ion KINGDOMS OF FIRE

Elissa Astaroth I

She knew at this point that things were far from good. Her husband, the Demon King Agness Lucifer, tried to hide the truth from her with uninterest and lack of information, but she understood better than him that riots were only the beginning of the end.

When ser Freud came, she knew that he was proof enough of the bad news. He arrived with a hard expression, his kingsguard armour shined in the dim light of candles. The members of the Council stopped talking and gave ser Freud a strange look, like if his presence was a mystery to them.

"The insurrectionists," ser Freud said, taking off his steel helmet and holding under his armpit. "They are causing riots all over the city."

Queen Elissa heard his heavy voice with horror filling her heart. She looked at her beloved husband, pleading him with her eyes, but she noticed that his face turned pale and looked as if he had aged almost three decades. Elissa knew that ser Freud's words haunted her husband's heart and ill will. She discovered after some time that Agness was not a warrior although he preferred reading over wielding swords and had a deep love for music rather than war; maybe it was because he suffered a lot since a child when he lost his mother and father.

"This is bad." Lord Vapula said, shaking his head and his long brown curls shacking as well.

"This," Lord Maekar Bael said, stabbing the map of the underworld right at the drawing of the capital. "This is beyond bad, Lord Vapula. This situation is nightmarish. The crown doesn't have a strong army as before to prevent or withstand these riots. We're still recovering from war. And now this, it will be better if you can come up with something unless you want to lose something more than your golden crown, Lucifer."

The king Agness groaned, Queen Elissa noticed the tiredness in his voice. His upright posture crumbled, and his head dropped. In his eyes, she saw an old and shamed man. He frowned, closed his eyes as hard as he could, and massaged his nose with his left-hand fingertips. As Agness tried to comfort himself, Elissa saw his right hand trembling slightly.

"What can we do?" king Agness asked, staring at each one of the members of the Council. Nobody said a word.

At that moment, Elissa thought how dense the golden crown must be on her husband's silvery-gold curls.

"We can ask for reinforcements from the Easterlands.", Agness whispered as if he was unsure of what he said. "Or we can send for Sphyxia: House Phenex rules there."

"Whatever you decide, you must do it now." Lord Bael stated. "You must get rid of that stupid insecurity of yours and stop overthinking in situations far ahead of time." He said with a low growl.

Elissa was fully aware of Maekar's rage. He was angry with the war. His daughter, the lovely lady Venelana was newly married to Zeoticus Gremory, the liege-lord of house Gremory. Since the riots began around the underworld, Zeoticus was having a hard time fighting back insurrectionists with his bannerman of Bloodstones.

Queen Elissa couldn't understand the intense desire of other aristocratic families to deposed her family of power. She had heard from many lords and ladies across the underworld the unhappy situation in which people lived daily during and after Lucifer's reign. When her dead good-father and his father marched towards the human world to set a conquest with half of hell's armies, they left behind saddened wives, children, and those legions of demons who did not answer their call for arms. A war broke through the world between humans, demons, angels; even though demons were not the ones to lose the war, they lost a lot of nobles and numbers, including the king and his son. That's how Agness became king of the Nine Hells.

Sooner than expected, the lords of the Council crowned Agness as their king, and she became his wife and queen to reign beside him. Then she was with child after some months. And as the years passed, she gave birth to more children. Quickly the citadel was filled with babies screams and children laughter. Elissa first gave birth to the young Rella Lucifer, but later then she became the mother of four more youths: Alastor, Virion, Issei, Thira, and Annice who died in her arms after being born.

"We need to stop this now, whatever it takes." The only lady of the Council said. Elissa looked at her and heard her growl in frustration. The pretty lady stood up from her chair and walked towards the balcony. "The conquest was a bad idea. It left us weak and with a weaker king."

"Watch your mouth, bloody witch." Ser Freud threatened by putting his hand on the pommel of his sword. The pretty lady frowned but muttered no word. Elissa gave a glance towards the helmet, laying on the ground.

Agness glared at his kingsguard and the noble lady.

"To whom I must show respect?" She asked with a scoff, scanning the room with her sharp eyes but giving a quick scowl to Elissa who shuddered somewhat. "To whom I must pay respect? To you? To him? To a useless king that can choose between one thing or another? To all of you? Or to a queen that hides under her husband's skirts?"

"That's enough, Duchesse Aim!" Lord Bael interrupted her, punching the table hard.

As if it was his command, some guards bearing the Lucifer sigil on their chests and shields intruded in the room. Ser Freud whispered something to the Sargent receiving a quick nod. Elissa wasn't sure if they were waiting for some trouble right at the door or if they were passing by or if ser Freud summoned them when no one noticed, but she was relieved as she watched them approaching the Duchesse.

But she laughed and aimed her fingertip to the king.

"See? That is what I am talking about."

"You've said enough, Duchesse Aim," Elissa said, not panicking as all the members of the Council stared at her. She tried to sound as cold and severe as she could. "These guards will escort you to your chamber and assure that you stay there until the Council decides when your voice is needed here. Until then, have a nice day."

The Duchesse didn't wait too long to nod. She took a deep bow as if she was trying to taunt her and walked her way out. Ser Freud used the opportunity as an escape and disappeared from the room with the Duchess and the guard's members. The Duchess Aim of Redwaters, an insolent bitch.

"How could you let her insult you like this?!" Lord Bael asked, clearly furious by the display. "You're the fucking Demon King! Grow a fucking spine, bloody hell!"

"If I had done something. No. Forget it."

"What?!" Lord Bael screamed. "That little whore spat on your face, and you've let her go. Imagine what can happen if people hear of this. They'll believe you weak and unfit to rule. For fuck's sake! If they hear of this, they will take your head without care. Imagine that, Agness... bloody hell.

. . .

Elissa looked at her reflection in the mirror in her room. So few years have passed since Agness took the throne and her with him. Before long, and the ravages of ruling a kingdom were already present in her husband and her. There was the occasional grey hair hidden in the long blond locks of her hair. Her dazzling violet eyes had lost their lustre and huge dark circles under her eyes. Her skin was paler than usual, and the ruby red of her lips turned into a light pink.

She heard the door to her chamber open, listened to the sound of voices, looked beyond her reflection and saw her children.

Each of them had inherited the innate beauty of their father, the beauty of Lucifer: delicate and elegant features; well-defined cheekbones and sharp chin, perfect lips; ruby-red eyes and silvery blonde hair, and white skin. The tonality of their eyes varied; she was aware of that. In Rella, her eyes were darker than Alastor and Issei.

"Mom" called the little Virion with fear in his voice. Elissa giggled when she saw his little face wrinkled in bewilderment.

Rella and Alastor were the followings to join with a gossip. Thira was holding onto Issei's. Her children cheered her anxious heart.

Since the last royal council meeting a few days ago, things had only gotten worse. Every night Virion would come rushing with Thira and Rella, crying and complaining about the screams of the downtown people, the clicking of bolts shooting from the towers and the tremblings of the walls. Elissa always tried to comfort her children. But now that everyone was there, she didn't know what to do. It wasn't midnight, and the only noise was of the winds of winter.

Issei kept carrying Thira as he told her a dragon story. Rella hinted that she would not let her brother Alastor go by hugging him tightly around the neck. And Thira and Virion, whose attention focused on his younger brother, listened to Issei's story.

That little moment of joy and peace ended when Isssei stopped telling his tale and looked at her. There was some confusion in his chocolate-red eyes that puzzled Elissa. Then, lowering Thira from his back, he asked a question that left her blood run cold.

"Who's uncle Rizevim? And why's he here?"