Chapter 1: Snake and Wife (I).
Chapter 1: Snake and Wife (I).
The Serpent Queen, the ruler of all that is demon, has just won the human kingdom of the east, their greatest treasure of all.
The princess of Xin.
A beauty that captured the demon lord's attention the moment she removed her cloak- long black hair, eyes that are pure white and her small figure that you can almost fit the little one in a pocket. It was clear that the little princess is well taken care of.
On that day, when the emperor was pardoned- he was escorted out of the palace. All the guards tell him to leave and say his last goodbye.
"I will come back for you! Father promises! I'll come back!"
The Xin Emperor's little treasure couldn't yell and scream how she wanted to go with him- she could only trust that his father would come back to take her home. "..."
...
The door closes with a loud thud.
The young princess was left alone to face her new betrothed.
"You agree to become my wife so easily, without much of a struggle." (Queen Pythia) observes her- not an inch of fear could be seen in the expression on her face. "What is your name?"
The little treasure lowers her head, kneeling down in the ground and placing her hands together to do a kowtow. It was the first time in her life she ever did such a thing, perhaps out of fear.
"I go by the name of Princess Yáng Li Xin, your highness." (Princess Yáng) replies, not daring to look up. "I thank you... for sparing my father and my people. I am at your mercy and use, you may tell me your orders- I will do all that I can to follow. I am now your wife after all."
Queen Pythia could feel that this little princess is truly dedicated to her promise. She caught a whiff of her scent, she never knew how humans could be this intoxicating to smell.
"You smell like peaches."
Princess Yáng couldn't help but look up, trying to see where the voice was coming from, her nose must be quite good. "...I ate some on the way, your highness. Apologies if it offends you."
The Serpent Queen found it rather funny and chuckled, she motions to all of her patrolling servants to leave because she needed to have a private talk with her new human wife. "All of you, leave us be."
"Yes, your highness!" All the demons in the area left with their weapons in hand, their steps were loud, making the princess think and count how many soldiers were there in the room that they were in.
It seemed a lot... Did her father really lose to this many demon soldiers?
"We're all alone now and we'll need to have a little talk about our arrangement, please stop lowering your head." (Queen Pythia) slithers closer, moving at slow speed. "In order for you to be comfortable I'll transform into my human form, little treasure of Xin."
The Serpent Queen changed into her human form so quickly and helped the girl up, remembering that she's blind.
"May I hold your hand?" (Queen Pythia) asks and Princess Yáng hesitates, not knowing if this demon with a very soft and lovely voice would take her away to devour or kill her on the spot.
"Okay..."
But since she asked so nicely, might as well let her do what she wants.
"Thank you, the palace is still under renovation- I was not expecting... for you to be the treasure the Xin royal family held dear. You'll be staying in my chambers where you'll be safe. Many of my demons here know not to touch what's mine." she continued, and that only made the little princess shrink.
She really couldn't believe that she now belonged to someone.
A demon, the queen of demons.
The hallway was empty, the servants really intended on not getting in the way of their queen but a few eyes peaked and saw their queen already being so attached towards the human.
"Holding the human's hand and declaring her to be her mate?" A demon gossiped with the other who wiped the sweat off of his forehead looking worried.
"I respect the Queen's decision but I worry about this one, for the elders will not take things likely with her mate of choosing."
"I have forgotten about the elders but surely once her highness has gotten over her new toy for the month- she'll pick a proper mate that's a demon or at least from her clan." The demon servants had their own worries. The demon monarchy is such a sensitive thing to talk about, the strong lives at the very top and the weak are at the very bottom of the chain.
The human that was bartered over didn't even look strong-!
"Where are you taking me?" (Princess Yáng) asks, feeling a bit tired and already being homesick. "Are we going to..."
The human princess had her thoughts elsewhere, surely now that they are wife and wife- would they need to do any intimate physical activity?
"My chambers, of course." (Queen Pythia) answered seriously looking back at the human princess who had her ears suddenly become hot red in color. "One of my most trusted servants is there and I want her to take care of you while I have to attend to some of my work."
"I won't be able to play with you for the week- but you'll get to learn a few basic things. From rules, traditions, demon education and-"
Princess Yáng sighed a breath of relief, knowing that the first day she's going to be here there won't be any intimate motives.
"All the things you'll need to adjust to your new home." The Serpent Queen felt excited having something new come over. Humans are rarely allowed to be inside the demon lands- for because of the hatred that grew over decades. "My chambers are near."
Knock! Knock! Knock!
The door opened to reveal a maid paired with bunny ears wiggling looking up to see the Serpent Queen's figure. "Ah! Your highness, how may I serve you today?"
"Penny, I have a human with me today."
"Ah~ yes, a human with you today. How nice!"
Penny, a demon from a rabbit beast-clan carefreely replies looking over behind the queen's figure who was not at all kidding with what she brought.
"Ah~ a human! Hello~! How are you? I am the queen's personal attendant and trusted servant." she moves closer, carefully trying not to startle the human.
Princess Yáng hears another voice calling out to her- with the nickname of human. The demon with this voice seemed friendly, she didn't feel uncomfortable or even scared.
Queen Pythia tugs on the human princess carefully, getting her inside her vast room and placing the responsibility of taking care of the princess. "I want you to care for this one, keep it safe. I have work today so I cannot be with this one for a while."
"Of course, your highness. I haven't seen this kind of human- they're not like the humans from the south, she's really beautiful." (Penny) the beast-woman shows her respect by doing a curtsy. "It is nice to meet you, your highness, the human princess. It might be rude to keep on calling you human- so um... What's your name?"
"I... My name- it is Princess Yáng Li Xin."
"Lovely~! Are you a friend of the queen? I never thought that my childhood friend would be bringing in a friend other than me." Her long ears twitched and happily teased the serpent queen, no other demon is capable with this power other than her.
"Penny, please be professional. I will get going now, don't tire the human." (Queen Pythia) rolls her eyes and holds the door entrance to her room, opening it.
Penny nods, walking right next to Princess Yáng. "I won't tire your human friend~ you can go ahead and finish up your work."
The Serpent Queen nods, feeling thankful that her childhood friend is there for her despite all the time she's made fun of her. "She's... my human wife by the way. I have no time for your teasing penny- I'll get going now."
"Oh my~! Okay! Okay! Good luck with work. I'll be with your wife for a bit! Hey, human would you like to play something fun?" (Penny) asks, not realizing that the human princess was blind but thankfully she got it after seeing her bump into a wall so suddenly.
Bonk!
Princess Yáng held her head in pain. "Omph... sorry I'm... I am unable to see."
"That dumb Pythia not even telling me you're-! Apologies, here let me help you!" (Penny) was surprised that the girl was blind and her childhood friend did not even give her at least a warning on what to expect.
...
One week later...
"I never thought the human king would bring me his daughter out of all the things." The demon lord mutters at her own office, looking wistful thinking if she has made a grave mistake. "The elders have already been pushing me to find a mate. Marrying a human, it is something that surely will make their blood boil."
Queen Pythia slitters through her office that had a huge space for her snake tail, white in color and silver scales.
The demon lord who was raised by the snake clan of the north, where pearl white demons slither amongst the snow. When it was time for the selection for their new ruler, she was hailed as the winner not only by her strength but for the power she wields.
Queen Pythia expected doing nothing in her newfound life, because her logic of royalty was doing nothing and having your subordinates do everything for you but she was wrong.
"This part of the contract still needs some work, the blood hound demons would need to specify more which part of the territory would they even want?" she mutters to herself, holding a pen using her human hands and stamping it. "Please revise."
The demon lord throws it into the revision pile before sighing a breath of relief, being stuck in the office for a whole week really strains a lot of her strength.
"The elders with their blasted traditions." Now that she has found herself a wife, the problem of having a partner is settled. She can rest her days doing nothing but work in her office- surely humans don't need much attention.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"...?"
One of her assistant's voices came calling out towards the door of her office. "Pythia~! I'm here to do my usual report!"
"It's just you, penny. Come in the door is unlocked." (Queen Pythia) stretches her back, looking over the beast-woman pout and places both of her hands to her waist. "Why are you being pouty?"
"I did not raise you to be a deadbeat demon! You have a wife waiting for you at home and you dare spend all your days in your office doing nothing but work?!" (Penny) strides and feels really guilty of seeing the human princess' state. "Are you only using her as an escape goat for your silly and lazy plans? You made her your wife so you don't have to pick any other demons-!"
"You know how demon courtship goes, penny. Clans will have to fight over my hand in marriage, etc. and that would require my presence being outside of my palace- fighting over me is like a festival!" (Queen Pythia) detested being outside and hosting social events like these. "I only go outside when there is battle or war."
"I do not enjoy when demons make a mockery of me, fighting over my hand in marriage- pah! Such a foolish tradition, if only the elders would let me destroy that rule already." she clicked her tongue and complained, but her childhood friend was having none of it.
"You made that human your wife, take some responsibility you demon! She always asks me every day when you'll be back- and I don't have the heart to tell her that I didn't know! Her eyes are like a cat's when she's sad!"
Penny the beast-demon has misunderstood, whenever the human princess would ask when the demon lord would come back to the chambers of her room- it is to know when to prepare to fulfill her duty as a wife.
"I played with her a bunch and I think the princess has warmed up to me a bit. You- however, should get her a gift, you're her wife come on bring her something she'll like." (Penny) after a week of being with Princess Yáng- it took a bit of time to form trust but the beast-woman was a kind soul.
Queen Pythia groaned for a bit feeling like she's being scolded by her own mother... but she's right, she dragged the human princess into her selfish affairs and now she needed to take some responsibility into it. "Fine, I'll get her a gift. I'll be going back home tonight- I'll be sleeping in my chambers with her and not in my office."
Penny claps happily while taking off, "I suggest a book- she told me she likes them a lot."
"But she's... blind?"
"You're really... I meant books written in braille. Pythia gifts are not really your strong suite."
"Gee... thanks for the support." The Serpent Queen scratches the back of her head thinking where in the world could she even get braille books for such an occasion. Not wanting to trouble herself she decided on the next best thing to give. "No, I'll go with something simple like flowers that should be enough to make her happy."
"Boo, suit yourself! I need to report back to the princess that you're going back home!" (Penny) leaves with a wink before closing the door of her office, leaving Queen Pythia melting into her seat.
"Ugh... What a hectic week."