Chapter 18

Niris spent the rest of the day at Ascarm's bedside, who had still not regained consciousness. The young Selanpis was out of danger, but the doctor recommended a good week's rest for him to recover from his injuries. Maritime species had the distinction of taking longer than terrestrial species to recover from physical injuries. The little green-skinned being would not participate in the festivities any further and would be returned to Selanpe as soon as he was physically fit to endure the journey.

Looking at the sleeping body of his friend lying unconscious in the big white bed, Niris felt a twinge in his chest. He knew that the fault was entirely that of the Amadean princess, but he could not help but feel responsible. If he hadn't gotten involved with Seiran and unconsciously provoked the vampire's anger, Ascarm wouldn't be in this state...

He closed his eyes. There was no point in feeling sorry for him now, once things were done. He had to act. Yousmail was rushing headlong against him, he had to use her lack of foresight on the situation against her. Strategy would win him a fight she was trying to resolve blindly through violence. And she had already started to make a mistake. Opening his eyes again, he put them on his still-sleeping friend and frowned. He was going to make those who had hurt Ascarm pay. No matter what.

Before going to the infirmary, Niris had been invited by the AEMS group to have an emergency meeting about the situation. After an hour-and-a-half discussion, the angel had managed to convince them not to react directly to Ascarm's aggression by Yousmaïl and to let him resolve the situation at the legal level before resolving the conflict at the diplomatic level.

Fortunately, the representatives were moderates and they all agreed that it would be dangerous under the circumstances to respond to the aggression with a diplomatic counter-offensive. Niris' suggestion had convinced them, and they decided to align themselves with his position of taking countermeasures against Amadeus only after the peacemaker's verdict. The vampires would be in a weak position and would have no choice but to resolve the situation diplomatically rather than become entangled in conflict.

The bet wasn't won in advance and the angel had to use his negotiating skills to convince his fellow allies. But at least he had reached a consensus to limit the damage as much as possible. The more unstable and fragile a situation was, the less resistant it was to small sparks like these that could turn it into an explosive situation.

He got up and headed for the exit. Pausing before opening the door, he took a deep breath and left the room. Outside, Azure was waiting for him on the landing accompanied by someone else whose presence surprised the prince.

"Please follow me, Sir Jangta," Eviris bowed to the angel.

"Alright, I'll follow you," he replied with a brief nod.

He mentally indicated to Azure that he was safe with Seiran's guard and to go wait for him in his room, to which the pegasus nodded without adding anything. He didn't really like the idea of leaving him alone with this demon he didn't know, but he didn't really have a choice. He had to trust Niris. The angel knew what he was doing.

After watching them disappear into the bowels of the palace through a door in the wall, hidden by a tapestry, the pegasus turned on his heels and headed for their suite.

---

After wandering for a while through the secret stairways and corridors of the mansion, Eviris finally opened a door that led to a room that was obviously a bedroom. Hesitantly, Niris looked through the opening without daring to enter.

"His Highness awaits you inside," the guard said as the angel hesitated.

"Ah..." said Niris, still unsure.

Realizing he had to enter, he took a step into the room while observing his surroundings. The place was a mess. Clothes lay on the chairs and the sheets on the bed were in disarray. Even the curtains had been partially opened, leaving shadows on the richly carved wooden floor. Niris was about to ask Eviris for more information, but he saw that he had left, closing the door behind him, leaving a perfectly smooth stone wall in front of the prince.

A little anxiously, Niris fiddled with his fingers and moved into the room, avoiding the clothes and objects on the floor. Concentrating on his perilous journey, he didn't notice that someone had entered the room and Seiran's deep voice surprised him.

"I didn't know you had a penchant for visiting people's rooms in secret like that," he smirked.

Niris raised his head suddenly and paid no attention to where he put his foot. Of course, it landed on a shirt that was lying around, causing the angel to lose his balance and not have time to recover.

"Ah!" he said, ready to take the fall when a firm hand came to support him at the waist.

"I know I'm having an effect on you, but still!" came Seiran's voice in his ear.

It had only been two days since he had seen the demon, but it felt like an eternity. So much had happened in seventy-two hours!

The demon sat him up gently and Niris put his hands on his shoulders, unable to take his eyes off of him. slowly, Seiran leaned over him and kissed his lips gently. Niris closed his eyes, surrendering to the intoxicating feeling that each kiss from the demon gave him. Then the demon suddenly wrapped his arms around him, burying his face in the angel's neck.

"This day was unbearable! I wanted to go to the duel, but my mother wouldn't let me! She forced me to stay there to not cause trouble with Yousmail," he said.

Niris didn't answer. He could imagine what kind of stress the demon must have been under all day knowing his lover was engaged in a duel with Amadeus' representative. Gently, he stroked his back to reassure him.

"It's alright, I've got it under control," he said gently. "Inja is trained, she won't take it lying down, and I know exactly what to do to win against Yousmaïl."

Seiran sighed as he reluctantly pulled away from the angel. Tenderly, he placed his hand against the angel's cheek and looked at him with concern.

"I know you're handling it well. That's what worries me! Yousmail won't stand being humiliated again, even if it's legally. She won't let go until she wins," he explained. "And the way it's going, she's going to lose face and her lawsuit, which is likely to send her into a rage. I'm sick of her coming after you but I don't know how to stop her... I'm so sorry for everything she did to you and your friend."

The demon scanned the angel's face with his golden eyes. Niris smiled. Gently, he stood on tiptoe and kissed the corner of his mouth.

"I've faced far worse than a vampire jealous of my boyfriend, I think I'll be fine," he smiled. "And you don't have to apologize for her, you're not responsible for her actions, Seiran."

The demon lost himself in the angel's green eyes for a moment before sighing. He rubbed his nose against his as he closed his eyes, savoring the moment. He knew Niris was right, but the thought of it was driving him crazy with rage. He had to reach deep inside himself to find the energy to control his anger at the vampire.

"If I told everyone you were my partner, she wouldn't be able to do anything..." he said under his breath.

"No. Seiran it's out of the question. It's far too risky for you!" Niris rejected the idea forcefully.

The demon smiled at the little angel and stroked his cheek with his thumb.

"I know, I won't do it, don't worry. It would put you in the spotlight and you might see your cover blown, which would be a disaster. The risk is far too great at the moment, even if I'm dying to do it."

He had grabbed the angel's head between his two hands and was shaking it gently, causing the angel to protest that he should stop and leave him alone. This was what Seiran wanted. If the angel was responding to his bickering, it meant he was stopping thinking about serious things.

"Would you like to take a bath with me? It will relax you after this exhausting day," the demon offered.

The idea made Niris' cheeks turn pink with pleasure. He loved baths! Even more so if it was in a huge pool with Seiran.

"Mmmmh," he pretended to think.

"I have a large pool behind my room, just for me," added the demon who could see that the idea appealed to the little angel. "We can fill it to the brim with warm water and swim in it.

"Why not..." said the angel, playing with the situation. "Can we put really hot water in it?"

"As hot as you want, my love," Seiran replied, kissing him on the forehead, unable to resist his adorable face any longer.

The angel instinctively hooked his legs around his waist and let himself be carried to the other end of the room, to the door that led to the pool.

The demon set him down on the tile floor and began to remove his clothes. With a gesture, he adjusted the temperature of the water to increase it by two degrees. One thing he'd realized since he'd met Niris was that he was a cozy guy who never hesitated to take advantage of his comfort whenever he could. One of the demon's personal pleasures was to watch him revel in the comfort he enjoyed so much.

Slowly, the demon entered the water. He ran water over his shoulders with his hand to adjust his body to its temperature. After moistening the upper part of his body, he dived into the water. He emerged near the edge where Niris had sat, his feet in the water. He needed time to adjust to the water. But his smile of pleasure showed that it was the right temperature for him.

Seiran grabbed his waist and pulled him towards him with a confident gesture. The angel let him do it, and in a few seconds, he found himself with water up to his chest. Seiran ran water over his back and shoulders as he had done for him and Niris let himself be done with relish. He loved to be taken care of! As the demon took a certain pleasure in pampering him, the couple was in a natural and beneficial symbiosis.

After having acclimatized, the angel let himself go against Seiran's chest, his eyes closed. Leaning against the edge, one hand on the angel's back, he recharged his batteries by observing the little being who was so precious to him, enjoying his bath in his arms. He sighed with pleasure. It had been so long since he had felt so good!

Paradoxical as it may seem, in this extremely stressful period of his life when his future was at stake, he was enjoying the most absolute serenity he had ever known. Embraced like this, the two lovers remained for a moment without saying anything, simply enjoying each other's presence. Seiran finally decided to break the silence, reluctantly.

"My mother wants to see you," he said bluntly. "She has invited you to have tea with her tomorrow morning.

"I know, I saw the invitation," Niris said without opening his eyes.

The demon was surprised at how calmly the angel took the news.

"It's to be expected, isn't it?"

The angel had straightened up and was looking at the demon from below. Seiran did not answer immediately. He knew he couldn't stop his mother from doing this but he didn't like the idea.

"I think she's just curious and wants to know more about you in case you're a real danger, but you never know. Be careful, she's very good at getting people to talk," he warned him.

The angel smiled, a sparkle in his eyes.

"Why? Are you worried about me?" he teased.

Seeing his lover's playfulness, the demon grabbed his cheeks between his thumb and forefinger, taking in the game.

"Why should I worry about the great Niris of Egea, the greatest diplomat in the entire intergalaxy, a powerful negotiator and son of Emperor Aroslan, hmm?

Niris allowed him to do so, adding to it. They teased each other for a moment before the demon released him and surreptitiously splashed him. With a mocking smile on his lips, he watched as the angel rubbed his eyes to get the water out.

Abandoning the idea of protesting against the demon's tease, Niris suddenly dived into the water and did a pirouette. Suddenly, his long black mermaid tail appeared under the clear film of the pool, just before he rose it with a bang to hit the water in front of the demon, spraying him completely.

Seiran wiped his face with his hand, an amused smile on his lips. He had forgotten how much the little angel hated to lose. When he opened his eyes again, he saw him swimming back between his legs with an innocent smile. How could he even be mad at him? He was so adorable! And the angel knew it very well...

Without further admonishment, he grabbed him and held him tenderly against his chest. The angel nestled against him and placed both hands against the demon's chest, savoring the warmth of his satiny skin. Slowly, the demon moved his hand down Niris' back until it reached his waist. Gently, he stroked the black scales of the fishtail that finished the angel's body. Niris watched with amusement. The demon's infatuation with his fish form amused him greatly.

Lost in his contemplation of the shimmering black scales, Seiran let his slender fingers run along the scaly skin that so fascinated him.

"Why do you like my scales so much?" asked Niris, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"They're gorgeous," he replied without leaving his silent contemplation. "Like everything else on your body. Except that they are more unique and more fascinating. I've never seen anything so beautiful!"

Niris said nothing more. He let himself go against the demon's chest, also lost in the contemplation of his face with such harmonious proportions. He too, had an irresistible weakness for the body of this man he loved so much. They stayed like that for a while, enjoying without restraint the sweet warmth that this intimacy gave them, which they were deprived of in broad daylight.

Almost reluctantly and without much enthusiasm, they finally got out of the bath and dried themselves. Niris, who had put on a nightgown of Seiran's that was far too big for him, was sitting on the bed, still a little groggy from his extended bath. Kneeling behind him, the demon had undertaken the arduous task of drying his hair. But as the angel did not like drying with natural energy, he had no choice but to grab a towel and rub it gently against the little prince's silky hair.

Niris allowed him to do so without saying anything, not yet well connected with reality. It was then that the events of the afternoon came back to him. He had not yet told the demon about them.

"I had to reveal my identity to the Emperor of Esethea to convince him to intervene in the duel," he said suddenly, taking the demon by surprise.

The demon stopped rubbing his hair for a moment, digesting the information the angel had just given him.

"I took the risk because I know he puts commerce and business above all else. He won't do anything rash that might hurt his business," he continued, seeing the demon's silence.

The latter sighed and resumed drying his hair without saying anything. Seeing that the demon was sulking, Niris turned to him and grabbed his wrist to make him stop blotting the water from his jet-black hair.

"I had no choice, it was riskier to let Inja win," he justified himself.

The demon looked at him blankly. He hesitated between reprimanding him and expressing his frustration at seeing him take such reckless risks. But he knew that either way, it was a waste of time. The angel would do as he pleased anyway, there was nothing he could do about it. And if he hated to admit it, he had to admit that Niris knew what he was doing and always acted in an extremely calculated way, putting all the chances on his side.

Abandoning the idea of retaliating, the demon resumed his drying with a sigh.

"Mischien is a reasoned and intelligent person. His taste for ostentatious luxury surprisingly does not make him a pretentious man who suffers his passions as if they were the first thing in his life. I don't think he'll reveal your identity to anyone either," he acknowledged.

But as the angel smiled gratefully at him for his understanding, the demon tangled his hair with a force Niris had not expected. The angel let out a cry of protest and turned to the demon, looking completely stunned by his sudden change in behavior.

"But that doesn't mean I approve of this dangerous and borderline decision! Niris, you are on the enemy's ground here, the slightest misstep can cost you your life. Please don't forget that!"

The demon gave him a hurt look. This situation was driving him crazy. The more time passed, the closer he felt to the one he loved. The idea of Niris being discovered one day made him terribly anxious, and every action he took that brought him closer to that risk seemed like a dive into the middle of a shark pool. And this was unbearable for him.

Seeing the distress in his companion's eyes, the angel sat up on his knees and took the demon's hand in his own.

"Seiran, I know this is hard for you, but I can't let this happen without taking action. Yousmail is putting me in danger and I have no choice but to do everything I can to stop her or my father will take action." he said with a pleading look. "I have to carry out my mission, but all I feel like I'm doing right now is dealing with a teenage girl in crisis who has the power to get what she wants because I'm walking a tightrope the whole time. I know it's hard, but I need you to support me, no matter what the risk. I'm trying to do everything in my power to limit the impact on intergalactic relations while protecting those I care about and it's a constant challenge!"

The demon looked down, a little ashamed. He was angry at himself for burdening the little prince with his own uncertainties when he already had enough on his plate.

"I know it's hard, but once we're done with all this, we'll be free to do what we want. In the meantime, we just have to hang in there. I promise you that once this is over, we can go wherever we want, do whatever we want, and live however we want. I'm just asking you to be patient and let me do what I need to do, okay?"

Seiran kept his head down. Slowly, he grabbed the angel's hand with his other free hand and stroked the back of it with his thumb.

"Excuse me..." he said softly. "I know you're doing your best, I shouldn't have unloaded my emotions on you like that.

Niris smiled. Tenderly, he placed his hand on the demon's cheek, and the demon finally looked up. His puppy dog look was irresistible, and Niris didn't want to make him suffer any longer.

"It's important that you express your emotions, especially if you feel stressed about something. I'd rather you tell me than keep it to yourself and have it create tension between us because certain things weren't said."

Niris was pleased with the demon's reaction. That he was able to express his negative emotions and put words to things that bothered him without being over the top in his reactions was something that reassured the angel. He knew that their relationship would be able to cope with difficulties thanks to this healthy and natural communication.

Seiran placed his hand on the angel's and rubbed his lips against the angel's palm. Niris let him. The demon's tendency to rub against him was terribly endearing. He could never get enough of it.

"Stay here tonight," the demon invited him.

"I don't know if that's a good idea..." he said.

"I don't allow the staff to enter my room, so we're safe," he tried to convince him.

Seeing that the angel was still hesitating, he continued, running his lips down the angel's arm, kissing his tender skin at regular intervals.

"I'll wake you when I get up and walk you back to your chambers."

Unable to resist the pleasure any longer, Niris gave in and let himself be caressed. The delicate touch of Seiran's warm skin on his skin intoxicated him. The irresistible sensation provoked a desire in him that he could not resist. Tired from his day, he let himself be dragged against the mattress, succumbing to the demon's sweet caresses and the wet touch of his lips against his soft skin.