Chapter 8

"So, like I said before, Stacy, being a demon is nothing like what you are imagining. Life would only be better for you if you were a master or a royal, and since you can be none of those, I would advise you to rethink this decision you have just made."

"So, you mean that I have to serve a master for a thousand years before I can become one myself? That's absurd."

"Demons are immortal, so human years mean nothing to them. What you think absurd is the norm for us. Many servants would serve even twice the tenure just to become a full-fledged master with powers second to the royals. They also get the ability to transform humans."

"What about the other one you mentioned?"

"The royals?"

"Yes. That one, is there no other way I can become a royal?"

"Royals originally born as demons. They are naturally born masters and are gifted with their powers right from birth. Being a royal can only happen through birth or marriage. When a demon marries a royal, he or she also becomes a royal, and is no longer obligated to serve under a master for a thousand years."

"Wait with all these demon years you're mentioning, how old are you?"

"I'm 2157 years old" Charlie replied.

"Ok," Stacy nodded, trying unsuccessfully to hide the shock she experienced then. It took her a minute to recompose herself and ask the next question she did.

"So, now, what happens if I still choose to live? What happens when I become reborn as a demon? Will you be the one to transform me? And if yes, where will I live as your servant since it's obvious I can't stay here." The next round of questions from her came again and as usual, Charlie was prepared for them.

"I thought deeply about these things too after the ritual, and I was just waiting for you to accept before I informed you of my intentions."

"I haven't accepted them yet, but I would still like to know what these intentions are."

"You will undergo the transformation by my hand, and by default, I am meant to be the master with whom you will serve your tenure. Things would have been different if I decided to become the demon king, but since that's not going to be happening, I thought of something else that would make your tenure much smoother."

"Okay. What did you think of?"

"Once you're reborn and married to me, you will be unable to live here as a servant because you'll be too weak, and since I have no intentions of returning to the clan, I will have no choice but to hand you over to a new master."

Stacy's eyes widened, "a new master?" This brought another surge of fear in her heart. She'd thought that with Charlie being her master, the tenure would be less difficult for her, but now with the mention of a new master for her, she didn't know what to expect.

He saw her eyes, and he told her, "don't be afraid. I am handing you over to someone who is kind and compassionate, she has a soft heart that's different from every other demon leader, and it's because she was once human. You won't regret this decision I've made, trust me."

"Who will my new master be, then?"

"My mother, the Daivie queen Lilian."

Something else caught her attention more than the mention of her new master. "Your mother? She was once a human and now a demon queen?"

Charlie nodded, "yes. Of course, you shouldn't need much help putting the whole story together. My father Luther, who was the Daivie prince then fell in love with a human. She married him and became a royal, then they had two sons together. End of story."

"Wow! That's amazing!"

"Indeed it is. Such occurrences were rare in the demon kingdom and it took a lot for that marriage to happen." Realizing that they were diverting from the main point of focus, Charlie had to switch back. "So as I was saying, Lillian will be your new master after your transformation. After we marry, I will leave you with her in the Daivie clan and then resume my life here in the human world."

Stacy was skeptical about this. " Are you…? Are you sure this will be good for me? I've lived my whole life serving others, and I couldn't imagine anything worse than the life I was living before."

He assured her. "You won't have to worry about that. In fact, when you reach the clan, you'll hardly recognize Lillian's servants around her because they are more like her family. And unlike the others, you will be her real family, her daughter-in-law. It's the best way to get through all of this with everybody getting what they want. After a thousand years, you will receive your freedom and demon powers to live wherever you please."

Charlie made it sound so easy, like it was something that would favor her, and if Stacy were to be honest, she wanted to believe that too, but some part of her just didn't sit right with the idea of getting married to someone who would later leave her with his mother and resume his normal life. That didn't sound like the happy life she'd always dreamed of.

As if reading her thoughts, Charlie continued speaking.

"We can annul the marriage after your tenure. That way, you're free to decide your choice of partner too, but mind you, you shall have no offspring as a demon master."

She rose a brow. "What are you talking about?"

"Only royals have the power to bear offspring because they are pure blood. Masters and servants do not have such privilege."

This was something entirely new that Charlie hadn't mentioned before. What was the point of finding a choice partner in life if you couldn't have children with them?

"But why?"

"I'm sorry, but there are a lot of things that can't be explained in the demon verse. It's the way it's been going on for thousands of centuries. Only rebirths are possible for masters and servants, but not births."

She didn't respond, only sat there, watching him dumbfound. He knew it was a lot for her to take in, and since he'd said all he had in mind to say, he thought he should give her some time alone. He got up in attempt to head up to his bedroom upstairs.

"Now, the choice is up to you to make now if you still want to become a demon and be my temporary bride or if you want to die instead. The next red moon is still three months away, so that's enough time for you to say your final goodbyes to this world, whichever option you choose. I'll leave you to ponder on what to do, then you can tell me your final decision when you're ready."

***

It didn't take long for her to decide as after an hour or so, Stacy entered the room and told him her final answer,

"I accept," she muttered under a small breath.

He should still ask her if she is really sure about this, but he brushed the thought aside. She has had enough time to think this over, and if it's still what she wants, he would go through with it.

Charlie then got up from his bed, walked up to her, and whispered, "now, we meet your new master."