1. New King

The strong stench of the blood of my elders was the distinct memory that I remember from my past. I was barely reaching adulthood when my parents were annihilated. Gone was the kingdom that I belonged to, my throne forgotten.

I was the princess of the demon succubus and her king, the heir who lost her wings as they cut them off to make sure that I will always suffer for my kind.

*****

It has been less than a week since I stayed in his kingdom. The dark, quiet surroundings were strikingly different from Ranulf's kingdom. There's no sense of grandeur in Armand's, strangely I feel pain, and sadness as if this palace was built for isolation.

I decided to take a leisurely walk around the palatial structure, I've done this a couple of times already, and it doesn't matter where I ended the aura has been the same. Eerie, quiet sadness, aside from the clinking metals and the chatters of his warrior demons and generals.

I've heard about his kingdom, Maven told me the history of his castoff kingdom when I was treating Armand back at Ranulf's. Maven, the demon sorcerer said that it's like the kingdom of rejects, but not because it's inferior to others. In fact, Maven told me that Armand's kingdom has the most ferocious generals. The beings that stay with Armand are said to be classified as the most savage and violent cast outs who were rejected or kicked out from other kingdoms.

Honestly, I was half surprised the day Armand requested that he'd take me as a peace offering because there was no way he was going back to his kingdom empty-handed. His fling with Rain, the half-human werewolf didn't last as King Ranulf had taken Rain as his mate. Their bond, their marks had been there for everyone to see.

The hatred in Armand's eyes was visible. He was shamed, I think I can see a glimpse of hurt from being betrayed and when he said he wants me, King Ranulf agreed. Maybe because we had been intimate a couple of times, he heard me say that I wish for him to keep me. I was delirious, I had never been so high in lust from one being alone. I hadn't had the experience. When he fuck me, it was as if he took me to the deepest pits of hell, so hot that the lust burned so bright making me blurt out incoherent words. I didn't realize it until I heard it slipping out of my mouth, while my mind was like a puddle of gooey hot molten lava.

Armand had been an enigma to me, I did ask Maven, and as always the mysterious demon sorcerer told me lazily and calmly that he might be the one for me. His face showed no facial expression, deadpan as if we were discussing one of his concoctions. I laughed and told him that there's no way in heaven that a succubus can be mated to an angel. Though he had been cast to hell and became another being, he's still originally an angel. A mythical being once forges from the pure godly divine entity that lives haughtily above our demonkind.

I've been with several fallen angels, but none gave me the experience that he had given me. I was captivated by him, by us being together that he made me shattered and gave me the greatest pleasure that no other being ever did.

Damn, maybe Maven was right.

"Basilea, come, walk with me." Armand greeted me under the arch, meters away from the courtyard where several of his men were conversing.

He was right, his warriors love him, they're loyal to him and I've never been respected in so long that I was surprised when they bow as I walk beside their king. I didn't expect to be treated as such, I was there as a gift, a succubus for his harem court. Though he didn't have a harem court and I haven't seen any harem in his residence aside from myself.

"Where are we going?"

"I thought you might like some company," he was limiting his words, he's not the type of man who speaks his mind. And I shouldn't be bothered when he put his hand on the small back of my waist. But I did, and he noticed my startled glance, little thumps of my heart, and each time my eyes flick to golden whenever I feel the hots for him.

He smirked before carrying on with his words. "We caught him yesterday, I thought you might like it?"

There to my front was the most beautiful dragon I've seen in a very long time.

"You're not serious? Armand, he's gorgeous..." I was stroking the underside of his body. Dragons in these terrains are rare. "I haven't seen one in decades." The creature purred, closing his eyes. I noticed that he was still young, yet he towers over me, the greenish golden skin felt soft and harsh at the same time.

My eyes were suddenly teary as pieces of the puzzles were coming back into my memory. I had them, I had pet dragons that the enemy killed just because they were mine.

"Hey, I'm sorry, did you not like it?" Armand asked when he wipe my tear away with his thumb, resting his hand on my cheek, tilting me to face him.

"I...I'm okay, I just remembered." The young dragon bopped his head to my hand as if he recognized my emotion. "I used to have pet dragons," I smile at him then caresses the dragon making him let out another guttural purring sound.

"My King, if you'd let me, I still need to tend to its wound." One of his men came up to the dragon's side and put on its chain, the young beast growled but I called out to him and managed to calm him down.

"What did you call him?"

It was a whisper, but I know the name suited him. "Brontes, thunderous, his golden hue against his dark green scales. It fits, you like it, don't you?" I asked the young dragon as if he can understand me, putting my hand on his side, and he lets out his guttural purring sound again like he was agreeing with his name. Armand smiled, then the caretaker called him by his new name and the young dragon followed.

"What happened to him?" I asked when Arman lead me back inside and headed to the common room where his generals awaits. I was about to let him sit with his men and get back to his room when he pulled me down to sit on his lap.

No one even flinched, as if it has been customary for a harem succubus to sit on their king's lap and join in on their conversation. I looked at Armand but he just gave me his wicked smile and put his hand on my thigh, rubbing me casually with no sexual intention.

Well, this is a new one for me. I thought to myself and let him do what he wants while I listened to his generals. They were discussing their defenses, their recruits and more dragons spotted on the mountainous side of their territory.

"I think we should send a scout, see how many are there, we can train them, be part of our army. They can cover a longer distance in a shorter amount of time."

Armand must've felt that I was uncomfortable with their intentions, but he didn't say a word, he kept his face straight, not giving any indication of his decision. "I will think on it, meanwhile you can go take one of your men and assess the situation. You're all dismissed."

He didn't wait for them to go, instead, he told me to follow him and I did. Until we reached the steps leading to the darkest area of the building. I haven't been to this part, it was darker I didn't think it was possible as if no being had ever been here in decades. Armand didn't say anything he just kept on walking until we reached a spacious opening, a grand room with a very high ceiling, there was no wall, no windows, no nothing. The floor just ended on the edge of the room, nothing was blocking the view of the outside world. It's like a ledge, you can hear the wind howling and feel the breeze passing through.

"Why didn't I see this when coming here?" I was astounded, "This can not be safe for your defense?"

The king didn't answer my questions when he talks and explained about my young dragon. "When he's tame and his wound is better, Brontes can accompany you here." Armand steps back and I peel my eyes from the open walls and look at the high ceiling and the very large space with stone flooring. Then I looked at the chains on the walls, this place...

"The previous king, I was told he had a fascination with dragons."

"What happened to him?"

"Died in a battle." He ended the conversation right there, and I didn't push further instead I asked the thing that lingers on my mind.

"Why are you this nice to me?"

"Am I? I didn't know that I can't be nice to my harem."

"You don't have a harem, you have me."

"Right, I don't have the need for a harem court, I have sexual partners who come when needed, and you did ask me to keep you? am I hearing it wrong?"

"No, you heard right." I smiled and he knows that I was faking it. "Can I stay here for a while?"

"Alright." The king left me on the dragon's ledge. Of course, he didn't need me, the man was still in love with Rain he demanded me because he didn't know who else he'd take for a peace offering.

I walked to the edge of the open space, sit on the edge and let my feet hang in the air while resting my side on the wall. Looking at the red skyline. Feeling so small, I sighed thinking how can a demon be this sad.

The day he told king Ranulf that he wanted me, I was hoping for something else. The way he connected with me, his possessiveness and lust, and Maven's stupid words hinting that there might be something else between us. A demon succubus lusting for a fallen angel, yeah...not at all dreamy and just waiting to epically embarrass myself.

It was stupid to hope, I was too needy, too overly excited, which made me a fool. A fool who desperately needs to belong.