The sound of the slammed door echoed within the room and through the hallway. There was a long silence that follows and it lasted for what seemed like hours. Dimitri stood there in disbelief – he has never been this insulted before. He was never challenge in all his life and the first time he did, it was by a human girl no less. She was nothing but a sacrifice, abandoned and betrayed by her people, and yet she still had the guts to actually show that sort of attitude to Dimitri. He was fuming, he was frozen with rage.
“Are you sure about that?” was a question that followed after the steward, Alex, cleared his throat to break the eternal silence.
“Sure about what?” Dimitri asked, his mind still seems to be off somewhere; he is clearly yet to recover from that.
“Are you sure about not doing the ritual tonight?” Alex continued, “I mean, I get that you are furious after what that woman did, but shouldn’t we continue with the ritual either way? The god might not bless us with his boon this year,”
“God?! Who cares about that damn god?!” Dimitri asked, “His village sent me that disrespectful woman! I can’t bear to see her face tonight. I will decide what to do with her and hold off with the ritual until I did.”
Alex was silent. Dimitri’s way of addressing the god who rules above the creatures in the castle seems sacrilegious but he does not want to upset his Alpha. He, after all, is the chosen one and there isn’t anything much hat Alex can do about it, for now.
“Don’t let anyone in my room tonight,” Dimitri continued, “I want to be alone.”
“Sure thing,” Alex replied, “You need to decide what to do on the woman, though.” Alex reminded him before turning for the door, “and quickly. You know what happens when he gets upset.”
Dimitri merely gazed at Alex as he left and closed the door behind him. Of course Dimitri knows – he has lived in this castle since he was young and he knew that he is powerless before the god. But he also knows that he must be revered as the god’s representative in the castle and the sacrifices are offered because the village is at the mercy of the same god.
He could not sleep that night: he was torn. On one end, he is undeniably attracted to the girl. She had deep eyes that spoke more words than what she actually said, her were almost shining as it reflected the lights from the chandelier. She is perfect in all things physical. On the other, she does not bend her will to anyone, not even the Demon King. Dimitri knows that she is intelligent from the way she spoke; Dimitri knows that the girl is aware of who he is, and that makes him even angrier.
Dimitri thought that he needed to find a way to bend the girl’s will. He could have just ordered his servants to murder and devour the girl earlier, or he could even tell them to do so right at this moment, but he feels like it would be such a waste to dispose of someone like her. He wants to give him a chance. Maybe if she actually knows what she will be dealing with if she crosses the Demon King again, she would change her mind and actually start to worship him.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Demon King’s castle has been home to various creatures that have sprung forth since the very first Demon King and they have been living there for centuries. The more sentient creatures like the Lamia, the Lizardfolk, and even the Harpies, the Trolls, and some of the Goblins were assigned to maintain the castle and take leadership tasks. But they are only a small portion of the ones who actually live there.
Deep within the recesses of the castle, and even in some places where the weakest of the creatures fear to tread, are the less intelligent creatures. The Gargoyles, the Ogres, the Centaurs, the Minotaurs, and all the other beastfolk that have succumb to their primal urges and have become nothing but killing machines, devouring whoever or whatever it is that gets in their way. The current Demon King does not actually mind this bunch a lot, but he also knows that they will have their use when he would need to defend the Castle from attackers.
And so there are places in the Castle that are hardly maintained because none of the maids and other servants would dare to go and only the best of the werebeast warriors could hope to repair whatever needs to be repaired from these desolate places. If the woman would not bow to Dimitri, he needs to show her the kind of creatures that he controls and maybe she will change her mind. And there is only one way to do so.
“So you are saying that you will assign her to clean the places that even the bravest of the maids, the Lamia, is afraid of cleaning?” Alex repeated what Dimitri suggested to him that morning. He barely finished his cup of coffee and his Alpha already dropped this on him.
“That is what I am saying,” Dimitri replied. He looks serious – he is ALWAYS serious. “If she refuses to bend her will to me, maybe I need to show her what creatures I have under my control.”
“And if she does not?” Alex asked, still doubting his Alpha’s decision.
“If she does not, then we would need a new sacrifice for the ritual.” Dimitri answered immediately. There was decisiveness in his answer but Alex feels like there was something off about him as he said that.
“Should I inform the village ahead of time, then?” Alex asked, the village needs to know that they would need to send a new sacrifice, the ritual needs to be done as soon as possible after all.
“There is no need.” Dimitri replied after thinking about it. Deep inside, he wants to hold on to this mysterious girl as much as possible, he is fascinated by her and having something to entertain him like this is rare. If only she would revere him like the others. “We will give her one more week. If she still refuses to respect me by then, then we will inform the village.”
“I see.” Alex replied. He is even more concerned. One week is the longest that the god would allow them to delay the ritual. They would have to suffer for a year until the next one if they could not do so within the week. “So you are determined to actually keep her.”
“She somehow fascinated me,” Dimitri replied. “It would be waste to just dispose of such a nice specimen.”
“Yeah” Alex replied and paused for I while. She remembered the way the woman looked the previous night and even he was awestruck. “I get what you feel.”
“Arrange for her to be transferred to a room close to the beast’s quarters.” Dimitri finally ordered. “Send warriors to guard her door and give her just one attendant.”
The guards were mostly to protect the woman from the beasts. Dimitri knows that the smell of a ripe and untouched human female would induce mating in the wild beasts and they will definitely attack the woman as soon as she lives close to them. Sure, Dimitri wants to bend her will, but he does not want to do it that way, at least not yet. The attendant will be placed so that there would be someone to watch over her and report directly to Dimitri about the woman’s activities and if she is already willing to bow down.
“And that would mean that we need to assign a non-human attendant for her,” Alex replied, realizing that a human attendant might help the woman escape instead. “How about the Harpy that took her here. I think she would be more comfortable with a creature that she has already had a conversation with.”
“I don’t care who it is,” Dimitri replied, “Just send someone to attend to her and observe her. And make sure to use the best warriors to guard her.”
“Got it” Alex replied and remained silent.
In a guest room far from the Demon King’s main Chamber, the woman is also still awake. She also could not sleep but her thoughts are on a completely different thing. The Lord of the castle is clearly upset about the way she acted earlier but she does not regret that, no, her mind is off wandering to a completely different place, and a completely different time.
Back to a time when Jessica, Irene, and Grace were still with her; back to when her parents would take her to the lakeside where her father would set up to fish and her mother would tell her about the flowers that grow by the bank and towards the forest. About how she learned for the first time why the people would call her Lily instead of Amanda.
Those were happy times, those days were bright. There was only the smell of flowers and of perfumes, and of freshly caught fish that is already roasting by the bonfire. She felt detached. She knows that she is not experiencing those things right now: She knows that the brightness comes from the chandelier above her head and the smell of flowers ore from the vase. The perfume, of course, is the one that was put on her earlier. She is in a completely different time, and most definitely in a completely different place.
The new clan chief looked at his family longingly as his wife and newborn son are slumbering. It is still quite early but they went on a trip earlier and both of them were exhausted from the hiking and the running around. His smile was suddenly replaced by a frown after he realized that his family could be living in a better place. The human’s attack on their settlements when he was young still seems fresh in his memories.After knowing about the secret in the forest, the werebeasts were attacked and displaced by humans so that they can claim the source of power. The women and children were evacuated and the new clan leader, who was still a child back then, had no choice but to leave his father and the village that he grew up in. it was true for the other children as well. That night, every child in the village lost a parent to the humans.It was unfortunate, but at least their race lives on with them, the new generation. And so a new but smaller village was erec
Alex still could find comfort in Dmitri’s decision. After all, he has known the Demon King since they were children. He was practically Dimitri’s caretaker growing up. Especially after his mother succumbed to a curse that took almost half of their people – the exact same curse that they are trying to prevent by performing the blessing ritual every year. And Dimitri has decided to call the ritual off for a mere sacrifice. But if Alex is being honest, he does understand why Dimitri would feel that way; Dimitri is, after all, still a male and the new sacrifice is definitely attractive.Fearing for the future of their people, Alex went to the only place where he could find comfort and solace; the one chamber in the castle that is hardly visited by anyone, even the current Demon King – the Chamber of Dedication. It is a chamber far detached from the main keep, towards the back of the castle. At one look it could be mistaken for a shabby shed, but no one wou
Amanda is still quite a bit dazed as she followed the Lamia Maid who prepared last night through the winding halls of the keep. Just last night, she was order to stay inside her room and never to go out. Even her breakfast was brought to her earlier. It seems like the Lord of the place was too angry with her that he does not want to see her face any time soon.Then just shortly after lunch, she was startled when the door to her room suddenly swung open and it revealed the full figure of the Lamia maid.“Prepare yourself,” The Maid announced without even bothering to excuse herself. “You will be taken somewhere else.”Amanda silently complied. There wasn’t much to prepare anyway, so they went on their way as soon as she was mentally ready; except that she actually is not. She thought that her time was finally up, that the Lord of the castle has finally decided what to do with her, and by the looks of the halls that they are passing t
“What the hell are you doing here?” Dimitri’s face had a mix of shock and anger as he saw Amanda by the door. It was 3 in the morning and he is about to get some sleep after a long night, and suddenly his door opens to reveal this feisty woman, wearing nothing but her night gown.“Who the hell told you to come here?!” Dimitri asked without moving from where he was standing on.“I- I was-” Amanda looked for the right words to say. She started to feel the warmth on her face and her ears from the embarrassment, “The Maid told me that you asked for me! She even took me here!”“What maid? I don’t see anyone besides you,” Dimitri replied, looking behind Amanda and seeing nothing but an empty hall.“She left as soon as we arrived!” Amanda replies, realizing how she sounds and finally understanding why the Maid just left without announcing their arrival, she know something was of,
“Look, mom.” A seven-year-old Amanda held a flower up towards her mother. They were on their usual trip to the lakeside and her father has just begun to set up for fishing. Her mother sat on the blanket and looked at her. “What pretty flowers. Do you know what they’re called?” Amanda’s mother asked and then smiled. She would tell Amanda the names of the flowers that they find wherever they go. “Wait! I know this!” Amanda almost shrieked. She remembers her mother telling her the name of the flower, she just could not recall the exact word. She waves the bunch of small white flowers in front of her as if casting a spell with her magic wand. The white pappi of the flower flew into the air and spread, as if indicating that the spell was successfully cast, “Oh! Oh, I remember!” “Really?” Amanda’s mother asked, she felt kind of dizzy but she tries to hide it from Amanda. “What is that flower called, then?” “It’s a Dandy Lion!” Amanda
After Amanda cried herself to sleep that night she has never woken up as light-hearted. She is still in the darkroom, she can still smell the filth and hear the growls and moans of the beasts, and she is still under the mercy of that pompous Lord of the castle. But at least she now has a clearer mind. She was able to cry out all of her bitterness that night and she is not one to stay slumped after an episode like that. This is now time to do something, to make her move. The first order of business, learn about the ins and outs of the castle, the people that she could most likely befriend, and the people that she needs to look out to. On top of her list are the Steward and the Maid; they are most definitely on the Lord’s side. The Harpy is neutral, and she already knows that Jessica is already a hopeless case – or maybe not. Maybe there is still something that she can do about Jessica and all the other girls who came before her. The question is what and ho
The Harpy was practically humming while she cleaned the area. She already has a lot of things in mind to talk about with her human friend and she is starting to feel hungry. Lunch time is nigh. She needs to prepare their lunch so she has to go upstairs. Her friend should be back by now; they need to take a break.“Aren’t you going to take your lunch?” the shorter guard asked, he is the one who is more assertive of the two, “It is half past noon.”“Pretty human not back,” The Harpy replied, “I wait for her.”The Harpy started to worry. Maybe her friend is just having fun cleaning, like the way she is. Maybe she wants to finish cleaning the place before leaving. Maybe she will return. The Harpy waited and waited. The guards have already changed but she is yet to see her friend return. Images suddenly started to flash in his mind.She saw herself being grabbed by one of the Minotaurs. She tried to claw he
“Are you really sure about this?” Alex asked Dimitri as he returned to the mansion. “Putting herthere will delay the ritual even further.” “She needs to learn her lesson.” Dimitri replied, “Had we not found out, she would have successfully escaped. No one escapes me!” Alex was silent. He knows that the ritual would not be successful if the sacrifice is not willing. But he also wants to perform the ritual before the week is over. No one wants to experience the curse again. He knows that Dimitri is aware of that, but he also knows about his Alpha’s pride. They grew up together and he has been Dimitri’s Steward and Beta since they began living in the castle, and he knows that Dimitri will never change his mind, especially when a woman just tried to run away from him. Finally giving up and realizing that trying to change his Alpha’s mind is pointless, Alex excusedhimself and left for the courtyard. There was only one thing that he can