Chapter 10: The Big Apple
Stella, Stolas, and Octavia got into position as they prepared for a family portrait. The imp servants bustled around, making final adjustments to the backdrop while the photographer set up his equipment. The photographer called out instructions and positioned them to capture the image of a perfect royal family. Stella's posture was refined and poised for a princess of her station. As the head of the family, Stolas needed to keep upright with a stern expression, showing that he wasn't one to be taken lightly. On the other hand, Octavia was made to smile politely with her perfectly groomed feathers and shimmering dress. As the daughter of the two, she was an example of what a proper Goetian heir should be.
Once the portraits were taken, Stella turned to Octavia. "Alright, darling, you will be seated over there." She pointed to a table near the room entrance. "You'll greet everyone who enters and place your gifts in the storage chest. Remember to smile and thank them for their well wishes."
"Can Danny join me?"
Stella had a pensive look. "Fine..."
The mother and daughter met up with Danny who had been conversing with the hired help.
Octavia relayed her request, and the boy obliged.
Stella led the children and the security hounds to the table. Before leaving, she adjusted Octavia's dress and smoothed her feathers. "Stay here, both of you. And remember, Octavia, this is your day. Make sure everyone knows it."
With that, Stella returned to her own table with Stolas.
Axel and Brody gave them a nod before they started managing the forming crowd outside.
Octavia took her seat, and Danny took the chair beside her. Octavia offered him a reassuring smile. "It'll be fine, Danny. Just follow my lead. Most of them are nice... enough."
Danny chuckled lightly. "Alright..."
Soon, the first of the demon royal families began to enter. The room filled with the conversation as the guests filed in. Danny was starting to notice that a lot of the demon royalty were tall.
The first family to approach was a slender demon with dark red skin and a flowing robe adorned with golden embroidery. His wife, a striking figure with horns that curled elegantly atop her head, followed close behind, and their two children—a boy and a girl—trailed after them.
The demon King bent down slightly to greet Octavia. "Happy birthday, young Princess. May your day be filled with joy and celebration."
"Thank you," Octavia replied with a bright smile. The parents raised a brow at Danny, seeing his wolf tail sticking out. Thankfully, they didn't say anything after offering their gift.
The children offered shy smiles and quick bows, and after a few more words, the family moved along.
More families arrived, each offering their congratulations, compliments, and gifts. Some were warm and genuine, others a bit more formal and reserved, but all of them took a moment to acknowledge Octavia on her special day.
Danny watched closely, noting the various mannerisms of each family.
A particularly imposing family approached in dark attire and solemn expressions. The head of the family, a demoness with sharp, angular features, leaned down to greet Octavia formally. "Happy birthday, Princess Octavia. I trust this year will bring you closer to the esteemed traditions of your lineage."
Octavia maintained her smile, though it faltered slightly. "Thank you."
Danny, sensing the shift, decided to offer his own greeting, bowing as he spoke. "Thank you for attending. It means a lot to Octavia."
The demoness glanced at him before she offered a curt nod and moved along with her family.
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As the crowd in the entrance thickened, a sudden commotion caught Danny's attention. A tall, lanky figure was pushing through the crowd, his voice loud and commanding.
"Move aside! Move aside! Uncle of the birthday girl coming through!"
The demon finally emerged from the throng, his grin wide and his turquoise eyes gleaming. His appearance was striking—a peacock-like avian with a short turquoise beak and mostly white feathers. His slicked-back, light periwinkle blue hair complemented his long, gradient-colored tail feathers. His extravagant coat, adorned with shades of light blue and white details, flowed like his tail feathers, and the large, turquoise fur collar featured a design of a snowflake at the front. Beneath his coat, he wore a navy long-sleeved shirt, white pants, and navy over-the-knee boots. A turquoise ice-like crown perched atop his head.
Octavia deadpanned, "Hello, Uncle Andrealphus..."
Danny raised a brow at the newcomer. "Andrealphus is your uncle?"
Back when Danny was first reading the demon summoning book, Andrealphus was one of the demons he initially considered. He was supposedly a great Marquis with the appearance of a peacock who was loud and taught astronomy, geometry, and... quibbling. He had the ability to turn any man into a bird, making men measure everything accurately. Apparently, he was much different as a person. Danny blinked. Were they the same demons in his book? Stolas had mentioned being in his late twenties, and Danny was pretty sure the names of the Ars Goetia were much older than that. 'Huh...' He would have to ask Stolas about that later.
"Unfortunately..." Octavia muttered under her breath.
Andrealphus, a member of the Ars Goetia, Stella's brother, and by extension Stolas' brother-in-law and Octavia's uncle
Andrealphus gasped in mock hurt. "Oh, don't be like that, Octavia. Remember when I made it snow for during our last winter solstice celebration."
"You froze the floor to make me slip before dropping a massive snowball on me. You even did the same to my dad!"
Her uncle waved it off. "It was all a jest. What do you young ones call it? A prank!"
"What a jerk..." Danny muttered. 'Thank whatever god that I didn't summon him.'
"What was that?!" Andrealphus got up close to Danny. His eyes glowed blue, sizing up the young lupagriff demon. "Would you say that again, little half-breed?"
Before Danny could respond, Octavia quickly pulled him closer to her, putting herself between him and her uncle. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to freeze my best friend, Uncle Andrealphus."
"Best friend? Really?"
"Yes..." Octavia put her hands on her hips with her own glare.
Andrealphus threw back his head and laughed, the sound echoing through the entrance. "Oh, darling, that's hilarious." His grin widened as he rested his chin on his fingers, his expression one of mock contemplation. "Now, where can I find my dear silly minx of a sister?"
"She's at table seven with my dad..." Octavia replied, her tone flat.
"Ah, yes, him... Thank you!" With that, Andrealphus gave a theatrical wave and sauntered inside.
Danny turned to Octavia, his brows furrowed. "Your uncle is... something."
Octavia groaned. "You don't know the half of it..."
"What was that about freezing me?"
"Oh, yeah. Similar to how my dad can turn people to stone with a simple glare, he turns people into ice sculptures," she explained nonchalantly.
'That was certainly not in the book.' Danny's eyes widened. "Huh... Thanks for the save."
Octavia shrugged with a small smile. "No problem. Just stick close, and you'll be fine."
Suddenly, the room fell silent, and a ripple of gasps spread through the crowd. Danny noticed the shift. The demons, who had been mingling and conversing just moments before, now parted like the Red Sea, bowing deeply as three figures made their entrance. Danny tilted his head in confusion as he watched the procession.
The Morningstars had arrived.
The other royal families bowed even lower. Some bowed out of respect for his power, others out of sheer obligation, and a few out of a fear that bordered on paranoia. It was nothing new, but it always left a sour taste in his mouth.
Hell's royal family approached the table as Octavia and Danny rose from their bows.
"Oh, wow!" Charlie gushed at the grandiose decorations. "This is lovely! You have such a beautiful home!"
Lucifer smiled at his daughter. Charlie's enthusiasm was infectious. Meanwhile, his wife kept a neutral expression. He internally sighed. 'Come on, Lilith. I don't want to lose us...'
Noticing the attention, Stolas and Stella quickly made their way to the entrance.
"King Lucifer." Stolas bowed deeply. "Queen Lilith, Princess Charlie, we are honored by your presence at our daughter's celebration."
Stella followed suit. "It is a pleasure to have you here."
Charlie stepped toward their daughter with a bright smile. "Happy birthday, Octavia! Aren't you two adorable?! I'm so happy to be here!"
Octavia's cheeks flushed, and she curtsied. "Thank you, Princess Charlie… it means a lot that your family came."
The princess ruffled his hair. "Well, I hope you have a wonderful night too.
Lucifer turned from her parents. "We wouldn't miss it. A tenth birthday is a special occasion, after all. Happy birthday."
Lilith extended a hand, presenting a small wrapped gift. "For you, child. A token of our goodwill." Lucifer gave her a slight nudge. "Happy birthday."
"I hope you like it," beamed Charlie.
"Thank you, your Highness." Octavia handled the gift like glass as she placed it along with the others.
Stolas smiled. "We are deeply grateful. Your generosity is most appreciated."
Lucifer's gaze then shifted to Danny, who had been standing silently beside Octavia, trying his best to be invisible.
Lucifer's attention then went to the young Lupagriff. "And who might this be?"
Danny quickly bowed. "M-My name is Daniel, Your Majesty. I'm... a friend of Octavia's."
Lucifer's lips curled into a small smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Daniel. You know, I knew a Daniel many years ago."
Danny blinked. "Oh, what happened to him?"
"He got visions of the future."
"What'd he see?"
"The apocalypse."
"Oh..."
Lilith regarded him with a quietly while Charlie beamed at him. "It's nice to meet you, Daniel!"
Danny couldn't help but smile as well. "Well, it's an honor to meet you all."
Lucifer chuckled softly. "Thank you, but tonight is about Octavia, so let's make sure she has the best birthday possible."
Lilith and Charlie nodded in agreement, and with that, the Morningstars moved on to mingle with the other guests.
As they left, Danny let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. The same went for Stolas, Stella, and Octavia. "That was... something."
Stolas wiped his brow. "Indeed." He turned his head to his wife. "You didn't tell me Lucifer was going to be here."
Stella groaned back. "I didn't know either. It's become a formality at this point. We always send an invitation to them, and they never show up!" She took a breath. "In any case, we need the servants and a proper table arranged for them. Come, Stolas!"
The prince rolled his eyes. "Yes. Yes..."
Octavia laughed nervously. "Not a bad impression with the Royal Trio, huh, Danny."
Danny turned to Octavia, his heart still racing. "That's one way of putting it.
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AN: Special thanks to Seana, Jebest4781, Charles, vividlearner744, OmegaDelta, Henry Stickman, fearmegu, Kitsune Robyn, Salo Guzman, Traiton Moses, SonicSonicsSonic, KA012, Monkey, Tapion, Roger Cornejo, Dragon lord, JJsouza09, Alexander SegreLaw, Red Rasher, and I am lord dems!
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