The Devil Girl

Azraea was looking at the men in front of her with nothing in her eyes. As if she wanted nothing to do with them, but was forced to listen.

"No." she responded, "I won't be going back. I'm happy where I am now."

"But milady." the butler replied, "This is an order directly from the Baron himself, he wants you to return to him."

"And I said no." Azraea told him, "I don't care what my father has ordered you to do, you will return empty handed."

"Now listen here Devil Girl-" one of the guards was quickly elbowed by the butler.

"Quiet Eric." he said, "We aren't here to antagonise the lady." He looked back at Azraea. "I apologise for that, milady. It is unfortunate to hear that you refuse to return. Will it be possible to compromise?"

"Compromise how?" Azraea asked.

"We will give you two days to do what you have to here, then you come back home." the butler answered, "Would that sound acceptable?"

"Why do I have to return?" Azraea questioned, "I have no intention of ever returning to him. Not ever. If he wanted my attention so badly, then he should have thought twice about keeping me locked away. Now that I'm out, I have no intentions of return."

"Once again, that is unfortunate." the butler replied, "However, it is not my place to stop you milady. Though, you shouldn't expect the Baron to let up so easily."

"Let him come." Azraea said, "He can't touch me, cowardly bastard."

The butler sighed.

"Come now." he told the guards, "Let us go report back to the Baron."

With that, they left. Azraea was stood in the alley, watching them leave. I questioned whether to make my appearance or not. She looks like she might want to be alone for a while.

"Well what would you have done?" she called, seemingly talking to herself. "I can't kill them, it causes more trouble than it's worth."

Silence.

"Don't you get it?" she asked, "You cannot start killing when you feel like it. The world doesn't work that way."

More silence.

"I'm just going to stop arguing with you." she continued, "You can't kill them and that is that."

Eventually, she simply stood with her arms crossed. What was that? Was she going a bit crazy? Now I was definitely intrigued. She breathed a heavy sigh.

"No." she said, "I don't know if I can tell him yet. Not until I know that he won't betray me, not until I know that he's really on my side."

Tell who what? Was she talking about me? Why?

"What?" she said, her face going a little pale. "What do you mean?"

She turned her head around to my direction. Her face turned a bright shade of red.

"Why are you here?!" she called out. I stepped back, did she see me? She must have, but how? I stepped out from behind the corner.

"I…" she stuttered, "I was…I was just talking to myself! Yeah, just talking to myself…" Her expression turned dark. "How much did you see?"

"Don't know what you're talking about." I told her, "I just got here."

"Don't lie to me." Azraea responded, "I know you were standing there. How long?"

"Honest." I put my hands up, "I saw nothing."

"Tell me what you saw." Azraea sharply requested, "Or so help me, I will beat whatever you did see out of your memory for good measure."

"..." I sighed, "Fine, fine…you got me. I saw most of it. Who were those men?"

"None of your business." Azraea replied, "They're my problem to deal with."

"I'm your friend." I said, "If you're being bothered, then it is my business."

"No, it isn't." Azraea replied, "Now stay out of it."

"I'm not staying out of this." I said, "You could be in danger, and I won't stand by for that."

"..." Azraea seemed somewhat conflicted. Her eyes flickered back and forth, she looked away. "Fine…if it will stop you from bothering me…." She stood straight and began to speak.

"What do you know of Demons?" she asked me.

"Demons?" I responded, "You mean the little red things with the pointy tails?" My face had an expression of small confusion.

"That is one of them yes." She replied, "But that isn't what this is about. Let me show you."

With that, Azraea undid the bandages that surrounded her head slowly. As she unveiled her full face, I could feel a slight feeling in my stomach. Like I was going to see something I didn't want to see.

The bandages fell to the ground as Azraea showed me what was behind them. A single, scarlet red eye that shone with a dark energy. It was almost a juxtaposition to her bright golden eye, and actually looked rather pretty in my opinion. But I felt there was something behind it….

"This is my curse." Azraea said, "This eye here caused every bad thing that's happened to me in my life. The eye of a Demon."

"Every bad thing?" I asked, "What kind of bad things?" I was intrigued by what story she had to offer.

"Ever since I was born, I was hated by my father." Azraea told me, "A curse on his bloodline, a child of sin…a monster…" She seemed upset, greatly so. "It was because of me that my mother was exiled from the manor, it was their hatred of Demon's that made them hate her as well as me. All because of this damned eye!"

"Their hate seems unjust." I replied calmly, "But please continue." This was interesting. I was beginning to realise just what kind of society I had ended up in.

"I never even saw the outside of my bedroom until I was five." she continued, "The only reason that I'm even speaking to you right now is because of my sister. If not for her, I'd have been trapped in that room until I grew old. She saved me."

"Your sister?" I asked, "How did she help you?"

"Well," Azraea responded, "She would start by smuggling in different things for me whenever she visited. Then she would try her best to convince my father that I wasn't bad. Then one day, she left my door open. I snuck out. In fact, it was only a few hours before I found you." She glared a tiny bit at me. "Sometimes I think I should have ran to the next town over. But then you, some strange foreign boy fell right at my feet. I had to help."

"So you're saying I'm the reason this is happening now?" I asked, minorly offended.

"No…they would have found me anyway." Azraea replied, realising how she had phrased it "It isn't your fault. Sorry if it sounded that way…I just got a bit off track." She seemed visibly concerned about something, "You probably hate me too now…don't you?"

"What?" I question in disbelief, "No, I don't hate you."

Azraea seemed surprised, "You…you don't?" She asked, "You're lying to comfort me aren't you?" she looked like she was suspecting me without question. Understandable, given how her life has been.

"I'm not lying to you." I told her smiling, "In fact I find your eye quite pretty. And your story doesn't faze me in the slightest. You can trust me. I won't tell anyone, I swear on my life."

Azraea stared deeply into my eyes, I could feel her gaze piercing my very soul. "You aren't..." A smile slowly worked its way up her face, "You aren't lying to me." I saw a tear roll down her cheek, then more as she cried tears of joy.

"Are you alright?" I asked her. She nodded.

"It's just…it's the first time I've heard someone say that out loud." Azraea replied, wiping her eyes.

It was then that an idea came to my mind. A way that I could make sure that she knows that I mean what I say. Something that reminded me of an old fairytale.

"If it isn't too much to ask…" I began. Azraea's interest was caught instantly from the look on her face.

"What is it?" Azraea questioned as she finished drying her eyes. I could feel my heart pounding in my ears all of a sudden, I don't think I've ever felt like this before. All over a question?

"I…" I started to lose my nerve from staring at her half-joyed expression. But I managed to steel myself. This was the only way for me to prove myself to her.

"I want to be your knight." I finally came out with. "I want to protect you, to stay by your side and to make sure that the likes of your father never takes your freedom again!"

My sudden outburst seemed to leave Azraea speechless. Her mouth was open in surprise and her eyes shone as they looked at me.

"A knight? To me?" Azraea's face began to redden as the statement seemed to make her flustered, "This is a bit too much..."

Azraea fumbled with her fingers a bit before she hesitatingly stuck out her hand. "…Alright. If you really do mean it, swear your fealty to me."

I felt my heart race as I took her hand into mine. It was just like in a fairytale. I could feel Azraea's hand trembling ever so slightly as I held it and knelt down on one knee.

"It's alright, Azraea." I told her in an attempt to keep my nerves steeled. "I'm not lying to you whatsoever. I will prove it in the times to come."

With that, I kissed the back of Azraea's hand. She seemed to freeze up a little, but then she smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry…I'm not too good with the formalities." she said, "All I can say…is thank you."

Her smile became brighter as she stared at me with softened and pretty eyes. Her face almost shone in the sunlight as I felt the beating in my chest get stronger.

It made me wonder.

Was this what being in love felt like?