The Demon’s Bride

Elise looked at Ian in wonder. There were too many layers under him, of his past. The more she had gotten closer to him whether it was her feeling or her body, she felt herself finding new things of him, "You have always piqued my interest."

She saw Ian's smile widening, his eyes crinkling with delight he took from her words, "How I feel very honored from your words. Are you not going to ask my name?"

Elise had thought to ask, but she also knew how dangerous his name was. She didn't want to be his weakness which why she didn't ask. Shaking her head, she replied, "I will wait until you tell me your name, it's dangerous if I know your name too."

Ian seemed to look confused to her eyes, "Why?" came his question, "It's not dangerous for lovers to know their true name."

Elise wondered if he really asked the question, "Wouldn't it be a great problem if I gain control over you?"

She felt her hand was pulled, and his eyes looking fierce but happy at the same time, "I'm waiting for the day you try to gain control over me, sounds like the best thing I could wish for. You are different from others and it's not as if you'll use my name to kill myself would you?"

"I wouldn't," she replied quickly, remembering the term she had to bear, 'The Demon's Bride' thought Elise. Would knowing Ian's name only place a higher risk for her to kill him? Somewhere Elise felt unsettled by herself, and the power she held.

"I would like it better if you decide to take control in bed, you know..." drawled Ian, his words were no less than a hook that had Elise to look at him quizzically. "Riding me," he whispered, his words sending shivers to her neck.

As if a bomb had come over her, Elise felt her cheeks turning hotter. She didn't know what Ian spoke of at first until the last two words he whispered to her. "Master Ian, you know, you have a habit of turning our conversation to something far different."

"I think I do," Ian shrugged, looking unbothered with it, "You should know this is only a half of my shamelessness."

Elise felt her breaths stuck on her lungs, she looked away unable to keep herself from her illustrious imagination which she was not really sure of, "I think we should go now," saying that she quickly raced to the carriage only to be pulled.

She turned her head to see Ian staring at her before saying, "We should go together."

Inside the carriage, Elise didn't talk much with Ian with Beelzebub sitting on the opposite side of their seat while she shared a bench with Ian. The entire time he didn't let go of her hands which somewhere felt like the solace of comfort Elise needed now.

The time they arrived, they took a stop on a foothill of a mountain. Thankfully, Elise always wore thicker boots when she leaves the castle, if not, the sloping path would have been hard for her to walk on. She saw Mr. Beel and Ian talked before entering the forest. Although the two could not have a peaceful conversation, Elise could tell they had a quite well relationship which was not hated nor likes. She asked herself if the past was what made the two closer.

Elise unknowingly had stared at Ian the entire time when she saw him turning his face and raised his hand to call her to his side. She walked to follow him, when she caught Beelzebub said, "Don't blame me if we got the wrong forest. Sixty years have passed I doubt myself remembering the right forest."

"That's fine, I had expected you'll not remember anything with that minuscule brain of yours. Which why I have prepared an entire day for this," Ian casually dropped a remark which had Beelzebub's smile twitch.

Elise turned to look at the forest. Unlike most forest which was abundant with leaves, this one was bare, and Elise didn't know if this was due to the winter or if the forest had been the way it was. When they passed by a tree, she stared at one of them, "They look dry and bare," she remarked with a frown.

"Autumn is the season for leaves to fall, lass," Beelszebub chimed, wondering if Elise had been cooped in the castle for years that she doesn't know most of the trees shed their leaves in Autumn.

Elise shook her head, "There should be some trees that wouldn't be affected by Autumn or Winter, these are evergreen trees, there should be leaves on the branches," yet there was none and it would perhaps look natural if there were two or three trees that were bare like needles, but all the forest had turned infertile.

"Unless something is affecting the trees to grow," Ian who walked beside her answered, and Elise wondered what it could be. Was it Sullivan's death in the forest that stopped the trees from growing? Was that possible? wondered Elise in her mind.

Shifting his eyes, Ian then glanced at Beelzebub, "Isn't it time for you to explain how you know Sullivan the sixth, Beel?"

"We met in the banquet, a party held in Hell." Beelzebub looked around the place, wondering if Elise's and Ian's words were true as he can't tell. He didn't live in the human world which limits his knowledge about the living trees around the place. "He stood out like a sore thumb with his silver hair and golden eyes, he was a complete opposite of Demon and other Demons look at him with stinky eyes. I was curious where he acquired those silver hair while living in Hell so I came and talk. Soon after we became penpal."

"Sounds to me like a friendship between ladies," Ian answered and Elise agreed. Ian didn't doubt Beelzebub as at this point he wouldn't lie but he can't put complete trust in Beel either.

"Say what you want," Beelzebub rolled his eyes, "He knew many intriguing things and by chance, we had similar interest. When he disappeared from Hell, I have vaguely noticed he would leave."

Elise shifted her gaze from the snowy path to Beelzebub who was more bothered with his shoes sinking to the snow than his own talk, "Did Sullivan told you in the letter?" she asked.

"He didn't but he spoke of how would it feel to live in a mortal's world, and questions that ask what humans often do in mortal's world. At that time I just thought he was curious, although I notice him starting to ask more questions about them," Beelzebub then shifted his gaze and point his finger, "Take the left."

Elise wondered if since that time Sullivan had fallen for the human girl, wanting to spend his life with her as it sounded like a romantic tale that ends in tragedy, thought Elise. She hadn't met Sullivan yet, but she pitied the man.

"I thought you would rattle his name to the authority of Hell when he was missing," Ian chimed, holding his hand tighter to Elise so she wouldn't fall. His steps have slowed down to match hers.

"I like to torture people but as expected that is too low for me, and I couldn't at the time because he didn't tell me where he left. It was after the news that he was killed by his own bride did I search around. The villager's story of a girl marrying a man with silver hair and golden eyes brought me here."

When Beelzebub stop speaking, Elise watched the small house in front of her. The cottage was not larger but it wasn't small either, just enough for a family to live in. The condition of the house was visibly deteriorating with the years passing by. By how the windows had turned cloudy and the snow covering the roof making it seem as if one more wind blowing to the house would make it reduce to nothing, it was clear that the house had been abandoned.

"How long ago are we speaking of this marriage?" questioned Ian, wanting to know the specific number.

"Sixty-three years ago," answered Beelzebub, his red eyes looking at the house like the other two.

"Are you ready Elise?" Ian questioned, his smile show he knew what she was thinking but ask regardless, "You will be speaking with a ghost now."

She braced herself to see some ghost. It would not be gory, would it? After taking a mouthful of breath she readily replied, "I am," and the trio entered the house.