Chapter 203: Ysera, Ignivar’s Wife
Chapter 203: Ysera, Ignivar’s Wife
Elyn’s POV
The couple remained bowed before us.
For half a second, the world felt suspended—music humming in the distance, chandeliers glittering above, demons gliding across polished floors.
Zorathys’ shadows moved. They slipped around his wrist and placed another glass of that same purple wine into his hand.
The exact same shade.
He took it without looking and sipped from the glass.
I blinked—then looked down.
One of the shadows had extended toward me as well.
It was holding a small porcelain plate.
With pastries in it. The exact same type I had eaten some seconds before.
I stared at it.
The shadow tilted slightly, as if presenting it more properly.
"Oh," I breathed.
Zorathys did not look at me. He was watching the couple, his expression unreadable.
I, however, smiled brightly and took one of the pastries from the plate.
"Thank you," I whispered to the shadow.
It recoiled and bowed shyly before settling back at my side instead of going back to Zorathys.
I turned to the two demons still bowed before us.
"You may rise," I said gently.
They straightened in unison.
Ignivar I already knew.
He looked exactly as he had the first time I saw him—like fire had chosen to take shape and walk among the rest of us.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, and composed, his molten-gold eyes glowing faintly beneath the crystal lights of the ballroom. His hair shifted subtly, layers of ember-red and copper-orange threaded with streaks of blue like the hottest part of a flame.
Beside him stood a woman I had never met but who bore a resemblance to Aziren.
She was breathtaking.
Fox ears rose elegantly from her reddish-brown hair, which fell in soft waves like polished copper over her shoulders. Eight lush tails flowed behind her, fanning slightly behind her, graceful and deliberate. The rightmost tails were tinged faintly with fire, their tips glowing with a soft ember-light that shimmered against the ballroom floor before fading.
Her gown was beautiful too.
Deep ember-red silk clung to her figure, the fabric flowing like liquid flame. White threading ran along the seams and bodice in intricate patterns.
Ignivar inclined his head slightly toward her.
"Your Highness," he said to me, his voice steady, "this is the Duchess of the Hellfire Territory. My wife—Ysera."
I turned fully to her and smiled.
"It’s nice to meet you," I said warmly. "I’ve met Ignivar... and even your son, Aziren. But I haven’t met you yet. It’s nice to finally put a face to the woman Aziren told me about."
Ysera’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.
Then she smiled.
It was soft at first, cautious.
But genuine.
"Aziren told me about you as well," she replied, her voice smooth, layered with quiet intelligence. "He’s been asking when he can visit you again. He keeps asking when he can see the shadows... and when he can see his friend."
I felt my own smile widen.
"Even Azerion has been asking about Aziren," I admitted.
From beside me, Zorathys muttered into his wine, "Two nuisances asking for each other."
I did not even look at him.
"Please ignore the King," I told Ysera lightly.
Her fox ears twitched.
Her eyes widened noticeably this time.
I chuckled softly.
I waved a hand dismissively and turned back to her.
"You can visit the palace anytime," I said sincerely. "You and Aziren. You do not need permission."
Zorathys’ voice came immediately after.
"I can accept Ysera visiting," he said coolly. "Not the nuisance."
I turned slowly to him.
He looked perfectly serious.
I blinked once.
Then waved him off.
"He is just being his usual self," I told Ysera.
Ysera glanced at Ignivar briefly, and he gave the smallest nod as if to confirm that yes, this was normal.
And that was weird. Since she was a duchess, surely she should know what Zorathys is like, right? Well, that wasn’t any of my concern.
Zorathys took another sip of his wine.
Then he added casually, "Your nuisance had a picnic with Firefly before I did."
Ysera frowned faintly.
"Firefly?" she asked.
Ignivar leaned slightly toward her and murmured something under his breath.
"The King calls the Queen Firefly," he clarified quietly.
Ysera’s ears twitched once.
Then she nodded.
I felt heat rise to my cheeks.
Zorathys did not look even remotely embarrassed.
Instead, he turned his ruby gaze toward Ignivar.
"I hope you have not forgotten your promise," he said mildly.
Ignivar sighed.
It was a long, resigned sound.
"I have not," he replied.
I looked between them.
"What promise?" I asked.
Neither answered.
Ysera’s eyes flicked to her husband with quiet curiosity, but he did not elaborate.
Zorathys simply took another sip of his wine, clearly enjoying whatever silent tension existed between them.
I narrowed my eyes at both of them. I couldn’t deny the fact that I was curious, but I also knew that no amount of pushing would get them to tell me what promise they had made.
I turned back to Ysera.
"If you ever wish to speak to me," I said gently, "you may. You do not have to wait for invitations or formal gatherings."
Her expression softened.
"I will..." she began, but she did not finish.
Zorathys cleared his throat. I turned to him, but he ignored me, choosing to sip from his wine.
Ignivar’s hand moved instinctively, resting lightly at Ysera’s wrist.
His gaze lifted toward both of us—me and Zorathys.
"It was a pleasure meeting you both. Please enjoy the ball, Your Majesties," he said.
Ysera inclined her head gracefully.
"It was a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty," she said to me.
"And you," I replied warmly.
Then Ignivar turned slightly.
Ysera’s tails swayed in smooth unison as they stepped away together, their presence leaving behind a faint warmth in the air.
I watched them go.
They were striking as a pair.
But I noticed that as they walked, Ysera discreetly removed her hand from Ignivar’s, and he just sighed. That reminded me of what Morthen told me about the two of them and how they were having some marital issues.
I was about to ask Zorathys when I felt something tug lightly at my side.
I looked down and noticed the shadows offering me the plate again.
I smiled and took another pastry.
"You spoil me," I whispered.
"They spoil you," Zorathys corrected lazily.
I turned to him.
"They are an extension of you," I told him.
He paused as if debating my words, then nodded. "True."
I barely had time to swallow the pastry I had taken a bite from when footsteps approached us again.
Two demons approached us... a couple, I suspected.
This time, I knew one of them—the woman. She strutted, and some demons stopped and stared as she walked toward me and Zorathys, her hand in the male demon’s hand.
She licked her lips as she stared at me, and even the male demon examined me with interest.
I shuddered at that, but there was no way I could escape this.
So I smiled at them.