Chapter 26: Too good to be true

Song recommendation: "I never look back" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rdmG0k8S8k&list=RDEMI1irY4HWDczmbz7SNaTTBQ&index=7)

"I'd hold off on that if I were you," came a voice at the end of the great hall.

Ace glanced up darkly. The figure stepped out of the shadows and strolled up to them with severe glaring purple eyes.

"How'd you get in here?" Varseille interrogated, "Who are you?"

"It's been a while," came the reply, "I see you've found your way into the arms of another demon lord,"

"Kali," Ace looked up without surprise, "What are you doing here?"

"Is this a friend of yours?" Varseille turned back to Ace.

"No," Ace returned.

"Harsh," Kali smiled, "but aren't you too quick to write me off? We might have been friends under different circumstances,"

"I doubt that," Ace crawled up from under Varseille and stood, "what do you want?"

"With you?" Kali smirked, "Nothing."

Ace stared at her coldly. She bent down on one knee till she was eye level with Varseille who was still sitting on the ground alone much to his chagrin.

"I've come to offer my services to the lord of the East," she smiled.

Varseille's eyes narrowed and he stood up. Kali remained bent at the knee standing beneath him with a deadpan stare.

"What would I need a human like you for?" he said briskly.

"I am an elf and I have many uses," Kalandra returned, "I know what you want and want to help you get it,"

"And what is it I want?" Varseille stared down coldly.

"You want revenge on the Empire," Kalandra smirked.

Varsaille's eyes widened. "Go on,"

"And you need an army to attack them. That's why you stole those devices and have been no doubt scheming to take the demon world with you," Kalandra went on.

"Any fool can guess as much," Varseille said flatly, "I want to know how you think I will achieve it?"

"First you must take the north," Kalandra said confidently.

"I was planning to," Varseille remarked with a shrug.

"But you wanted to get the necklace first," Kalandra interceded, "but my lord, you don't have any more time to waste,"

"Why's that?"

"As we speak, the south is riding there already. Lord Yashtara is planning to take it from under you," Kalandra rose smugly, "that's what I came to tell you,"

"What?" Varseille exhaled angrily.

"It's as I've said," Kalandra gestured, "but you don't need the necklace. Keep me by your side and I will offer you the victory,"

Varseille stared at her absorbed for a moment.

"Varseille," Ace interrupted, "don't..."

"Shut up!" Varseille snapped, "I don't want to hear a word from you. You've angered me too much as of late,"

Kalandra smiled with her complete lack of emotion, "Not only that, I know lord Clover's weaknesses as well."

"You do?" Varseille said thoughtfully.

"Yes, I know much about the Empire too,"

"And why would you give me all this information? What do you want in return?" Varseille asked.

"Only your favour."

Varseille let out a laugh. "How refreshing!" he said, casting an irritated glance at Ace.

He stepped towards Kalandra with an inspecting eye. "You're a woman?"

"Yes," she smiled.

"What a shame," he returned, "but I'll take you for now."

"I hope I can prove my worth to you in future,"

" You can prove it now. We'll ride to the north at daybreak," Varseille gestured to the guards and set off in discussion with them, leaving Ace and Kalandra alone.

"What do you think you're doing?" Ace interrogated whilst regarding her icily.

"Mind your own damn business," Kalandra said in a low voice.

"You've made it my business," Ace returned, "Is Yashtara really attacking the North?"

"Yes," Kalandra smiled smugly, "I confirmed before arriving here. You don't think I'd show up empty-handed to a demon lord do you? I don't have your charm,"

"What happened to Michael?" Ace smiled, "Did he get bored of you?"

Kalandra stared at him with dark eyes, "Not all. He loves me and I love him,"

"Did he tell you to do this?" Ace asked apathetically, "You're not going to get the necklace if that's what the two of you are planning,"

"We'll see,"

"I can't believe the two of you are still plotting," Ace scoffed. Then he added sarcastically "The two of you really are made for each other,"

"Yes, we are," Kalandra walked away with a smile.

Ace felt particularly repulsed by her words for some reason. He turned on his heels and headed back to his room. It was less than an hour before Varseille darkened his door again. He called out several times but Ace didn't answer. Maybe he would leave if he pretended to be asleep...

Ace still hadn't made up his mind whether to kill him or not. Kalandra's interruption had somewhat dampened the thrill of it.

"Ace?" Varseille called once more, this time coming inside.

If he was going to call so loud, who could possibly still be asleep? Ace let out a sigh but didn't turn to face him. Couldn't he ever take the damn hint? Varseille took a seat on the bed beside him, as usual without invitation.

Ace didn't say a word as Varseille leaned over. He was staring ahead without acknowledging Varseille at all.

"Are you not talking to me? " Varseille asked timidly.

"Didn't you say you didn't want to hear me?"Ace replied indifferently.

"I was just angry," Varseille protested, " you know I can't control it. My temper is just..."his voice trailed.

"Yes, I'm very familiar with your temper,"Ace interceded.

"I don't do it on purpose! I always feel awful afterwards, "

"You make it sound so complicated, so random and unpredictable," Ace replied flatly. " but all I have to do is say the words 'no' and there it is. Then it's not so ominous or mysterious, this temper of yours. It's quite common, "

"But, you've never told me no!" Varseille cried, "You've never said you disliked it or cried at all," Varseille said adamantly.

"Do I need to cry for you to know I don't like something? "

"Well, how else am I supposed to know? "

"So if I say no,"Ace turned to him, with piercing eyes,"If I cry for you to stop. Beg for you to relent. Would you?"

"Of course I would, "Varseille said indignantly.

"Then if I say at this moment I feel like leaving this place and never returning? Will you let me go?"

"No,"Varseille breathed shakily," anything else but that, I can't! I can't let you go, not ever,"

Ace looked at him unmoved," Why not?"

"I love you! I don't care if you don't want me. I give myself freely. You don't have to love me back but I won't permit you to leave my side,"

Ace smiled coldly, "There you go, Varseille. You can be honest if you try,"

"There must be something I can do to clear the thought of leaving from your mind," Varseille's voice trembled, " I get terrible thoughts when you say these things to me. You don't know how much I love you,"

"What is it that you love so much about me? We only met a short time ago,"

"You don't believe in love at first sight?"

Ace didn't answer, he just looked away disinterested.

"It was.." Varseille hesitated, "my brother told me many things about you,"

Ace glanced over with an unreadable expression.

"What things did he tell you about me?"

"He said you were a good friend. You were kind and loyal and..."

"And so then why did he leave me here?" Ace cut in.

Versailles' eyes widened slightly then his eyes dropped to the ground.

"I don't know, but that's why you should just forget about him. When he told me those things, I felt like I knew you as well. Then when I saw you, it all just...you were perfect. You are perfect. I knew I wanted you at once. I can't help but love you," Varseille enthused. "I don't want to be apart from you for even one second but I have to force myself. We have to get ready to go to the north and I don't want to leave you here,"

"So not only can I not leave, but you're going to force me to go to the north as well?" Ace stated flatly.

"I don't want to force you. I just...i'm scared that you won't be here when I get back,"

"It must be something important to compel you to leave in the first place," Ace said sharply, "this vengeance on the Empire, it's the first i'm hearing about it,"

"You never asked!" Varseille protested, "You've never shown a shred of interest in anything I say or do,"

"Because usually nothing you do interests me," Ace dismissed, "but I'm listening right now, so speak. Hurry, before I lose interest again. What do you have against the Empire?"

Varseille's expression became distant, "Our village, it used be in the Empire,"

"Our village?" Ace stared at him intently.

"Where you were born," Varseille said softly, "Where we were all born, it was on the eastern border. During the territory expansion twenty years ago, the Empire and elf country were in dispute over the land that our village sat upon,"

"The Emperor," Ace breathed, "he told me something about this. What happened to it? Why did we come to be here? Stop delaying! Tell me Varseille!"

Varseille was taken back by Ace's sudden enthusiasm. He was more animated than Varseille had ever seen him. He went on cautiously.

"The Empire was forced to concede the territory to the elf country. So in retribution, they...made it so nothing would ever grow there again. A powerful wizard used magic to poison the earth. Since we were human, the Elf country refused to respond to our plight. There was a famine. Our people were starving to death. Our elders went to the last Emperor and begged for mercy. They pleaded for food but the Emperor refused... It was at that time that Terre Sol appeared before us with a deal,"

"What deal?" Ace demanded forcefully.

"In exchange for the children, he would save the village," Varseille said with a strained expression. "The village elders...they accepted. They sold all the children to Terre Sol to fill their own stomachs,"

Ace's sudden enthusiasm died. He became very still and his stare deadened.

"I see."

Those childish dreams of loving parents that he thought had long since died, were killed completely. Varseille watched him sadly.

"Don't worry," he said sheepishly, "This is why I have been plotting our revenge. I won't let a single one of those people escape. I intend to punish them all for their sins,"

"Our revenge?" Ace stared at him expressionless, "What do I care if those people live or die? They're nothing to me,"

"Well don't you want revenge? Don't tell me you forgive them..."

"I don't forgive them. I just don't want to give them anymore than they've already taken. It would be a waste of my anger. My anger deserves a better target,"

"What about the Emperor of Rotan?" Varseille asked giddily.

"If I were to believe that the son can pay for his father's crime, then I would be equally as responsible for my own parents' failures," Ace said thoughtfully and in a small voice, "this life only affords us a small circle of love and hate. I'm already at my limit,"

"I don't understand.." Varseille stared at him uncomprehendingly.

"No, I don't suppose you could," Ace smiled, "You need to know what love is first before you can truly hate,"

"I do know what love is!" Varseille said bitterly.

"Maybe you did," Ace remarked, "but you've long since forgotten,"

Varseille swallowed with watery eyes, "I don't know what I can do to make you happy,"

"You can't. Don't even try," Ace replied indifferently.

"What is so different about me and Sena?" Varseille implored, "We looked the same. We used to like many of the same things. He wasn't so different to me. You could love him. Why can't you love me?"

"I thought you didn't need my love?"

"I wasn't...I just want to understand," Varseille sighed, "What was so great about Sena?"

"Varseille, why do keep talking about your brother in past tense?" Ace said coldly.

"Oh I just..."

"Enough! Tell me the truth right now or I swear I will find a way to disappear from your sight forever. What did Terre Sol really do to Sena?"

Varseille froze, "the same thing he did with all the others," he answered reluctantly.

"Which is what?" Ace interrogated.

"He killed any of the children who did not become demons,"

"But none of the children returned," Ace said flatly.

"Because none of them could withstand the force of the demon world," Varseille said slowly, "he was using devices like the ones I took from the Empire to experiment. To see whether he could create his own demons. Testing them on the children. Not just from our village but from many other villages. He would wait for terrible upheaval in the human world then appear with a deal that seemed too good to be true,"

"He wasn't that smart," Ace replied, "how would he know to do such things?"

"I suppose someone told him," Varseille reflected, "but your necklace...it didn't belong to him. It came from our village,"

"That's why Sena gave it to me," Ace muttered to himself.

"It was supposed to be a secret," Varseille added adamantly, "but Sena gave it to you to protect you!"

"Sena is dead," Ace looked Varseille straight in the eye, "isn't he?"

Varseille fell to his knees. "I...yes, he is,"

Varseille took Ace's hand trembling. Ace didn't respond.

"Forgive me! I didn't know how else to get you to stay," he whimpered, "Please Ace! I'll give you whatever you want. Just say you won't leave me!"

"You don't have anything I want, Varseille, "

"I do! I do so! Don't you want to be a demon lord?"

Ace glanced down sharply, "when did I tell you that?"

"But you do want to be lord, don't you?" Varseille went on wildly, " I can make you one. Once we take the north, I'll give it to you. I'll make you the lord of Cups. You can be a demon lord!"