The Demon King's Bride

A Way Out

Phoenyx

Panic had made her heart start to race. In a few moments, Phoenyx would enter the Grand Hall of the Demon King and make her way to the alter to take her vows as his wife. While that situation would be enough to make any person nervous, for Phoenyx it was far more than that. Today, marked a major shift in her life. As bad as it had been to this point, there was every possibility it could be much worse.

More than that, there was a comfort in dealing with the familiar. Once she stepped through those door and into the hall, the definition of what was normal would change. Her life could become infinitely more difficult or painful. That thought, stole her breath more than anything else.

After all, Phoenyx knew next to nothing about her husband to be.

He could be as cruel and demanding as her father. Or he could be as benevolent as the old wizards they spoke of in legends who helped to free their people from slavery and oppression. Her life could become something unrecognizable, either for the better or worse.

It was that, the fear of the unknown that kept her frozen in the vestibule outside the hall. Beside her, the man who called himself Duranthal stood at her side. By his own admission, he was one of the elders on the council. This marriage was partly his doing, yet he remained still, looking down at her while she tried to stop her panic from rendering her completely useless.

"I should have asked this earlier. Are you okay with this marriage, pup?" The man spoke softly, his hand tightening gently on her elbow before relaxing. His question, softly spoken as it was, brought her full attention to him. The moment her eyes met his own, he continued, "While we were eager for the match, if you have second thoughts...another can be chosen. If you have a mate, we would allow you the chance to deny the marriage and return to your home."

"I have no reason to deny the marriage." She answered softly, her head tilting as she looked to the male. His eyes were familiar, making her think of the few moments she had seen her fiance. Vaguely, she wondered if the pair were related, "Why would you push for this marriage and then offer me a way out? Is this not what you wanted?"

"I have always wished for the King's happiness. For too long, he has been alone." Duranthal spoke softly, "Be that as it may, I would not condone the suffering of another just to accomplish my task of finding a wife for our King."

"You think it is that important that a King have a wife?" Phoenyx whispered.

"Any man, really. And not necessarily a wife, but a mate. Someone to help shoulder the weight that life brings to us all. Whether you are a king or a peasant, the need for someone to share our lives with, is needed. It brings a sense of peace that we need to stay sane." He explained softly.

"They say your King has been on the throne for centuries. If what you say is true, could he even be sane anymore?" Phoenyx asked, suddenly wondering if any of the things she had planned were possible. If the man she was marrying were insane, then nothing that she did or would do, could make a difference. There was every chance that she had taken this risk in the hope of gaining her freedom, only to find herself in a new kind of prison.

"Do not believe everything you hear." The Elder frowned, "I can assure you, he is sane. I do this not as an elder, but as his father." Phoenyx gasped, turning to look at Duranthal, "He is my son, I am the former king. I agreed to this marriage because I could see my son growing cold. He has a sense of honor that I have encountered in no other, of my kind or any other. However, that dogged determination and drive has made him singularly focused. Sitting in a position of power, puts one in a position where they cannot truly trust anyone. My son never had a sibling to grow up with, my mate refused to have another child while I sat on the throne. He was already ruling when we decided to start growing our family, so his siblings are from an entirely different generation and see him only once every few years."

"You allowed this?" Phoenyx asked in question, curious of the man she was marrying and of his history with his family.

"There was not really a choice. My mate was adamant that we not have another child while I was on the throne. There were too many enemies, and far too much danger. I would do anything for her happiness. I was willing to wait, but our son paid the price. He was alone for all of it, and then once he took the throne, it got worse. My Narissa, only saw the harm after the fact. We have our regrets on the choices we made. This marriage, though the council asked for it, was a way for us to try and right those wrongs. My son, needs someone who will stand at his side. Help him with the burdens of his position. I know it is not a match of love, but convenience. My hope, was that you coming from one of the noble families of your kind, would mean you were prepared for this life.

"However, in this moment, seeing you here. Feeling your reaction to being in this place, I will not force you to marry my son. If you have another plan, another life to return to, I owe you the opportunity to do so. This marriage will not be an easy one. My son, has been alone for a very long time and it will be no easy task to get him to open up to you, even over the smallest of subjects." Duranthal sighed and moved then to stand in front of her.

"What exactly are you asking of me?" Phoenyx asked.

"I am asking you, that if you plan to go through with this ceremony, you give my son time. Give this a chance, give him a chance to trust you." Duranthal frowned, "Perhaps find that you can make this marriage work."

Phoenyx frowned and peered at the man. For the air of power that surrounded him, one would not have expected such a heartfelt plea. One of the gifts that she had found over time had been an ability to sense others and their intentions. This man held no malice, no seemingly ulterior motive. His plea was heartfelt, meaningful.

"I cannot promise you that this marriage will work." Phoenyx began, her words making the man's shoulders slump.

"I understand, I will go-" He began, moving to step back and turn away from her to head towards the main hall. His actions were so quick that she nearly missed her opportunity to grab his arm before he got away.

"Wait!" She blinked, surprised by how quickly she cried out to stop him. Her hand was on his arm, stilling his motion, surprising her almost as much as she surprised him, "I am not saying that I refuse to marry him. What I am saying is that we come from two different worlds, but I will try. I have my own reasons for agreeing to this match."

Duranthal's eyebrow lifted, his dark eyes suddenly levelling on her. "I see. Will you tell us these reasons?"

"I will, but not the day of my wedding. I need time before I tell you all of it." Phoenyx swallowed, knowing her words could have just signed her death warrant.

"Does it have anything to do with the bruises you are going to such lengths to hide?" The question was direct.

Phoenyx's eyes widened as she looked to the male and suddenly went pale, her body starting to shake as she stood before him. This man had already seen far more than she intended for anyone to see. Making her wonder if her husband to be had the same ability and had noticed the same thing when he had come to visit her in the meeting room earlier.

"I will guess by your reaction, that I am correct at least in part. You will have time, but eventually we will need an explanation." The elder spoke softly and moved to stand back at her side, "I think there is more to all of this then you would have us believe, but I will be patient for now."

Phoenyx found herself surprised when he produced a comb from his inner pocket. A long train of gauzy amethyst material that trailed off from the metal that flashed as the light touched the sparkling gems inlaid in the comb. Even as she stared at the object, the man was moving, slowly sliding the comb into the pinned waves of her hair so that the material creating a veil slid forward, hiding the bare skin of her back and arms where faint traces of her life with her father could be seen.

"Since you asked that I give you away in order to adhere to our customs, I thought, perhaps you would appreciate wearing the comb my mate wore at our ceremony. It can be useful in hiding the small imperfections we wish no one to see on such an important day, besides - we are keeping with the tradition of you wearing something borrrowed from one of the family." The man smiled and for a brief moment, her heart swelled. It was the kindest action she could remember from anyone, and it had come from a man she barely knew.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"Don't thank me yet. This is not an easy road you will be on." Duranthal smiled and slowly moved to lay her hand on his forearm as he turned them towards the doors that led into the main hall, "I think, however, that we will find ourself allies along the way." The elder chuckled and Phoenyx could only hope that the man words would prove to be the truth.