#and once again barbatos and mc being extremely married

[celestialrealms]

yeah I'm NOT getting over this card any time soon. Never expected them to just blatantly tell me so many of the extrapolations I made about barbatos's backstory, how alone he used to be, his parental relationship with diavolo being the thing to change that, and how diavolo and mc are the most important people in his life now, were all true in such a cute fluffy card

bonus chat highlights:

[otakusheep15]

Escape the Wedding

So, my best friend/mother is currently trapped in a wedding she doesn’t want to be at, and I’m hoping that she’ll be able to escape. And because of this, I’m gonna post a quick, unplanned scenario of MC escaping a wedding they don’t want to be at. Basically, the brothers get summoned by Mc and they take Mc home. 

You have no clue how you ended up here. In the middle of a crowded hall full of demons, two of which had supposedly gotten married. You didn’t even know marriage was a thing in the Devildom, so when Lucifer sprung this up on you, you were not happy. 

The panic had started out minimal. You had come in with all the brothers, and managed to stay by at least one for the whole night. But then, your last defense, Satan, had wandered off to mingle with some higher-level demons. 

Now, all alone, you curl up in a corner on the verge of a panic attack. With the last ounce of strength you have left, you manage to cast the summoning spell, and your favorite demon stands before you.

Lucifer:

He had just been talking with Diavolo and Barbatos before being summoned

At first, he was annoyed that he was taken from his conversation

But then he saw your expression and the way you were curled up on the floor

Immediately, he went into overprotective mode

Crouched down next to you to talk to you, and made sure to use as quiet of a voice as he could

Also calls Dia to ask if he could take you home, to which Dia says yes

Once Dia agrees, Lucifer is quick to pick you up (with permission of course) and carry you home

You stay in his room for the rest of the night where he cares for you and helps calm you down

Mammon:

Was definitely partying on the dance floor or chatting with some fellow models

Extremely panicked at first cause he thinks a witch summoned him for money again

But became even more panicked at the sight of you

He tries his best, but he’s so bad at helping out with panic attacks

Probably ends up making it worse by being too loud on accident

So he just decides to shut up and drag you home

Apologizes so much once he has you safe and sound in his room

Genuinely feels bad for not being able to help, but you’re just glad he managed to get you out of there without causing a scene

Leviathan:

Bold of you to assume he even went to begin with lol

But, for the sake of the scenario, let’s pretend Asmo dragged him along anyway

This can go one of two ways for him

Option one: he’s sitting awkwardly in a corner while playing games on his phone

Or option two: the demons getting married are super important people, and so Leviathan had to enter Grand Admiral Mode for the occasion 

Either way, he’s completely freaking out on the inside

Levi does not want to be here, and is so grateful when you summon him

Completely understands how you feel and is able to get you out without any trouble

Offers up his headphones for you to borrow if you feel too overwhelmed with the noise

He gets you home and invites you to his room where you spend the night watching anime together

Satan:

Didn’t even realize you were no longer by his side until he turned to ask you a question and you weren’t there

Started getting nervous, which was exactly when you summoned him to your panic corner

Feels a sense of relief that you are still in one piece, even if you are having a breakdown

Sits down next to you and helps you through breathing exercises to relax you and level your breathing

After he’s calmed you down a bit, he helps you stand and walks you out of the venue

Immediately takes you to his room where he puts your head on his lap and reads you stories

Asmodeus:

In the center of the crowd attempting to take the attention from the newlyweds

Spoilers: it’s working

Until you summon him to the corner of the room

Confused at the sudden change of scenery, but stops thinking about it when he sees how close to tears you are

Does not hesitate to grab you up and pull you out of the venue

Like, he doesn’t even spare a glance back until he’s locked the door to his bedroom and sat you down on his bed

Then he sits down next to you and gently talks you down from panic, and his sweet voice certainly helps the process

Offers to help you de-stress with some self-care (or other methods if you prefer *wink wink*)

Beelzebub:

Stuffing his face with all of the food there

What else did you expect?

Is upset when he sees he’s no longer surrounded by food

And then becomes more upset when he sees you on the floor looking like you’ve just witnessed a murder

Doesn’t even question what’s wrong

Just throws you over his shoulder and walks out

It obviously attracts some attention, but he couldn’t care less right now

Beel has a very one-track mind and refuses to stop or put you down until he knows you’re in a safe environment 

That just so happens to be the twin’s room

Only when he makes sure the two of you are alone does he actually put you down

Offers food as consolation

Belphegor:

Let’s be honest here; he fell asleep at a table somewhere

Or, more accurately, he passed out on the floor and Beel carried him to a table

Also didn’t want to be here, but came in solidarity with the antisocial trio (you, him, and Levi)

When you summon hi, it throws him super off guard

Hates being summoned while he's sleeping, so he’s about to yell at you until he sees the state you’re in currently

Sits down next you and leans your head on his shoulder

Might start singing or humming to you if he knows you like him voice

After ensuring you’ve calmed down a bit, he’ll gently help you stand up and take you to the attic

Might also grab Beel if you’re okay with it

If you are, then the three. of you all go up to the attic and cuddle

If not, then it’ll be just the two of you

He’s fine with it either way since he gets to cuddle with you and leave the party 

This was super random, so sorry if there end up being any mistakes. And shout out to my friend how has managed to escape the wedding while I was writing this out. 

[soldmysoultootomeboys]

Obey Me Brothers Wedding HCS

Just some wedding headcanons for the boys bcuz i’m soft for them, Gn MC

Thinks about marrying Asmo => 😡💕💕

Lucifer

I can not stress how much this man would be a bridezilla

He’s probably the MOST high maintenance demon when it comes to this, even over Asmo

He gets so stressed over it too and when he's stressed he gets extremely snippy

It takes you knocking a little sense into him to get him back on track

He just wants your day to be perfect and with his brothers causing trouble it's hard to really focus on choosing a tablecloth

He won’t be any nicer to his brothers but he will try to avoid causing fights at this time simply because it's really important to him that ALL of his family is there. 

The night after proposing you find a beautiful envelope on white paper with gold trim in your room you realize it's a congratulation note from the celestial realm, presumably from the big man upstairs, it's still a heartstopping realization when you realize who your father in law technically is

Are you committing a sin marrying a fallen angel? Do you care?

It’s easier to ignore it than do anything else, although you do appreciate them registering for the coffee maker you had on your registry. You needed that. Mammon broke the last one.

Kindly begs asks you NOT to do anything crazy in the week leading up to it

Please MC his heart he's about to explode from stress please don't add to it, just for one week

Diavolo plans his bachelor party at the Fall with Barbatos. Invites you along and you have to explain how bachelor parties work

If it’s up to him the wedding will be all black with red accents eDgY mUcH?

At the altar he kisses you twice, first to show everyone that your his, the second time is just for you two, he hides you away from sight curling his black wings around you and holding you as close as he can bear

In the end it's a very happy celebration filled with good food, family, and friends

When you cut the cake feel free to smash a little bit in his face, this is your only chance, he'll be in too much of a good mood to retaliate...much

Mammon

Luxury luxury luxury

He wants solid gold altars, diamond encrusted bouquets, jewels imported from every corner of the world

He has so many plans (as well as a ridiculously long wedding registry)

But the moment you say you want anything he abandons them 

Whatever you want he wants, but if you wanted some diamonds too that would be great

He absolutely would be down for a wedding bouncy castle

He gets you the biggest diamond ring ever that he buys with his own money from a lot of shifts at Hell's kitchen and modelling gigs

He totally believes in the tradition of not seeing you until your wedding day but he also forgets so he walks in and as soon as he realizes you're getting ready he shuts his eyes and tries to run out. He'll only talk to you from behind the door. 

When he sees you walking down the aisle he falls in love all over again. And he feels like that a hundred different moments. It doesn't matter what you're doing, playing with your veil, wiping cake off the corner of your mouth, yawning, he loves you and loves that you’re his.

He could get married to you in a ditch and still be the happiest man in the world.

He's an absolute goofball and is smiling the entire time

The couple that during their wedding night end up jumping on the bed and having pillow fights while play wrestling

Levi

You really want to marry a gross otaku like him??? Why??

Not that he's complaining! He just doesn't get it. His brothers are so cool and Asmo is so much prettier than him and he doesn't have anything to offer.

It takes a lot of reassuring to convince that this is what you want to do

You two have this same conversation about a million times before the wedding. He just doesn't get why you actually like him. Once it finally sets in that this really is happening and it's not just some big joke he gets really into it and definitely puffs up around his brothers to show off

His first thought is a cosplay wedding and he'll beg for it to be Ruri-chan themed

Good luck getting Lucifer or any of his brothers to agree to dressing up, as funny as it may be

If you shoot that down it's pretty easy to convince him to do something else since mostly he's just excited to be with you

He still has a little Ruri pin on his suit collar and cufflinks

When you walk down the aisle he feels like he’s going to faint from nerves and when it’s time for vows he pulls out a huge list of all the reasons he loves you and why your his Henry, although about half of it compares things you’ve done to things in TSL

He only makes it through a quarter of the way before he gets embarrassed

When he lifts your veil he panics because your so pretty and he can’t handle it

You have to initiate the kiss and when you do he turns as red as a tomato

He tries to play it off but keep a strong arm around his waist unless he really does decide to pass out

He cools down once you guys are at the reception and gets especially excited the little custom made toppers of you two in cartoon form

Satan

He's a bridezilla but in the lightest sense of the word

He won't get upset over mix ups or even really wedding stuff like Asmo or Lucifer but his temper will be extremely fine during this time, especially when it comes to his brothers.

Throws an entire table through the window when Lucifer asks him if he knew where Mammon was

It’s a lot of stress to create the perfect wedding and he buries his nose in different books that can help him

He’s a bit of a perfectionist

The most classic and elegant wedding ever and he’d want to be involved in every step of the way

Very interested in your opinion and if it compares to human weddings

He flushes with pride whenever you compliment something he picked out

Includes casual literary references in his wedding but only so people who really know will realize

Wears a navy suit 

Asmo

Also a bridezilla and a petty one at that

There will be drama, there will be tears, there will be a part where he cries off his mascara because Andrealphus of the damned brought the white bouquets and he wanted the PINK ones. This is HIS day why is she trying to ruin it.

It’s a lot of work trying to keep the damage to a minimal

Part of the reason he gets so upset is because this is your day too and he wants it to be perfect. 

Prepare for a million dress rehearsals.

He wants to help pick out your outfit and makeup! But he also doesn't want to break human tradition...But he wants to help pick out your outfit and makeup so bad!!

If he manages to restrain himself he picks out the makeup artist and the stylizer because he knows what makeup you like and what looks best on your skin.

Most likely tho he'll want to see anyways and bugs you to let him in

You compromise by going shopping with him as he tries on a million dresses and suits

MC the suit on the right or the one on the left?

They both look exactly the same.

"...Left love." "That's exactly what I was thinking. I knew I could trust you to pick out the right answer!"

Even though he's very good at fashion your opinion matters a lot to him. Sure he could make himself look perfect but he wants to look perfect for YOU. He wants to be your version of perfect and if that means he picks the high cut dress instead of the low cut which flatters his waist better then he'll do it. For you.

He's the type to want to have all the spotlight on him so if you're walking down the aisle he's going to do it too! He does it first. HE says for the attention. In reality he wants to be able to see you the moment you step out the doors and down that hall.

Looks super perfect as he waits for you at the aisle but the moment you get married he starts ugly crying. He throws his veil back on so no one can see it but you just lift it up and kiss away his tears.

Even though it's a lot of work it's worth it to be with the demon you love...but if you shove cake in his face he'll seriously kill you, MC do you know how long this took?!!!!! :'(

Beel

He’s more than happy to do whatever you want

Whatever vision you have he's willing to make happen

He does his best but feels a little useless since keeps having to break for snacks

Wonders why you’d want to be with him when all he ever does it eat but he tries not to bring it up in case it would upset you

He honestly does have a lot of fun planning with you and his favorite part was when you got to taste test different cakes because he got to impress you by explaining all the little differences between each one

He ends up being in charge of everything food related and it helps him feel a bit better

Barbatos ends up cooking the dishes 

During the rehearsal he falls in love with you all over again and doesn’t want to let you go the entire time

He gets especially nervous during the month of the wedding

He starts stress eating, going through even more food than normal, but then he gets worried about fitting into his suit and starts working out even more than normal, which makes him hungry again. It’s a terrible cycle

Belphie manages to break him out of it by reminding Beel that you love him more than anyone else

Even though its his wedding he starts setting up just to get out some of his nervous tension until the others shoo him back inside

A huge 20 layer cake each tier a different flavor

He has his own personal cake that's even bigger than the other cake but he’s more than willing to share with you

You two do the cute bit where you smash cake in each others faces

Beel still eats it tho

As much as he loves his family he's so happy to be able to steal you away at the end

Belphie

Planning a wedding is sooo much work

He lets you choose whatever you want as long as you let him sleep

if it was up to him he'd want a small informal celebration with his family but if you want something bigger than he guesses it's fine. As long as he doesn't have to talk to anyone like Diavolo 

He uninvites Lucifer like three times, each time using extremely formal paper with beautiful cursive that must have taken hours. When Lucifer confronts him Belphie just says that it’s too late because he already gave away his seat. 

He only brings him back when you make him

He sleeps more than usual in the weeks leading up to the wedding. You think it’s because of the stress but in actuality he’s trying to save up his sleep so he’s more awake for the ceremony

As much as he may act like he doesn’t care, he really does want to marry you and it makes him happy to think that you’re going to be all his

Beel is obviously his best man and while Belphie waits for you to come down the aisle he leans against him to take a small nap. Or that's what he had planned. The moment the music starts he perks up and finds himself unable to even close his eyes, too fixated on the doors about to open. 

Feeds you the first bite of cake and then just...doesn't stop

He’s so in love with you all he can do is stare

Gives his slice of cake to Beel he'd much rather pay attention to you than eat

However he does smash a little in your face but it’s out of love <3

[prrplwtch]

Part 1

A/N: TW (updated) rape mention. 

P.S.: looks like I lied to nonnie, since I did not mention who Naamah’s father is , but he does appear in this chapter:) 

Our hearts’ desire. Part 2. Diavolo x f!MC

Barbatos, have you inquired about the Mirage Flowers?”

“Yes – they should be here in a few days, my lady,” he replied, even-toned, briefly looking up from the clipboard he’s holding in his hands, “As should the Crystal Roses.”

“Wonderful,” MC nodded, “We will have them planted right around the wedding tent.”

Diavolo had decided that the wedding of Naamah and Orias was to take place in the castle’s gardens. MC did not find the idea objectionable – the gardens were in full bloom, and with the addition of Mirage Flowers and Crystal Roses, everything was bound to look absolutely splendid. It was almost a pity that this ill-fated wedding was bound to be cut short.

Of course, she could not let anyone know.

As such, she dedicated herself fully to the wedding planning. Diavolo had assigned Barbatos to help her, and, though Barbatos went along with his lord’s orders, like he always did, it was clear that he was not at all thrilled about it.

The servants have finally finished putting up the wedding tent – it was gold and red and gleamed in the lights like an open fire.

“Marvelous,” she said, as she clasped her hands, “At times like this, it’s most important that the full splendor of the royal house if on display.”

MC could almost feel Barbatos roll his eyes behind her back.

“I’m afraid a display of finery may not be enough to resolve the current situation,” he offered quietly.

“It will not resolve it, but it’s a start,” MC insisted with a smile.

MC knew it was a lie, of course – the so-called “situation” will not be resolved until her daughter’s ascension to the throne, she’ll make sure of it.

“Have you made arrangements with the royal seamstress?” MC asked Barbatos after a momentary pause, “With the wedding so soon, it is imperative that she’ll start on Naamah’s dress immediately.”

“Of course,” Barbatos nodded, “She will be here tomorrow to attend to Naamah.”

“Delightful,” MC smiled, feeling a slight pang in her chest.

For her own safety, Naamah was not privy to the full details of MC’s plan.

“Just trust me, sweetling,” MC had told her after Diavolo announced that she was to wed Orias, “No harm will come to you, I’ll see to it.”

“Do I have to marry Orias?” Naamah asked her then, her dark eyes full of sadness.

“Remember the promise I made to you one day when you were very little?” MC said instead of answering Naamah’s question, “That you will be the queen one day, in your own right. This is me keeping my promise to you. But you have to trust me and do exactly as I say.”

“Very well,” Naamah answered after a momentary pause, “I trust you, mama. Even if that means I have to be Orias’s wife.”

My poor sweet girl – no one will ever lay their hands on you against your will.

“There is also the matter of the guest list,” Barbatos said, distracting MC from her thoughts, “Per your request, I have made the initial chart, and…”

Suddenly, he paused, and MC knew immediately what it was – Diavolo was summoning him to the castle.

“Perhaps, you can look over this while I go attend to lord Diavolo,” Barbatos said, handing the papers over to MC, “And we could continue as soon as I return.”

“We’ll continue tomorrow,” MC said, looking at Barbatos, “Who knew that wedding planning could be this exhausting.”

He looked her for a moment before saying, “As you wish.”

With that he left.

MC had settled on one of the garden benches with the guest list and the seating chart. She did not want to look at it, but she knew she had to. The wedding planning must go on as normal. She glanced at a clock and felt worry rise in her chest. It was already quite late in the afternoon, and Astaroth had not returned yet. Whatever could be keeping her…

There was a sudden, bright flash of light right next to her, forcing MC to close her eyes for a moment. As soon as she opened them, she saw Astaroth standing right in front of her.

“Ah, here you are,” MC smiled at her.

“Apologies for being late,” Astaroth offered with a smile, “There were some…unexpected issues I had to attend to.”

“But all is well?” MC asked, a tense feeling rising in her chest.

“Of course,” Astaroth replied lightly.

“I’m glad to hear it,” MC said, getting up from the bench, “Walk with me. I’d like to show you what we did to the gardens in preparation to the wedding.”

As they walked through the maze of flowers, MC quickly looked over her shoulder to ensure that that none of the servants followed them. Luckily, it appeared they have not. Satisfied, MC quietly whispered a spell she’d learned long ago from Solomon to ensure that no one could eavesdrop on her conversation with Astaroth.

“So, how do you like the gardens now?” MC asked, turning to Astaroth.

“It’s beautiful,” Astaroth replied, as she glanced around.

“Did he give you what I asked for?” MC said quietly as soon as they were far enough from the servants.

“Of course,” Astaroth nodded, producing a tiny wooden box from her pocket, “But Solomon told me to warn you to be extremely careful with it – one drop and…”

“I have read his notes,” MC replied hastily, “So I’m aware of the dangers. What of the…other thing I’d asked for?”

“It’s not ready yet,” Astaroth told her, frowning, “I’ll have to return to the human realm again in about a week for it. Luckily, that should not be a problem – he can just summon me.”

MC nodded – she understood that her second request was much more complicated than the first, so it made sense that Solomon would need time.

“How is he doing?” MC asked as they stopped for a moment by the lake.

“He is well - still as brilliant and as insufferable as the day he left the Devildom,” Astaroth let out a breathless laugh, “He misses you, I think – he asks me about you every time I see him.”

MC smiled – she was very grateful to have Solomon – and Astaroth – in her life. Solomon was her oldest, most reliable ally, their friendship going as far as to her first days in the Devildom. He’d offered to help her too, when he learned of her situation all those years ago, but MC refused. In part, out of pride – she did not want to be a person who needs to be rescued – and in part, because her heart desired justice and vengeance for the grave humiliation that Diavolo had dealt her. Diavolo will pay one day – she’ll take everything from him and tread his legacy to dust.

Her friendship with Astaroth was far more surprising – MC never thought that she’d find such support in a member of Diavolo’s court, but, due to her history, Astaroth had a genuine sympathy in her heart for women who found themselves in position such as MC’s. Though their friendship took a while to blossom, these days MC trusted Astaroth with her life.

“Any news of Belial and his supporters?” MC asked, after a brief pause.

“Why yes,” Astaroth nodded with a smirk, “I made sure that the whispers have reached his ears, just like you wanted. He’s planning his move - and soon.”

“Good, just make sure it’s not too soon,” MC said, then added, “And when will Diavolo learn of this new and troubling developments?”

“I thought today might be a good day,” Astaroth replied, a hint of amusement apparent in her eyes.

“I agree,” MC said after a pause, feeling warmth rise in her chest – there were few things she liked more than cause Diavolo anguish.

“Excellent,” Astaroth smiled, then glanced at her phone screen, “Is there anything else you need my help with at the moment? If no, I have an appointment to keep, that I’d rather not be late to.”

“Nothing I can think of,” MC replied.

“Very well. Do let me know if something comes up,” Astaroth said.

Before she could disappear, MC reached out and took Astaroth by hand.

“Thank you,” she said, gently squeezing her palm, “For everything you are doing for me.”

“Of course,” Astaroth replied with a light smile, “You can always count on me.”

With that, she disappeared in a flash of light, leaving MC by herself in the garden. MC looked down at the small wooden box she was holding in her hand – she needed to hide it immediately. Though she wanted nothing more than to run to her room, MC knew that that would look suspicious, so instead, she made her way back to the castle at a leisurely pace.

As soon as she was back in her room, MC hurried to the window. There, on the left side of the windowsill was a loose stone that she could easily remove. MC quickly put the box in the empty space, then placed the stone back as she whispered a spell intended to conceal her hiding place from the eyes of others.

Once she was done, MC sat by her desk, resting for a moment. She knew that all she could do now was wait – and yet the fact that she was closer to her goal than she had been in centuries was making her restless. I need to be patient, if I want to succeed, MC scolded herself.

To occupy herself, she decided to head to the kitchens to ask the cook to prepare Naamah’s favorite dessert. MC felt guilty for involving her own daughter into her plan, but she knew that without Naamah it could not succeed. Please forgive me, sweetling.

As she made her way down to the kitchens, suddenly, she’d heard familiar voices. Carefully, MC approached the doors and looked in. Immediately there was a pang of sadness in her chest – she saw Beelzebub and Mammon there, with Evelyn – the new exchange student from the human world.

Diavolo was quite entertained by the exchange program and brought in human students every few years. Fortunately for them, he did not try to keep any of them in the Devildom the way he kept MC. Still, the sight of her former friends having fun baking something brought memories to MC’s mind that made her heart clench. Oh, what she would give up to return to that simple, innocent time.

It’s far too late, MC shook her head, I cannot waver now.

“What are they doing here?” she asked a servant that was passing by.

“Barbatos invited Evelyn for a baking lesson, since she loves to bake,” the servant told MC, “And she brought Mammon and Beelzebub with her.”

I see.

“Did you need something from the kitchens, my lady?” the servant asked.

It took a while for the demons in the castle to address her “my lady”, but, seeing how much Diavolo favored her over his wife, they’ve soon picked up the habit.

“Yes,” MC said, “Go tell the cook to prepare Naamah’s favorite dessert than have in brought to her rooms.”

“As you say,” the servant replied before leaving.

MC lingered in the corridor for a moment longer, listening to the happy chatter between her former friends, feeling deep, heavy longing settle in her chest. She shook her head, trying to chase away the unwelcome thoughts. No, that part of her life was over.

It seemed that fate enjoyed toying with her that day because, as MC was walking through the castle gallery on the way to her rooms, she ran into Lucifer. He looked exhausted and pale – more so than usual – and could hardly meet her eyes as he greeted her. But then again, it’s been ages since he’d looked her in the face. She passed by him quickly without so much as looking back at him – there was no use in lingering.

MC is hardly surprised when later in the evening there is an insistent knock on her door, and Diavolo comes in. He is stressed and distraught, she can tell by the fact that he is in his demon form. MC is pleased, though nothing in her face betrays that – of course he is, after the news he’d received today.

Diavolo only ever comes to her room for counsel or companionship in bed, and by the look on his face, MC knows that it is not her counsel he is seeking that evening. She does not want to lay with him – she never did, not from the day he’d told to that she was to be his mistress – but he’ll never know that. Her smile is practiced and perfect and inviting – and he is none the wiser.

When Diavolo leans in to kiss her, MC responds with trained eagerness, as her fingers snake through his hair. When he pushes her to bed, MC lets out a small gasp then laughs as she beckons him with her index finger. When his hands scrape obscenely on her bare skin as he shreds her nightgown and tangles her long hair in his fist, she simply smiles and moans, just the way she knows he likes.

MC has no illusions that the woman she was when she came into the Devildom would be repulsed by this – but she is not her, not anymore. And so, she writhes and gasps and moans as he pushes inside her – just the way he expects from her. As she finds her mind drifting, bored, MC forces herself to focus. She cannot have him doubt her feelings, not now.

It takes entirely too long before he rolls off of her, and there is nothing MC wants more than to be left alone. But her performance is not over – not yet – and so she moves closer to Diavolo and rests her head on his chest.

“Is everything alright, my love?” she asks, concern in her voice as genuine as she could muster, “You seem quite somber today.”

“It’s…everything,” Diavolo sighs, “I’ve come upon some quite disturbing news today, but also my wife is not making things any easier with the wedding…”

Ah.

“I take it she still haven’t warmed up to the idea,” MC says, looking Diavolo in the face.

“No,” he sighs, “She did not. I tried reasoning with her, tried telling her that this wedding is essential to secure our son’s position on the throne, and yet she would not hear it…I tell you, this woman loves me not.”

And whose fault is that? MC thinks.

She knows the queen, too, had no say when it came to her marriage to Diavolo. And he did hardly anything to secure her affections.

“I’m sure she just has a difficult time accepting that her son is growing,” MC says softly, “I do too – it is as though just yesterday Naamah was a child, and now she’s a woman grown, soon to be married.”

“You are too kind to my wife,” Diavolo sighs, as he takes her hand into his and brings it to his lips, “That’s what I love about you – your beautiful heart that lets you always see the best in people.”

MC smiles – if only he knew – but her face betrays nothing.  

“Is there anything I can do to help? About the troubling news you heard…or about the queen?”

“I’ll have your counsel on the morrow,” Diavolo presses soft kisses to her fingers, “But for now you should rest.”

With that he climbs out of her bed and begins getting dressed.

“Will you not stay with me, my love?” MC asks. She wants nothing more than to be left alone right now, but she knows she needs to ask.

“I’d love nothing more,” Diavolo says with a chagrinned smile, “But there are certain matters I need to attend to.”

“You should be kinder to yourself,” MC says softly.

“What would I do without you,” Diavolo replies, as he leans in and kisses her.  

When he finally leaves, MC falls back onto her pillows and smiles – it’s not too long now. Soon he will pay for all her suffering.