Chapter 3

Several days passed without Niris finding any trace of the slaves in the castle. He had explored every corner of the huge palace after persuading Inja to let him do as the demons opened it themselves for their guests to have access to it, and there did not seem to be any secret hiding places where the slaves would be hidden during the festivities. He had explored all the underground passages himself and had found absolutely nothing unusual during his visit. On the contrary, they were well maintained and very well equipped, unlike many prisons in the intergalaxy. The Ornikarnian Empire had done everything in its power to give the most respectable image of intergalactic standards that it could. And so far it had been successful. This waste of time in useless research had darkened the mood of our angel, who felt himself going around in circles in a dead-end situation.

And if that wasn't enough to dampen his mood, he hadn't managed to spend a single moment alone with A-ran. Since their conversation in the garden, he'd only come across him at the bend in the corridors or at secondary events in which he made only a brief appearance most of the time, he was always surrounded by a group of courtiers who never let him out of their sight.

Not at all fond of close contact with a crowd of strangers, Niris had been content to skim the walls, lowering his head to make himself invisible. But each time, A-ran gave him a slight nod, enough for him to know that it was addressed to him. Even if he didn't appreciate the dark looks and the increasingly contemptuous behaviour that this attracted from the other guests, the angel was nevertheless reassured to see that the demon didn't ignore him at social events.

He felt that their budding friendship had value in A-ran's eyes, and the thought only strengthened the attraction he felt towards the demon, though he fought hard against it. He couldn't have feelings for a demon, a being who silently consented to the abuse of many of his own. That he couldn't accept.

Sipping his fizzy Friote Juice, he was slumped on the edge of the inner balcony of the second floor of his wing. Beside him, Ascarm was humming happily with a straw in his mouth. He was enjoying the late afternoon sunshine with his friend, also sipping a fresh Friotte juice. The angel envied his good mood.

Seeing his friend's scowl, the Selanpis gave him a questioning look.

"Is something bothering you, Jangta? You've seemed elsewhere since this morning..."

The angel sighed loudly. He wished he could confide in the young prince, but was forced to lie to him, which he did not like.

"It's nothing, I'm just a little hot ...." he said wearily. "The temperatures are rarely this high on Egea, I'm not used to it."

"Ooooh...I see. That's annoying indeed," Ascarm commented sympathetically. "Then why don't you wear one of the light outfits that angels are known to wear?"

Again the angel sighed, drawing an even more puzzled look from his comrade.

"If only I could... But this is an official ceremony and I must keep a low profile. There's no way I'm wearing my 'skimpy outfits' as you call them, no matter how much I dream of it! They are considered far too offensive morally by many populations in the intergalaxy."

The Selanpis laughed at the exasperated look on his friend's face.

"It's true that you would be a hit with that kind of outfit! What a pity... that's one of the things I love about angels: your freedom of dress. Whatever the gender, you wear absolutely anything you want and have no taboos about your body, which you expose without complexes in these magnificent outfits! I admire your freedom, and your audacity to not care about the considerations of the intergalactic community. I hope one day to find the courage within me to confront the social codes of my people and to wear what I like without any complexity! One day I will, I don't lose hope!"

Niris watched the Selanpis make his fiery declaration of war to society with great respect. Ascarm looked like a very gentle and calm person, someone easy to crush down. But this was not the case at all. "Beware of sleeping water" was an adage that suited the aquatic creature perfectly. Niris considered him to be one of the strongest people he knew. He did not doubt that he would achieve his goal, whatever it was.

"After the ceremony, I'll invite you to my house and we'll have a fitting time together," he encouraged him. "You'll leave with the ones you like!"

"Ooooh really? Really, Jangta? Oh my God, I'd love to! Thank you so much!" The Selanpis jumped for joy at the idea of trying on all the beautiful Angel's outfits he had dreamed of.

Kinni started to bark, circling his master. Niris laughed at the sight. Ascarm was truly a beautiful encounter. His zest for life was a gift the angel never tired of. And he was infinitely grateful to him for brightening up his stay in this hostile place that gave him little opportunity to forget the harshness of his mission.

"Oh! The ASMS meeting! I completely forgot I'll be late! Excuse me Jangta, I have to go! See you later for dinner!"

Still sipping his juice, the angel waved to his friend who was rushing in the direction of the marine species meeting room that had been organized by all the representatives there. This was part of the diplomatic work of the ceremony. Fortunately, Niris was the only angel, so he didn't have to deal with these useless and time-consuming meetings.

Finally left to his own devices, he decided to take a walk in the garden on the side of the wing where he was staying for the duration of his stay to change his mind. Taking the same path he had taken the first time, the angel soon found himself in the beautiful garden full of flowers. Walking towards the imperia tree, he admired the magnificent flowers that fell in avalanches along the wrought iron arches. He stroked the tree's intertwined trunk with a smile.

"You have recovered well," he said as if the tree could understand him.

For Niris, every living thing and every plant was endowed with the ability to transmit its emotions and to receive his own. The gift of life gave him a hyper-sensitivity to this kind of thing that made him distinguish plants and animals from conscious beings. Talking to plants alone was a habit he had developed and that those around him had accepted as normal for him. So, when immersed in his element, he lost all notion of the world around him.

Moving from plant to plant, inspecting the state of each one, he diffused a little of his energy in each one according to their state of fatigue or health. The angel did not see the time pass and ended up sitting on the edge of a fountain that he discovered during his wanderings to relieve his legs for a moment.

"This garden is much bigger than I thought..." Niris thought aloud.

"And you haven't seen a quarter of it!" a deep voice suddenly answered behind him.

The angel jumped to his feet and found himself standing in front of the demon he had been trying so hard to avoid for the past few days, both in thought and physically.

"Ah...A-ran, I didn't hear you come..." he said, embarrassed by his reaction.

His heart was pounding.

"And I didn't announce myself either," he replied. "I apologise for causing you such a fright."

"No I... it's my fault, I should be more on guard."

A-ran sat down next to him and Niris accompanied him, resting his backside where he had suddenly removed it from a few moments earlier. Fiddling with his hands, he glanced around but didn't dare to look him in the face for fear of losing control of his emotions again.

The demon was more radiant than ever. Dressed in clothes of unparalleled refinement, the golden seams of his azure blue tunic beautifully highlighted the blond of his hair and the golden yellow of his eyes. The angel found it difficult to take his eyes off them and plunged into this ocean of pure gold from which he could never completely detach himself.

"I feel guilty for putting you in these states," the demon then resumed, noticing the evasive look of his interlocutor. "I hope I'm not making you feel uncomfortable in any way."

"Oh no, not at all! No...I'm the one who's sorry," Niris sighed. "I seem to have a soft spot for you and I'm having a hard time controlling myself... You are totally my type, and you seem too good to be true..."

Niris slowed down as he spoke while blushing synchronously. He was realising what he was saying and couldn't help but hide his face in his hands and stammer an apology. He was unable to do anything right today!

The demon laughed softly at the sight of the angel confessing his weaknesses honestly and involuntarily.

"I apologise... A-ran," he finally managed to get three words out without stuttering. "Surely you don't want to hear that with all these people already around you and wanting you for that reason... I'm sorry to bother you with such considerations and promise to control myself better in the future."

A-ran remained silent for a moment, a mysterious smile on his lips as he watched the angel who had his gaze fixed on his interlocking fingers before him.

"There's nothing wrong with admiring someone's beauty," he said after a moment. "You don't bother me at all, Jangta, so don't be uncomfortable about it."

"But aren't you exhausted from being surrounded by people who are only around you for superficial reasons such as your beauty?" the angel was indignant.

"At least you are honest with your considerations towards me," smiled the demon. "Besides, I know you're not just talking to me because you think I'm beautiful and you want to curry my favor."

"What if I did? What if that's all I talk to you about?"

The demon laughed this time. Finally, he took the angel's hand and placed his lips gently on it.

"You are far too honest and direct to act this way, Jangta. You won't get me that way! These few days spent in your company have taught me at least that much about you. Besides... you are far too adorable for me to find your company unpleasant."

This time Niris was unable to keep his brain functioning. He felt it frying and could do nothing but look at the demon, his mouth open and his face red as a tomato. As for the demon, he seemed to be having the time of his life. Gently caressing the angel's fingers with his thumb, he watched with delight the angel's reaction as he struggled to regain control of his body.

"So you're bi too?

"Gay... just gay," the angel struggled to say as he gradually came to his senses.

"Oh? I thought angels were bi... "

"Not all of us," replied Niris, who was still struggling to regain his composure. "Most of us are but there are a few exceptions and I'm one of them."

"In that case, I apologize for generalizing," the demon said, still holding the angel's delicate hand between his long, slender fingers.

"It's nothing," Niris replied with a smile. "To tell the truth, I'm pleasantly surprised that you know so much about angels."

The demon seemed lost in thought for a moment as he gazed thoughtfully at the angel.

"My father was close to an angel he fought with during the War of the Great Schism," he explained slowly. "He kept in touch with him and I remember our trips to Egea. He always took me with him! He wanted me to be the representative of the generation of demons who would be close to the angels and see them as allies rather than hereditary enemies... unfortunately my father died before he could ever fulfill his dream or see me grow up."

He had bowed his head and was smiling sadly. Touched by his emotion, the angel placed his free hand on the demon's, still closed on his hand.

"You are his legacy, A-ran. Your open-mindedness towards me is proof of that! Your father's work has not been in vain."

The angel's smile warmed the heart of the demon, who had to hold back very hard not to hug him. How difficult it was for him to resist this creature who was the very definition of delicacy! He was content to take each of his hands in his and to lean over him slightly to tickle him just enough to make him lose his temper, as he was used to doing.

"I think I need more than a few words to make me feel better," he provoked him, certain of his reaction.

He was surprised when he saw the angel pull him in, a smirk on his face.

"I'll take you up on it and seize the opportunity if you continue," Niris said in the same playful tone the demon had used a few moments earlier. "You know the effect you have on me, so don't be surprised if I get bold..."

His voice had become nothing more than a whisper. Their faces were so close that the demon could feel the angel's breath on the skin of his parted lips. They remained like that for a few seconds, captivated by each other in a kind of forbidden excitement from which they did not know how to escape.

Finally regaining his senses and control of his body, A-ran straightened up and reluctantly put a suitable distance between them.

"You're full of surprises, Jangta," he said with a smile of surrender.

"Don't worry, I'll never go any further," replied the angel. "I know that a demon and an angel...can never have that kind of relationship."

He had turned again, extricating himself from the psychological hold the demon had on him through his gaze, and had pulled his hands from the demon's grasp, crossing them over his knees after waving away the folds of his dark blue robe. A-ran gave him a complex look. The resignation in the angel's gaze reached him personally and he decided to trust him fully. After all, he needed the young prince's help as much as he needed his own...

"You know... the current relationship between angels and demons... The enslavement of angels... I would give anything to see it stopped."

Niris looked up at him with surprised eyes. He knew that he had more or less brought up the subject implicitly, but he didn't expect his interlocutor to directly address the matter. And to express regret and disapproval at that. He knew that not all demons were in favour of slavery, that most of them had no opinion, but he did not expect A-ran to have such a strong position on the subject.

"My father instilled in me a respect for angels and their culture. I grew up admiring these creatures, which I consider to be the most culturally evolved. Their natural pacifism, their love for philosophy, literature, art... so many things that demons neglect! I would never support this inhuman traffic that nothing justifies and that makes us a deeply barbaric people! How can we dare to consider ourselves as one of the most evolved and civilised people in the world when we have the most inhuman behaviour?"

This time it was a wholly shocked Niris that A-ran was looking at. Mouth half-opened in amazement, eyes round and fixed whose eyelids had simply forgotten to protect them by lowering regularly, he watched the demon while trying to integrate what he had just heard. The demon gave him time to snap out of his shock and realize the situation.

"You mean... you're... anti-slavery?"

A-ran nodded slowly.

"But I... I thought there weren't any in the castle..." the angel thought quickly before immediately snapping back. "I mean, my father never told me about the presence of anti-slavery people in the palace itself! They are being hunted down hard and can't even reside in the capital."

The demon smiled again.

"I don't normally live in the castle, I'm a bit outside the capital. Besides, not many people know that."

He winked at the angel before continuing.

"I'm counting on you to keep it a secret, mmmh?

The angel nodded slowly, still a little stunned by the announcement he had just heard. He had stumbled upon the only anti-slavery man in the capital. He'd been going around in circles for days and couldn't find any information, and he had the only demon in his circle who could help him in his mission. He couldn't believe it! All this time, maybe the key was simply right next to him. Invigorated with hope, he couldn't help but smile from ear to ear.

"I'm so glad to hear that from you, A-ran!"

The demon couldn't help but laugh at the angel's beaming face. Damn, he had to hold out for a few more weeks! This was torture...

"Tell me, do you know if I can find any traces of the slaves held in the castle?" he then asked her outright, forgetting for a moment his cover.

Suddenly remembering his current situation, he quickly lost his smile and pulled himself together.

"For my father! You know he's connected to the emperor for...uh...that sort of thing, and he could use some information, nothing too important! If you ever know where I could find any..."

Niris was shaking inside. He had made a big mistake in the middle of enemy territory. Even if A-ran turned out to be opposed to slavery, having a spy infiltrated directly into the castle to put a stop to the traffic for good was something else!

"There's a library in the west wing, an administrative library," the demon replied without seeming to have the slightest suspicion of the angel's intentions. "You can go there, it's where all the administrative information of the castle is kept. You're bound to find something about slaves there. If there's one place you can find something, it's there," explained A-ran.

"How do I get there?" asked Niris, excited to finally have a lead.

The demon seemed to think for a moment, then took out a sort of bookmark richly decorated in gold letters. A lace of soft red rope with a tassel at the end hung from the pea-sized hole at the top of the pale leather. A-ran handed it to Niris, who took it, his eyes wide with curiosity.

"Here, take this to the Imperial Librarian, he'll let you go home and do your research freely," he said.

"Thank you A-ran!" Niris could hardly contain his excitement and his eyes sparkled with joy. The demon chuckled at the adorable look on the little prince's face.

"You're welcome, Jangta. Anything for you!"

As he gazed at the little jet-black-haired angel admiring the imprint he had given him, he suddenly turned his head in the direction of the palace. Immediately losing his smile, he stood up and dusted off his tunic to remove the tiny dust that had embedded itself in the folds of the fabric.

"I wish I could stay longer, but unfortunately it's time for me to go.

The angel stood up in turn.

"Oh, I apologise for keeping you longer than necessary," Niris said with an embarrassed expression.

A-ran smiled.

"My time with you is the most precious of my days, Jangta," the demon said, accompanying his words with his usual beaming smile that had the gift of bewildering the poor angel who was never prepared to face the demon's blinding beauty.

He blushed as he stammered an incoherent sentence in response.

"Will I have the pleasure of seeing you again in two days in the same place? It is difficult to pass each other in the castle because of my activities, but I can escape from time to time to come here."

"Oh... certainly!" replied Niris, who didn't quite realise what was happening to him.

"At nightfall? I won't be able to escape before then, unfortunately..."

The angel nodded again, a little confused.

"See you in a couple of days, then," A-ran smiled knowingly. "Don't stand me up or I'll take it the wrong way," he winked before turning and leaving.

"Never! I mean... see you in two days..."

Niris hid his face with both hands, even though the demon was already too far away to see the scarlet colour it. He tried to regain his senses, but his brain had completely stopped working. He had tried to put the demon in a corner of his mind, and now all his efforts had been ruined in not even an hour.

"Get a hold of yourself Niris! Get a grip! You can't fall in love with him! If you're not in a situation that allows for romance, focus on your mission! Your mission and nothing else!"

But as he tried to convince himself mentally, he felt his heart drumming in his chest and the sensation of the demon's fingers on his skin still felt as vivid as if he had just let go of them. He knew deep down that it was already too late. His heart had already betrayed him, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Dejected, he decided to return to his suite to try to resume his investigation with Inja. He had to share his discovery about the library with her. Despite the trust he had in his guard, he decided to keep the revelations of A-ran's positions to himself. His mission came first, but he didn't want to betray the demon's trust for anything in the world. And keeping this information to himself would not compromise the mission.

As long as he could keep his feelings and his mission separate, he would do so. The day he had to choose between the two, he would face the problem directly. But for the moment, he wanted to postpone that moment. Too many questions were racing through his mind, and too many emotions were making his heart race. He needed time alone to sort it all out and make the right choices while not putting the mission at risk.