Hell's Consort

Newest Chapter of Highest Tier (January 2022)

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Archdemon Empress Luna

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Resigned, Luna finally removed her lace-gloved hands on her sternum. Compared to those, this white gown was nothing. In the past, Luna had wished for bigger breasts to increase her appeal as a consort after Cederic had declared her as one. Now, that her breasts were too large because of the pregnancy, she prayed to the goddess to give her her small pair of hills back. 'Be careful what you wished for or you just might get it.' Luna had thought grudgingly as the maidservant tied the ribbon loosely behind her upper back and fixed the empire waistline just above her navel where her large bump began.

The other girl crouched at her feet to expose the seashell embroideries at the hem of her skirts. She glanced down at the willowy form of her maidservant wistfully, wondering if she could get back to her original figure if she managed to survive the childbirth. According to her one of her maids, the male servants had removed their hats and cloaks, bowing their heads at her husband to show their utmost respect. The rest of the girls curtsied in an angle lower than necessary, sporting a proud smile as they basked in her husband's praises. Indeed, Queen Morgan had hired the best staff to keep her favored Estate running without her supervision. Apollyon, like the Autumn Queen, had given the servants the same freedom and they had enjoyed it with immense gratitude.

It also seemed like her husband didn't hold back in spending thousands of gold coins from this extravagant and expensive banquet. Apollyon told her that it might appear like they need to store a lot of food during the Winter Season—that they need to do that now more than ever--after the threat of Luxen's demonic Legion. The probability of war wasn't that impossible between the Material Realm and Hell, so they had to develop brilliant strategies to keep their temporary castle safe. Still, the peasants who worked hard to harvest the food laid on the long tables for their guests needed to have spare gold coins to feel secure. Apollyon added even further that he wouldn't give their Estate's tenants money for free. In exchange for the gold, they had to work hard for it to learn instead of growing lazy from how easy they could get money from doing nothing. If he made that mistake, these Faeries might throw away their pride and resort to begging for scraps. Luna nodded her head in agreement. Once Apollyon formed an opinion, he wouldn't change it easily. Her husband was trying to be kind yet reasonable. He also wanted to portray an active, confident and courageous Monarch, and was the best at embodying that character. Luna smiled at her husband as her heart swelled with pride from the information her maids had relayed to her while her birth attendants fussed over her stomach and her clothes like mother hen, making hawk-like inspections.

Apollyon had improved greatly as the King of the Vampire Realm and put his leadership to good use after Queen Morgan proclaimed their new status in the Kingdom. He wasn't selfish anymore after acquiring this small yet fragile empathy for the people who worked for them in the Estate.

She was determined to protect the little humanity her husband had developed for being with her.

The squires of the kitchen were in charge of various provisions, including choosing, purchasing and setting food aside for emergencies. In the Winter and the Autumn Courts, blood was a luxury only rich Vampiric Faeries could afford unless they had their one true mate to share their life essence with to which not everyone had the luck to encounter. They also had another alternative presented to them by searching healthy blood donors if they could. Noblemen sought out mistresses they could run to if they didn't have a mate or a wife yet. Some men were perfectly satisfied with the arrangement, carrying a vial of blood with them everyday and wearing it as a necklace no matter who and where they came from. Wasn't it ironic that they kept the precious ichor close to their heart as if they had cherished who it belonged to? Her husband had done the same as well.

At her oldest birth attendant's request, Luna gathered her voluminous skirts and twirled around to please the six matrons whom Apollyon had hired to monitor her aches and pains every time she complain about it. The maidservants also showered her with compliments while they applied some light make up on her face. It didn't take long for the girls to finish dressing her since the gown was easy to slip on and take off by simply untying the large red bow fastened around her body and resting at her back.

After combing her hair with oiled fingers making her strands more lustrous and fragrant, the maids helped her rise from her cushioned settee in front of the vanity table and ushered her towards the door and to where Apollyon had waited for her at the bottom of the grand staircase. That was not right. He didn't wait for her to descend like a beautiful white cloud of long and fluffy gossamer skirts billowing at her heels.

Apollyonhad raised a hand and gestured at her to stay at the top platform, scanned her from head to toe and gave her a slow, appreciative smile. Luna smiled back, coyly fluttering her lashes. When she returned her gaze on his face, Luna locked her fingers together and settled them in front. Apollyon was a delicious in his black and white attire with a waistcoat made of leather so that he could blend in with the vampiric faeries. Faeries from the Unseelie Courts were different from vampires in that regard since they preferred to be warm whether they could withstand the weather or not. The instant he reached her Luna would thank her husband for not allowing her to make a fool of herself by stepping unto the edge of her skirts and tripping by herself with no villain to blame for such clumsiness.