Chapter • 19

♱ •⋅ 1750 B.C. ⋅• ♱ •⋅ Calisto ⋅• ♱

Asra's words caught me by surprise. It was like a stab in my chest and a straight dart in my pride.

It was my fault, I knew it. It was my fault that Asra had to go through everything, that she had to listen to things like that when in the end she was attending to one of my many whims.

I still remembered when Asra asked me if that was really what I wanted. Asra was always much more than a simple concubine, she always would be.

I sighed.

"Majesty?" one of the guards hurried to call me.

"Say it" I muttered with one hand on my face.

"Ahm..." he stopped "the commander said he had found clues to the crimes the duchess came to try to solve. He told me to... not give it to her, but..."

I took a deep breath.

"Speak."

"Prince Asmodeus said he would gouge out my eyes and force me to eat if I did not tell the lady about what I had found."

I snitched.

Who did he think he was to threaten my men? But... I really had the right to be angry? Asmodeus was doing more for Asra than I was.

He always did more for Asra than I did.

That was frustrating. Completely frustrating.

I raised my gaze towards the guard and looked at him "what are you waiting for?" I asked with an raised eyebrow "the duchess asked for these papers. Have you forgotten that the title of the duchess is above that of Azrael?"

The poor boy's eyes widened.

"Sorry, sir!" she said as she approached the door and knocked on her uncontrollably.

"Gently," I said before turning away.

It wasn't much, it couldn't be, but at least I'd try to do something.

Starting with the Azrael.

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"What happened?" I saw the commander of my troops question, his eyes fixed on the papers he had in hand.

"Sit down" I said coldly and Azrael sighed leaving all the papers aside to stare at me.

"Did you finally realize how stupid it was to come here? I told you, you should have stayed in the palace and finished interrogating that prisoner. But luckily I took measures and brought her with us" he said as he crossed his legs and stretched on the couch "you give me too much trouble, Majesty."

Azrael was no one bad and I knew it. He knew that much of his attitudes were just consequences of the way Asra dealt with everything around her in the last two centuries.

It was obvious that Azrael was not the only one to think that the duchess had gone mad, but could not let it continue, because the partial fault of Asra's attitudes - were mine.

"Better be quiet and listen to me carefully," I spoke bluntly, standing in front of him and the previously relaxed posture of the commander of the infernal armies became more rigid.

"What happened?" he hurried to question.

"Nothing" I said as I stared at him "but I knew that the duchess has been dealing with uncomfortable things lately."

The fallen one snitched.

"And when is Asra not dealing with uncomfortable things that need your help?"

It was something normal to hear him say, but at that moment - for some reason -, irritated me much more than usual.

"That's none of your business" I said in a sharp tone "just as it's none of your business what she decides or doesn't mind."

Azrael, who was caught off guard, looked at me with unbelief.

"What is it like?"

I knew what I had to answer and what he wanted me to answer, but none of that mattered.

"You are the commander of my armies" reminded him "not responsible for taking care of my life or decisions."

The fallen one faltered.

"Calisto."

"Quiet" I said with a cold tone "I'm not finished yet."

Azrael stared at me as if trying to understand what the hell had happened, so I struggled to explain.

"You cannot make decisions by yourself, except if you involve the armies or good of the citizens in the midst of war, Azrael," I said with my eyes fixed on his "What Asra or I have decided to do does not suit you and the duchess, has every right to investigate and meddle in the princes' territories - especially if they are having problems that they cannot solve alone."

The fallen man stood up and I could see in his eyes the irritation he kept.

"So all this is for the reports? How did she find out?"

Smile.

"She didn't find out, but I did."

"And what is so wrong with what I did? Weren't you the one who said she couldn't handle it alone?" He played and I felt the guilt weigh on my shoulders.

It was true.

I had much of the fault of everyone looking at Asra as nothing more than a royal crown ornament.

Nothing but the king's mistress.

My lips frown and I had to clench my hands in fists to contain myself. Not to take it out on him.

"This is none of your business and you can't arbitrarily interfere with anything that doesn't concern you, so..." I approached, close enough that he would feel my expansion of power "I hope you remember, Azrael, that I am your lord and I am the one who has retained your contract since your fall. I'm not disappointed, don't act like we're the same, because we're not."

The fallen swallowed hard and in his eyes I could see not only his wounded pride, but also all the anger he had now harbored for Asra. A rage she didn't deserve.

"And don't you dare go against the duchess," I spoke with a low, cold voice "don't you dare minimize the damage even to Asra, because if you do... I'll make sure there's not even a hair left of you."

Azrael growled at me.

"Of course, Your Majesty... and I hope you can have your pride back when the duchess leaves Asmodeus and returns to you."

He had said this to try to reach me and I knew it, I knew that there was not the slightest trace of truth in those words, but a part of me - a childish and futile part -, was deeply irritated by that idea. With the idea that Asra had chosen that little prince of mine, who had at last grown tired of waiting for me.

To love me.

'What I felt was not love' she had said and that was a bad time for me to remember that, those damn words.

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