by Virlyce
Raffgier ground his teeth as he read through the letters.
“Not only that,” Julia said with her head still lowered, “but the assassins’ guild has refunded us fully. They said that after further investigation, they’ve come to the conclusion that it’s best not to anger him due to his background. The full report is within that stack of letters.
“Also, we’ve received reports from multiple sources saying skeletons have been delivering food to the poor ever since Vur removed the soldiers stationed on Konigreich’s borders. We’ve been unable to gain the support of the nobles, and Vur has gained the support of the masses.”
Raffgier’s face blanched as he read letter after letter. He sighed and rubbed his temples. “Take all the gifts we sent to the nobles and consolidate them,” he said after a while. He crossed his arms and nodded.
Julia raised her head. “Understood,” she said. “Who’s the recipient?”
“We’ll send it to the king. A spy says he’s planning on having a wedding,” Raffgier said as he leaned back into his chair. “If you can’t beat them, join them. Who knows, I might be able to gain more benefits from Vur than I did from Randel.”
Julia smiled. “I’ll have it ready to be sent at a moment’s notice.”
***
“Hey, Mom,” Vur said as he stepped inside of a cave. Tafel followed behind him with Floofykins in her arms. Moonlight shone into the cave from behind the two, illuminating a small mountain of blue scales ahead of them. The mountain twitched and stirred, revealing a pair of golden eyes.
“Vur. You’re back,” Sera said and yawned, revealing rows of foot-long teeth. A tiny puff of smoke trailed out of her nostrils. She eyed the lopsided crown on Vur’s head. “You’re already king? It doesn’t feel like I’ve slept for that long.”
Vur nodded. “It was easy,” he said as Sera used her claw to straighten his crown. “Is Dad around? I wanted to talk to both of you.”
Sera grunted and swished her tail, thumping it against a wall of golden scales hidden behind her. A snorting sound came out of the wall, followed by a mumble, “Just two more months.” Lips smacked and snoring sounds followed. Sera thumped her tail against Vernon’s back again.
“Huh?” Vernon’s eyes shot open. His nictitating membrane flickered a few times as he raised his head. “Oh. Long time no see, Vur. Is that Tafel? You’re both less tiny now.”
“Vur wants to speak with us, pay attention,” Sera said as she crawled onto her haunches. Vernon stretched his front paws forwards and arched his back before crawling next to Sera. Tafel gulped and squeezed Floofykins tighter, using the winged boar as a charm of bravery.
“I want to marry Tafel,” Vur said.
The two dragons blinked and stared in silence as if they were waiting for more. A few seconds passed. Sera tilted her head, and Vernon yawned while asking, “That’s it?”
“Yes,” Vur said and nodded.
The two dragons exchanged glances. “Then marry her?” Sera asked as she tilted her head the other way. “Is someone stopping you? Do I have to destroy everything they hold precious?”
Vur scratched his head. “No. No one’s stopping us,” he said. “It’s just that Tafel said I had to talk to you two first before we could get married.” He skillfully redirected the two dragons’ gazes towards his future wife.
“Y-yeah,” Tafel said and nodded as Floofykins squealed from her tightening grip. “Usually the parents want a say in their children’s marriage partners…”
Sera snorted. “Humans and their weird traditions,” she said and crawled back onto her belly. “Isn’t it enough for Vur to kill all his potential rivals? Why do we have to do anything?”
Tafel’s face blanched while Vernon grinned and nuzzled Sera’s neck with his snout.
“Is that what Dad did?” Vur asked.
Vernon chuckled and shook his head. “It was your Mom who claimed me,” he said and focused his gaze on Tafel. “Don’t let anyone steal Vur from you now.”
Tafel nodded with her face still pale. “I won’t,” she said and raised her chin. “Does this mean you approve of me?”
“We’ll approve of whomever Vur chooses,” Sera said and rested one finger on Vur’s head, ruffling his hair. “Does this mean you’re going to hold a human wedding?”
“Or demon,” Tafel said and breathed a sigh of relief. “It doesn’t matter really. It’d be great if you two showed up. I’ll be sure to prepare a lot of food.”
Sera smiled. “If my child decides he wants to have a wedding, then I suppose it’s my duty to show up,” she said and retracted her claw from Vur’s head, “even if I think it’s silly. If Prika comes back from her journey, I’ll let her know. She always had an odd fascination for the romance of humans.”
“Thank you,” Tafel said and smiled. “I’ll send a message with the details later on. We still have to talk to my mom about this.”
Sera grunted and lowered her head onto her claws. She yawned and snapped her jaws shut. Her eyes closed, and she drifted off to sleep while Tafel and Vur made their way out of the cave.
A silver light enveloped Tafel and Vur as their bodies disappeared from the cave entrance, but Floofykins escaped from Tafel’s arms and crawled onto Sera’s head before she was transferred too. After multiple teleports, the duo reappeared in a hallway with an oak door in front of them. Tafel took a deep breath and knocked on the door. “Mom? Are you awake?”
“Tafel?! Just a minute,” Mina’s voice said from behind the door. Tafel and Vur exchanged glances as they waited. Vur squeezed Tafel’s hand. The door creaked open, and Mina stepped out, closing the door behind her. Her face was slightly flushed while her hair was disheveled with her pajama buttons mismatching. She flinched at Vur, but regained her composure and clasped her hands behind her back, nodding while asking, “What is it, Tafel?”
Tafel lowered her head and wrung her hands. “Can we go inside? It’s a bit sensi—”
“I want to marry Tafel,” Vur said and wrapped his arm around Tafel’s shoulder. “Give me your blessing.”
Tafel froze with her mouth still open as her face heated up. Mina also froze, staring at Vur with wide eyes. Silence ensued.
A voice broke the silence. “Mina? Is everything okay out there? I suddenly felt uneasy.”
Tafel blinked a few times as she regained her senses. “Is that Dustin?” she asked. She gasped and raised her head to inspect her mother’s clothes. She hadn’t noticed their condition at first because of her own nerves. “Were you two…?”
“No!” Mina said and shook her head, causing her hair to become even more disheveled. “We were just discussing … demon lord things. Since you’re never home after all.”
Tafel opened her mouth but closed it again before nodding.
“I’m marrying Tafel,” Vur said and stared into Mina’s eyes. “My parents already agreed.”
Mina shivered as a chill ran down her spine. She sighed and closed her eyes. “I had a feeling this would happen one day,” she said. “If that’s what Tafel wants, then I can’t refuse. Thank you for letting me know.” She smiled at Tafel. “Am I invited to the wedding?”
Tafel paused before nodding. “I’ll let you know the details later. We still haven’t really decided on anything,” she said and scratched her head.
Mina chuckled. “You should go see Prim. She’s very good at planning weddings. I bet she’ll be delighted to see how you’ve grown.”
“We’ll do that,” Tafel said and curtsied. “Enjoy the rest of your night.”
“Have fun discussing war tactics in bed with Dustin,” Vur said.
Mina’s hand stopped mid-wave, and she let out a sigh as Tafel and Vur walked down the hallway. She opened the door and walked back inside, glaring at the man on the bed. “You should’ve stayed silent.”
Dustin scratched his head.
***
“Everything’s so expensive,” Tafel said and frowned as she placed a magazine on her lap. A picture of a white wedding gown was
on the cover page. After discussing with Prim, they had gone to a few more places announcing their plans. Their final stop was the royal gardens in the humans’ castle. Tafel wanted to plan things in an uncluttered space. “Everything’s handmade by elves. I’d have to use all the earnings I made in Fuselage if I want to buy even half of these things.”
“Who gave you that magazine?” Vur asked and tilted his head as he leaned back on the bench. A stack of letters lay on the empty space next to him. “And why don’t you just use the money from the treasury?”
“Auntie gave it to me,” Tafel said and sighed while tilting her head up towards the sky. “And we can’t use the money from any of our treasuries. That’s for the country.”
Vur scratched his nose. His gaze shifted to the side. “Right. Of course. For the country.”
Tafel stared at him. “Don’t tell me you—”
“Hey, there’s a letter from someone named Raffgier,” Vur said as he picked up the letter on top of the stack.
“Raffgier… Isn’t that the noble who you bullied?” Tafel asked. “Why’s he still using his family’s stamp?”
Vur shrugged. “Dunno,” he said as he tore open the letter. He read through it and raised an eyebrow. “He’s begging for forgiveness and wants to cover all the costs of the wedding.”
Tafel’s eyes sparkled. “All of them?” she asked and snatched the letter out of Vur’s hands. She smiled and flipped the letter over, looking for a backside. “I want everything on the catalog.”
“And you say I’m the bully.”
“He offered,” Tafel said and hugged Vur’s arm. “Hurry up and forgive him.”
“Alright,” Vur said and snapped his fingers. A skeleton popped out of the ground and saluted. “Tell Raffgier he’s forgiven and give him this catalog. Tell him to buy everything and send it to the royal castle.”
“As you wish,” the skeleton said and bowed before it jumped into the hole it previously made.
The two stared at the broken ground. “About that royal treasury,” Tafel said, her voice trailing off.
“Royal treasury? Did the humans have one of those?” Vur asked. “I think it was empty before I became king. Definitely.”
“Vur.”
“Yes?”
“You’re a terrible king.”
“Yup.”
Tafel sighed. “I’m not letting you make any administrative decisions when we get married.”
“But I like flipping coins.”
Tafel fell silent. Her brow furrowed. “Please tell me that’s not how you make decisions regarding your country.”
“That’s not how I make decisions regarding my country.”
“Are you just saying that because I told you to?”
“Yes,” Vur said.
Tafel clasped her hands together and closed her eyes.
“What are you doing?” Vur asked.
“Praying for your people.”
***
Michelle yawned as she signed a piece of paper with a quill. She didn’t know bishops had so many administrative duties—it felt like weeks since she had last rested. She was about to grab another piece of paper when a short, pig-like squeal pierced her ears. The paper dropped to the ground as she whirled around and pressed her face against the window. A small smile appeared on her lips before she dashed out of the room.
“Hey, what’s going on?” Michelle asked as she stepped around a pillar, entering the temple’s courtyard. Paul was standing by a bench with a flowery envelope in his hand. There was a skeleton-sized hole in the ground next to him. Michelle walked next to the culprit who made the squeal and peered over his shoulder. “I heard a strange noise, so I decided to check it out.”
Paul shrugged. “I’m not sure,” he said and scratched his head. “I was practicing some sermons when a skeleton popped out of the ground. I tried to banish it, but it just threw a letter at me and ran away. It’s directed at the pope.”
“We should cleanse it then open it. Maybe it’s a trap,” Michelle said with a nod. A white light enveloped the envelope before fading away. “Well, it looks like it wasn’t cursed. Open it.”
Paul frowned and tore the envelope open. A letter lay inside. “Should I read it? It’s just a normal letter. Maybe it’s confidential.”
Michelle snatched the letter out of his hand and read it. She gasped. “Vur’s getting married to Tafel and wants Gale to officiate for them,” she said with wide eyes. “Do you know what this means!?”
Paul scratched his head. “What are you getting so excited for? We already knew they were engaged.”
“Yes, but that was before Vur became king!” Michelle waved the letter in front of Paul’s face. “The human king is marrying the demon lord! This is huge! Let’s go tell Gale!” Michelle grasped Paul’s hand and dragged him towards the temple while sprinting.
The two arrived in front of a room with a pair of black double doors. Michelle let go of Paul’s hand and knocked. She kept knocking on the door until it creaked open, revealing Gale’s bleary-eyed face. “What’s going on? It’s not even seven yet.”
“Vur’s marrying the demon lord!” Michelle said and smacked Gale’s face with her hand as she extended the letter towards him. “Oops. Sorry. I didn’t mean to hit you.”
Gale rubbed his nose and retrieved the letter from Michelle’s hand. He frowned as his eyes scanned the page. “I’m not sure if this is a good idea,” he said as he rubbed his chin. “It’s only been around two months since he became king. There’s no way people will approve of this. For now, keep this a secret.”
“What do you mean won’t approve?” Paul asked and crossed his arms. “He’s been king for two months and no one’s tried to assassinate him yet. That must mean he has some form of approval, right? Besides, he’s been delivering food to the poor and hungry for the past two months. According to Lillian, the citizens love him. Although I do wonder how he’s funding that.”
“Urgent news!” A teenager, wearing a white robe, ran down the hall towards the trio. “Your Holiness. Seniors,” he said and nodded at the three. “The king has announced he’s going to have a wedding with the demon lord. Thousands—maybe millions—of skeletons are marching through the nation and announcing it through song. I think this may be the first time everyone’s awake before seven in the morning.”
Gale let out a sound that suspiciously sounded like a whimper before he fell to the ground and curled up into the fetal position. His hands covered his ears as his body rocked back and forth.
“Err…” Michelle tilted her head before smiling at the boy. “I think it’s best if you let the other clergy know too.”
The boy stopped gawking and nodded. He took one last look at the quivering pope before turning around and dashing off.
“Gale?” Michelle asked as she poked the crying pope with her foot. “Are you alright?”
“No more singing. No more singing,” Gale mumbled through sobs. “Please. Have mercy.”
Michelle and Paul looked at each other with their eyebrows raised. Michelle knocked his hand away from the letter and picked it up. “I get dibs on officiating.”
43
Tafel stood in front of a mirror with her arms out to the sides. Prim was behind her, fussing over the white wedding dress that clung to Tafel’s body. The one-horned maid smoothed out the cloth on Tafel’s torso before she stood up straight and smiled.
“You look beautiful,” Prim said as she circled around the demon lord. “I always knew I would help you wear a wedding dress, but I never would’ve thought you’d be the demon lord. Your mother must be proud.”
“You think so?” Tafel asked as she twisted from side to side, observing the dress ripple in the mirror.
“I know so,” Prim said with a nod as she reached for the veil hanging on the rack next to her. “I bet your father would be proud too if he was still around.”
Tafel snorted and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, if he wasn’t busy torturing people.”
“Don’t s
nort. It’s not ladylike,” Prim said and combed Tafel’s hair before setting the veil on her head. “I watched your father grow up; in fact, I was his etiquette teacher. He wasn’t always evil, or maybe he was but really good at hiding it.” She sighed.
Tafel frowned as Prim slapped away her hand when she tried to adjust the veil in front of her face. “Can we not talk about him?” Tafel asked. “I hardly even remember him.”
“Of course.” The two fell silent as Prim adjusted the white veil.
“Wear these,” Prim said and placed a pair of light-purple heels in front of Tafel. She nodded as Tafel followed her orders. “You look great.”
“Thanks, Prim,” Tafel said as she took a few steps. “For everything.”
Prim chuckled. “Just doing my job,” she said with a smile. “I’ll teach your children too when the time comes. I bet you two would make cute babies.”
Tafel’s face flushed. “You don’t care that he’s a human?” she asked, avoiding Prim’s eyes.
“Ah,” Prim said with an exhale. “I’ve seen too many things to be shocked by a human marrying a demon.”
“Honestly, I thought you’d be more against this marriage,” Tafel said and lowered her head.
“Why? Because I’m an etiquette teacher?”
“Well, yes. But you’re also kind of old,” Tafel said. Prim glared at her. “Old-fashioned, old-fashioned. Not old.” Tafel fidgeted and clasped her hands.
“Cheeky brat,” Prim said and sighed. “Haa. Time really does fly. It seems like only yesterday when I was helping your mother change your diapers.”
***
“Are you sure this is right?” Vur asked as he tilted his head and looked in the mirror. Rella and Bella hovered in the air behind him, grinning from ear to ear with red faces.
“Of course! Of course!” Bella said while gasping. “Trust us! There’s no way we’d make a fool out of our king, right?”