9 - Heartache

The next day...

The Demon Lord sat motionless on her throne, her gaze lost in the distance. Throughout the day, the castle staff, so accustomed to Van's daily disruptions, felt a large void in his absence. The halls, usually echoing with his energetic proclamations and the resulting commotions, now lay silent, amplifying a haunting emptiness that seemed to grip the very air.

As dusk cast long shadows through the ornate windows of the throne room, Varlog reentered, his footsteps resonating softly against the stone floor. He paused briefly, his eyes lingering on Van's bouquet and ring placed ceremoniously beside the royal chair.

"My lord," he began, his voice heavy laden with a mix of respect and sorrow, echoing slightly in the vast room.

"Well done, Varlog," she replied mechanically, her fingers tapping nervously on the armrest of her throne, betraying her composed facade.

"I apologize... What may you be referring to, my lord?" Varlog asked, his brow furrowed in confusion. His concern deepened as he noted her anxiousness.

"Heh... Thanks to your efforts in fortifying our defenses, he couldn't find a way to breach our walls today! You've proven your worth once more," she declared, her voice carrying a tone of forced confidence and a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Varlog, observing quietly, reflected a deep sorrow in his gaze.

"He WILL try again tomorrow... Perhaps we should lower our defenses? Heh, maybe he's lost his edge," she mused, her laughter ringing hollow in the vast throne room.

Varlog merely nodded, his expression solemn.

"I advise you to go and rest now, my lord. You haven't slept since yesterday, have you?" he offered, his voice tinged with melancholy.

"What are you on about, VARLOG!!? WHAT IF HE BUSTS IN HERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT!!? HE DID IT BEFORE, AFTER ALL... Aha... I got it! That bastard tries to catch me off guard when I'm asleep!! THAT'S why he didn't come today!! I won't sleep... I'll stay awake tonight! You are relieved of your duties for today!!" she responded heartily, though Varlog could see the layers of denial in her forced cheerfulness.

"As you wish, my lord..."

The next day, whispers filled the castle.

"I miss Van... He really livened up the place," one maid remarked to another.

"He was so kind..."

Their voices lingered in the air as the Demon Lord, stationed in the throne room, ordered her trusted advisor,

"Varlog! It seems our hero's companion has indeed grown dull as a bat! Lower the castle's defenses! It seems I have to whip him back into shape when he gets here tomorrow!! I'll acknowledge it was thanks to him the quality of my servants had risen!" She then spent another day waiting, her eyes occasionally flickering to the door, half-expecting an interruption that never came.

THE DAY AFTER THAT...

"Hey, Dad, is big brother Van here today?" a young demonic child asked his father, a castle guard.

The guard sighed deeply. "No, son, I don't think he's coming back."

"Why not?" the child's voice wavered, a mix of curiosity and sadness.

"Does he dislike playing War with me?"

The guard crouched down, gently ruffling his son's hair. "It's not your fault, kiddo."

"But why isn't he coming back?"

Inside the throne room, the Demon Lord murmured to herself, gazing at the ring and bouquet she'd ordered preserved.

"Varlog," she instructed quietly, "leave the doors loose tomorrow... It's possible that our hero's... that Van grew weaker, so he just couldn't push them open anymore..."

Varlog merely lowered his gaze, clasping his palms together quietly.

"...Yes, my lord. I shall ensure Van has the easiest of access tomorrow."

Yet, no matter how loosely the door to the throne room was adjusted, the armor-clad human did not come to open them the next day.

A Day Later..

"V-... Varlog..." Her voice was weak, quivering as it barely filled the cavernous space of the throne room.

"... Perhaps he got lost and forgot the way here..." she whispered to herself, the flicker of hope in her voice as fragile as a candle in the wind.

"Ensure... The way back to me is lighted up for him as brightly as possible, okay..?" Her words trailed off, cracking slightly at the edges, betraying the strain of her composed facade.

"...Yes, my lord." Varlog responded, his voice carefully measured to not surpass the quiet despair of his queen, "The castle shall serve as a beacon of light. Van Hellix could not miss it even if he desired to!"

She offered a feeble smile, her eyes betraying nights devoid of sleep and a heart heavy with unshed tears.

"Thank you..."

The following day became a poignant chapter in the annals of demonic lore.

It was the day the demon lord's castle radiated with such intensity that even distant humans might glimpse its glow. The throne room, more lavishly adorned than ever, seemed to beckon for Van's return.

The Demon Lord sat on her throne, her presence flanked by maids and servants arranged as if to guide a wayward soul back home.

She waited,

But the brilliance of the castle, piercing the veil of night, made no difference.

Van did not find his way back to the castle that day.

"My lord," Varlog approached with a softness in his step, his expression lined with worry as he observed her faltering composure.

She merely bowed her head.

"Leave me alone, the lot of you," she commanded quietly. With heavy hearts, they all vacated the throne room, leaving her in solitude.

"It could be that... Van... Just got too shy... And cannot withstand so many people at once anymore... Right...?" She whispered to herself, her eyelids growing heavier with each passing moment.

Suddenly, the doors burst open. "DEMON LORRRRRRDDDD!!!!"

"V-VAN!!" Her heart leapt, and she sprang up, her eyes lighting up with joy at the sight of him charging in with a fresh bouquet and a ring.

"I HAVE COME TO MARRY YOU!! BE MY WIFE!!!"

"I'm sorry, my lord, he went past me again..." Varlog's voice came apologetically from outside the throne room.

"D-DAMN YOU!! AFTER TWO YEARS... I SUPPOSE I SHOULD REWARD YOU FOR YOUR PERSISTENCE, HUH!!?" She shouted, her spirit rejuvenated by the excitement.

"YOU LEFT ME NO CHOICE!! I AGREE!! You hear me!!? I DO—"

But the door was silent.

Van was not there.

Dawn was breaking.

Alicia remained seated on her throne, slowly realizing she had been shouting at an empty room.

As the crushing reality that it had all been a dream settled in, Varlog quietly entered the throne room.

With a heavy sigh, she lowered her head.

"Varlog..." She murmured softly.

"...Yes, my lord..?" He responded, his voice a gentle echo in the vast, empty space.

"... I hereby relieve you of your duties... You are free to roam the world as you wish..."

"But..." she began, hesitant.

"If you ever see Van..." Her voice broke, choked with a deep well of sorrow. Tears streamed freely down her cheeks as she struggled to stifle her sobs with her hand.

"...please, tell him I'm sorry... that I need to see him again..." She paused, her breath hitching as she gathered herself. "I will never again be in the embrace of anyone but him... and..."

She took a deep, steadying breath, her voice a fragile whisper laden with earnest longing, "...Tell him that I said yes... Can you do that for me, please?" Her plea hung in the air, a poignant echo of her profound regret and undying hope.

Varlog gave a warm, reassuring smile and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Yes, my lord. I will ensure Van Hellix hears your message," he promised, before turning to leave the throne room and venturing out into the world beyond the demonic realm.