searched the dungeon for Helsa. The former TV Demon felt an eerie feeling crawl down his spine the further he walked, peering through the empty cells and tensing up when he saw cuffs hanging from the wall and a few skeletons scattered inside of the cells…
"Just keep going Vox…just keep going," He told himself, trying to pretend there weren't remains of previous prisoners inside of the cells.
As he was walking, Vox froze in place when he heard a familiar sound that he recognized all too well. A ghostly voice began to sing in the distance. A deceptively angelic voice filled his ears, sounding almost hypnotic in a way…
'Focus Vox…remember what you're here for…' He reminded himself, snapping himself out of his daze. No matter how beautiful she sounded, he couldn't forget who he was dealing with.
Vox followed the voice and found Helsa sitting within the depths of a dark and cold cell, a chain wrapped around her neck and tied to the ground.
The siren didn't appear to notice Vox's presence as she continued signing, her eyes closed and her body lax.
He then said in a firm voice,"Helsa."
The Princess of Envy ceased her signing at once, seemingly startled by Vox's presence. Their eyes met, icy cold ones meeting pale blue orbs.
Unlike the other times when their gaze met, Vox's eyes lacked the luster they once held, replaced with resentment and betrayal that burned from within.
'Why is he looking at me like that?' She thought to herself, raising an eyebrow in this direction.
She had never seen Vox like this before and she was a little bothered at her newfound hostility towards her. It had come out of nowhere and the last time they saw each other, they were on far more affable terms.
Had something happened while they were captured to make him like this?
Vox didn't seem to appreciate the silence he was receiving and growled out a question, arms folded over his chest.
"Well? Don't you have anything to say for yourself?" He asked bitterly, it was more of a metaphorical question if anything but Helsa didn't catch on as she gave him an irritated look.
'Ah yes, Vox, ask the mute girl if she has something to say. Very funny…' She thought to herself, rolling her eyes at what she believed to be a joke.
Vox scoffed as he read her body language, he didn't need Helsa's voice to understand what the woman was thinking to herself and he was far from amused,"Rhetorical question, Helsa. I know you may take me for a fool but I am not as stupid as you think I am."
Helsa's expression when from irritation to confusion in the span of a few seconds. It was like she was not the receiving end of whiplash, the tone of the room had changed completely. She gave Vox a bemused look, wondering what exactly his problem with her was.
"Don't 'what is your problem' me, Helsa," He snarled,"You know what you did, Helsa. Do not play dumb with me. I know what you did, there's no point in trying to act innocent on me. That trick won't work this time. I know what you are and I refuse to be fooled again."
'Has..has he lost his goddamn mind?' She thought,'I know he's got something wrong with him but this…this is just something else. What's gotten into him?'
The blonde scowled, this conversation was going nowhere. Helsa somehow didn't understand what he was talking about despite his comments towards her and it was infuriating. Perhaps a more direct method was necessary in order to get through to her….
"Ugh, I can't believe you're this thick-headed. I would've thought you would have caught on by now with how often you pride yourself for your cunningness. Perhaps your inflated ego prevented you from understanding something so simple…"
She made an offended noise from the back of her throat and sent him a glare from behind bars. No doubt in Vox's mind she'd be cursing his name by now if she still had her voice.
"Oh don't look at me like that, it's the least the least offensive thing I could call you after what you pulled on me! The nerve to toy with my heart as if it was your plaything!"
Suddenly the realization hit Helsa like a truck. She hadn't realized it before but it all made sense. She gasped, how could he have found her out? She had been so inconspicuous! What could've given her away!?
He rolled his eyes,"Oh, and for your information, Mammon told me everything. I have to admit, I didn't believe him at first but everything he said about us…it made total sense. I really didn't want to believe it Helsa, I wanted to believe you cared but…when he said he read your journal and told me about your convoluted plan to gain my trust only to shatter my heart once you were done with me, I knew he was telling the truth…."
'Damn that jester. He gave me away...' she thought bitterly, angered Mammom had ruined her plan.
Still, she couldn't help but notice the way Vox's voice changed just speaking to her.
His voice sounded…detected, defeated and was oozing with betrayal.
He then dryly laughed,"And honestly? I should've seen this coming. It was too good to be true. And to think my first doubts about you were right. I knew something was off about you but I always shoved them aside when I saw you smile at me, I thought you actually cared and I always dismissed the possibility that you were just using me. God…I was such a fool. I was too blinded by your false kindness and looks to even consider that it was a trick. And now look where it got me..it got me stuck with THIS!" He pulled down his sleeve and revealed the sigil on his hand,"Do you know the things I've had to do because of this thing on my hand!? Do you know how much suffering I had to go through because of this accursed binding!? And you know the worst part!? I did this for YOU! I sold myself just so I could save YOU, HELSA! Everything I did was for you, and this is how I get repaid? By having it all be revealed to be nothing more than a lie!"
Helsa backed away, it was incredibly rare for anyone to raise their voice at her. The most she got was from her Mother whenever she didn't act as a Princess should but it was never this extreme. Being yelled at like this was completely foreign to her and had she not been mute she would've been rendered speechless by his screaming.
Vox heaved as he fought to catch his breath, his eyes glued to the ground as his body shook,"Still…I don't quite understand one thing that I can't wrap my head around. Why? Why did you save me back there if you only planned on using me? Were you solely focused on your entertainment or was there something else to it?"
Helsa didn't respond, as if she wasn't entirely sure either.
Vox grew angry at the silence and hissed,"Well!? What was it, Helsa!? Answer me, dammit! Just be honest with me for once in your goddamn life! Why did you do it!? Why'd you save me!?" He then growled in frustration,"You know what? Forget that! I don't care why you did it at this point, it doesn't even matter anymore! I just want to know…did you ever really care? Or was it all a lie like everything else?"
Helsa thought back on everything, she thought back on all the moments she had with Vox. It started out with her just playing on his emotions but she did feel a minuscule string of attachment to him, a very small one at that.
Though whether that small feeling of attachment was to be called love was something Helsa refused to believe.
The most attachment she held towards another being was respect, and that was solely towards her parents, but love?
No, they didn't love each other. Even towards her brother, her twin, they tolerated each other's existence and shared moments of cordial behavior but none of it was what you would call love.
Her heart had no room for such emotions. Love was something she viewed as something far beneath her ranking.
She then spoke to him, using sign language to relay her thoughts,"Hate to break this to you, Vox, but I never loved you. Sure, you were entertaining and quite charming at times but Hell forbid, I could never love you. I don't quite understand why you're so offended by this, it's not as if you truly loved me either, right?"
Vox blinked,"What are you talking about? I did love you, Helsa…"
"Sure, you say that but let's be honest with ourselves, you don't really love me now, do you? I saw the way you looked at me, Vox, I can see the lust in your eyes as you gaze at my body. There's nothing wrong with it of course, I can't blame you for staring but are you certain you don't just lust after me? You know you can lust after someone without loving them, don't you? Because as someone who lusts after men but has never loved them, I can tell you that it is a thing."
Vox fell silent before becoming angrier,"Are…Are you implying I'm that shallow, Helsa!? I cannot BELIEVE you! Do you really think I would sacrifice myself this much if I only lusted after you!? Do you think I would've bothered to save your life if I only lusted for you!?"
Helsa slowly nodded, giving him a bemused look,"I don't understand why you're so offended, Vox. You're not the first man who's done nice things for me, you know that right?"
It was far from the first time men have treated Helsa with kindness. So many men fell to her feet within her life she could hardly keep track of them. It was natural to her and being treated nicely was more or less a normal thing in Helsa's mind.
"But have any of them saved your life?'' He asked,"If it weren't for me, you and your brother would still be at the damn circus. I would think you'd treat your savior a bit differently than all the other men you've used over the years. Maybe it was just my foolish hope but I was just hoping that maybe…you really cared…"
"Well you thought wrong, sorry to disappoint you, Vox, but my heart is frozen over. I have loved no man and it's a shame you found out so soon. I hadn't planned on you finding out so soon but I must admit, it was a tad amusing that you thought we truly had something. You're no different than any of the other men I've preyed on. Foolish, naive and far too easy to manipulate…"
"So that's what you think of me…" He said, his eyes in a shroud,"I suppose I should've expected this but I suppose I was still holding out that you had a tiny bit of care in that icy heart of yours. Looks like I was wrong. You truly are as wicked as they say you are..and to think that I loved you at one point…"
"And that was your biggest mistake, Vox. Love is a lie, it is a trick played by the cruel on the foolish and the weak. Consider next who you open your heart out to, Vox, because the love you crave so deeply cannot last. Those fairy tales where a man and women live happily ever after are nothing more than reassuring lies broken hearted fools tell themselves in hopes someone would ever love them. True love is nothing more than a fantasy Vox, a fantasy filled with treachery, deficit and betrayal. And my mother always told me back at home, the sector was my Kingdom and that there is one law I should always uphold, and that is to not love anyone."
"And you listened to her?" He snapped,"Helsa, your mother's word is not absolute! Have you ever thought that maybe, just maybe, your mother was wrong? Maybe there are some men in this world that actually gave a damn about you and weren't just perverted freaks who wanted your body!?"
"Mother was many things, Vox, but she was never wrong," She hissed,offended by Vox's comment about her mother,"Mother was always right about men! Men have always lusted after me, whether for my crown or my power, it makes no difference at the end of the day! You're just like Mother told me, all you men are the same! Just a bunch of disrespectful creatures who think they know better!"
Vox winced at the comment, his voice hoarse with pain and hurt,"Oh…I see how it is. I guess you really didn't think I was anything special after all. I was just another 'man' like everyone else. I see how you truly think of me, Helsa. I…I'm sorry for thinking you cared, my mistake. Guess I'll be going now, there's clearly no point in talking to you. Your beliefs are set in stone and I see no point in trying to convince you otherwise. Goodbye."
Vox then stormed off from her cell, Helsa narrowing her eyes as he left and huffed,'Stupid men, all of them are the same. I should've let that bastard drown when I had the chance. Now look at where it got me. Not as if I care that he's gone, I never liked him anyway…'
She sighed as she sat in her cell, the silence pervading. She felt frustrated, not only at Vox but at herself.
She couldn't figure out why but a small part of her felt…strange. Maybe she still had a sense of pity for the man but something about the way he looked at her after she snapped at him made her stomach turn…
'He's just another man…Helsa…he's nothing special. That's what Mother always said. No man is worth thinking about. They're all fools at the end of the day…'
It didn't take long for Charlie to find Seviathan. He was merely sitting in his cell quietly when she found him and she noticed a few bruises on him upon closer inspection. Worried for his well being Charlie grabbed his attention by calling out his name,"Seviathan, are you alright?"
He looked up for a split second before narrowing his eyes upon seeing her, his voice filled with calm disdain in the direction"Oh, it's just you, Charlotte. And to what 'pleasure' do I owe you for this 'wondrous' occasion?"
Charlie did her best to brush off the obvious resentment in her direction,"Nice to see you too, Seviathan.."
The Prince of Envy sent her a glare,"Is there any reason you're pretending as if we are friends, Charlotte? Or are you trying to pretend that the incident centuries ago never happened?"
Charlie made a face, she knew this was coming and she had to take a deep breath as she gave him a calm response to his accusation,"I'm not pretending, I'm merely trying to move forward with my life. You should do the same, Seviathan. It has been quite a while and I do feel it's necessary to hold a grudge…"
"Oh, I wasn't aware that Charlotte Morningstar got to decide when grudges should and shouldn't be held!" He snapped,"Silly me, I thought that I was allowed to have my own feelings but clearly that's above me, isn't it?"
"That's not what I meant, Seviathan…" She said,"You don't have to be so hostile you know. There's no need for it…"
"Easy for you to say!" He screeched,"You're not the one who's been considered a laughing stock for years! Centuries I've endured this nonsense because of you, Charlotte, and you have the nerve, the NERVE to try and sweep it under the rug just because you don't want to address that your family has wronged me!?"
"Seviathan, I'm sorry that my Father attacked you, but you shouldn't hold it against me-"
"You told your Father that I physically hurt you and he used that as a justification to beat me within an inch of my life! You never considered what would happen if you told him that, did you? Or did you think it would just be brushed under the rug as if nothing happened?"
"I didn't think he would react that badly,"She admitted, it was a flimsy excuse but it was really the only defense Charlie had despite how bad it sounded.
"That's a pathetic excuse, Charlie…" He snarled,"Your clumsiness nearly cost me my life and all I get is some flimsy ass apology!? You've caused an untold amount of suffering on me Charlie, all because you didn't think ahead! Your lies ruined my life!"
Charlie winced, she knew she had made several mistakes that night, the latter of which she would rather not go into.
"I didn't mean for it to end up this bad, Seviathan. I was just…very angry that night and I…made a few immature decisions that I deeply regret…"
"Oh how terrible, Charlie, you 'deeply' regret RUINING my life! You cost me my reputation for centuries all because of the lies you told your father that night! My name was dragged in the mud for years and it's all your goddamn fault! You lies cost me everything, Charlie! And you only say your sorry NOW? Too fucking late, Charlie, way too fucking late for that…"
The Princess could see this conversation was only getting uglier by the second.
She had a hard time believing this was the same Seviathan she had grown up with and called friend and at a time, much more….
It hurt seeing him glare at her with such hatred and disdain, had she looked able to kill there wasn't a doubt in her mind that she would've barreled towards her grave just by his hateful stare alone.
"Seviathan…I…I'm sorry…"
"Your apologies are meaningless, just empty words you say to make yourself feel better. You cannot just 'say sorry' and brush this matter under the rug. No amount of apologies will make up for what you've done to me…"
The Princess sighed,"Seviathan, I cannot change the past, what's done is done, however, that doesn't mean we need to be enemies. We can still be friends, Seviathan, just like back in the good old days…" She outstretched her hand towards him through the bars.
He stared at her hand with disdain before slapping it away and barking,"Get that out of my face! I do not want your pity nor your friendship, Charlotte!"
"Then what do you want, Seviathan?"
"You know what I want, Charlotte…"
"Seviathan, I'm not getting back together with you."
"And why not? Is it because of your sudden fascination with that porn star?" He spat bitterly,"He's gay, Charlotte, you know what that means don't you? Well, I'll spell it out for you, it means he won't EVER, and I mean EVER love you. You want to know why? Because you are a GIRL and he only likes men. And you knew that, which is why you prolonged telling him until the last minute since you are a liar and liars like you always fear the truth coming out."
"I didn't mean for it to get this bad. I never intended for anyone to like me for my male disguise..."
"Excuses, excuses," He growled,"You always have them on hand for yourself. You know, you may have the others fooled, but I know what you're really like. You may hide it very well, but I know behind that sweet facade you put on, you have the heart of a demon who can be just as cruel as the rest, no matter how much you deny it."
Charlie sent him a firm look,"Seviathan, I am not like other demons. I made my mistakes but I'm not the same immature girl I was then…"
"Liar liar, burn in hellfire," He hissed.
"That's not even how the saying goes…"
"I couldn't care less. Mark my words, Charlie, you will feel my pain!" He lashed out, gripping the bars of his cell with fury, chuckling as she backed away in fright,"Cower while you still can, because once I get this damn shackle off me and find a way to walk…you better start running, Charlie. Because you won't like what will happen if you don't…"
Never before had Charlie been more thankful that Seviathan was restricted from his powers, else he no doubt would've attacked her in a blind rage. The malice and hate in his eyes was enough to make her heart shake and it hurt her deeply to see someone she cared so much for glare at her with seething hatred.
She couldn't bear to see him like this…she just couldn't. It was far from the first time Seviathan glared at her hatefully but seeing such intensity up close and personal made her skin crawl.
Suddenly, Charlie heard footsteps behind her and saw Vox approaching. His expression was grim and she tensed up,"It didn't go well did it?"
"What do you think?" He asked flatly,"It was just as bad as you could possibly imagine. I already knew Helsa was using me but god…I hadn't expected her to be so heartless. I was holding out hope that a small part of her cared but it seems I was wrong. She didn't care…"
Charlie sighed as she pat Vox on the shoulder,"I'm sorry, Vox…it's just who she is. There was nothing you could've done…"
"Took you long enough," Seviathan commented,"I'm surprised you hadn't realized she was using you, Vox. I feel a bit bad for you but I do think you should've seen this coming. Perhaps if you had known my sister a little better you would've caught on far sooner…"
The blonde grit his teeth,"It's not my fault your sister is a master manipulator. Had I known her heart was truly made of ice, I would've never bothered trying. I cannot believe I loved a liar…"
"Don't worry, Vox, you're far from the first person who felt that way,"Seviathan said this while glaring at Charlie,"Do be careful around Charlotte, she may have an angelic face but she's got a nasty side underneath that her innocent facade. She may not admit it, but I know all too well what she's capable of…."
Vox raised an eyebrow,"What's he talking about Charlie? That doesn't sound anything like you…"
"Just bitter ex things,"She assured hastily,"Seviathan is just bitter over our breakup,that's all. It's nothing to be worried about…"
He balked,"Lies, lies and more lies. You may be able to fool the others, but you can't fool me, Charlotte. I know what you are and what you did. The others may not be aware, but I am.." He then sent Vox a look,"She's only showing you what she wants you to see, Vox. She's not as innocent as she looks…"
The former TV Demon was speechless at Seviathan's warning and seemed ready to question him until Charlie said,"We should get going, Vox. There's no reason for us to stay here. We've done our part. It's time to leave."
"But-"
"Vox," She said firmly,"Don't question it. We need to get you back to your cell before Zestial becomes suspicious. It's time to go…"
"Fine…"
As they turned to leave, Charlie decided to bid farewell to her ex boyfriend,"Goodbye, Seviathan…"
He snarled at her in response as she and Vox left the dungeon. He narrowed his eyes before muttering,"Typical Charlotte, so beautiful like a rose…but even roses have their thorns and her thorns are like a viper's fangs bared…"
In his cell, Seviathan vowed his revenge silently as he awaited for the right time to strike. It wouldn't be now or tomorrow for that matter, but one day, he'd have his revenge for what Charlie did to him that night and for what her lies had cost him…
Thanks for 10,381 views, please tell me what you think and feel free to support this story in any way you can below and check for updates. Fee; free to ask questions about the story if you guys have any!
Enigmus-288: He may understand behaviors of humans/demons but he still can't write or anything so that make communicating a little...hard.
Joel K Fennel: Thanks. I'm taking my time with these so it's working out for me so far.