"I see the stereotype has still remained the same even after all this time." And there was a hint of disdain in those words that followed with a huff. "No. That is not it at all. I'm truly starting to wonder if those idiots even truly understand doing what I do." He then takes a small sip from his drink to first savor that taste and possibly welcoming alcoholism into his life with the incompetence his own men are having.
But before he turns into a drunken ball of rage and depression, he casually just makes his way over to the girl-- keeping a good respectable distance apart from her mind you, and offers the other cup to her. "A sacrifice was needed, yes. Once a year, yes. However, even I have standards. The concept of a sacrifice is to let the people choose which of their own would be deemed as both beautiful and worthy to be before me. Following the exact directions down to the smallest print written down and without error. It really disgusts me to see how quick humans are to be so readily casting out their own kind without making any room for barter or alternative methods. It's embarrassing."
And if and when she finally holds her drink, he'll return to the large chair he had reclined on earlier and the motioned with his free hand for her to do the same with the chair at the opposite side of him in with the two facing the fire place. "Each and every woman before you was given a choice. One that I am going to give you as well but only for certain conditions to be kept. Do you understand?"
Orihime looked at the winecup, then back to the demon. With a weak smile she shrugged and shook her head. It was kind of hard to hold a glass anyway with her hands still tied, but even then, she wasn't entirely sure it was a wise idea to drink something offered to her by a demon (even if he seemed a lot nicer than she originally anticipated).
She did, however, accept his invitation to sit. She maneuvered herself and the skirts of her dress as best she was able around the plush chair before settling herself in and listening. He had a point. Her gaze dropped guiltily down to the table in front of her. Orihime hadn't tried to argue for her fate either. All she knew was that a price had to be paid for the town's safety, and she didn't mind being the one that paid. Who would even miss her? Still...there were things she'd wanted to do, places she wanted to visit someday. Didn't she have the guts to at least try and fight for those things?
"I guess so," she agreed.
...A choice? Orihime raised her head, brow faintly wrinkled as she studied the demon across from her. 'To be boiled or baked?' --No, that wasn't it! He'd already said as much! Besides, there weren't many conditions to go along with something like that. Baffled, she nodded, indicating that she understood. Somewhat, anyway. What kind of choice was he offering her?
"I'll be simple and brief about it. Officially, I was to be searching for a bride. Hence the beautiful and worthy parts to carry on my bloodline. To carry on the family name and achieve through other trials to obtain certain things I am in need for due to personal reasons, but the starting step to it all is that. If the offer of being tainted with a demonspawn inside you is too unbearable for you, have other choices... one, you are free to go and leave this place... this town... everything behind. You will be given enough materials, a horse and carriage to take you wherever you need to go... but the condition is to never come back and never let any of the townsfolk see you at all. Remember, you are the sacrifice. If you are discovered then you will be sacrificed. Understand?"
He then takes another sip of his wine and then glances over to the fire, almost being near captivated with it with his crimson eyes staring deep into the flames. "Your last choice will be to work under me and be my vassal. You will be my servant and do as I say. You and everything you own will belong to me. No ifs, ands or buts about it. And you are to never leave this place or go back to the outside world for the rest of your life."
Then those eyes of his will glance over to stare her down with a piercing glare. "So the choice is yours. Take as much time as you like to think about it."
Orihime blinked, and color began to spread through her cheeks. A bride? Her? Still she said nothing, listening to him speak as he presented her with three very generous options. She looked at the table.
"It's hard to decide...all of those things are so much better than what I had," she admitted, the corner of her mouth turning upward in wry amusement. Being the wife of a demon, or granted a horse and means of living wherever she pleased, or even working in a grand place such as this where she would be fed and cared for...all of these things far exceeded her expectations. It was impossible to choose, so she was glad for the gift of time to think it over.
"Well...what about you?" she asked, her head tilting faintly to regard him with curiosity. "Don't you have a preference?" Orihime would benefit from any of those options, but she wasn't really sure which the demon would like best. And considering he'd done so much for this town as it stood, he should gain something at the very least.
"No, I don't. But I have been doing this for a long time and half of those before you chose to leave as the other half chose to work. Not one of them wished to be the used as a bearer of a child of my blood. And for good reason, so I do no blame them. Whatever choices you make, I will respect them... however, I will expect you to uphold your end of the bargain as well for these choices."
He then rose up to his feet and snapped his fingers, signaling one of the mentioned servant girls to come on over as he began to leave. "She will be your escort for the time being. Any questions you have, feel free to ask her. Until you make a decision within a week's worth of time, you will be treated as a guest." And then he began to start his way down one of the many corridors of the palace.
"If you have made your decision, come speak to me when dinner is served or come to me in my quarter. We will discuss your next step in life more then." And then there was a shred of rope that seemed to fall from his hands that landed neatly on the floor. The very same rope that was used to bind her when she had entered the chamber. How did he manage to have it in his possession? Well, he's part demon. And when he wants company to enjoy, he will get company to enjoy!
Orihime gazed at the rope for a moment, uncomprehending, until she realized the itchy cords around her wrists no longer itched. She glanced back over her shoulder in shock, hands drifting apart, then forward. She was free! But how had he done that...?
She looked at the demon again, her mouth drawn into a line of fervent perplexion. She really was free, and not just from the bonds that had tied her hands together. None of his tributes had ever chosen to marry him? Orihime could understand why, she supposed, but how did that make him feel? Being rejected could be a painful experience. Surely he must have loved at least one of the girls that had been given to his care. He didn't seem cruel, or bad-tempered. Being wed to him might not be all that bad, really, and the possibility wasn't one she would readily dismiss.
"Wait!" she called out, taking two quick steps in his direction as he began to depart. "Just one thing." Orihime clasped her hands in front of her, studying him once more. Then she asked, "What's your name? You never told me. And, well...I can't keep calling you demon lord, right?"
He stopped in his tracks for that moment she had called out to him, raising an eyebrow in idle curiosity on what she had wanted right after he told her any other questions would be answered by her escort-- but when she asked for his name, his eyes went downcast as if trying to think of how to answer this before looking back at her again. "So long as you are not my bride, you will address me as Master Howard. Just as the title and name I had introduced myself to your people when I came here first. If you have forgotten my name then I will be sure that those outside those gates will remember it."
He pivots himself to move once more to his destined location, his bedchambers. His own personal haven yet prison in these walls.
Maybe Orihime was just too secluded, then. She'd never ventured near enough to the outskirts of the city to be put in danger of an assault from the monsters without, nor did she possess anything worth being robbed of. The demon's arrival was big news, but Orihime hadn't attended his welcoming. If he meant to kill them, she'd flee, and that was all there was to it. He'd never made any hostile overtures, so up until now, the 'demon lord' had never played much of a role in her life.
That had certainly changed now!
"Master Howard," she repeated, and dropped into a bow. "Thank you for everything. And thank you for not eating me!" Her grin as she rose was a little more sincere and good-humored this time. As he left, she spun around to join the servant he'd assigned to her. She was brimming with questions, so there was a good chance that the time would pass by very swiftly until dinner came.
Personally, she hoped he elected to spend more time with her. With decisions like the three she'd been presented, they all hinged on one thing: whether or not he was the type of person she could spend her time with, and if so, just how much?
'I'm not planning to eat you or whatever you humans think we do.' Oh he really wanted to say that, but it's just best to keep calm and remain elegant at all times. After all, it's just her first day and the excitement and sudden mood changes would make someone confused and odd at times too. So he wasn't really going to hold it against her at all. And dinner time was just hours away, so at least she'll calm down by then... right?
... right? This kind of lifestyle is normal for humans, isn't it?
((Timeskip to dinner time and the fancy dining table y/n?))
Despite the elegant hairdo and white dress, Orihime stood gaping at the sumptuous feast spread out before them like a kid at the midsummer festival. Though she'd been offered a chair, she still stood, gripping the table as her eyes moved first to devour everything in appearance. She'd never seen so much in one place, save for the open market, and she'd certainly never had a chance to eat anything so rich or beautifully prepared.
Her head lifted to look at Master Howard as she pointed to a plate of chicken and rice with a thick curried sauce. "It's really okay to eat this...?"
That was one downfall of having a common girl elected to be the tribute: she knew nothing of etiquette around those of higher status and class. All she knew was that she was about to eat the best meal she'd ever had in her entire life.
Now... THIS was a sight that's all too familiar, yet one he could never really get used to at all. Seeing this girl's excitement over something so simple as food, appearance and hospitality... is a human's life a lot more cruel than a half-bred demon's? Or is it because he was not exposed to such things in his life? Either way, the sight was just... well... very captivating to say the least.
"...y-yes. You are our guest, so therefore, yes, you are free to eat what you like from the table served for you. I trust this is all satisfactory?"
He was pausing in mid-cutting his own thick slab of steak as he answered and watched in a mix between shock and awe.
Orihime looked at the demon, then beamed, jerking her head in a sharp bob of agreement. "It's way better than that. Thank you very much!" This time she did sit, her eyes still darting from dish to dish. Where was she supposed to start? She wanted to try all of it, but even if she ate just one bite from each, it was unlikely she'd be able to make it all fit.
It didn't stop her from loading up a plate, though. Steamed vegetables, bread that steamed when she tore it, juicy chunks of grilled meat... She ate with enormous appetite for someone who had been so quiet and resigned just hours before, thinking she would surely die.
The questions she'd been allowed to ask had brightened her mood significantly. It seemed the demon lord truly was good on his word, and those who served him did so without a trace of resentment.
She did a fairly decent job of putting away her fair share of the meal, even managing to polish off a piece of cake and a slice of souffle at the end. She sat back with a happy sigh, folding her hands over her full stomach. It felt as if she would never need to eat again. "It was so good...!" she sighed in happy contentment. "You have amazing cooks working for you!"
"I see. I am glad to hear that. I'm sure the Master Chef would be most pleased to hear that that as well," And he says this in a cool tone as he calmly and more politely finishes his meal in a more elegant manner than his partner, but he was not even offended yet. By this moment, he has already figured two and two together and assumed that the town decided to not give away their more 'classy' women for his favor and send someone from the lesser caste. Not that he particularly cares where or what she has done before coming here, such things didn't really matter, but it was obvious that she is a bit... foreign to this kind of place in life.
"Now then. Am I right to assume that you have placed some thoughts in your decision since we had last met?" And he figured it was at least polite to ask although his face was more solemn given how he is already predicting on how one way or another that it will end up like. There's really no need to get attached at all, is there? Well, not yet anyway.
Orihime paused to consider the demon. She looked down at her plate, blinked, and replied with a nod. "Some."
She looked back up at him again. A lot of her questions had been answered, but she could have all the data in the world and still not know if they would be able to get along. While Orihime did have a knack for making friends easily, it wasn't necessarily a sure thing. There was also no guarantee that he would like her, either.
"I guess it's too soon to decide. All three would be wonderful, I think. So really...I guess it depends on how well we get along and like each other." She smiled, folding her hands in her lap. "I think we might be friends at least. I could be wrong! If I am, I'll go away. But if I'm right, I'd be really happy to work here for you, Master Howard."
She hesitated a moment. "As for the third...I don't know yet. You shouldn't marry somebody you don't love, and there's no way to tell yet, is there? We know nothing about each other. But you should be with someone you really want to be with, I know that much."
"I see." And that was the only response he could give. He has heard that excuse a lot of times before, and most of them he did agree on. It didn't really feel right to marry someone you don't exactly have feelings for and if it is forced and all, but this is still an age where forced and arranged marriages are still out there and one his father will get involved with the longer he waits to find a bride.
But there was something that she had said that made him a bit curious to figure out. "You said all three would be wonderful... would you care to elaborate for me on that? I'm afraid I would like a lot more explanations to understand what you mean."
"Er...well...how to begin?" Orihime leaned back in her chair, tapping a finger against her elbow. It was curious that he would show interest in her reasons, since she was under the impression that he really couldn't care less one way or the other. But maybe she'd been reading him wrong.
"I've always wanted to travel! And I really like horses, though I've never really had a chance to ride one before. It would be nice to see more of what the world is like, you know?" She smiled, her shoulders shrugging slightly. "Riddleport is the only place I've ever known. I think it's starting to get to me. On the other hand, I'm not much of a fighter, and it's pretty dangerous out there sometimes, so I'd have to think about it some more."
She rubbed the back of her neck with a sheepish grin. "I guess it would be weird to say that I would really like having a job as a servant, ha ha! I would, though. I'd like to find something I was really good at, and could do well. And to live in a place like this, even if it was just in the corner over there!" she turned to point, "would be a thousand times nicer than where I lived before! The food is really good too. But...truth be told, my only real skill is sewing, and it seems like your clothes are already nicer than what I can do. So I might not really earn my keep, and I'd feel bad about that."
Which brought her to the third choice she'd been given. At this, the color in her face grew a little more intense. "I haven't really thought much about being a mother before. Or even a wife. There was someone I liked once, but he..." Orihime trailed off, looking at the darkened window for a moment. "It might be nice...to care for someone like that. To be cared for again." Her expression was quiet, and somber. Then her crooked smile returned in full force. "Ah ha ha ha, but you can't predict that sort of thing! It either happens or it doesn't, so I can't decide on that!"
But before he turns into a drunken ball of rage and depression, he casually just makes his way over to the girl-- keeping a good respectable distance apart from her mind you, and offers the other cup to her. "A sacrifice was needed, yes. Once a year, yes. However, even I have standards. The concept of a sacrifice is to let the people choose which of their own would be deemed as both beautiful and worthy to be before me. Following the exact directions down to the smallest print written down and without error. It really disgusts me to see how quick humans are to be so readily casting out their own kind without making any room for barter or alternative methods. It's embarrassing."
And if and when she finally holds her drink, he'll return to the large chair he had reclined on earlier and the motioned with his free hand for her to do the same with the chair at the opposite side of him in with the two facing the fire place. "Each and every woman before you was given a choice. One that I am going to give you as well but only for certain conditions to be kept. Do you understand?"
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She did, however, accept his invitation to sit. She maneuvered herself and the skirts of her dress as best she was able around the plush chair before settling herself in and listening. He had a point. Her gaze dropped guiltily down to the table in front of her. Orihime hadn't tried to argue for her fate either. All she knew was that a price had to be paid for the town's safety, and she didn't mind being the one that paid. Who would even miss her? Still...there were things she'd wanted to do, places she wanted to visit someday. Didn't she have the guts to at least try and fight for those things?
"I guess so," she agreed.
...A choice? Orihime raised her head, brow faintly wrinkled as she studied the demon across from her. 'To be boiled or baked?' --No, that wasn't it! He'd already said as much! Besides, there weren't many conditions to go along with something like that. Baffled, she nodded, indicating that she understood. Somewhat, anyway. What kind of choice was he offering her?
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He then takes another sip of his wine and then glances over to the fire, almost being near captivated with it with his crimson eyes staring deep into the flames. "Your last choice will be to work under me and be my vassal. You will be my servant and do as I say. You and everything you own will belong to me. No ifs, ands or buts about it. And you are to never leave this place or go back to the outside world for the rest of your life."
Then those eyes of his will glance over to stare her down with a piercing glare. "So the choice is yours. Take as much time as you like to think about it."
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"It's hard to decide...all of those things are so much better than what I had," she admitted, the corner of her mouth turning upward in wry amusement. Being the wife of a demon, or granted a horse and means of living wherever she pleased, or even working in a grand place such as this where she would be fed and cared for...all of these things far exceeded her expectations. It was impossible to choose, so she was glad for the gift of time to think it over.
"Well...what about you?" she asked, her head tilting faintly to regard him with curiosity. "Don't you have a preference?" Orihime would benefit from any of those options, but she wasn't really sure which the demon would like best. And considering he'd done so much for this town as it stood, he should gain something at the very least.
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He then rose up to his feet and snapped his fingers, signaling one of the mentioned servant girls to come on over as he began to leave. "She will be your escort for the time being. Any questions you have, feel free to ask her. Until you make a decision within a week's worth of time, you will be treated as a guest." And then he began to start his way down one of the many corridors of the palace.
"If you have made your decision, come speak to me when dinner is served or come to me in my quarter. We will discuss your next step in life more then." And then there was a shred of rope that seemed to fall from his hands that landed neatly on the floor. The very same rope that was used to bind her when she had entered the chamber. How did he manage to have it in his possession? Well, he's part demon. And when he wants company to enjoy, he will get company to enjoy!
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She looked at the demon again, her mouth drawn into a line of fervent perplexion. She really was free, and not just from the bonds that had tied her hands together. None of his tributes had ever chosen to marry him? Orihime could understand why, she supposed, but how did that make him feel? Being rejected could be a painful experience. Surely he must have loved at least one of the girls that had been given to his care. He didn't seem cruel, or bad-tempered. Being wed to him might not be all that bad, really, and the possibility wasn't one she would readily dismiss.
"Wait!" she called out, taking two quick steps in his direction as he began to depart. "Just one thing." Orihime clasped her hands in front of her, studying him once more. Then she asked, "What's your name? You never told me. And, well...I can't keep calling you demon lord, right?"
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He pivots himself to move once more to his destined location, his bedchambers. His own personal haven yet prison in these walls.
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That had certainly changed now!
"Master Howard," she repeated, and dropped into a bow. "Thank you for everything. And thank you for not eating me!" Her grin as she rose was a little more sincere and good-humored this time. As he left, she spun around to join the servant he'd assigned to her. She was brimming with questions, so there was a good chance that the time would pass by very swiftly until dinner came.
Personally, she hoped he elected to spend more time with her. With decisions like the three she'd been presented, they all hinged on one thing: whether or not he was the type of person she could spend her time with, and if so, just how much?
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... right? This kind of lifestyle is normal for humans, isn't it?
((Timeskip to dinner time and the fancy dining table y/n?))
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Despite the elegant hairdo and white dress, Orihime stood gaping at the sumptuous feast spread out before them like a kid at the midsummer festival. Though she'd been offered a chair, she still stood, gripping the table as her eyes moved first to devour everything in appearance. She'd never seen so much in one place, save for the open market, and she'd certainly never had a chance to eat anything so rich or beautifully prepared.
Her head lifted to look at Master Howard as she pointed to a plate of chicken and rice with a thick curried sauce. "It's really okay to eat this...?"
That was one downfall of having a common girl elected to be the tribute: she knew nothing of etiquette around those of higher status and class. All she knew was that she was about to eat the best meal she'd ever had in her entire life.
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"...y-yes. You are our guest, so therefore, yes, you are free to eat what you like from the table served for you. I trust this is all satisfactory?"
He was pausing in mid-cutting his own thick slab of steak as he answered and watched in a mix between shock and awe.
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It didn't stop her from loading up a plate, though. Steamed vegetables, bread that steamed when she tore it, juicy chunks of grilled meat... She ate with enormous appetite for someone who had been so quiet and resigned just hours before, thinking she would surely die.
The questions she'd been allowed to ask had brightened her mood significantly. It seemed the demon lord truly was good on his word, and those who served him did so without a trace of resentment.
She did a fairly decent job of putting away her fair share of the meal, even managing to polish off a piece of cake and a slice of souffle at the end. She sat back with a happy sigh, folding her hands over her full stomach. It felt as if she would never need to eat again. "It was so good...!" she sighed in happy contentment. "You have amazing cooks working for you!"
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"Now then. Am I right to assume that you have placed some thoughts in your decision since we had last met?" And he figured it was at least polite to ask although his face was more solemn given how he is already predicting on how one way or another that it will end up like. There's really no need to get attached at all, is there? Well, not yet anyway.
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She looked back up at him again. A lot of her questions had been answered, but she could have all the data in the world and still not know if they would be able to get along. While Orihime did have a knack for making friends easily, it wasn't necessarily a sure thing. There was also no guarantee that he would like her, either.
"I guess it's too soon to decide. All three would be wonderful, I think. So really...I guess it depends on how well we get along and like each other." She smiled, folding her hands in her lap. "I think we might be friends at least. I could be wrong! If I am, I'll go away. But if I'm right, I'd be really happy to work here for you, Master Howard."
She hesitated a moment. "As for the third...I don't know yet. You shouldn't marry somebody you don't love, and there's no way to tell yet, is there? We know nothing about each other. But you should be with someone you really want to be with, I know that much."
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But there was something that she had said that made him a bit curious to figure out. "You said all three would be wonderful... would you care to elaborate for me on that? I'm afraid I would like a lot more explanations to understand what you mean."
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"I've always wanted to travel! And I really like horses, though I've never really had a chance to ride one before. It would be nice to see more of what the world is like, you know?" She smiled, her shoulders shrugging slightly. "Riddleport is the only place I've ever known. I think it's starting to get to me. On the other hand, I'm not much of a fighter, and it's pretty dangerous out there sometimes, so I'd have to think about it some more."
She rubbed the back of her neck with a sheepish grin. "I guess it would be weird to say that I would really like having a job as a servant, ha ha! I would, though. I'd like to find something I was really good at, and could do well. And to live in a place like this, even if it was just in the corner over there!" she turned to point, "would be a thousand times nicer than where I lived before! The food is really good too. But...truth be told, my only real skill is sewing, and it seems like your clothes are already nicer than what I can do. So I might not really earn my keep, and I'd feel bad about that."
Which brought her to the third choice she'd been given. At this, the color in her face grew a little more intense. "I haven't really thought much about being a mother before. Or even a wife. There was someone I liked once, but he..." Orihime trailed off, looking at the darkened window for a moment. "It might be nice...to care for someone like that. To be cared for again." Her expression was quiet, and somber. Then her crooked smile returned in full force. "Ah ha ha ha, but you can't predict that sort of thing! It either happens or it doesn't, so I can't decide on that!"
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