Zaliyah stopped dead in his tracks. His boots froze against the cold floor, and he stood silent for a long while. The words struck a bitter chord within his chest.
How could I forget? he thought, a smile spreading across his face. He spent so much time subconsciously clinging to the moral structures of his past life in the human realm. It was a hard pill for him to swallow, but it appeared his young daughter had already swallowed the reality of their demonic and celestial hybrid natures with no identity issues whatsoever.
Breaking his silence, Zaliyah resumed walking.
"Do I get to play with him?" Sylaris pushed, leaning out of Harun's arms.
"Yes," Zaliyah replied tiredly, finally reaching his grand chamber and settling his exhausted body down onto a velvet chaise.
The moment Harun set Sylaris down onto the carpeted floor, the little girl sprinted straight toward Talha. She began circling the scrawny youth like a small, predatory beast evaluating its prey.
Talha felt a weird aura radiating from the small child. She was clearly tiny and delicate, yet there was a hidden undercurrent of immense power humming beneath her skin that he couldn't logically explain.
Sylaris stopped directly behind Talha. She stood high on her tiptoes, stretching her small, chubby hands upward to delicately touch a few strands of the man's long pink hair.
"You are a fairy," she declared with authority.
Zaliyah's brows furrowed at the word.
Harun stood speechless, his eyes widening. Talha trembled at the mention of the word, his face turning pale as he stepped back, terrified that his deepest secret had been unraveled by a toddler.
Zaliyah tried to rack his brain, searching his memories to remember where he had encountered that specific term. Where had he read it before? He had spent the last five years reading so much useless fiction and historical brain rot that he had temporarily forgotten the vital classifications of the realms.
Sensing the tension in the room, Sylaris pouted, quickly hiding her small body behind Talha's legs as she glared at her father.
"Don't look at me like that! I am not lying."
My teacher told us that fairies have pink hair, true elfs have pure white hair, and mermaids are the ones who don't have legs!"
Zaliyah was shocked. All this time, he had been losing sleep, worrying about how he would break the news to Sylaris that there were other species in existence outside of humans and demons. But it turned out the child was already well-learned on this topic.
Zaliyah shifted his gaze toward the trembling youth. "Are you truly a fairy?"
Sylaris pushed her bottom lip out, stomping her little foot. "Yes, he is! I told you, I am never wrong!"
Zaliyah pressed the tips of his fingers against his throbbing temples, feeling a headache coming on from the noise. "Be quiet, Sylaris."
"No!" Sylaris shot back stubbornly.
Zaliyah shot a quick, exhausted look at Harun, and Harun instantly nodded in understanding. He stepped forward and quickly scooped the screaming little girl back into his arms. The child immediately began thrashing wildly, hitting Harun's armored chest with her tiny fists as she threw a tantrum.
"No! Put me down! Dada, tell him to put me down right now! I want to play with the pink fairy! Put me down!"
Dada...? Talha thought, his mind short-circuiting as he stared at Zaliyah. Does this terrifying, beautiful man mean she is his actual daughter? He has a child?
Sylaris continued to yell and protest at the top of her lungs in Harun's grip, but as the chamberlain carried her further down the grand corridors toward the nursery, her high-pitched little voice faded into a distant echo in the hallways.
"I apologize for the disruption," Zaliyah spoke smoothly, breaking the silence as he elegantly crossed his legs and straightened his posture, returning to his usual regal, flawless bearing.
"She is a Little childish and undisciplined."
But... she is a literal child... Talha thought, sweatdrop forming on the back of his head. How else is a child supposed to act?
Zaliyah locked his violet eyes onto the youth, stripping away all pleasantries.
"Are you a fairy?"
Talha remained silent, his lips pressed tightly together as he refused to answer, his eyes eyeing toward the exit.
Zaliyah smiled. "I do not recall you being a mute when you were begging for your life at the brothel. I have no use for a mute servant in my household."
Zaliyah slowly stood up from the chaise, smoothing his red furs. "Come along then. Harun would prepare the carriage and take you back to the madam."
"Yes! Yes!" Talha muttered, his knees buckling slightly as his eyes traveled to the floor in defeat. "I... I am indeed a fairy, my lord. I beg of you, please do not send me back."
Talha clutched his robes tightly with trembling hands.
"Interesting..." Zaliyah murmured, a spark of clarity returning to his mind. Now he could vividly recall the ancient texts he had skimmed. Fairies were a highly elusive, minor celestial species known for their innate connection to nature and sensory magic.
"Where you aware of my identity from the start?"
No, I just thought you were one of those wealthy hags who pay fortunes to watch men have sex, Talha thought bitterly .
But he possessed enough survival instincts not to voice the insult out loud.
Instead, Talha kept his head bowed. "At first, I wasn't entirely sure. When you frequented the establishment before, I occasionally sensed a trace of elfen magic radiating from you, but I quickly disposed of the idea, assuming my senses were playing tricks on me. But today... when your veil fell off and I saw your face clearly, I was convinced. You look like lord O-"
Talha abruptly cut his own sentence short, his breath hitching as he realized he had crossed a line.
But Zaliyah's mind had already caught the syllable. His eyes narrowed into slits of pure ice. "Oryon?"
Talha slowly nodded his head, his body trembling. He could easily tell by the sudden drop in Zaliyah's tone that the name of the Celestial King was not a pleasant subject to bring up.
Zaliyah let out an irritated sigh, consciously forcing his mind to bury the name before old ghosts could unravel his focus.
"What on earth is a fairy doing trapped in the depths of the demon realm?"
Talha rolled his eyes internally, a bitter thought flashing through his mind. What on earth is an elf doing in the frozen wastes of the demon realm?
However, Talha chose to remain silent.
Zaliyah noted the boy's sudden withdrawal and figured the backstory was likely traumatic. He didn't push him any further for answers. After all, if someone were to suddenly demand an explanation as to why he himself was currently residing in the demon realm, he wouldn't be able to provide a clean answer either.
"My daughter-" Zaliyah started.
"Daughter?" Talha accidentally blurted out, interrupting him.
Zaliyah's gaze snapped toward him, "I am not done talking. You will speak only when I am done."
Wow... what an asshole, Talha thought to himself, clenching his fist .
Zaliyah continued, "The little girl you just met is my daughter, Sylaris. She appears to be quite fascinated by your existence. I do not necessarily have any need for an entertainer, but it would be highly beneficial if you utilize your time here to teach her the vast history and cultural knowledge of your specific realm."
Your realm? Don't you mean 'our' realm, you hypocritical elf? Talha thought, though he kept his mouth tightly shut.
"My chamberlains and the castle staff will tend to your basic needs, clothing, and quarters," Zaliyah concluded.
"Chamberlains?" Talha asked, blinking in confusion.
"Harun," Zaliyah clarified, his eyes shifting down to look at the thick black fur cloak currently wrapped around Talha's shoulders.
Talha's gaze followed Zaliyah's eyes down to the material. "Oh," he muttered, realizing Harun wasn't a guard as he had thought but a chamberlain.
Zaliyah let out a sigh, turning his back. "Excuse me."
Talha quickly bowed his head.
The moment Zaliyah's red furs vanished around the corner of the hallway, Talha straightened his spine, letting out a sharp huff.
"A snobbish, arrogant fish out of water... or those greasy, violent old perverts at the brothel... I truly don't know which one is worse."
As Talha stood there, several curious castle maids began flocking into the entrance of the grand chamber, whispering excitedly among themselves. Word had already spreading like wildfire through the servants' quarters that "his highness" had brought home a rare, exotic wonder from the town, and they were dying to see who it was.
A few minutes later, Zaliyah stepped into Xulthas's private study. The room was dimly lit, and the Commander was leaning over a massive wooden desk studying what appeared to be a complex military map of the border territories.
The moment Xulthas's eyes caught the sight of silver hair entering his peripheral vision, he immediately dropped his charcoal marker. He crossed the room and forcefully pulled Zaliyah into a tight embrace.
Xulthas ran his large, calloused fingers through Zaliyah's long, loose silver strands, watching the flawless white silk slip through his hands like fine grains of sand.
Zaliyah slowly rolled his eyes against the commander's shoulder, an internal thought crossing his mind. What is wrong with everyone today? They are all acting as though I have been gone for centuries.
Xulthas finally softened his grip against Zaliyah's back, but he didn't let go. His hands traveled downward, wrapping around Zaliyah's narrow waist to hold him against his chest.
"You created quite a bloody mess back there, little lotus," Xulthas spoke, a dark, amused smile spreading across his face.
"That wealthy noble you slaughtered happened to be a loyal tax-payer of this territory. I had to personally deploy my personal guard to clean up the rest."
Zaliyah stunned, his posture stiffening slightly within the hold. "You... you killed them?"
"Only those who witnessed you fight,"
Xulthas replied, his hands gripping Zaliyah's hips.
Zaliyah's mind raced in silence. But there were easily more than twenty wealthy patrons in that wing... he slaughtered them all just to bury the incident?
Xulthas smiled, leaning down closer to his face. "News spreads like wildfire around these parts, Zaliyah. First, if a single survivor speaks, it spreads to the four major territories. Then, it inevitably reaches the ears of the Capital City. And we cannot have that happen. Malachi cannot find out that his fragile little pet has finally learned how to fight back."
Zaliyah rolled his eyes at the term, deflecting the atmosphere. "I brought someone back with me."
Xulthas grinned, his green eyes flashing with pure mockery. "Don't you mean you bought someone, little lotus? It turns out you are only against the concepts of slavery when you are not participating in the trade yourself."
Zaliyah quickly turned his face away, a fleeting feeling of discomfort and conflict settling into his chest. He didn't know how to feel about Xulthas words, he knew it was the truth and he certainly wasn't pleased with his own actions.
He muttered quietly under his breath, "I did not have a choice in the matter. The boy was going to be beaten to death."
Xulthas laughed, burying his face deep into the crook of Zaliyah's neck, inhaling his flowery scent.
"And who exactly is this precious whore who managed to make my ice-cold Zaliyah get so violent?"
Zaliyah let sighed, "He knows what I am."
The moment the words left Zaliyah's mouth, Xulthas's large hands traveled downward, sliding past the layers of Zaliyah's winter robes, cupping the hybrid's buttocks through the thin silk fabric.
"And what exactly does he know? That you are the King's discarded consort?"
"No," Zaliyah replied
"That you are a celestial?" Xulthas pressed, his voice dropping into a dark whisper.
Zaliyah slowly nodded his head.
Instantly, Xulthas's hands froze .
The playful, mocking amusement vanished from his expression. He slowly retracted his hands from Zaliyah's clothes, stepping back as his face hardened.
Without saying a word, the warlock turned on his heel and began walking out.
"Where exactly are you going, Commander?" Zaliyah demanded, his eyes narrowing.
Xulthas didn't bother to answer, his hand already reaching for the brass door handle. Realizing the danger, Zaliyah ran after him with blinding speed. He reached out, his slender fingers forcefully grabbing Xulthas's wrist and pulling the commander back with surprising strength.
"Don't kill him," Zaliyah commanded, staring up at him.
Xulthas froze, staring down at the hand tightly gripping his wrist. He was stunned for a long moment, this was the first time in four long years that Zaliyah had ever initiated physical contact.
Xulthas raised his free hand, running it through his dark hair.
"Give me a single reason why I shouldn't kill him.
Zaliyah remained silent for a tense moment. He contemplated whether he should reveal to Xulthas that Talha was a fairy. He knew first-hand just how much demons loathed Celestials, and Xulthas, despite his current infatuation, was still a demon.
Sure, Xulthas put up with Zaliyah because he was obsessed with "Malachi's little pet," but what would stop him from immediately slaughtering a defenseless fairy whom he wasn't attracted to and possessed no royal protection?
Acting on survival instinct and overall confusion, Zaliyah let go of Xulthas's wrist. Instead, he stepped forward leaning his body into Xulthas's warm embrace. He rested his cheek lightly against the commander's broad chest, his voice dropping into a soft murmur.
"Let's just stay like this for the moment."
Xulthas's eyes widened with shock. The breath left his lungs as he looked down at the silver-haired hybrid currently embracing him of his own free will.
This is the second time today he has initiated physical touch, Xulthas wondered, his mind spinning in a daze. Did the adrenaline from the violence make him more affectionate, or is he finally yielding to me?
Overwhelmed by the sudden display of affection, Xulthas leaned his back against the wooden door, wrapping his arms tightly around Zaliyah's waist, holding the smaller man as if he were the center of his universe.
A smile broke across the warlock's face as he buried his hand in the silver strands. "As you wish... Your Highness."