Hell's Consort

******************************

Archdemon Empress Luna

******************************

Her brows knitted in confusion as she stared at King Oberon. "Tree of Four Seasons?" Was it just a tree that can live through the four seasons in the Faerie Realm? Anyhow, Luna wasn't afraid to clarify her initial assumption. "What is that, Your Highness?"

"I know what that is. It's a myth, Luna."  Apollyon answered and Luna's attention shifted to her husband. He continued as the warm breeze made his silky dark hair brush over his forehead. "That Eternal Tree existed at the time when the Faerie Realm wasn't divided into the Four Courts  they currently have now."

He turned his head towards King Oberon and Queen Titania as he gaged their expression warily, waiting for any signs of confirmation.

"It was at the time when the all the Faerie Courts have lived harmoniously without greed and power. When gods, goddesses and even a few angels walked the Earth to watch over creatures the Highest God of the Universe have made." Confidence became more evident in his tone when Luna saw the Monarchs nodding in agreement. "Gods and goddesses were rarely seen but we know they are here with us. Sometimes, they appear in dreams and vanish as they please. They only show themselves to the creatures they have chosen yet only if their choice to make themselves known wouldn't interfere with fate."

Oh.

So it was similar to how, the Goddess of the Underworld, Hecate, had chosen to connect with her from time to time.

Luna must know something about her fate, making sure that she followed through with her destiny. Her grip tightened on her armchair.

Luna was meant to be an Archdemon.

"Everything was peaceful before the inevitable division of the Fae Realm." King Oberon said as he regarded them with an intense gaze that felt like he was speaking with his eyes. "—until the 'Watchers' began to misbehave and turn away from their real mission given to them by the Highest God."

She inclined her head, allowing her silver strands of hair to brush against her arm. "Watchers?"

"From the name itself, Watchers are the heavenly beings we call 'angels'. They walked the earth to guard and watch over the Highest God's Creation. They are visible in every Realm but they are only a few of them who was tasked to stay here. Just enough to keep all creatures in line and keep them away from evil."

"Hmmm." Picking the table napkin, she felt the texture of the fabric between her fingers as she thought for a long minute before asking what's on her mind. "If evil is an entity, they can't possibly win among this guardian angels called, 'Watchers', right?"

"I have almost lived an era where evil, wasn't an separate entity like it was now. It might sound that the world I used  to grow up in was like a different world. JIt was a world where evil have originated from free will." King Oberon chuckled to himself as he glanced down at his plate absently as if he was reminiscing his precious childhood memories.

Can he still remember something as an Ancient?

"The Watchers are tasked to provide help whenever people needed them. They can be witnesses to injustice. They listen and execute fairness in behalf of the victim right away to promote peace within a region. Everything was alright as it should. But everything went wrong when one Watcher, a Holy One, have broken his covenant with the Highest God and committed his first sin." His mature countenance might have been too young but his voice was a bit husky and timeworn as he explained. "Evil have corrupted him because of his freedom in his choice."

Luna was slightly taken aback. "Committing a sin?" The volume of her pitch rose in shock as she let that sink in. Aren't Archangels supposed to be perfect and can do no wrong? "I couldn't imagine how a Heavenly Being ca do something like that because I have met—" Luna abruptly shut her mouth instead of narrating her encounter with an Archangel, recalling that she and Apollyon had this agreement.

Nobody should know that she had ties with the Spiritual Realm.

Luna halted and allowed the awkward silence to fill the air, refusing to speak any further.

Goddess, she shouldn't have done that!

If the Summer Monarchs found out that her soul had been to Hell and survived, that might lead her into trouble. They might react similar to the Spring Courts and accuse her of being an Archdemon—to which she was.

They would think she was the harbinger of demonic legions on this Realm and the Vampire Realm would lose an ally if they decided to gang up on them along with the Spring Courts.

Apollyon's squeeze on her forearm was enough to seal her lips.

Now, she could sense Apollyon's suspicion from the back of her mind and she decided to keep their telepathic line open to gain his trust.

"Luna." Apollyon said quietly and his tone can cut like razors yet there was a seductive purr to it that only a wife could sense.

Her spine went rigid not because of his tone but the way his fingers caressed her lower back, moving upwards to the arch of her spine.

Luna remained still, breathless. "I didn't remember you telling me something like this before."

Oh, my goddess!

Was this a threat?

Luna had opened her mouth to explain but she shut her lips, instead, and left it at that when he told her.

She lowered her gaze to screen her expression from Apollyon's grandparents. "Let's talk about this after we return to Vinca Inn."

"Please don't return to Vinca Inn anymore, King Apollyon, and move in the Summer Castle with us instead." Luna would have liked to protest because she liked it there.

In addition to that, she and her husband had their privacy.

Well, that must be counterintuitive!

How sure was she that no one could hear her scream every time Apollyon pounded her between legs as their royal canopy bed creak in unison with his thrusts?