My DA is EmeraldOverlord in case anyone wants to check it out and see my art for this story.
Twelve and a half days.
That had been how long it had been since Princess Charlotte had last been seen. The last anyone in the palace walls had seen of her, the Princess claimed she was heading out for a ride and that she'd be right back and refused to have an escort with her.
Nobody took any mind to this at first, that was until the following morning the Princess hadn't returned. Panic ensued within the palace as they desperately scoured every room in hopes of finding her to no avail, finding the horse stable's door left wide open when they went to check on it.
Things only got worse when Lucifer and Lilith came back by the seventh day. They had originally been going out to handle affairs in another district but they had to cut the whole thing short upon getting a message about their daughter's disappearance.
As you could imagine, the heads of the monarchy were far from thrilled about wasn't exactly the first time they had been dealing with their child running away.
But this was one, in their minds, totally uncalled for. Charlie was being taken care of by her every need and yet she still chose to run away. They couldn't wrap their heads around it and neither of them could find an explanation for their daughter's sudden decision to runaway.
Their personal experience told them that chances were that Charlie wasn't close to Pride. If they were lucky, she was likely teetering off the edges and escaping into an entirely different Circle by now,especially since she seemed to be traveling on horseback.
So they organized a meeting, summoning all the Deadly Sins together for a discussion about their current predicament, urgently sending out letters and waiting for them to to arrive at their palace….
Everyone was instructed to put whatever task they had on hold and to come to the palace immediately.
Outside the palace, several of the Deadly Sins were already there. Asmodeus, Mammon and Satan. Out of the three, Mammon seemed to be ticked off prior as his expression was anything but pleased.
"Something bothering you, moneybags?"The Lustful Lord asked, his eyebrows furrowing at his fellow Deadly Sin,"You look rather irritable as of late."
"He's probably mad about having to come out here because Luci's little girl decided to get rebellious..again," Satan speculated,"This is the second time she's run away and she didn't even give a reason this time. It's like she's doing this purely to inconvenience us…"
"Oh that's not it," Mammon spoke up,"Well…not entirely. Indeed, I'm not exactly thrilled at having to be here because Luci can't keep his royal brat in check, but I do have other things drawing my ire." He said this as his eyes scanned the area repeatability, as if he were looking for someone with malicious intent.
"Who are you mad at?" Asmodeus asked.
"Take a wild guess…"
"Was it Belphie again?" The Lord of Lust prodded, almost knowingly. It wasn't exactly the first time Mammon and Belphegor had their…disagreements.
Mammon asked Belphegor for aid whenever his robo Fizz was..experiencing technical difficulties and Belphegor often took his time in repairing, not because he didn't know how but because he was lazy…
The Lord of Greed probably should've seen this coming after befriending who most notable trait was their laziness but that didn't make him any less irritated when he saw Belphegor sleeping on the job.
Often he had to repeatedly prod him just to get him to do what he asked and sometimes the bastard forgot because unless it was something he personally was invested in, often it slipped his mind.
It wasn't like Belphegor was like this just with Mammon, practically everyone was aware of how lazy he was. It was why even Lucifer didn't bother inviting him to meetings or formal events most of the time because chances are, Belphegor wouldn't bother coming or would just forget.
And if he did come to a meeting,(whether willingly or being ragged there by another Deadly Sin), he either complained about being away from his lab the whole time or if you were lucky, he fell asleep halfway through the damn thing.
"What did he do this time?" Satan asked.
"The bastard let my property escape his damn asylum that's what!"
"Why would you let him have someone who was yours?"
"I didn't," Mammon snapped,"Luci made me give him up, claiming that it'd be a temporary arrangement and that I'd have him back once he was done. Some promise that was. I put my trust in him just once and this is what happens when I give him the benefit of the doubt."
"So I take that you're going to have a word with him when you get the chance."
"Oh most definitely, my dear Ozzie. Most definitely. That's assuming the lazy oaf actually bothers coming. We all know how…tardy he can be when it comes to things that are actually important. No doubt he'll inconvenience us yet again and Luci will probably take his ire out on the rest of us…"
"Aw…You wound me, friend..I thought you held a higher opinion of me…"
Everyone's attention snapped behind them and saw Belphegor standing there. Mammon's glare became harsher at the sight of him as he grit his teeth,"You've got a lot of nerve calling me friend after what you've allowed to happen!"
"It wasn't like I intended for this to happen, Mammon," Belphegor informed,"Besides, it's not that big of a deal. He couldn't have gotten far, he can still be recaptured…"
"It shouldn't have even come to that!" He snapped,"Vincent should've been with me this whole time and the second I trust you to do the bare minimum, you completely mess it up. He could be anywhere by now and who knows if he's in good condition or not…"
"Are you implying something, Mammon?"
"Don't play dumb, we all know you how you treat those under your care. If they aren't your ideal test subject, you choose to use them as rag-dolls that you stick needles in for your own amusement."
"So? I need to do something with them if they show no use. Besides, why do you care about someone else being cruel?"
"It's hardly that. I just don't want you to damage what is mine.."
Belphegor paused at the sound of Mammon's voice. Obviously there was anger in it, lots of it to be exact but there was something more to it, something that made his curiosity spike. He looked into Mammon's eyes for a moment and though it was subtle, there was a hint of jealousy within his eyes…
He snickered as it all dawned on him,"Oh…I see what it is..You're jealous, aren't you?"
"E-Excuse you!?" Mammon hissed, his eye twitching at the ludicrous statement.
"You heard me. You're jealous, Mammon. Jealous I got to spend more time with your precious pet. I can't say I blame you, after all, you missed out on quite a lot. You should've heard the screams he made. It was a symphony of suffering and misery, the sounds were just beautiful. You should've been there to hear it, he was crying, begging me to stop. Of course I didn't, but it was amusing to see him struggle. I most certainly see what you saw in him. He was quite an interesting mortal specimen, and quite the screamer too.."
"You…How dare you!" Mammon was beyond furious and actually grabbed Belphegor by the neck and began throttling him without a sign of mercy The other Sins were speechless but neither dared to Deadly Sins were weary of getting involved in fights between each other.
Despite being grabbed, Belphegor didn't seem all too fazed by Mammon's anger and smiled even as his grip tightened,"Ooh..touchy are we? You seem quite rolled up. Did touching your mortal pet strike a nerve?"
"You son a bitch…how dare you touch what is mine!" The Jester snarled, fury building up within his being. Mammon's demonic form was starting to give way and he probably would've straight up transformed had it not been for the dagger suddenly flying into his wrist,"Argh!"
Mammon hissed and dropped Belphegor, holding his wounded hand before pulling out the dagger and drawing blood.
Being a Deadly Sin, a wound like this wouldn't kill him and he'd regenerate rather quickly, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt like a bitch. He pulled out the knife and used his magic to regenerate the torn skin and placed the blood back where it belonged.
When he turned to see where the weapon had come from, he saw a young man with predominantly black hair with a red streak in the front with a matching uniform to boot. On his face was a mask concealing the entirety of his face. The mask was a raven color with what looked like blood coming out from where the eyes were, resembling tears.
Belphegor seemed somewhat irritated at this person's sudden appearance as he scolded the man,"I didn't give you permission to intervene…"
"But he attacked you, Master…"
"I can handle myself, Seviathan" Belphegor admitted,"The concern is appreciated but I'm far more fragile."
The man then looked at Mammon before asking,"Do you recognize me, clown?"
"Am I supposed to?"
Sounding offended, he shot back,"Considering you imprisoned me and my sister in your godforsaken circus…yes…"
It then dawned on Mammon. His memory was a bit foggy but he did still remember Seviathan, though he had since changed since they last met. A part of him couldn't believe his eyes
"Belphegor, what is the meaning of this?"
"Oh nothing, I just decided to bring my latest weapon to this humble meeting. Of course, you weren't supposed to meet him like this; however, I suppose Seviathan got a little impatient of standing back and wanted to greet you on his own terms…"
"I couldn't stand idle as my Master got attacked by an overgrown clown…" Seviathan stated flatly, remaining on guard with another dagger in hand, as if ready to use it at a moment's notice.
"I understand your anger, Seviathan. However, Mammon is on our side and as your superior, I command you to treat him as an ally just as everyone else. That means you have to put your weapons away until instructed otherwise.
It was impossible to tell what Seviathan's expression was like underneath the mask though he didn't seem pleased if his body language was anything to go by.
Regardless, Seviathan reluctantly lowered his guard and got back in a neutral stance, but not before levitating the knife that he had used to stab Mammon prior back into his grip without making a sound.
The use of Blood Magic was quite noticeable and there was a sense of unease through each of them. It had been a long time since anyone had seen Blood Magic in use and Seviathan wielding it was enough to make Mammon's skin crawl at the idea of someone like him wielding such power.
The other Sins probably would've questioned this more had it not been for the sudden arrival of Frederick and Beelzebub, the latter of whom was having a servant carrying treats just behind her.
"Sorry I'm late everyone," The Queen Bee said,"I needed to get my treats before I headed over here. A girl's gotta eat you know…"
Frederick scoffed,"It probably wouldn't have taken you so long if you weren't gorging yourself at every passing second."
"A lady needs to expand her palette when the opportunity arises."
The Lord of Envy rolled his eyes, Beelzebub could be quite simple-minded at times. Perhaps being the Sin of Gluttony made one more impulsive than usual, because it certainly explained her gluttonous attitude that seems to pop up at every turn. It was why even with her ability to teleport to areas she was familiar with, she often chose to not do so immediately due to wanting to gorge herself on whatever treat she saw.
The second they caught sight of the carnage, Frederick being the first to ask,"What's going on here?"
"Oh nothing, I was just poking fun at Mammon at his fondness for his little mortal and he got a tailed up about it and your son just felt the need to intervene. It was quite amusing honestly and if I didn't know any better, I'd think Mammon actually had a crush on him or something."
"Excuse you!?" Mammon hissed before actually attempting to lunge at Belphegor again only to be stopped by Asmodeus and Satan who struggled to hold him back even with their combined might."Lemme at him! Lemme at him!"
"Calm down, Moneybags, he's just messing with you," Asmodeus growled urgently,"Don't take the bait dammit."
Things probably would've gotten more violent had Lucifer's voice not rung out in the distance,"What in the Seven Circles is going on out here!?"
"Oh hey, Luci!" Beelzebub said as she crunched on some popcorn she had gotten her hands on,"You've made it just in time for the fight! It's about to get hectic in here! Want some popcorn for when it gets heated? Belphie and Mammon are about to duke it out for realsies!"
"What? No!" He hissed,"This isn't the time for fighting! We were supposed to have a meeting well over thirty minutes ago! Why are you all standing out here causing a commotion!?" The Devil then rolled his eyes,"You know what? It doesn't matter. I frankly don't care what you two are fighting over, we have a MEETING that's long overdue and whatever is, can be saved for after we're done, understand?"
To further prove his point, Lucifer showed his horns and his snake like eyes turned red as a warning. Thankfully, nobody was suicidal enough to reject Lucifer's order and they all responded at the exact same time,"Yes…"
"Good…NOW GET INSIDE THIS INSTANT!"
Everyone was quick to follow orders, knowing damn well that attracting Lucifer's ire was the last thing anyone wanted. However, when Seviathan tried to follow them, Mammon was quick to stop him, claiming that it was the 'adults' turn to talk'.
Seviathan wanted to protest,however his father instructed to not get in the way, claiming that he'd only distract them.
Despite disagreeing heavily with his father's statement, Seviathan bowed his head and obediently said,"As you wish, Father. I will wait outside until you are finished…"
The second they were all inside the room, Seviathan scowled underneath his mask. It felt as though no one took him seriously. Even his Father seemed to brush him off as nothing more than a nuisance at times like this.
He wondered just what he had to do to get his father's praise that he desired so desperately. So far, only Belphegor seemed to notice his potential and his Father seemed impossible to please.
Still, he refused to give up. How could he after he had come so far? He wouldn't allow Mammon's little tantrum to get in the way of his goals, no doubt the jester was furious he had gotten the upper-hand over him and was just using this as a clever excuse to keep him in the dark…
No matter, he wouldn't let the clown get to him that easily. He would earn his Father's love and no clown was going to prevent him from getting what he had been robbed of for centuries.
Regardless, he couldn't enter the meeting without something of 'd dismiss him without anything to prove…
Seviathan then began investigating the Palace Walls of the Morningstar's palace was aggrandize in nature, almost meaning to make the Prince feel small in that moment..
Keyword, almost.
Underneath the mask, Seviathan's eyes scanned the area for anything out of place. As he was walking, he couldn't help but notice something out of place with the pottery. It wasn't noticeable at first, but upon closer inspection he noticed something was buried behind the pot in a rather rushed manner.
When he got closer and dug into the pot, he pulled out what appeared to be a piece of paper that was stained with dirt and crumbled up. It was a tad hard to read but after straining his eyes a bit, he managed to get the gist of it before reality dawned on him.
This was the letter that Belphegor sent to the Morningstar's about the recent escape of the prisoners. His eyes narrowed, pondering just how this could've ended up hidden behind a flower pot before it hit him like a truck.
'Charlotte…So conniving yet always missing the mark…' He thought to himself with a malicious grin,'You must've really thought you had them there. Too bad you were always horrible at getting rid of the evidence of your failures…'
He supposed even after all these centuries, his ex never truly changed her tactics, always leaving the crumbs to her crime behind in a last-ditch effort to escape whatever mess was left in her wake.
"She never learns…" He tsked to himself as he held the note in his hands."Regardless, I should be happy that Charlotte is quite sloppy with her mistakes. This should be the perfect evidence against her and maybe then they will take me seriously…"
The Prince stormed back where the meeting was taking place and put his ear up against the door. He couldn't fully hear what was being said but judging by how loud it was, no doubt it was getting heated up within the room.
Deciding to let his breakthrough be known, he opened the door and peeked inside. The other Sins seemed to be bickering amongst themselves and voices were being raised.
"My Charlotte would never do such a thing! There has to be another explanation! There has to be!"
"Luci, I hate to break it to you but your 'precious daughter' has had a history of causing trouble when things do not go her way. This isn't exactly the first time she's runaway either so I don't understand why you're so vehemently denying it," Mammon admitted.
"But I did everything right this time! We didn't even have a fight! She just decided to get up and run away without even saying goodbye. It doesn't make a lick of sense. Where had we gone wrong? We put our trust in her and loved her to the best of our ability yet it still wasn't enough to keep her…"
"Trusting her was your first mistake…" Seviathan piped up, catching the attention of everyone in the room. Lucifer glared at him with such ferocity that most would've felt their blood running cold at the sight of it.
Seviathan wasn't most demons as he remained standing tall despite Lucifer's harsh glare towards him.
"And who told you to come here, Seviathan?" He asked flatly,"I don't remember anyone telling you that you were allowed inside. This matter isn't something that concerns you…"
"I let myself in," He stated,"And actually it does. This matter is just as much my problem as it is yours, Lucifer. So do not dismiss me without hearing what I have to say, you arrogant fool."
Saying those words to Lucifer likely would've been something carved onto someone's gravestone. Everyone fell silent and even the other Sins were somewhat unnerved, fearing that Lucifer would lose his temper and engage in combat against Seviathan, who wouldn't stand a chance against him.
Seviathan didn't waver and merely said in a raspy voice,"Are you going to listen to me or are you going to have a tantrum,Lucifer?"
The Devil seemed ready to blow a gasket but Belphegor was quick to intervene, stepping in to say,"Lucifer, don't allow your anger to get the best of you. Seviathan might have something important to say. Let's not dismiss him without hearing what he has to offer."
"You can't possibly be serious,"Mammon growled,"He's not even supposed to be here. This is a meeting between us Sins, children shouldn't be occupying the grown up's table…"
"Age is irrelevant here, Mammon. I'm well over two hundred years old and I believe that I should have a saw in this situation given my knowledge on it. Who knows, you might actually find it informative though I suppose I could just leave since I see I'm not wanted."
"If you truly wish to speak, then do so," Lucifer demanded.
"Luci, you can't possibly want this child to speak at our table-"
"Mammon, enough," He growled,"I don't appreciate Seviathan's tongue anymore than you do but if he truly has something to offer, it wouldn't hurt to hear him out. It's not like we've got anywhere ourselves so let's at least hear him out before we decide to punish him…"
Mammon grumbled under his breath but ultimately sat back down. He knew better than to disobey Lucifer's commands and despite not being able to see Seviathan's face under the mask, he could tell the man was grinning in satisfaction at the scene unfolding before him.
"I appreciate being given center stage, Lucifer. You will not regret this…" He sneered before stepping forward so that everyone could see him,"Now, I know a lot of people think I have no place here, that I'm just an ignorant child who will get in the way. I will quickly prove you all wrong, because while you all were arguing at each other's throats, I did a little digging of my own and managed to find this…"
He pulled out the paper before asking,"Master, do you recall how you sent a letter to the Morningstar residence not too long ago to inform them about the escape attempt from the faculty?"
Belphegor silently nodded in understanding and allowed the Prince to continue speaking.
"Well, I found this stuffed in one of the potted plants around the mansion. Most probably would've walked past it, but I caught it out of the corner of my eye. From there, I managed to conclude what happened with Charlotte.."
"What does Charlie have to do with this?" Lucifer asked.
"Everything, your highness…everything…" He sneered,"You see,this letter merely provided the opportunity Charlotte had been waiting for. Once she had read that the other convicts escaped, she saw her chance to get away as well. It would've been the perfect crime, to slip away undetected and meet up with her companions once more and continue where they left off. It was quite a clever move, I'll admit, but like all things, she's always been too clever by half and was foolish enough to leave evidence of her crime behind."
Everyone seemed somewhat bemused by Seviathan's story. It certainly seemed to add up and made a whole lot of sense…
Regardless, Mammon didn't seem all too fond of everyone taking Seviathan's claims seriously. He cleared his throat as he butted in,"Ahem..Hate to break the mood but I feel the need to question how things are suddenly operating. Not only have we humored this immature brat but we're giving him center stage on matters beyond his feeble comprehension. He has no place here and I believe it'd be best if he was removed from the area at once."
"Beyond my comprehension? What am I? A kid? I'm several centuries old, Mammon, I am no child and you have no right to make such demands out of me."
"To me, you are. Everyone here is several centuries your senior and you think just because your Frederick's kid means that the rest of us have to listen to every word that you spew out of that mouth of yours? You don't even belong here!"
"Mammon," Frederick threatened,"Do not dismiss my son,especially after he said something that might be of use to us…"
"Since when do you care about that brat? You always considered him a nuisance! What's changed!?"
"Hardly anything, I'm just acknowledging my son's use when I can. Besides, it seems he might be onto something. Right Lucifer?"
Lucifer nodded,"Indeed he might. His story does make a whole lot of sense. Though that does bring into question what our next move should be. Especially since we have no idea where she could be going. It's been a while and who knows where she could be."
Seviathan narrowed his eyes,"I know where she's 's heading to the 'Holy Lands' as they call it. She thinks there's some sort of 'magical' Tower that can take care of all her wishes as silly it sounds. No doubt travel there is forbidden, right?"
"No one's been allowed to go there since the Fall…" Beelzebub admitted,"She must be real desperate to get away if she's putting her hopes in some magical fantasy Tower that probably doesn't even exist…"
"As silly as it sounds, Charlotte isn't the type to give up on her dreams despite how nonsensical they sound to the rest of us. She will not stop until she gets what she wants which is why we need to recapture her as soon as possible."
"But what if she already got away?" The Lord of Lust asked,"Then what?"
"She hasn't,"Belphegor said,"After all, the only way to get to the Ocean from where she is, is from Gluttony. Even assuming she caught up with the other escapees, as of now, it would take some time before she made it to Gluttony, let alone get to the pier. There is still time to recapture her."
"Precisely," Seviathan said,"However, we'll need to take into account of the others. No doubt they have their powers back and they'll make recapturing the Princess quite difficult. Nevertheless, they aren't invincible and I'm certain with enough manpower, they too will be overrun. And once we do, she'll be defenseless and ready for the taking…."
"And what happens when they are all captured?" Satan inquired.
"Well, I could use more test subjects…" Belphegor admitted.
"Who's to say you won't let them escape again?" Lucifer asked,"You already failed me once, I don't want another mess up due to your incompetence."
"Give him another chance, Lucifer," Seviathan intervened, doing his best to hide the disdain and hate in his voice for the blonde,"Master made a mistake by being too lenient. He will not repeat it again.."
"My…you're quite defensive, Seviathan…" Lucifer commented,"I can't even get my servants to be that loyal. Is this the effect of mind control or are you truly that obligated to him?"
Seviathan scoffed at the notion, sounding more offended if anything,"What a preposterous claim. This is more than mere mind control. I owe him everything, Morningstar. He deserves my undying loyalty…"
""Hmph…So it seems…" The Devil admitted,"Regardless,while your tact could use some work, you have proven to be quite useful. Perhaps Belphegor was wise to choose you for his experiments as it seems as though his hard work might just pay off after all.."
"So what's your next move, Lucifer?" Frederick asked.
"Ready your horses and all your best men. It is only a matter of time before they reach Gluttony and we'll need to surround them to ensure they do not try fleeing back into the other Circles. Closing them off will ensure an easy victory once they see they are all trapped in one place. Beelzebub, leave not one area of your territory unchecked. We need to locate them as soon as possible…"
"Oh don't be so hasty, Lucifer," Seviathan sneered,"Why not trap them first before we make any sudden movements? We'll already have them surrounded, why not make the situation even more hopeless for them? It's always more fun to bleed them out slowly than end it quickly. Have to survey their movements until we get them right where we want them…"
"Splendid idea, Seviathan. You're far more knowledgeable than I thought," Frederick chuckled as he pat Seviathan on the shoulder in an almost affectionate manner,"Maybe I misjudged you after all…"
Seviathan seemed quite ecstatic at this as he said,"I'm all too eager to exceed your judgments of me, Father…"
Seviathan was soon getting praised by everyone else, everyone except Mammon, who seemed irritated by the ego-stroking Seviathan was receiving.
Even without being able to see the Prince's face behind that eerie mask, he could already picture that pompous grin plastered over his face with a strong sense of superiority in the air
Eventually after what felt like an eternity, the meeting eventually came to an end and everyone left the room. Despite this, nobody was leaving the palace just yet and Seviathan walked over to Lucifer and pulled him to the side.
"What is it you wish to speak with me, Seviathan?"
"I have…a few words I'd like to share with you…" He admitted,"Though I'd prefer if it were something that was kept between us…"
Lucifer cocked an eyebrow but shrugged his shoulders,"I suppose a little talk wouldn't hurt…"
He then led Seviathan to a more private room within the vast Palace. Seviathan kept his distance from Lucifer while they walked, not saying a word and remaining eerily quiet, as if he was in deep thought.
"So…what is this about?" The Devil asked,"Because I can already tell that whatever reason you called me for, it's not something that can be settled over tea, is it?"
"How perceptive…" Seviathan said before folding his arms behind his back,"You see, Lucifer, I was wondering if perhaps we could cut a deal of sorts…"
"What kind of deal, Seviathan?" He inquired.
"It's quite simple really, I retrieve your precious daughter and in exchange, you allow me to take Charlotte's hand in marriage."
Lucifer gazed back at him in awe, of all things he had expected Seviathan to say, this was not one of them."And pray tell, why would I do that?"
"Don't you want your daughter back?" He asked in an edged tone,"Isn't that why we're putting out all the stops to ensure her capture?"
"It's not that, I just don't why you all the sudden wish to marry her…"
Seviathan bit his tongue to avoid saying his more…personal reasons for wishing to wed Charlie, instead saying,"What can I say? I'm eager to gain my Father's favor by any means necessary. Besides, I've been around her long enough to know that she has her eye on another man, not even a noble man, but a peasant."
"A peasant? That can't be…Why would Charlotte ever express interest in a peasant?"
"The time on the run has made her unruly," He growled,"I've seen it first hand, expressing interest in him despite him being of a lower class. To see her love-struck over that filth was cringe-worthy and I don't doubt for a moment that hearing him escape made that little heart of hers flutter with childish joy…"
Lucifer frowned,"Even if what you say is true, why do you care so much?"
"Your daughter and I have unfinished business, Morningstar. Business that I've been waiting to settle for quite a long time. It's about time she and I had words and I'll be sure to eliminate that peasant boy-toy of he's when I get the chance…"
"You sound rather vindicated. Is this personal?"
"Very personal," He snarled, barely able to conceal his hatred for the man before him,""After all, if word ever got out that Charlotte had a thing for a peasant boy, it'll certainly get rather dicey in the political world. They'll hound you about it for centuries to come so I suggest you choose wisely, Lucifer. Either me or the peasant, which do you prefer to take your daughter's hand?"
The blonde fell silent for a moment, as if internally battling the decision within his mind. On one hand, he'd rather not have Charlie be married at all, she was his precious daughter after all…
On the other hand, he didn't want to risk another escape attempt and Seviathan could probably keep an eye on Charlie better than the maids could. Besides, the idea of Charlie falling in love with some peasant did make his skin crawl…
He then outstretched his hand and shook Seviathan's hand. Neither man spoke, but at that point, no words were truly needed at that point. They had made an arrangement and they needed to seal the deal one last time…
"So if you find Charlotte-"
"When I find her," He corrected firmly.
"You will have my blessing to marry her," He continued,"Though Lilith might disagree, I'm certain I can change her mind in these trying times. She's been rather irritable as of late,especially now that she's getting the Kingdom under lock-down. It's unfortunate it has to come to this to get my daughter to not run away but I suppose drastic times come for drastic measures."
"Believe me, you wont regret it…"
Seviathan watched as Lucifer dismissed himself from the room. The second he was gone, The Prince took a deep breath before dusting off his gloves in disgust, revolted at having to physically touch that bastard.
'About time he left…I was beginning to grow sick of acting nice to him. He may not be my Lucifer, but he's just as insufferable as he is.'
Still, Seviathan couldn't help but chuckle, he had Lucifer right where he wanted him and he couldn't be happier.
Soon, everything would fall into place, once he got Charlie, he'd eliminate her stupid peasant boyfriend and take his rightful place at the throne, something that had been torn away from him for centuries.
For centuries, he had been considered a failure by not only his family, but the rest of Hell. His name had been torn through the mud, his own parents refused to even acknowledge him most of the time and his sister had been apathetic to him at best.
After all these years, the tides were finally turning in his favor. It was about time things started to look up for him and now, it was only a matter of time before he ran into those traitors who abandoned him to his death without bothering to look back.
Belphegor saved him, made him perfect and he was going to exploit that opportunity for all it was worth. They would all know his pain, for it was a promise written in blood that he intended to fulfill to the very last drop…
Mammon scowled, the outcome of this meeting made him beyond furious.
How dare they entertain Frederick's damn brat!? Just because he was the Lord of Envy's spawn didn't mean he had equal footing with the reset of the Sins! He had no right to intervene on their matters yet when Mammon had dared to raise his voice about it, he had been silenced in favor of the boy who got showered with praise from those around him.
The sight was enough to make him see red and kicked one of the stools lying around in a fit of rage, cursing in demonic language at his predicament. His annoyance only grew when he heard a familiar chuckle from behind,"My, you seem riled up, don't you, Mammon?"
Mammon shot him a hateful look,"What do you want now, Belphegor? Can't you see I'm not in the mood for your antics? Or are you not done mocking me yet?"
"Oh Mammon, there's no need to be so cruel," He teased ruthlessly,"You seem to be in quite a foul mood today, hn? Was it something I said?"
"Do not play dumb with me, Belphegor. You know what you did,"He huffed, arms folded over his chest.
"Is this about your little mortal, Mammon?" He asked,"You know I was only messing with you. I didn't mean any harm…"
"We both know that's a lie…"
"You know me all too well, friend…" Belphegor admitted,"You know I've always been fond of delving into what makes people tick. I've seen the strongest souls become broken down husks of their former selves, crying out for those who have since forgotten they existed. They build up walls hoping they can't be torn down, because underneath that tough exterior, they have quite gushy centers…"
"What are you getting at Belphegor?"
"I'm just saying that all of us have weak points, even us Sins seem to be sensitive when prodded enough."
"I am not sensitive,"He scoffed,"You're being ridiculous, Belphegor. Your assessments may work for mortals, but we Sins are built to be superior than mortals, whose minds can only grasp so much without breaking…"
"That is true, however, even the strongest of us have at least one weakness that can be exploited, whether we know it or not ranges from person to person. Though your weakness seems more recent if anything…"
Mammon narrowed his eyes,"What are you talking about? I don't have a weakness, Belphegor…"
"We both know that's a lie, Mammon," He taunted,"Because if it weren't true, you wouldn't have attacked me like that when you found out I was hurting your mortal pet. I've never seen you so enraged in my entire life, it's as if you became a different person at the notion of someone else laying their hands on him.."
"Because he's mine," Mammon rebutted,"Vincent sold his soul to me, I'm his rightful owner and you had no right to hurt him so. Lucifer may have given you permission to have him, but you had no right to harm him the way you did…"
"But that's not the reason, is it? At least, not the full one. You weren't angry because he was hurt…no…you were angry because someone else was the one to do it. You were mad that he screamed out another man's name, and pleaded with them to stop hurting them as tears ran down the sides of his face. His expressions were hauntingly beautiful and I certainly can see why you're so possessive over him."
"Shut up…" He hissed.
"Aw,did I strike a nerve? You seem quite heated…are you jealous?"
"W-What!?"Mammon spluttered, the inclination that he was jealous fueling his anger,"Of course not, why would I be jealous over a mortal? Vincent is just a soul indebted to me, nothing more…"
"Then why are you possessive over him? Even now, you seem quite protective. You seem to hate it whenever anyone else brings him harm, as if you're afraid they'll steal him away from you. After all, from all the marks I saw on him, you seemed to enjoy causing him pain whenever you slept with him…"
"A man needs to mark his property, Belphegor…"
"Yet you still seek him. If Vincent were just like all the other souls indebted to you, would you be trying this hard to retrieve my soul easily? Because I doubt you'd care, especially if they were truly replaceable."
"What are you getting at?"
"That Vincent must be very special to you if you're going this far to try and find him,"Belphegor taunted knowingly, taking great pleasure in the glare of disdain he received from his fellow Sin before tickling Mammon's chin,"Tell me, my friend, I must ask you a question…do you love that mortal?"
Mammon's eyes widen,'Love? A mortal! That's preposterous! I could never!' He glared at Belphegor with a flushed face,"have you gone mad!? I could never love a mortal, much less one whose soul I own!"
"Oh Mammon, your words would convince another,but they cannot convince me. I know you, probably better than you know yourself. You may disagree with that observation, but frankly I couldn't care less because one thing remains clear to me, you've grown soft Mammon, and you've got it down bad for that mortal. Whether you want to admit it is another thing, but I believe it's quite obvious where your true feelings lie. You've gone soft for him and it must drive you insane knowing how wrong those feelings are…"
If looks could kill, the Lord of Sloth would've been sent barreling towards his grave with the force glare Mammon sending him. Most probably would've tried to get the hell out of dodge just seeing Mammon so furious but Belphegor remained poised.
He knew Mammon wouldn't attack him, not in Lucifer's mansion. It'd draw too much attention and Lucifer would no doubt be angry at Mammon damaging his house over some words being exchanged.
Mammon bit his lip, his entire body twitching with malicious intent before ultimately deciding to take a deep breath. His anger was still obvious, but he remained deadly calm as he shoved Belphegor aside and hissed,"You are insufferable…"
"Oooh,did I hit you where it hurts, Mammon? I can hardly blame you, having feelings for a mortal must be so embarrassing. Imagine if the others found out, you'd never hear the end of it…Perhaps I should tell them."
"A word of this to anyone, and I will castrate you so hard that your dick will not regrow for the next century, got it?" Mammon threatened, the way he spoke making it clear that it wasn't a threat, but a promise.
"Relax, Mammon, I'm only pulling your leg…"
"You better be…" He snapped before leaving the room as he cursed the man out under his breath. How dare that bastard say such things about him? By god, if he had it his way, Belpehgor would be banished to a forgotten realm for even daring to speak those words to him.
Still, he couldn't help but feel a nerve had been struck with these words, a twinge of uncertainty developing within his immortal soul.
He had been thinking about Vincent for months, he couldn't get him out of his head. He had gotten rather lonely without him around and his heart grew heavier with this newfound weight upon him.
God, he could still see him..feel him even. Those pale blue eyes were threatening to consume his soul. He was hauntingly beautiful even as his expressions confronted with pain and pleasure, his brazen body bucking in a passionate rhythm with his thrusts. The way his pale skin was so easy to bruise as he bit into flesh and how soft the blonde's hair was whenever he ruffled his hair. He tangled his fingers into his locks and scratched, smiling fondly whenever he heard Vincent purring in his sleep at the sensation.
He was…beautiful..in more ways than one and it was causing him great pain.
Was Belphegor right? Was he actually garnering feelings towards him? Had he gone mad?
He quickly clutched his head,'No…that's not possible. I can't love him…He's mortal. That's asinine. Belphegor's just trying to mess with my mind…yet why does my heart feel so…heavy? Why do I ache when I think of him?'
These feelings made no sense…they were so confusing. These feelings he couldn't grasp were threatening to tear him apart and for the first time in eons, Mammon felt genuine fear flooding through his veins, his heart pounding with confusion and fight.
This was wrong…very wrong.
It had to be a trick of sorts, some sort of curse inflicted on him to make him feel these accursed emotions. There was no way he could be feeling this way towards a mortal without some sort of outside interference.
He then recalled Vincent kissing him back in the cell prior to being transported to Belpehgor's asylum. That kiss was passionate or lustful like the others, but it felt…almost loving and comforting…
'Dammit…w-what has he done to me? Is this some kind of spell or something?' He thought. It sounded insane, but it was the only explanation he wanted to think about at that moment, because the others…were less comforting to his physique.
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Enigmus-288: What matters most if how they appear before others honestly and their kids are extensions of themselves in their eyes. Helsa and Seviathan being apathetic to each other when they were younger influenced this since Helsa saw no need to help her bro out since she was interested in living her own life prior to this happening so it make sense. Doesn't make it better but it does explain a lot. Could've saved them a lot of grief though..