Moxxie woke up the next morning to Millie getting ready for work. He laid there silently in the gigantic bed watching her for the longest time, pining to go with her, and sulking knowing that wouldn't be allowed.
Millie turned around to see Moxxie staring sadly.
She smiled sadly and said, "Oh, sweetie. Don't cry. I'll be back before you know it."
"I know, hon," Moxxie replied. "I know. I'll find something to do."
"Of course, you will," Millie said climbing on the bed to lie next to him. "And as soon as I get a handle on this being a good imp thing, we'll be together in paradise."
"Yeah," Moxxie said, reaching his arms around Millie and pulling her into a hug.
Millie reciprocated the hug and gave Moxxie a kiss.
The tender moment didn't last long unfortunately. There was a knock on the door from Blitzo.
"Millie? Millie, are ya ready to go?" Blitzo called out from the other side of the door, surprisingly respecting their privacy for once.
"Yeah, Blitzo," Millie said sadly. "Just…"
"Good!" Blitzo exclaimed throwing open the door. "We have some good deed doing to do to get our business on the other side of paradise…Oh, am I interrupting something?"
"When are you not?" Moxxie replied sarcastically as he and Millie sat up in bed.
"Don't give me that sarcasm, Mr. Holier-Than-Thou Cherub," Blitzo retorted. "Especially when I'm trying to ensure you and Millie and the whole family get to enter Heaven together…"
"Wait," Moxxie interrupted. "The whole family?"
"Yeah, you, me, Millie, and Loona," Blitzo replied happily. "We can set up a business killing people for the blessed of Heaven…or something like that. I'm still a little fuzzy on the details."
"Blitzo, you want to enter Heaven?" Millie asked incredulously.
"What? Is it that hard to believe that I want to change my ways and go be a happy little cherub with you two?" Blitzo asked.
"Yes," Moxxie and Millie both answered at once.
"I can't believe you two," Blitzo dramatically lamented as he leaned back against the wardrobe on the wall. "You don't have any faith that your own dear boss can change. My heart is broken."
"I'm sorry, sir," Moxxie said with a non-sarcastic sigh for once. "It's just that I don't know if it'll be possible for you. You're not exactly a paragon of moral integrity. Millie could pull it off, but for you, I don't know if it will be and I don't know how it could be done. I mean, I didn't think I would ever qualify to be taken. I'm sure that none of the other imps who were taken thought they qualified either, and it's not like they're around to ask…"
"Oh, but you're wrong!" Blitzo said before he cleared the distance between the wardrobe to Moxxie's side of the bed in less than a second. "I do know how it'll be possible. There is an imp I can get guidance from and it's you! I just have to do everything you would do and we'll be set."
"What?" Moxxie asked confusedly.
"You're right," Millie agreed. "If we do what you do, Moxxie, we're bound to be taken."
"I don't know…" Moxxie hesitated. "I doubt it'll be that easy."
"You worry far too much, Moxxie," Blitzo said, jumping on the bed, wrapping his arms around Moxxie, and spinning him around in circles. "We just have to think like you, and we'll be in Heaven in a jiffy…"
"Oh, Blitzy!" Stolas's voice rang from the doorway. "It's time for you and yours to go to work. The limo's waiting out front."
"Fine," Blitzo sighed annoyedly as he let Moxxie drop onto the bed. "We'll see ya later, Moxxie."
"Oh, Blitzy?!" Stolas called out merrily as Millie and Blitzo hopped off the bed. "I made you and Millie sack breakfasts and lunches!"
"Awww, thank you, your majesty," Millie gushed, taking the bagged food and looking inside. "That is so nice of you!"
"God, could you be more of a simp?" Blitzo snarked while taking his bags of food. "It's embarrassing."
"I love you too, Blitzy," Stolas replied. "Now, visiting hours are over unless you would like to take the day off work…"
"Bye!" Blitzo interrupted and ran down the hall. "See ya, Moxxie!"
"Goodbye, honey!" Millie said, sadly waving from the door before she followed Blitzo down the hall.
Moxxie sighed sadly and laid back down on his side facing away from the door letting himself sadly sulk in his over-sized bed.
After a few minutes, Moxxie heard a knock on the open door. He rolled over and looked up to see Stolas with a cart of food.
"Breakfast time, Moxxie," Stolas said cheerfully.
"Thank you, your majesty," Moxxie said climbing out of the bed and heading for the bathroom.
"Wait a moment," Stolas said holding up his hand. "I need to speak with you, warden to prisoner."
"Okay," Moxxie said confusedly. "What's up, your highness?"
"You do know you have free reign of the place, except for my, my wife, and my daughter's rooms. Don't you?"
"Yes, your majesty…"
"So, why have you done nothing but sulk in your room for the past few days while your friends are away when I haven't needed to take you anywhere?"
Moxxie paused for a moment and tried to search for the right words, "Well…I…It's just that…"
"Moxxie," Stolas interrupted. "I told your boss that you would be taken care of and that won't happen unless you're cared for holistically."
"Your majesty, what does that mean?" Moxxie asked in genuine confusion.
Stolas crossed the room in a few steps and leaned down to Moxxie's level, "It means that all your needs need to be met, Moxxie. Sure, you're fed, watered, sheltered in a warm castle, given a large bed to sleep in, and given free rein to visit with your friends as much as you want, but you need more than that. You need exercise. You need stimulation. You need to give your mind something more constructive to do than stare at a wall all day waiting for your friends to show up. I promised Blitzy I'd care for you in exchange for…favors…And I intend to keep up my side of the bargain. So, starting today, I order you to leave your room and explore the castle as you please. You are imprisoned here in a gilded cage, but you don't need to act like a prisoner. Enjoy it. Is that understood?"
Moxxie sighed, "Yes, your highness."
"Good," Stolas said merrily before turning to leave and allowing his face to fall in a sigh. "I hope you enjoy your day. I have to go socialize with my wife's friends in the garden. I wish I could get out of it. They're so dreadfully dull…"
"Your majesty?" Moxxie interrupted shyly. "Am I allowed to cook?"
Stolas looked back at Moxxie and gave him a sympathetic smile.
"If that's what makes you happy, Moxxie," Stolas said. "You can use any of my ingredients you want. You can even pick produce from my garden. You can do whatever you want here except leave the castle grounds without permission of course. Just please stay out of my servants' ways. They can be quite irritable."
"Thank you, your highness," Moxxie said, finally allowing a smile to cross his lips. "Thank you so much."
Stolas blinked in surprise at the warm feeling inside himself and smiled back.
"You're welcome, Moxxie," Stolas said turning to walk away. "Have fun and avoid my wife's party at all costs. Satan knows, I wish I could."
Stolas walked away, finally allowing Moxxie to be alone.
Moxxie finally felt excited. For the first time since he arrived, he had something to be excited about. He would make dinner for himself and Millie. It would help her feel better after her long day at work and bring some normalcy back to their lives. It made him smile just to think about it.
Moxxie quickly used the bathroom, showered, got himself dressed in a gray t-shirt and jacket and jeans, put on the deodorant with the scent Millie liked the best, ate his breakfast, brushed his teeth, pushed the cart into the hall, and sat on his bed to pick out a recipe on his phone.
Moxxie finally found a recipe he wanted to try, a mixed vegetable stew he knew he could make for himself, Millie, and Blitzo, since he'd most likely show up anyway.
Moxxie had only been able to glimpse the garden and the kitchen when he and Blitzo were trying to steal the grimoire back that one time. Now, he could finally get a closer look. That was enough to motivate him to take the first steps out of his room.