A kiss goodbye

Giving a glance to the Devil, I open my mouth slightly in silent indication to talk. He bows his head gently, stepping away to give me the spotlight to speak.

"The deal has been decided," I announce, stepping forward towards the dais, towards my mother, and Alastor, blatantly ignoring the sorrowful silence of the nobility around me. Soon enough I would be leaving them all behind anyway. "This wedding shall be no more. The Devil has taken me in as his consort, and I have accepted his offer. That is all you need to know."

An angry, tiger like growl raises up from the crowd.

"You disgust me, daughter! First you don't even make your vows, and now you make a deal with the Devil- that monster? I took care of you, I loved you, a demon child, I suffered with the loss of my husband- who left me for your sake, and this is how you repay me?" comes my mothers spitting reply from the dais. I raise my head, my vision flaring red and seething with sparks of fiery rage.

The devil sees it coming before I do: my fist's clenching into tight balls, my teeth gritting against each other, my anger no longer contained merely to my insides. There is a sly grin on his face as I turn my head to him, as though he already knows the exact thoughts that are running through my head.

"Permission?" I ask grittily under my breath. He sweeps a hand casually through the air, directing me up towards the dais where my mother stands.

"She is all yours, chérie."

Stalking up to the the dais, I pull back my hand in preparation, my whole body seething with unrestrained, volatile anger. My mothers eyes widen as she realises what is about to happen, backing away slightly, only to get one of her many excessive petticoats trapped under a rung holding down the canopy. Within seconds, I am right in front of me.

"Don't ever fucking lie to me again. You never loved me. Never," I whisper, draw back my hand, and with one heavy slap, my fist collides with her face.

One knock sends her fragile body flying, tumbling back into Prince Yariel, who glares at me with a mixture of horror and terrified admiration. Desperately, he clutches at the Queen's unconscious form, straining to keep her upright, although obviously struggling despite the muscles prominent in his forearms. Anxiously, he glances between me, and the body in his hands. The news of my existence as a demon must have shocked him as it did everyone, but he lacks the same sort of charismatic shock that penetrates all the other noble's faces. In fact, he seems rather at ease with it all, if not entirely curious.

Not that I really much care about Yariel anymore. I never wanted to marry him anyway.

Affirmatively, I dust my hands off. Now that that's over with…

Slowly I turn to face the auburn haired kitsune beside me, eyes trained on me gleefully, his lips pulled upwards into his characteristic smile. He hesitates for a moment, processing exactly what has happened, before he pulls me into his arms, my body colliding numbly with his chest.

"You dumbass," he whispers tragically, pressing his lips to the top of my head. "We were supposed to make a deal with the devil together, remember?" There is an obvious catch in his voice, a thickness that I have never heard before, as though he is trying his very hardest to keep himself composed.

Pulling myself back, I cup my hand around his cheek and tenderly run my thumb over his skin- the way he often did me when I was scared, or confused. My heart pounds wildly against my chest.

"There is still time Al, you can come with me. You can-"

Alastor shakes his head solemnly.

"Not yet, El. News of the Princess of the largest kingdom of the Upper Realm being a demon is going to spread fast, there is going to be chaos," he admits, bringing a hand to rest against my shoulder reassuringly. "I will wait until things have settled down, make sure there are no demon hunters on your tail, and try to get your mother back into ruling condition. Then when everything is settled, and Vriryn is in safe hands once more, I shall join you in the Downside. Besides," he says, laughing a little, but the look is forced, and the smile doesn't reach his eyes. "You can always come and visit me up here, right?"

"Of course Al! Don't be silly, I am not going to abandon you!" I cry, throwing my arms around his neck, all at once feeling tiny beads of water prickling at my eyes. Sniffing, I bury my face into his shoulder and wipe them away.

Stupid tears. Tears are for the weak, I shouldn't be crying. Besides, it isn't like I am never going to see him again. I can come back up here any time I like. Yet while that is true, another part of me argues with a grim realisation, no longer can I call it home. Not after all this. Not with my mum still here.

This isn't a home. It's a place of lies.

Alastor prizes me off his, pulling me back to get a better look at me. A fleeting smile flits across his face, seeming to sense the torn nature of my ways, his tail swishing frantically across the marble floor. He looks like he wants to say something, his mouth opening slightly, before firmly clamping shut. He shakes his head.

"Don't forget about me when you finally rise to power. Don't let the Devil change you, El. Demon or not, you are still you," he laughs half heartedly, giving a wan but desperate smile as he gently strokes the side of my arm. Choking back my tears, I flash him a sullen grin. Of course I am not going to let the Devil change me, I may be going down to hell, but that's not going to change who I am, nor will it ever.

"Next time I am up here, I will be my usual fiery self, don't you worry."

Alastor nods his head once, then twice, contented by my words. I try not to notice the watery appearance of his eyes, or how he can't quite stand to look at me for more than five seconds, as though not quite able to face my existence from the Upper Realm will soon be wiped off the map. Sighing, his hand squeezes comfortingly around my shoulder, causing a lump to form in my throat, threatening to spill out of my body with a flood of emotions. Out of everyone here, Alastor is the one I am least happy to say goodbye to- even if it is only momentarily.

"Oh," I start once more, my sudden intervention causing him to raise his head in surprise. "And one more thing."

Tentatively I place my lips on his.