ALTGS 21

He found no need to work. After all, what was the benefit?

Lord sat on the sill of the large window in his office, the chilly breeze blowing in carrying strands of his black hair on its tail. It had been cloudy as of recent, and the days grew colder and colder. He watched the thick grey clouds hanging overhead, wondering if he would rain today. They seemed thick enough, and in the distance, the sea of clouds grew darker and darker.

He couldn’t say how long he had been staring at the sky. Really, the passage of time for him was not something he concerned himself with. It would pass on its own, and he would remain blissfully unaffected. But he was distracted by the sound of a carriage rolling in through the courtyard of his palace. Immediately, he became aware of four presences. They had come into his Domain, and all that stood within his Domain was within his immediate awareness. Four little lives bobbed towards him. Two horses, a coachman and a woman in the carriage. A red spot in a grey map.

Oh.

Lord’s gaze fixed firmly on the rolling carriage. She was back.

Celestria walked the familiar halls, passing neatly-dressed demons in the black and white attire of maids and servants. Each one had impeccable manners, bowing elegantly to her passing figure. Did they not feel resentful for having to show a modicum of respect for a human far weaker than they? Did they secretly wish to fly at her, claws and fangs bared to rip her into little pieces? Celestria wondered of this only a bit. If she put too much thought into that, then she would find herself courting that overwhelming anxiety she had finally managed to shake off.

Instead, she focused on the smoothness of her steps. The straightness of her posture. The way her dress fell and glided along with her. Those were far more important than wondering if a demon wanted to kill you or not, because that demon would undoubtedly shred her to ribbons if given the chance.

She came to stand before the large wooden doors of the King’s Office. Before them stood two tall demons dressed in the uniform of the King’s Guard. White and black tunics, polished leather boots and a short half-cape dropping over the right shoulder. Neat, pristine. How quickly demons seemed to adapt to foreign situations. One moved quickly to the handle of the door and swung it open. He did not announce her. He did not need to. That would only be done for formalities. Lord probably knew that she had come the second she stepped into the gate.

Gliding into the spacious office, Celestria gave an elegant bow. “Glory be to the King. Your humble subject has returned from the generous break you mercifully granted her.” He was sitting on the windowsill, absorbed by the world outside. She wondered if he was thinking of leaving. Disappearing just as swiftly as he had arrived, and leaving Fortane alone.

Or dead.

“Mm. How was your break?”

“It was very good. I have learned much and it is with a rejuvenated heart and body that I come back to serve you and your Kingdom.”

“Learned much?” He asked, turning to face her for the first time in a month. “What did you learn?”

Celestria kept her face even and calm. Of course the anxiety had risen the moment she had seen him. The second she had seen that head of impossibly iridescent blue and black hair that shimmered and glittered in the light of the day, and that pallid, near-glowing skin, a blow of fear had quickly twisted her guts into a mess of knots. But this was expected. With simple deep breaths and a purposeful effort to relax her muscles, the sharp edge of terror was at least dulled.

“I have learned methods to alleviate the fear your presence brings to me, Your Majesty.”

That answer must have pleased him somewhat. His head tilted very slightly, and she could see that that blatantly fake smile he had push up into his eyes just a bit. It was still mostly fake, but she could see that it had just gained a drop of emotion in it.

“Did you really? No one has ever done that before.”

“I have not fully succeeded, but I believe a step in the right direction has been taken.”

He hummed then, bringing his legs down to the floor and standing up. Oh gosh. Was it even correct to say standing up? He looked like he was rising. Far, far taller than a normal man, he looked like some unholy being coming up from the ground.

Well, that wasn’t an entirely false description now, was it?

Celestria kept herself from tensing up. Her palms felt just a bit sweaty. Did they tremble? No, no they didn’t. Her knees? Were they alright? They were. For now. A deep breath. Focus. Focus. The fear she felt for him was unfounded. As of now, he had no reason to harm her.

But did a being like him even need a reason?

“That’s excellent. I’ll admit that you are calmer than you were before. But your heart. It still doesn’t sound normal.”

Just then, her heart leaped. No, okay. Calm down. Take a deep breath. Feel the air move all the way to the bottom of your lungs, then breath out slowly. Do not tense your muscles.

“You’re trying very hard to keep the muscles in your legs and arms from tightening, and from digging your nails into your skin.” Lord observed. There was a hint of amusement in that endlessly smooth voice of his. As he spoke, he took agonizingly slow steps in Celestria’s direction. One step. Then another. She had seen that before. In her previous life. It was a documentary about big cats. The slow stalk of a predator animal as it closed in on its prey.

Oh gosh.

He would not harm her. He would not harm her. There was no reason to harm her. There was no incentive. Even a predator killed for a reason, and he had none.

But he wasn’t a simple predator.

Breathe, breathe. Slowly. Use your diaphragm. Manage your thoughts. Focus on something harmless. Or think of nothing at all.

He came to tower over her. Gosh, he was tall. If she were too look straight ahead, she would not even be on the same level as the middle of his chest. Her eyes fell to the locks of hair that streamed behind him. Very long, impossibly smooth. It never looked like it stayed still, like normal hair. Somehow, she knew that they moved, as if the fine strands were roused by an eerie breeze. However, it was far better to stare at his hair than to see his face.

Not those eyes that reminded her of a bloody red eclipse.

“You’re doing very well so far. Save for...” she saw his hand bend at the elbow, rising slowly. Oh no, oh no. It moved toward her, and she could not prevent herself from flinching away. Oh no oh no oh no oh no. Breathe... just once... please...

That cold, pale hand reached for her. Clear sharp claws on the tips of the fingers.

He was going to tear her apart.

That realization was chilling and stark.

But it was untrue.

Very gently, he lay his index finger right where her bottom jaw was. His skin was cold. Wether it was from having sat with the window open or simply how he always was, Celestria did not know.

“Your jaw.” He finally finished that ominously hanging sentence.

Her jaw?

What...?

Against her better judgement, Celestria slowly lifted her eyes so she could see his face. It was human to look at a face. It was normal.

He was smiling at her. Not a plastic smile that superficially curved his lips. One that reached right up to his eyes.

His eyes.

A sea of glittering stars in a pool of softly glowing red that melted into an inky darkness.

An eclipse.

“My jaw...” she absently murmured, still captivated by his eyes. They had little galaxies in them.

“Your jaw. You were clenching it too tight.” He said, tapping the spot he’d had his finger on.

Oh.

Oh.

That’s what he meant.

Ripping her eyes away from his in a small panic, Celestria quickly sought to take control of her situation.

“I see. Yes, my jaw is a notable point of weakness. My heartfelt gratitude for bringing that to my attention, Your Majesty.” Unclamping her teeth that had mashed together nearly to the point of numbness, Celestria took the moment to regain a proper rate of breathing. The fear had somehow retreated.

“Mm. Good.” He said before turning around and returning to his window.