With all this romantic atmosphere, disasters in the air!
Ethan was lounging on a plush sofa, his legs hanging over the arm rest, reading a book. Wing was on the rug by the open fireplace, sitting with Ethan’s dogs, two gangly looking but completely dopey greyhounds.
“I’m bored,” Wing complained, running his hands over one of the dog’s belly while she dozed by the fire.
“Well what did you want to do?” Ethan asked, impatiently.
“Can’t we go out?” asked Wing.
“Out of the palace? Why?”
“I just told you, because I’m bored.”
“But there’s nothing in Verdimond, just markets,” Ethan shrugged. He flipped his book onto it’s front and put it beside him.
“Please,” Wing begged, “Just for a short while. We can go for a walk.”
Ethan sighed, resignedly, then stood up. “Oh alright, if it’ll shut you up,” he muttered.
Wing grinned.
When Wing and Ethan wandered through the town they were immediately the centre of attention, they were wearing nice clothes and the townspeople were obviously very poor, they were skinny and dressed in rags.
“I didn’t realise there was so much poverty in Verdimond,” Wing murmured to Ethan, it reminded him of home.
“There’s a famine at the moment,” Ethan explained, “It was a very bad winter.”
Wing immediately got out his purse and began to buy things from the market stalls they passed; little trinkets for his hair, handmade jewellery, a ribbon, a small vase. The prices were incredibly low, the stall owners grateful for anything they could get, Wing handed over his money and refused to take back any change he was owed. The people stumbled over their own words to express their gratitude.
“Would you like to buy some matches?” a small, sickly looking girl asked as they passed her.
“No we would not like to buy any matches,” Ethan growled, fed up with being hassled.
“Please sir, my baby sister is sick,” the girl begged. “She might die, sir.”
“Rased takes us all one day,” Ethan replied, coldly, and walked on.
Wing took out his purse again and knelt to the child’s level, he took her hand and emptied a fistful of coins into it. Her eyes went very wide as she looked at the money in her palm.
“I don’t think I have that many matches,” she apologised.
“I don’t want matches, sweetheart,” Wing said, kindly, “Keep them, and take the money home for your sister. Get some food and some medicine.”
As the girl put the money into her pocket she burst into tears and Wing frowned.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, worried he’d said something to upset her.
“You’re the kindest person I’ve ever met,” she sobbed.
Wing smiled and hugged her, and she fell against him and cried. When her crying quietened he tried to pull away but found she had passed out.
“Ethan!” he yelled, panicking.
Ethan stomped back. “What?” he demanded.
“She fainted,” Wing gasped. “What do we do?”
“Leave her there, someone will pick her up,” Ethan shrugged.
“I can’t do that!” Wing cried. She was so skinny even Wing could manage to lift her, he picked her up and carried her to the nearest market stall where a woman was selling flowers. “Excuse me! Help me please, do you know this girl?” he asked, panic stricken.
“Her name is Claudette, she lives above the bakery,” the woman informed him, pointing out the right building. Wing nodded a thanks, gave her some money, then hurried towards the girl’s home, Ethan following behind, growling.
A woman opened the door when Wing knocked, she saw Claudette in his arms and immediately took her from him and into the house, thanking him and inviting him in.
“Not again,” she murmured as she set the child down on a straw mattress on the floor and fetched a damp cloth for her forehead. Wing wandered into the bare room, where there was nothing but two chairs, three straw mattresses, a baby’s crib, a cooker, and a few tin plates and cups.
“I’m sorry if my daughter caused you any inconvenience, sirs,” the woman apologised, as she finished tending to the girl. “I’m very grateful to you for returning her to me.”
Wing just shook his head. “No, not at all, it’s alright.”
The woman moved the girl further up the mattress and it was then that she heard the jangle of coins in her pocket and investigated. She pulled them out and gasped.
“She robbed you?” she cried, turning to Wing and Ethan (who was stood in the doorway looking awkward). “I’m so sorry, please forgive her, she’s just a child and she only meant well in these hard times, sirs!”
“No, no, no,” Wing shushed the woman, quickly, “She didn’t rob us, I gave her that money. You have a sick baby?”
The woman nodded, slowly, her mouth open in disbelief.
“You gave my daughter all of this money?” she asked, numbly.
“Yes, I thought it was the least I could do,” Wing replied, gently. “My name is Wing, and this is my fiancé, Ethan.”
Ethan nodded a reluctant greeting.
“I really don’t know what to say,” the woman said, quietly. She sat down heavily in one of the chairs and ran a hand through her tangled brown hair. She looked up at them after a while and regarded them with new suspicion. “Forgive me, but, who are you? You’re strangers here, where are you from?”
Wing replied, “I am a traveller from Egae.”
“That’s a demon land,” the woman said, “I’ve heard of it. It’s ruled by Demon Lord Krayon, a Demon Elder.”
“That’s true,” Wing nodded. “I am one of his brides.”
If the woman looked surprised before, she was in complete shock now. After taking a moment to regain herself she stood up. “I am very grateful to you for returning me my daughter, and it is a very kind gesture to give my family the money that you have, you may have saved my baby’s life. However, I think it best you leave. We are a proper, good, Rased loving family, and I don’t think it right to have a Demon Bride in our home, under better circumstances I would not accept your money, but times are desperate and I have no choice.”
Wing was stunned and a little hurt.
“I mean you no harm,” he promised. “I don’t want you to suffer at the hands of such a cruel famine.”
“Rased gives what he thinks we deserve,” the woman replied, shaking her head. “The demons bring the famine. Now please, I beg you, leave this place.”
Wing nodded, sadly, and headed outside, Ethan following after.
“Well, there’s gratitude for you,” Ethan laughed as they headed back towards the palace. Wing had been very quiet since leaving the poor family’s house, but now he stopped dead and glared at Ethan.
“She said the demons bring the famine,” he growled. “Is that what you teach these people?”
“It’s true, isn’t it?” Ethan shrugged.
“No it certainly isn’t!” Wing screeched, fuming. “Verdimond is Rased’s capital, no demon has touched it in over a thousand years! You’re just too frightened to tell them Rased has abandoned them!”
“Rased loves all of his people,” Ethan replied, looking flustered.
“Loves them enough to starve them to death!” Wing shouted.
“He has reason for everything he does, we are merely mortal and cannot see his plans,” Ethan murmured.
“I think he plans to sit around and take credit for everything good, whilst you Clerks convince everyone that everything bad that happens is a demon’s fault!” Wing screamed, “Lord Krayon has done a better job of looking after his people than Rased has in his capital! Even the mortals in Egae are fed and sheltered!”
“Do not say a word against Rased, demon lover!” Ethan growled, getting angry.
“Go on, defend him!” Wing dared, “Defend your precious Rased, give me one good reason for these people to trust him!”
Ethan paused for a moment, then quietly replied. “The great war.”
“The angels of Rased destroyed the demons who were causing disaster for the mortals,” Wing sighed, remembering the story, “But that was six thousand years ago.”
“He protected us, we are eternally in his debt, we must trust in him,” Ethan said, and it sounded like his word was final.
Wing sighed, realising he was going to get nowhere with this, and they walked back to the palace in silence.
That evening Wing was in his room at the Verdimond palace, Krayon had begged him to stay a night so he could spend more time getting to know his fiancé. Wing had never had his own room before, at home he had shared one room with his family, then he had moved to the bride dormitories, but it was a good feeling to have a space entirely his own, and he secretly liked it.
Wing was sat on his bed, plaiting a new ornament into his hair, when there was a sharp knock on the door.
“Come in,” he called, curiously, expecting a servant with some tea.
The door opened and Ethan walked in, he closed the door behind him and leant against it, awkwardly.
“Oh, hello,” Wing said, a little surprised. “Is something wrong?”
“Nothing,” Ethan replied, shaking his head. He sighed and came further into the room. “I just… I wanted to apologise for the way I behaved earlier. You were right in some respects, times have changed and the demons are no longer at fault for a lot of what happens throughout our lands.”
“I’m sorry too,” Wing replied, smiling at this surprising change of tone, “I shouldn’t have shouted at you like I did.”
“What you did for that family was very sweet,” Ethan said.
“It was nothing really, that sort of money is nothing when you have as much as we do, you know that,” Wing shrugged.
“But you thought of doing it, that was nice enough. And you took that sick girl back to her home, it was a very kind thing to do,” Ethan murmured.
He came to stand right in front of Wing, then reached down to where he was sat and stroked a hand softly through the Demon Bride’s hair. “You’re a very good person, Wing, a soft and gentle person, and despite myself I can’t help but become more and more fond of you every time I see you.”
Wing’s eyes were wide with surprise and he was speechless.
“I think I might even be starting to fall in love with you,” Ethan smiled.
“Y… you are?” Wing murmured.
Ethan nodded.
“D…d…despite myself I think… I may be starting to feel the same way about you…” Wing stuttered.
At that moment Ethan bent his head and kissed Wing tenderly, and Wing’s mind was screaming at him to resist but he couldn’t. He closed his eyes and surrendered to the strong lips dominating his, the firm but gentle tongue exploring his mouth in a more commanding way than Lord Krayon’s ever had…
Lord Krayon!
“No!” Wing cried, pulling away. “No I can’t… I… I have to… I’ve got to go home… right this instant!”
Ethan was confused by the sudden outburst and looked startled.
“Oh… alright,” he said, frowning. “You’ll be returning in the morning though, won’t you?”
“No!” Wing cried, standing and collecting his things into his travel bag. “Erm… maybe!”
He was already heading out of the bedroom door before Ethan could say another word.
Wing was in his corner of the dormitories that evening, sitting on his bed as his servant unpacked the things from his travel bag and put them away.
“I kissed him, Bernard!” Wing cried, horrified with himself. “I kissed Ethan! And… and I think I enjoyed it!”
“Nothing wrong with that, Master Wing,” the servant replied, folding one of the bride’s blouses.
“But there is,” Wing moaned, “I only have, and only ever should want to kiss Lord Krayon!”
He snatched a fresh mug of tea from the tray by the bed and downed it thirstily like the mug contained something a lot stronger.
“If I may be so bold, permit me an observation?” Bernard smiled.
“Please,” Wing invited.
“If Lord Krayon wishes you to be married to Master Ethan then I’m sure he’ll have no objection to you kissing him, or tending to him in any way a bride is expected to tend to their husband.”
“Tend to?!” Wing gasped, “Oh no! No, kissing him was bad enough…”
“He was that terrible?” Bernard chuckled.
“No… no he wasn’t,” Wing replied, “He was wonderful - tender and strong and very attentive…” Wing looked horrified at himself again and physically shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut to try and bring himself back to his senses, “But that’s not the point!” he said, hurriedly.
“I think, Master Wing, you are worrying yourself too much with this,” Bernard said, gently, “It’s what everyone wants, is it not? And if you’re to marry him anyway I should think it very lucky that you’re in love with one another.”
Wing sighed.
“I’ll sleep now, I think,” he said, sounding exhausted.
“Very well,” Bernard nodded, then helped Wing into his night clothes in silence, and left.
“I’m bored,” Wing complained, running his hands over one of the dog’s belly while she dozed by the fire.
“Well what did you want to do?” Ethan asked, impatiently.
“Can’t we go out?” asked Wing.
“Out of the palace? Why?”
“I just told you, because I’m bored.”
“But there’s nothing in Verdimond, just markets,” Ethan shrugged. He flipped his book onto it’s front and put it beside him.
“Please,” Wing begged, “Just for a short while. We can go for a walk.”
Ethan sighed, resignedly, then stood up. “Oh alright, if it’ll shut you up,” he muttered.
Wing grinned.
When Wing and Ethan wandered through the town they were immediately the centre of attention, they were wearing nice clothes and the townspeople were obviously very poor, they were skinny and dressed in rags.
“I didn’t realise there was so much poverty in Verdimond,” Wing murmured to Ethan, it reminded him of home.
“There’s a famine at the moment,” Ethan explained, “It was a very bad winter.”
Wing immediately got out his purse and began to buy things from the market stalls they passed; little trinkets for his hair, handmade jewellery, a ribbon, a small vase. The prices were incredibly low, the stall owners grateful for anything they could get, Wing handed over his money and refused to take back any change he was owed. The people stumbled over their own words to express their gratitude.
“Would you like to buy some matches?” a small, sickly looking girl asked as they passed her.
“No we would not like to buy any matches,” Ethan growled, fed up with being hassled.
“Please sir, my baby sister is sick,” the girl begged. “She might die, sir.”
“Rased takes us all one day,” Ethan replied, coldly, and walked on.
Wing took out his purse again and knelt to the child’s level, he took her hand and emptied a fistful of coins into it. Her eyes went very wide as she looked at the money in her palm.
“I don’t think I have that many matches,” she apologised.
“I don’t want matches, sweetheart,” Wing said, kindly, “Keep them, and take the money home for your sister. Get some food and some medicine.”
As the girl put the money into her pocket she burst into tears and Wing frowned.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, worried he’d said something to upset her.
“You’re the kindest person I’ve ever met,” she sobbed.
Wing smiled and hugged her, and she fell against him and cried. When her crying quietened he tried to pull away but found she had passed out.
“Ethan!” he yelled, panicking.
Ethan stomped back. “What?” he demanded.
“She fainted,” Wing gasped. “What do we do?”
“Leave her there, someone will pick her up,” Ethan shrugged.
“I can’t do that!” Wing cried. She was so skinny even Wing could manage to lift her, he picked her up and carried her to the nearest market stall where a woman was selling flowers. “Excuse me! Help me please, do you know this girl?” he asked, panic stricken.
“Her name is Claudette, she lives above the bakery,” the woman informed him, pointing out the right building. Wing nodded a thanks, gave her some money, then hurried towards the girl’s home, Ethan following behind, growling.
A woman opened the door when Wing knocked, she saw Claudette in his arms and immediately took her from him and into the house, thanking him and inviting him in.
“Not again,” she murmured as she set the child down on a straw mattress on the floor and fetched a damp cloth for her forehead. Wing wandered into the bare room, where there was nothing but two chairs, three straw mattresses, a baby’s crib, a cooker, and a few tin plates and cups.
“I’m sorry if my daughter caused you any inconvenience, sirs,” the woman apologised, as she finished tending to the girl. “I’m very grateful to you for returning her to me.”
Wing just shook his head. “No, not at all, it’s alright.”
The woman moved the girl further up the mattress and it was then that she heard the jangle of coins in her pocket and investigated. She pulled them out and gasped.
“She robbed you?” she cried, turning to Wing and Ethan (who was stood in the doorway looking awkward). “I’m so sorry, please forgive her, she’s just a child and she only meant well in these hard times, sirs!”
“No, no, no,” Wing shushed the woman, quickly, “She didn’t rob us, I gave her that money. You have a sick baby?”
The woman nodded, slowly, her mouth open in disbelief.
“You gave my daughter all of this money?” she asked, numbly.
“Yes, I thought it was the least I could do,” Wing replied, gently. “My name is Wing, and this is my fiancé, Ethan.”
Ethan nodded a reluctant greeting.
“I really don’t know what to say,” the woman said, quietly. She sat down heavily in one of the chairs and ran a hand through her tangled brown hair. She looked up at them after a while and regarded them with new suspicion. “Forgive me, but, who are you? You’re strangers here, where are you from?”
Wing replied, “I am a traveller from Egae.”
“That’s a demon land,” the woman said, “I’ve heard of it. It’s ruled by Demon Lord Krayon, a Demon Elder.”
“That’s true,” Wing nodded. “I am one of his brides.”
If the woman looked surprised before, she was in complete shock now. After taking a moment to regain herself she stood up. “I am very grateful to you for returning me my daughter, and it is a very kind gesture to give my family the money that you have, you may have saved my baby’s life. However, I think it best you leave. We are a proper, good, Rased loving family, and I don’t think it right to have a Demon Bride in our home, under better circumstances I would not accept your money, but times are desperate and I have no choice.”
Wing was stunned and a little hurt.
“I mean you no harm,” he promised. “I don’t want you to suffer at the hands of such a cruel famine.”
“Rased gives what he thinks we deserve,” the woman replied, shaking her head. “The demons bring the famine. Now please, I beg you, leave this place.”
Wing nodded, sadly, and headed outside, Ethan following after.
“Well, there’s gratitude for you,” Ethan laughed as they headed back towards the palace. Wing had been very quiet since leaving the poor family’s house, but now he stopped dead and glared at Ethan.
“She said the demons bring the famine,” he growled. “Is that what you teach these people?”
“It’s true, isn’t it?” Ethan shrugged.
“No it certainly isn’t!” Wing screeched, fuming. “Verdimond is Rased’s capital, no demon has touched it in over a thousand years! You’re just too frightened to tell them Rased has abandoned them!”
“Rased loves all of his people,” Ethan replied, looking flustered.
“Loves them enough to starve them to death!” Wing shouted.
“He has reason for everything he does, we are merely mortal and cannot see his plans,” Ethan murmured.
“I think he plans to sit around and take credit for everything good, whilst you Clerks convince everyone that everything bad that happens is a demon’s fault!” Wing screamed, “Lord Krayon has done a better job of looking after his people than Rased has in his capital! Even the mortals in Egae are fed and sheltered!”
“Do not say a word against Rased, demon lover!” Ethan growled, getting angry.
“Go on, defend him!” Wing dared, “Defend your precious Rased, give me one good reason for these people to trust him!”
Ethan paused for a moment, then quietly replied. “The great war.”
“The angels of Rased destroyed the demons who were causing disaster for the mortals,” Wing sighed, remembering the story, “But that was six thousand years ago.”
“He protected us, we are eternally in his debt, we must trust in him,” Ethan said, and it sounded like his word was final.
Wing sighed, realising he was going to get nowhere with this, and they walked back to the palace in silence.
That evening Wing was in his room at the Verdimond palace, Krayon had begged him to stay a night so he could spend more time getting to know his fiancé. Wing had never had his own room before, at home he had shared one room with his family, then he had moved to the bride dormitories, but it was a good feeling to have a space entirely his own, and he secretly liked it.
Wing was sat on his bed, plaiting a new ornament into his hair, when there was a sharp knock on the door.
“Come in,” he called, curiously, expecting a servant with some tea.
The door opened and Ethan walked in, he closed the door behind him and leant against it, awkwardly.
“Oh, hello,” Wing said, a little surprised. “Is something wrong?”
“Nothing,” Ethan replied, shaking his head. He sighed and came further into the room. “I just… I wanted to apologise for the way I behaved earlier. You were right in some respects, times have changed and the demons are no longer at fault for a lot of what happens throughout our lands.”
“I’m sorry too,” Wing replied, smiling at this surprising change of tone, “I shouldn’t have shouted at you like I did.”
“What you did for that family was very sweet,” Ethan said.
“It was nothing really, that sort of money is nothing when you have as much as we do, you know that,” Wing shrugged.
“But you thought of doing it, that was nice enough. And you took that sick girl back to her home, it was a very kind thing to do,” Ethan murmured.
He came to stand right in front of Wing, then reached down to where he was sat and stroked a hand softly through the Demon Bride’s hair. “You’re a very good person, Wing, a soft and gentle person, and despite myself I can’t help but become more and more fond of you every time I see you.”
Wing’s eyes were wide with surprise and he was speechless.
“I think I might even be starting to fall in love with you,” Ethan smiled.
“Y… you are?” Wing murmured.
Ethan nodded.
“D…d…despite myself I think… I may be starting to feel the same way about you…” Wing stuttered.
At that moment Ethan bent his head and kissed Wing tenderly, and Wing’s mind was screaming at him to resist but he couldn’t. He closed his eyes and surrendered to the strong lips dominating his, the firm but gentle tongue exploring his mouth in a more commanding way than Lord Krayon’s ever had…
Lord Krayon!
“No!” Wing cried, pulling away. “No I can’t… I… I have to… I’ve got to go home… right this instant!”
Ethan was confused by the sudden outburst and looked startled.
“Oh… alright,” he said, frowning. “You’ll be returning in the morning though, won’t you?”
“No!” Wing cried, standing and collecting his things into his travel bag. “Erm… maybe!”
He was already heading out of the bedroom door before Ethan could say another word.
Wing was in his corner of the dormitories that evening, sitting on his bed as his servant unpacked the things from his travel bag and put them away.
“I kissed him, Bernard!” Wing cried, horrified with himself. “I kissed Ethan! And… and I think I enjoyed it!”
“Nothing wrong with that, Master Wing,” the servant replied, folding one of the bride’s blouses.
“But there is,” Wing moaned, “I only have, and only ever should want to kiss Lord Krayon!”
He snatched a fresh mug of tea from the tray by the bed and downed it thirstily like the mug contained something a lot stronger.
“If I may be so bold, permit me an observation?” Bernard smiled.
“Please,” Wing invited.
“If Lord Krayon wishes you to be married to Master Ethan then I’m sure he’ll have no objection to you kissing him, or tending to him in any way a bride is expected to tend to their husband.”
“Tend to?!” Wing gasped, “Oh no! No, kissing him was bad enough…”
“He was that terrible?” Bernard chuckled.
“No… no he wasn’t,” Wing replied, “He was wonderful - tender and strong and very attentive…” Wing looked horrified at himself again and physically shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut to try and bring himself back to his senses, “But that’s not the point!” he said, hurriedly.
“I think, Master Wing, you are worrying yourself too much with this,” Bernard said, gently, “It’s what everyone wants, is it not? And if you’re to marry him anyway I should think it very lucky that you’re in love with one another.”
Wing sighed.
“I’ll sleep now, I think,” he said, sounding exhausted.
“Very well,” Bernard nodded, then helped Wing into his night clothes in silence, and left.