Chapter 67: Whispers, Sweets, and a Succubus with a Plan
Chapter 67: Whispers, Sweets, and a Succubus with a Plan
Seraphielle had not meant to stay this long inside the castle, but curiosity was a powerful addiction, and she was hopelessly hooked.
At least, that’s what she would tell anyone if they asked why she was still in the castle.
She remained hidden in the deep curve of an archway, the shadows thick enough to hide even the luminous gloss of her amethyst hair. From where she stood, she had a perfect view of the corridor that led toward the kitchens.
Seraphielle had watched as the queen walked toward the kitchen along with Rin and Morthen, who followed her but at a reasonable distance.
Seraphielle tilted her head, puzzled.
Why the kitchen? She wondered what was going on.
She sneaked after them, staying back, far enough that no one would sense her presence. And that was the issue—she couldn’t make out what they were saying.
But that didn’t stop her from watching them. If only she could read lips like that stupid fox demon, she thought to herself.
After the queen spoke with Kethra and even gave Kethra a small box, she watched as they moved to the dining hall. She made sure she stayed hidden in the shadows, and thankfully there were lots of shadows in the castle.
Seraphielle watched as Kethra, Rin, Morthen, and the human—who Seraphielle still didn’t know—walked in.
The dining hall was brightly lit, warm, and filled with the echo of low voices. Elyn and her small circle gathered around a table.
Seraphielle watched from behind a pillar.
She studied the scene carefully. What she saw deepened her confusion even more.
The queen moved with a confidence Seraphielle appreciated. It suited her so well—like she belonged with the demons. She looked entirely unafraid, entirely at ease in a place that would have swallowed most humans whole.
Again, Seraphielle couldn’t make out what they were saying, but it looked important. She watched as the blonde woman changed seats, choosing to sit far from Kethra. She also watched as the queen summoned Marrok and Versha, who appeared immediately, but she still didn’t know what was going on, and it killed her that she didn’t know and couldn’t make out the words they were saying.
She watched until the meeting ended, and what she saw next made her pause. Elyn made her way to the Demon King’s room. The door had materialized in front of her like it had been expecting her.
But that wasn’t what made Seraphielle pause. It was the fact that the queen was going into the King’s room... again. Twice in one day.
Seraphielle’s breath caught.
She remembered how Elyn had entered earlier and come out unscathed, but that didn’t mean she would come out unscathed again.
Seraphielle nearly stepped out of hiding purely from disbelief, but she caught herself immediately.
Fool.
If she followed Elyn too closely, someone would see her. Worse, someone would question her. And no one would believe she hadn’t been spying on the queen. She could only imagine what Zorathys would do when he found out.
So she stayed where she was, close enough to see Elyn walk into the room and the door disappear like it hadn’t been there in the first place.
She waited. Every part of her expected the servants to panic—to flinch, to whisper, to rush after their queen as if she were heading into danger. But apart from Kethra, the rest looked like they didn’t care. As if it was normal. Rin even placed a hand on Kethra as if calming her down.
Seraphielle could not understand it, but she chose to remain quiet.
She slowly backed into another corridor, intending to find a better vantage point. That was when she noticed Rin and Morthen leaving the dining hall themselves.
She hesitated.
Then followed them.
Not too closely—again—but this time close enough to hear without being heard. Her heels softened into silence. Her wings tucked in. She moved like a shadow, without noise.
Rin and Morthen stepped into a dim, isolated corner of the castle.
Seraphielle edged closer, using the curve of the wall as cover.
At first, she thought she’d misheard. But Rin’s voice drifted through the shadows clearly:
"...the queen is throwing a birthday party."
Seraphielle’s eyebrows shot up.
A... what?
She leaned forward a little more.
"...only in her room," Rin continued. "Just sweets and snacks. That’s what she said."
A birthday party?
In her room?
Demons didn’t do birthday parties. They didn’t need to. When they wanted to celebrate, they threw parties that lasted for days, sometimes weeks. They didn’t mark years—they drowned time in revelry and called it tradition.
A birthday party was so... human.
Seraphielle’s mind raced.
Morthen replied a moment later, in his deep, quiet voice, "I’m not really a fan of sweets... but I suppose I would like to try the snacks she mentioned. They sound... interesting."
Seraphielle didn’t care about the sweets. The only sweets she liked had to do with sex. But she was intrigued.
Rin added something under her breath, but Seraphielle didn’t catch it. The pair finished their conversation and walked off as if they hadn’t just discussed something important.
Seraphielle remained rooted where she stood, shock spreading through her like warm ink.
A birthday party.
In the Demon King’s castle.
Planned by the queen herself.
She pressed her fingers lightly to her lips, speechless for a rare moment. She had not expected this. But it worked in her favor.
She had snuck into the castle to see how the queen looked, since the king wasn’t interested in introducing the nobles to her. And also because she wanted to be the first to meet the queen—although Ignivar had stolen that from her.
But this was another opportunity. She would attend the party and introduce herself to the queen. If she couldn’t be the first person to introduce herself to the queen, then she would be the second.
She smiled and hummed a bit, wondering what dress would fit a queen’s birthday party. She made her way through the window, flying through the clouds.
The gargoyles outside turned their heads as she flew, but they pretended they didn’t see her. After all, she had given them wine.