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Pallidus. aka White-Spine is the bracken equiv of a labrat, born and raised in a fully controlled environment and often tested on by scientists. Eventually he was able to escape confinement during a shipment exchange on a now abandoned moon.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 6/? Fandom: Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Characters: Eskel (The Witcher), Original Female Character Additional Tags: Self Insert, Modern Girl in Witcherland, language barriers, If Geralt can say fuck so can I, The Author Regrets Nothing, no beta we die like men, Canon-Typical Violence, Temporary Character Death, Period-Typical Nonsense, Found Family, Accidental Child Acquistion, accidental parent acquisition, Wildly AU, picking and choosing from canon, Game-Canon Eskel (The Witcher) Summary:
Anna did not have a Netflix account and had not binged The Witcher, unlike half her tumblr dash. It looked fun - there were a lot of gifs of Henry Cavill in a bathtub and some cutie with a lute cracking jokes - but she wasn’t in the mood for a new series right now.
She was going to regret that.
The Bargain: Epilogue
Rating: Mature Relationships: Female Human x Male Demon/Elf Additional Tags: Exophilia, Arranged Marriage, Marriage, Demons, Elves, Princes, Princesses, Monster Boyfriend, Monster Husband Content Warnings: Pregnancy, Babies Words: 5853
I did it! It's done! I've finally finished this after over a year and a half! The thrilling conclusion to the series inspired by @your-monster-romance! Thank you to everyone who stuck with me to the end and saw it through with me and I hope you enjoy! Please reblog and leave feedback!
Inspired by “The Princes” series by @your-monster-romance. Read the original shorts here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
Previous Chapters: Prologue, Pallidus, Viribus, Genus, Gale (NSFW), Fawn (NSFW), Tyria (NSFW)
The next morning, before they were allowed to sit down to breakfast, Zinzo called the sisters and his sons to the throne room for an important announcement. Viribus was still missing. Fawn was pale and exhausted looking and was being supported by her maid. Gale looked at her in concern, and Tyria tried to reach out to her, only for Fawn to wrench herself violently from her grasp and stand next to Gale. Tyria sighed and exchanged a guilty look with Pallidus, who squeezed her hand.
Before Zinzo could speak, however, there was a commotion at the far end of the dining hall as Viribus plowed through the guards. He was disheveled and incensed, calling out for Fawn.
“Viribus!” Fawn cried, letting go of her maid and running to him. He fell to his knees as she bound toward him and barreled into him. He grabbed her up in a hug that said plainly that he would never let her out of his sight again. Fawn sobbed loudly into his tunic and he petted down her back, whispering to her soothingly while tears coursed down his cheeks.
Tyria watched as Viribus’s giant hand laid itself on Fawn’s stomach. He asked her a question that the others couldn’t hear, and she nodded, kissing him through her sniffles. Viribus lifted Fawn into his arms bridal-style and carried her back to the dais in front of the thrones, where Zinzo stood and his queen sat.
Viribus glared at his father with an uncharacteristic hostility. He wasn’t just angry, he was livid. His own brothers had never seen him this enraged, and even they felt disquieted in the face of his fury. He was breathing hard and shaking, struggling to keep still, staring at his father with open aggression and defiance. It was only Fawn’s grip around his neck and her small hand wiping the tears from his face that kept him steady.
Gale and Genus watched this exchange in confusion.
“Where have you been, Viri?” Genus whispered.
“Ask him,” Viribus spat venomously, jerking his chin at Zinzo.
Pallidus and Tyria were grim and silent. Tyria felt guilty that the two of them had been punished because of her selfishness. She only hoped she could make it up to them somehow.
“Attention!” Zinzo called loudly, and the hall silenced around him. The only sound that could be heard was Viribus’s unsuccessful attempts to control his angry breathing. “It has been one year since Princess Tyria came to Cavernae under the contract signed by her father. Since both of her sisters agreed to marry my sons, Tyria’s deadline became their deadline. Her reluctance to wed my eldest son would, on this day, void the contract, and the princesses must go home, henceforth barred from ever returning to the Underground Empire.”
“What?!” Gale and Genus shouted in unison. Viribus’s face darkened further still as he held Fawn close to him, who sobbed into his neck.
“Father, you can’t be serious!” Genus said. “There must be something you can do!”
Zinzo held up a hand to silence him, and he subsided with difficulty.
“However,” Zinzo continued. “Last night, at the Eleventh Hour, both Pallidus and Tyria came to me with the news that Tyria had finally put aside her selfish and foolhardy ways and agreed to marry Pallidus.”
Fawn gulped and looked up at Tyria, wide-eyed and fearful. Tyria smiled a strained smile of grim apology.
“Since I was beyond taking the chance of her changing her fickle mind at the last moment, I had them sign a marriage license. As such, Pallidus and Tyria are now married.”
Four jaws dropped. Fawn and Viribus looked at each other, slow smiles appearing on their faces. Their tears turned from despairing to joyful.
“With the contract fulfilled, the rest of you are now free to marry. The ceremony will be held in one week. Preparations are already underway.” He wave his hand in dismissal. “Now that that’s out of the way, you can all get to the dining hall. Breakfast won’t eat itself.”
With that, he held out his hand for his queen and walked out of the room. The sighs of relief echoed on the walls.
“The four of you knew about this?” Genus asked incredulously.
“Pallidus and I didn’t find out until last night,” Tyria said. “It’s what lit a fire under me to finally talk with Pallidus about the betrothal. We cleared the air and set each other straight.”
“Viribus and I have known for a few weeks,” Fawn said as Viribus set her back on her feet, though he did not let go of her hand.
“How did you find out?” Gale asked. “Is that why Viribus was sent away?”
Fawn tsked nervously. “Well, kind of.”
Viribus wasn’t listening. He bent down and studied Fawn’s wan face.
“You’re pale, darling,” He said with concern, holding her cheek in his large hand. “And you are terribly thin. Are you eating? Have you been sleeping? You must take care of yourself and the child.”
“Child?” Gale sputtered. “What child?”
Tyria laughed softly and took Gale by the hand. “Come on, Zinzo is waiting for us in the dining hall. I’ll explain over breakfast.”
Tyria and Pallidus told Gale and Genus what had been going on for the past few weeks, while Viribus watched Fawn closely, making sure she ate and touching her face and back, as if to reassure himself she was there. Tyria watched sadly. She knew of the six of them, the bond between Viribus and Fawn was the most unshakable. Being separated for weeks under the assumption that they might never see each other again must have been torture for the both of them.
When Zinzo had said preparations were underway for the weddings, it had been something of an understatement. Immediately after breakfast, the women were whisked off for gown fittings. Where Tyria and Gale’s dresses were voluminous with close fitting bodices, Fawns was loose and flowy with an empire waist and a lace train. Despite being only three months pregnant, she was so petite that she already had a bump.
The week flew by with a flurry of activity, and both the princes and princesses were busy with wedding details. Finally, the day of the ceremony dawned, and all six of them woke excitedly to make ready for the day.
Before Fawn, Tyria, and Gale could go out to the dining hall for breakfast, however, they were summoned to a smaller dining area, usually reserved for private meetings between Zinzo and delegates from outer provinces. There, they were surprised to see their father, mother, brother, and sister-in-law standing there, looking confused and fearful. Coll had his hand on his weapon when they entered.
“Papa!” Fawn exclaimed. “Mama!”
They all rushed forward, getting tangled in a many armed embrace. It was hard to tell who was hugging who, but they held on for dear life.
“My girls,” King Rodai sobbed, reaching for each of them and kissing their brow. “I’m so sorry. Forgive your fool of a father.”
“There’s nothing to forgive,” Fawn said tearfully.
“Well…” Gale interjected.
“Gale, shush,” Tyria hissed.
Queen Aralie took a turn, kissing her children. “We should have told you sooner, we know that. We’re so sorry.”
“I was absolutely furious when I heard,” Prince Coll said, frowning.
“It’s alright, Coll, it all worked out,” Tyria said. “It’s not as if we’re marrying against our will. We’ve all decided to marry Zinzo’s sons willingly.”
“Willingly?” Princess Seelia echoed. “What magic has Zinzo worked on you to make you alright with this arrangement in only a day?”
“A day?” The girls exchanged a glance. “How long have we been gone?”
“Eighteen hours,” Coll said. “We’ve been searching for you since the three of you failed to return from the picnic.”
“We’ve been here for a year,” Tyria said. “Well, I have. The other two have been here a shorter time. The contract made time move differently for us. Zinzo’s princes have had months to win us over.”
“And you… approve of them?” Queen Aralie asked doubtfully.
“Yes, Mother,” Fawn replied. “They have all gone to extraordinary lengths to win our favor. Some were harder to convince than others,” She said, shooting a sour look a Tyria, who blushed guiltily. “But they are good men. You’d like them.”
“Why don’t we just let them meet each other?” Gale asked. “It’ll just seem like we’re bewitched, carrying on like this. Let’s let Mother and Father decide for themselves what kind of men our boys are.”
“You too, Gale?” Seelia said. “You always swore you’d never marry!”
“Trust me, I’m as surprised as you are,” Gale said with a laugh. “Come on, follow me.”
Gale led them out to the dining hall, where the princes had just sat down to breakfast. Zinzo was strangely absent. The princes shot to their feet when they saw who was trailing behind their fiances.
“King Rodai! Welcome!” Pallidus said, coming forward and bowing deeply. “Welcome, Queen Aralie. Welcome, Prince Coll and Princess Seelia. I assume you are here for the ceremony.”
“Ceremony?” Rodai asked.
“The weddings are to be held today,” Tyria said.
“Today? That’s so soon!” Seelia replied in shock.
“I told you, for us it’s been a year, more or less.” Tyria, Fawn, and Gale went to stand with their betrothed.
Starting with Pallidus, the princes were introduced to the girls’ family in order. Once introductions were complete, King Rodai and his family were invited to breakfast.
“Who broke first?” Seelia asked as they were served.
“To the surprise of no one, Fawn,” Tyria said.
“What can I say? I’m a romantic,” Fawn said unapologetically. Viribus chuckled and smiled at Fawn fondly, adding more fruit and cheese to Fawn’s plate from his own. He bent and whispered in her ear, and she looked up with a mysterious smile. “Even still, it took me three months to say yes. Gale agreed to marry Genus in under five weeks.”
“You’re kidding!” Coll said, looking at Gale in disbelief.
“I am not explaining myself,” Gale said haughtily, spreading jam on a scone. “Tyria held out the longest. She didn’t agree until the very last day.”
“Why is that?” Aralie asked.
Tyria sighed in self-exasperation. “I had forbade Pallidus from discussing the betrothal, and he respected my wishes, so I was laboring under several misapprehensions. There were…” She cleared her throat delicately and cut her eyes at Fawn. “Circumstances that forced me to reconsider my position and finally discuss the terms of our marriage with Pallidus. Once we had cleared that up, accepting the proposal was easy.”
“What circumstances?” Rodai asked, having noticed the exchange.
“All in good time, Papa,” Tyria said, patting his hand. “The point is, I was being stubborn. I can admit that. Pallidus has been nothing less than a perfect gentleman to me the entire time I’ve been here. He’s never pushed me or pressed the issue. He is an honorable man, and you should count yourself lucky to have him as a son-in-law.” She point her fork around the table at Viribus and Genus. “That goes for them as well.”
“Thank you, Tyria, that’s very kind,” Genus said gratefully, and Viribus nodded his head in agreement.
“Even still,” Rodai said seriously. “After the meal is concluded, I believe I would like to have a meeting with the three of you and your father. There are things we must discuss.”
“Very well,” Pallidus replied.
After breakfast was over, Pallidus and his brothers took Rodai and Coll to greet Zinzo. Seelia and Aralie were left with the brides so that they could visit with each other before it was time to make ready for the ceremony.
“I can’t believe the three of you actually agreed to this,” Aralie breathed.
“It wasn’t an easy decision for any of us, I can assure you,” Fawn said.
“Please, you’ve been in love with Viribus since day one,” Gale scoffed.
“That’s not true!” Fawn shot back. “He scared me half to death when I first met him. I actually fainted.”
“She did. I was there,” Tyria said.
“Do you… Do you truly love them? All of you?” Aralie asked.
“Yes,” Fawn said. “Viribus is the kindest, gentlest man I’ve ever met, despite how fearsome he looks. He’s always been so sweet to me and the people down here love him. When Pallidus is king, Viribus will take over as Captain of the Guard and be Pallidus’s right hand. I’m so proud of him.”
“Genus is my equal,” Gale stated simply. “I genuinely didn’t think that person existed, but he proved me wrong. We agree on most things, and the things we don’t, we have healthy debates about. He’s one of the few people who doesn’t push my buttons and rile me up. I’m at ease with him. Comfortable. Talking to him is like talking to myself.”
“Pallidus is a leader,” Tyria said. “We’re partners. We work in tandem with each other. When he becomes king and I his queen, we will rule as if he is the right hand and I the left. Our people come first for both of us, and we are of one mind on the best ways to cultivate a healthy, thriving kingdom. I used to think I could rule alone, and that may have been true in Suida. But in Cavernae, we need each other. The country would suffer if either of us stepped away.”
Aralie listened intently, not interrupting, and when they finished, she smiled.
“Well,” She said. “I’m satisfied. I must wait for your father to return and see what his thoughts are, but I am happy for my children.” She reached out and pulled the three of them into an embrace. “I couldn’t have wished for a better outcome. If you are happy, then your foolish mother is also happy.”
Rodai and Coll returned at lunchtime, though Zinzo and the princes had gone to prepare for the wedding. Apparently Rodai had been working out terms, though he refused to elaborate on what they were. Rodai, Coll, Seelia, and Aralie had been given clothes to wear for the ceremony and left to get dressed.
A legion of servants came to help Tyria, Fawn, and Gale get ready for the wedding. Hair done, dresses on, make-up applied, the servants then vacated to give the princesses a moment of contemplation.
“No backing out now, is there?” Fawn said.
“Would you want to?” Gale asked skeptically.
“Of course not,” Fawn replied with a sniff. “But I can’t deny that I am rather nervous.”
“Are you sure that’s not morning sickness?” Tyria asked.
Fawn laughed. “Could be. I want to marry Viribus more than anything.”
“Is it moving yet?” Tyria asked, nodding at Fawn’s belly.
Fawn shook her head and laid a hand on her stomach. “Too soon to feel, even for me. Viribus and I talked a lot about it with the court physician. Viri’s so happy.”
“I’m… really sorry, Fawn,” Tyria said. “It wasn’t fair that you and Viribus were punished because of me. I deeply regret that.”
Fawn pulled her older sister into a hug. “It’s all right, Tyria. Everything is as it should be. There’s no time to hold grudges. We all have a lot of work ahead of us.”
“Your Highnesses,” A voice from the door said softly. Lio, Fawn’s handmaid, was beckoning them. “It’s time.”
Taking each others’ hands, they stepped out into the corridor and were led to the Great Hall.
The entire hall was decorated with jewels and gemstones, making it glitter like starlight. Banners representing both the House of Suida and the House of Cavernae lined the walls.
Emperor Zinzo and King Rodai stood at the head of the hall on the throne dais, their queens by their sides. Coll and Seelia stood at the foot of the dais to one side. An altar with wine and water, as well as chalices and the boxes that contained the wedding bands, was positioned in front of the dais. And in front of that stood the princes.
Pallidus looked as majestic as ever. He wore all black with gold embellishments and a military overcoat festooned with medals. As prim and proper as he appeared most of the time, Tyria had no doubt that he had earned every single one of those medals on the field. His hair was pulled back into a tight horse tail at the nape of his neck, and it looked like his horns had been polished. He had forgone wearing his usual silver chains between them. He instead wore a crown on his head to represent his status as first in line to the throne. In the top buttonhole of his coat, he wore a red rose.
Viribus was dressed much nicer than normal; he tended to wear rather plain clothes due to his carving and painting work. Today, he wore a close-fitted purple brocade doublet and black trousers. He had a half-cape slung over one shoulder and fastened under the opposite arm. His normally messy short hair was sleek and fell in ringlets around his ears. Pinned to his doublet was a large black rose.
Genus stood wearing a tunic with silver thread woven into the black fabric which had embroidered depictions of constellations along the neck and sleeves. His messy braid was down and was brushed shiny, hanging loose around his shoulders. His white breeches ended at the knee, letting his polished hooves show prominently. His antlers had small, pink roses made of crystal apparently growing out of them.
All three of them were wearing swords, which they drew as their brides approached and lay at the princesses’ feet. The sisters stepped carefully over the blades and joined the men at the altar, who still knelt before the women, heads bowed. Each woman lay a hand on the head of their betrothed, who rose and took the hand, leading them to the altar.
“On this day,” Zinzo said. “We join together three sons of Cavernae and three daughters of Suida, and unite our kingdoms henceforth, until time is undone.”
As Zinzo spoke, each of the six standing at the altar took a ring from the boxes in front of them and dropped them into the three chalices, two each.
“The wine represents the blood of our people,” Zinzo said, and each man took the wine bottles provided and poured the wine into the chalices over the rings. “We drink the wine to remember that the blood of our people also flows within ourselves. For our blood, we shelter and provide.”
The women took the chalice and let the men drink from their hands, then the process was reversed.
“The water represents the purity of our pledge and the prosperity of our land.” The women poured water into the chalices over the rings, rinsing them. “We drink the water to remember that our bones belong to the land. For our land, we fight and protect.”
This time, the men let the women drink first, and then drank themselves. When the chalices were empty, the rings were tipped out onto a cloth to pat-dry.
“The ring is a blessing bestowed upon you by your love and companion. Present the rings.”
In Suida, the men presented the rings first, but in Cavernae, it was the women. Tyria took Pallidus’s ring and asked, “Do you accept my blessing?”
“I accept,” Pallidus said with a wide smile. “And I will treasure it for as long as my heart beats in my chest. Do you accept my blessing?”
“I accept,” She replied. “Until the ground gives way to water beneath my feet.” And they exchanged rings.
Fawn picked up Viribus’s ring and asked, “Do you accept my blessing?”
“I accept,” Viribus said, laying his other hand on her cheek. “Joyfully, impatiently, and with immense gratitude. Do you accept my blessing?”
“I accept, with the hope that our love lights our path for eons to come.”
Then it was Gale’s turn. “Do you accept my blessing?” She asked Genus.
Genus grinned. “I accept, and I will hold it precious to me it until every star in the night sky burns itself out. Do you accept my blessing?”
“I accept, until the moon falls to the earth and the sun shines at night.”
“A blessing is a gift,” Zinzo continued as Genus slid the final ring on Gale’s finger. “A kingdom is a home. Both must be given the respect it deserves for it to flourish. By my power as Emperor of Cavernae, I pronounce you married and family. Go forth and live with your blessings, may they be many.”
There was a cheering, and the newlywed couples kissed each other enthusiastically.
A banquet followed immediately afterward. The ceremony itself had been a private affair between the royalty involved, but the afterparty had music and dancing with members of Cavernae’s social elite. The Conqueror King, the girls’ grandfather, was also somehow there, and it was the first time they had ever seen him nervous.
Tyria and Gale danced with their grooms for most of the evening, and though Fawn danced one or two songs with Viribus, he was more concerned with her taking it easy and resting, watching her like a hawk for any sign of sickness or discomfort. Since being reunited with her, he refused to leave her side unless absolutely necessary.
Each of the girls had a dance with their father, and Rodai asked again if they were happy. They all three assured him that this was what they wanted. He apologized again tearfully, and they soothed him. Coll also had a dance with each of them, asking a similar question, and they just laughed and told him to worry about himself. He was about to be a king.
He blanched at the thought. Tyria had a year to come to terms with the fact that she wouldn’t be taking up the reins in Suida, but for Coll, it was a brand new concept that he, quite frankly, wasn’t ready for.
As the evening wore on, Zinzo called for silence.
“I know that the past year has been difficult for both my sons and their brides,” He began. “It was a year of uncertainty, compromise, and anxiety. Despite all of this, these young women,” He gestured broadly at the sisters. “Have made my sons very happy. As a king, I am pleased that my country is in good hands, but as a father, I find joy in my sons’ joy.
“Whatever it may have seemed, it was never my intention to prevent my new daughters from seeing their family. I will set up a portal for them to move between Cavernae and Suida so that they may stay in contact with their above-ground home.”
There was a pleasant murmuring throughout the crowd, and the entire Suida family breathed a sigh of relief. That was something the sisters had been worried about.
“Lord Father!” Tyria burst out suddenly. “We are truly humbled by your generosity and consideration for our family. But… if I could impose on your benevolence for a moment and make a request on behalf of your sons?”
The genial smile on Zinzo’s face disappeared and he regarded her less than curious neutrality.
“Tyria, what are you doing?” Pallidus hissed. “Whatever you’re planning, I don’t think now is the time.”
“I know what you would ask,” Zinzo said with a hint of warning in his voice. “And I’m afraid the answer is no.”
“But, Lord Father--”
“The answer is no!” Zinzo shouted, and the hall fell silent. After a moment, he regained his composure and said to his guests, “Please, continue,” and exited the room.
Gathering her courage, Tyria made to go after him.
“Tyria!” Pallidus called after her.
“No,” Fawn said. “She’s right about this. Gale, let’s go.”
Gale nodded and followed Fawn.
“Are you crazy?” Genus asked at their disappearing backs.
“Oh, sod it!” Viribus said, chasing after the three. “Come on! They’re our wives now. We have to support them, even when they do stupid things.”
Sharing a grimace between them, his brothers had no choice but to follow.
“Lord Father!” Tyria called out in the side hall adjacent to the Grand Hall.
“You will not change my mind,” Zinzo said stubbornly.
“Please!” Gale chimed in. “You already know that Genus is sun-immune and Viribus goes out at night to collect supplies for his models. He may be as well!”
“What of Pallidus?” Zinzo asked. “My visions are very rarely wrong. I saw one of my sons burned. I will not put any of my children at risk, most especially my heir!”
“If your visions are always correct, then there are only two outcomes,” Pallidus interjected. “Either this outcome is set in stone and no amount of your safe guarding will stop it, or it can be changed. If that’s so, precautions can be taken, arrangements can be made, protections can be put into place.”
“I won’t hear another word on the matter,” Zinzo said, beginning to walk away.
“Do you really believe I will uphold this inane rule of yours when I am king?” Pallidus asked evenly. The other five looked at him in surprise. It was either very brave or very stupid of Pallidus to openly challenge his father’s will.
“That’s still years away, boy,” Zinzo growled.
“Perhaps,” Pallidus replied. “Even still, I will be changing a number of things. Specifically your decision not to trade with the surface.”
“And what would you know of about this?” Zinzo asked.
“Plenty,” Pallidus said neutrally. “During the time I believed Tyria wouldn’t marry me, I discussed it at length with Mother. She explained to me that, while it may seem our country is self-sustainable, in reality, we are unable to grow our own crops underground. There is not enough sunlight or water down here to sustain crops for the entire empire, and magical plants have no nutritional value. Mother has told you this countless times and begged you to open trade with humans on the surface, and I was shocked to learn that you continue to insist on only trading with non-human farmers, of which there are few, to the detriment of our empire’s population. As a result, many of our citizens have immigrated to dangerous places on the surface just to feed their own families. This puts our people at risk.”
“The day to day activities of the population is not a king’s responsibility,” Zinzo said, waving this away. “That is the queen’s duty.”
“Precisely,” Pallidus continued. “Which means your ban on trading is not only ill-advised, but not your judgment to make.”
Zinzo puffed up and took a deep breath to rage at his eldest son when Tyria spoke up. “Trade with Suida!”
Zinzo blew out his breath unformed. “What?”
“Our kingdoms are now bound through marriage, right? You now have a treaty with Suida, which makes our country part of your empire and would afford your citizens the protection of the crown. Trade with our country. We can even establish safe colonies for non-human immigrants. Coll and Pallidus can work out the details. Then, when he becomes king of Suida and Seelia takes up my grandfather’s country, the trading reach widens to my grandfather’s empire. You gain the advantage of a large export in all sorts of goods from the surface and gains the protection of the surface empire and the surface gains the protection of the underground. It’s a completely advantageous situation for both our kingdoms.”
Zinzo stared at Tyria, his jaw working and his brow furrowed. He couldn’t deny that this was an excellent bargain.
Fawn asked, her hand on her belly. “Let your sons go with us to our castle when we go. They so desperately want to experience the surface for themselves. Surely some compromise can be reached?”
Zinzo folded his arms and stared at the floor, thinking hard.
“Fine,” Zinzo said finally. “You may go, but you must first so something for me.” He pointed at Pallidus when he said this.
“Anything, Father,” Pallidus said, trying hard to keep the smile off his face in case this was some trick.
“Provide me an heir. Then you and your brothers may see the surface.”
“That’s all?” Fawn said in relief. “That’s already in motion.”
“Not you,” Zinzo clarified. “Them.” He pointed again at Pallidus and Tyria. “Pallidus is crown prince, and therefore the duty of providing an heir falls to him. When the heir is born, then he may make the decision of whether or not to go to the surface. Let him decide when it is his own child’s fate he must consider.”
Pallidus turned to Tyria and took her hands. “It’s sooner than we planned, but we always knew we’d have to produce an heir. Are you agreeable to this?”
Tyria nodded. “I can’t wait to see the look on your face when you see the sunset for the first time.”
Pallidus smiled and kissed her.
Tyria was pregnant by the time Fawn gave birth to Viribus’s first child, a girl they named Erinda. The little one had her mother’s features but her father’s coloring, right down to the solid black eyes and little nubs where her horns would grow in. Viribus was a sniveling mess when his tiny daughter was first laid in his arms. Once he cried himself out, he took the baby through the castle, showing her to every person who passed him by, loudly declaring how beautiful she was, only returning to Fawn when the baby began to squawk from hunger.
Fawn’s family had come for the birth, and they welcomed the baby happily. There was some side-glances among the human relations about just how soon this birth had taken place after the wedding, but thankfully, no one said anything to embarrass the new parents.
Peach the rescue pup became Erinda’s best friend and refused to leave her side. His favorite thing to do was to nose her toes to make her laugh. Viribus was enchanted by Eri’s laugh and would drop whatever he was doing to listen. Erinda could often be found in Viribus’s arms, regardless of time of day.
Tyria gave birth to a healthy boy the following spring, named Zin for his grandfather. Unlike Eri, Zin took almost completely after his father, though he lacked horns and had human-like blue eyes instead of solid red. Pallidus was less of a hands-on father than Viribus, but he enjoyed holding Zin while he slept. He told Tyria that he found the warmth, weight, and the thump of his son’s heartbeat calming.
With their siblings now parents, Gale and Genus were often asked when they would start a family. They just shook their head, smiled, and said they already had plenty of family.
“Besides,” Genus said. “We’re expanding the crown’s research and sciences department. That’s plenty of work on it’s own without adding a kid to the mix.”
Gale would nod in agreement. “We don’t have the time or inclination for children, and I doubt we ever will. We’ll leave that to our brothers and sisters. Coll and Seelia are expecting now, after all. Our siblings seem perfectly happy to have children so that we don’t have to.”
The sisters and their children went to Suida often, and Coll often came back with them. He and Pallidus became fast friends. One could find them engaged in a hearty debate about statesmanship or battle strategies. It did the sisters’ hearts well to know that the bond between the kingdoms was not only forged by marriage but also in friendship.
Coll had assisted in the safe integration of immigrants from Cavernae to the surface. Many of them had lived underground all their lives, so it took some getting used to. A market was set up in the shadow of the castle where both human and non-human vendors could put up their stalls. Cavernae sent guards for protection and Suida sent back food, cloth, and other supplies that were hard to come by in the underground.
The day finally came when Zinzo begrudgingly allowed his sons to accompany the sisters to their castle in Suida. A portal had been created inside the inner sanctum of the castle, a sort of panic room with no windows, where the three would be safe from sunlight. Protective coverings had also be added to the windows out the outer levels, just in case.
“Are you ready?” Tyria asked Pallidus.
“I don’t know,” He said. “I’ve thought about this day for years, but now that it’s here, I’m a little anxious.”
The brothers and their bride stood in the shadow of the covered courtyard just beyond Tyria’s rose garden. There had been a time when Tyria believed she’d never see this place again. That felt like a hundred lifetimes ago now.
“Don’t worry, brother,” Viribus said. “If we are affected by the sun, it might not be so bad. And there are precautions we can take. And look,” He pointed out to the garden and the field, where the flowers blew around in the wind. “Even from here, it’s beautiful. Better than the mirrors ever conveyed.”
“True,” Pallidus replied. “Well, we already know Genus is safe. Shall we do this together, my brother?”
Viribus clapped a huge hand on his brother’s shoulder, making him stumble for a moment, and said, “Yes. Let’s do it.”
“Good luck,” Genus said, holding Eri on his hip.
As one, the two brothers stepped out into the light. At first, nothing happened, and the group let out an exclamation of relief, until Pallidus hissed and jumped back into the shadow. The skin on his left side, where the sun had been shining, was reddened.
“Oh, no!” Tyria exclaimed, fussing over Pallidus. “Does it hurt much? Will it scar?”
“No, my dear, it was like being scalded. It was shocking, but it did no real damage. If I were to have stood there for another ten minutes, then we might have to worry about serious injury.” He looked over at his brother. “Viribus, how do you fare?”
Viribus looked at his hands. “I seem to be fine.”
“I’m so sorry, darling,” Tyria said sadly, placing a hand on Pallidus’s cheek. “You must be so disappointed.”
Pallidus smiled and took her hand, kissing it. “Not at all. I’m on the surface for the first time in my life, looking out over a field of green grass and a blue sky with the people I love best in the world. I couldn’t be happier.”
“Pallidus is right,” Viribus said, taking Eri back from Genus. “We have everything we ever wanted, more than we ever hoped to have.”
Genus nodded. “We should be thanking our father, you know. If it wasn’t for his foresight, we might never--”
Gale put a hand over his mouth. “Honey, don’t ruin it.”
He chuckled and pulled Gale close.
Tyria, with Zin in her arms, snugged into Pallidus’s side. The family stood there, babies cooing, birds singing, wind blowing through the leaves, as the sun began to set on a brand new world. A world they would build together.
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My Masterlist
The Exophilia Creator’s Masterlist
The Bargain: Viribus
Rating: Teen Relationships: Female Human x Male Demon/Elf Additional Tags: Arranged Marriage, Marriage, Demons, Elves, Princes, Princesses, Monster Boyfriend, Monster Husband, Teratophilia Words: 7297
After Tyria kisses Pallidus, Fawn suddenly appears before them. It's time for her to meet her betrothed, the massive but gentle Viribus. Based on "The Princes" series of shorts written by tumblr user @your-monster-romance, with her permission.
Read the Original Shorts Here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 The Previous Chapters: Prologue, Pallidus The Following Chapter: Genus, Gale (NSFW), Fawn (NSFW), Tyria (NSFW), Epilogue
Twenty-year-old Fawn sat with her father, mother, and younger sister at the garden table, sulking. How could her father have not told her there were men asking for her hand in marriage? She had read so many stories about great romances and royal weddings and was rather annoyed that she could be missing out on her own. But after her father’s explosive display, she kept her thoughts to herself.
“To be honest, I’m glad you’re rejecting letters,” Gale said haughtily, pulling a book from the pocket of her apron and opening it. “I don’t want to get married. If I did, I’d have to go live with my husband. I much rather stay here.”
Fawn thought that would make her parents happy, but if anything, they looked even more dismayed.
Fawn could feel things getting tense again, even if Gale was oblivious. She stood up, draining her teacup and putting a roll in her pocket.
“I’m going to the menagerie,” She said, taking a few biscuits and a apple tart, too. “I want to take a look at Daisy’s leg. She was favoring it yesterday.” She kissed her mother’s cheek and patted her father’s shoulder as she passed them.
Daisy was a goat she had rescued after she had gotten mauled by a wolf and then was left for dead when hunters chased the wolf off. Fawn had found her a few weeks ago limping on the edge of the castle grounds, eating flowers from their field. Fawn had been nursing her back to health over the past several weeks and Daisy had been getting better, but yesterday she began limping on her bad leg again and Fawn wondered if the leg hadn’t healed right.
The menagerie was located just on the other side of the garden, situated between it and the greenhouse, where they grew most of their own herbs and spices. The menagerie was built in much the same way as the greenhouse, except it had mesh wire instead of glass encasing it.
Inside, the smell of animals was strong, but it wasn’t one she minded. She rolled up her sleeves and put on her leather work apron and got started mucking out the bird cages. Her parents insisted she let the staff do these sorts of unpleasant chores, but Fawn had never been afraid of getting dirty. Once the cages were clean, she refilled their water and seed bowls, moving on to the squirrels and chipmunks, breaking the roll into little pieces for them.
Most of the animals in the menagerie were rescues, and it always made Fawn sad to let them go, but she knew they belonged back out in the forest. There were only a few animals who would be permanent residents, like the blinded owl and the stoat that was missing it’s front paw.
Once the feeding and watering and mucking out was done, she finally turned her attention to Daisy. Removing her apron and washing her hands, she opened the stall to the makeshift infirmary and checked Daisy’s leg.
“Seems like it’s better today,” Fawn said, pleased. Daisy was sniffing Fawn’s pockets, looking for treats, walking perfectly well on her injured leg. “That’s good. Soon you’ll be able to go back home. Although, if you’d like to stay here with me, I wouldn’t mind that either.” She took a biscuit from her pocket and fed it to Daisy, who happily munched away.
She took Daisy out of the menagerie so that she could graze in the field beyond, taking the opportunity to change the straw bedding of her stall. Taking a pitchfork, Fawn shifted the straw and moved it into the center of the stall, so it would be easier to haul, and as she did so, something buried in the middle of it caught her eye. It was large and black.
Thinking maybe a skunk had had her kits in here, Fawn set the pitchfork aside and she sifted through the straw until she could see the object clearly. It was a rose, a solid black rose, from the petals to the stem. Fawn couldn’t remember if this variety had ever grown in Tyria’s rose garden. Did roses even come in black? Pondering, she reached down and picked it up, accidentally pricking her finger on a thorn she couldn’t see because it blended in so well.
There was a snap and a bright flash of light, which Fawn shielded her eyes against. She felt as though she were whirling through the air, and clutched herself until the spinning stopped.
“Fawn!”
Fawn opened her eyes to find herself in a dark place, lit from above by glowing chandeliers. In front of her was her sister, Tyria, running toward her with her arms outstretched. Behind her was… a man? If it was, it was the strangest man she’d ever seen. As Tyria ran toward her, the stranger abruptly dashed away.
“Oh, gods, Fawn, it’s so good to see you!” Tyria said as she flung herself onto her little sister and held her tight. “I’ve missed you so much!”
“Wait, what? Missed me?” Fawn said, pulling Tyria off of her and holding her at arms length. “What are you talking about? I just saw you ten minutes ago. You went to get a rose for your corsage.”
Tyria’s brows knitted together in disbelief. “Fawn, I’ve been here for months.”
“What?” Fawn stared at her sister, dumbstruck, looking around her at the weird, color-washed copy of the rose garden back home. “Where is here?”
“Cavernae.”
“The demon kingdom?” Fawn laughed at her sister skeptically. “Tyria, I’m the one who’s supposed to believe in tall tales, not you.”
“Does this look like a fairy story to you?” Tyria replied, gesturing around at the dark walls and pale blue lights that flickered and danced on the stone of the ceiling.
“All right, you have a point,” Fawn said reluctantly. “So what are we doing here?”
“Oh, Fawn,” Tyria said in a distressed tone. “There’s something I need to tell you. And you may not like it very much. Here, sit down here with me.”
“All right,” Fawn replied slowly, sitting on a bench nearby.
Tyria took a very large breath, sat down beside her, and said, “Do you remember how Father was receiving letters of intent for you and I, but was rejecting them all?”
“Yes?”
“There’s a reason for that.”
“Which is?”
“We’re already betrothed. All of us. Even Gale.”
Fawn’s mouth dropped in horror. “What?”
“Father promised us to the Demon King’s sons during the Great War in an effort to save Coll and his kingdom. We were engaged to be wed before our parents even met each other.”
“But, how could the Demon King have known we’d even exist?”
“I don’t know,” Tyria said. “The Demon King has amazing foresight, I guess.”
“So, the… man I saw you with, he’s your…?”
“His name is Pallidus. He’s the eldest of Zinzo’s sons. And yes, he’s my intended.”
“Do you… like him?” She seemed pretty cozy with him when Fawn arrived.
“Yes, I do. I’m not sure I like him enough to marry him yet, though, but he is wonderful company. Trust me, I had just as many misgivings as you when I first got here. It took a long time for me to warm up to him. I wouldn’t even speak to him for weeks.”
“So,” Fawn said slowly. “Who am I…”
“Viribus.” Tyria rested a hand on Fawn’s shoulder and regarded her in that annoying older sister I-know-what’s-best kind of way. “You mustn’t judge him too harshly when you see him. He may look rather intimidating, but I promise you he’s a very sweet man, if a little insecure. Try not to say anything rude; he’s sensitive.”
“Viribus,” Fawn repeated. “When will I meet him?”
Tyria looked past her, and jerked her chin up to indicate that Fawn should turn around.
“Don’t be afraid,” Tyria whispered in her ear.
Fawn rose from the bench and turned. She saw the tall, slender man she’d seen before, Pallidus, the one who had been sitting with Tyria when she opened her eyes for the first time in this realm. Next to him was a man even stranger than the first.
He was just as tall as his brother, but where Pallidus was thin in an eldritch sort of way, this other man was nothing short of massive. He had muscle on muscle, barely contained in the fabric of his tunic, and it looked as substantial as a boulder. Fawn had always been short, but compared to this man, she was nothing more than a china doll, tiny and breakable, the top of her head not even reaching the middle of his chest.
His hair was black, like his brother, but rather than long and straight, it was cut short and curled slightly. His big horns twisted around his head, like a ram, and his short, pointed ears stuck out of the space between. His eyes were solid black, and his skin was the color of slate, grey with a tinge of dark blue. His clothes were far plainer than Pallidus’s, but no less rich or well made, and he held a bouquet of the same black roses like the one Fawn still had clutched in her hand. If he could feel the thorns, he gave no sign.
“For you,” He said, his voice as deep as a chasm in the earth. “I’m so pleased to finally meet you, Fawn.”
All at once, Fawn’s head began to spin again. She swayed, putting a hand to her forehead.
“Forgive me,” She said vaguely. “I think I need to…”
Before she could finish her sentence, she fell forward. Viribus dropped the roses and rushed to catch her before she hit the ground. His face was panicked.
“I didn’t mean to scare her,” He said, visibly upset.
“It’s all right, Viri,” Tyria said, patting his back. “She’s just overwhelmed. Trust me, I know exactly how she feels. Let’s just get her to her chambers for now, all right?”
“They’re ready for her,” Pallidus said. “Do you need me to come?”
Tyria turned to kiss Pallidus’s cheek. “No, I think it would be better if we gave her some room to breathe. I’ll come by the library later, all right? Wait for me.”
Pallidus nodded, and Tyria followed Viribus to the apartments that had been set up for Fawn, which were right next to her own.
Opening the door, she instructed Viribus to lay her on the bed and help her pull Fawn’s shoes off. Once done, Viribus began to back out of the room.
“I should go,” He said nervously. “She won’t want to see me when she wakes.”
“No, Viri, stay. I’ll stay with you. She should wake up soon, and I’ll help you talk to her. She just arrived; don’t give up just yet.”
Viribus frowned with worry, looking down at Fawn’s sleeping form. “I knew she was a slight little thing, but I didn’t realize how tiny she actually was. I can’t be the one intended for her, I’ll break her.”
“No, you won’t,” Tyria said comfortingly. “You would never hurt her, I know you wouldn’t. You’re a gentle soul, Viri.”
Viribus continued to frown, but he opened the drawer of Fawn’s bedside table and pulled out two books. One was a copy of Beauty and the Beast, one of Fawn’s favorite stories, and the second was a blank book for her to write in.
“When did you put those in here?” Tyria asked.
“The day you came,” Viribus replied. “I had hoped she would join you soon, so I put some things in her room I thought she’d like.”
“That was sweet of you,” Tyria said, patting his arm.
“I just hope she thinks so, too.” He set the books down on the bed next to her hand, and only then did he notice the drop of blood on the bedclothes.
“She pricked her finger,” He said, very, very carefully lifting her hand to examine it, as though she were made of porcelain. “It must have been from the rose. I didn’t even do that right.”
Tyria smacked him lightly on the arm with the back of her hand. It was like hitting solid stone.
“Stop beating yourself up. There’s nothing wrong with you or the way you do things. You’re too hard on yourself.”
Fawn began to stir, and Viribus backed away again.
“Stop right there,” Tyria said, pointing at his feet commandingly. He froze. She went to fetch a chair from Fawn’s new vanity for him to sit on. “Sit.”
He did so, but seemed to be doing his best to make himself appear smaller. It didn’t work. She handed him the books he had laid on the bed.
“It would be better if she got them from you,” Tyria said. Viribus’s face was doubtful, but he took them anyway.
Fawn sat up slowly in the bed, looking around her new quarters, which had been painted sky blue, Fawn’s favorite color. The ceiling had been decorated with paintings of clouds, corpuscular rays, and tiny flocks of birds. Tyria had situated herself on the edge of the bed.
“Ty,” Fawn said weakly. “Is this…?”
“Still Cavernae, yes,” Tyria replied.
“Where are we now?”
“Your quarters. They’re right next to mine. There’s a door over there,” She pointed. “That leads into my rooms, should you need me.”
Viribus cleared his throat cautiously, and Fawn’s head snapped around to look at him.
“I’m sorry I frightened you,” He said in quiet voice. “I didn’t mean to. I’m just that way, I guess.”
Fawn looked at him, his eyes downcast, his posture hunched. He reminded her of a beaten dog and she couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for him, as alarming as he was.
“It… it’s all right,” She said shakily. “I was just a little surprised, that’s all.”
He nodded. He held out the books for her to take, but refused to stand up or move any closer, lest she become frightened again.
“What are those?” She asked, putting her bare feet on the floor and standing.
“Gifts,” He replied. “I know you like to write your thoughts down in a journal, and while I couldn’t retrieve the one from your home, I thought you might still like to do so. This blue one is blank. The other is a story I know you enjoy.”
She took the books from his hands. His movements were slow and deliberate, as though she was the creature for which she was named and might scurry off if he moved too fast.
“Beauty and the Beast?” She said, surprised.
“Yes,” He replied, still looking down at his feet, his hands fidgeting in his lap. “A story about a beautiful woman who falls in love with a hideous creature. The beast is then transformed back into a handsome prince through the power of her love.” He shrugged one of his shoulders and grimaced. “I’m sorry I can’t do that. I’ll be like this forever, regardless of who does or doesn’t love me.”
She felt a peculiar aching in her heart that compelled her to extend a shaky hand, taking his chin and lifting his face so she could see his eyes. She was startled in a completely different way when he looked at her full on; he gazed at her as though she were sunlight, or starlight, or some equally radiant thing. Like he was looking at the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. It was rather intense. Her heart skipped a beat.
“There’s nothing wrong with that,” She said softly, pulling her hand away. “There’s nothing wrong with being a little different. People can’t help how they’re born.” She managed a tremulous smile. “I’m sorry if I was rude. I didn’t mean to cause such a fuss.”
“No, it’s my fault,” He said. “I shouldn’t have just sprung myself on you like that. I should have been more careful. I’m just glad I was able to catch you before you hit your head on the bench.”
“You caught me?” Fawn said, a genuine smile on her face. “Thank you.”
Viribus seemed transfixed by her smile and didn’t appear to be capable of answering. Tyria hid her own smile behind her hand. She couldn’t help but be amused by this mountain of a man rendered speechless by her wild, flighty little sister.
“How did you know this story was my favorite?” Fawn asked.
“I’ve seen you read it hundred of times,” Viribus said.
“Seen me?”
“Yes,” He replied, pulling a mirror identical to Pallidus’s out of his trouser pocket. “Mother enchanted these and gave them to my brothers and I. It has helped me learn about you.”
“Oh, like in Cinderella.”
“Yes. I’ve watched you cycle through hundreds of books, but you always return to this one sooner or later. I can’t read it myself, but I’ve heard you read it out loud enough times that I know it by heart.”
Her smiled faded and she looked at him in concern. “You can’t read?”
“No,” Viribus said sadly. “And the tragedy of it is that I love stories very much. But when I try to read, the letters jump and dance on the page and I can’t concentrate on it. Father is the same, though not as bad as me. I used to beg Mother to read to me constantly, but I stopped when I became grown.” He saw the sympathetic look on her face and added: “I’m not stupid. I understand a great many things, I just can’t read about them.”
“I could read to you, if you like,” Fawn said brightly. “I read for my animals all the time. I like having an audience.”
“You would do that?” Viribus asked.
“Of course,” Fawn said. “I couldn’t imagine not being able to read. That would be my worst nightmare.”
“If that’s the case,” Tyria said, standing. “You should see the library. It’s amazing. You could pick out a few books while your there and get started.”
“Oh, yes, let’s do that,” Viribus said enthusiastically, standing to his full, impressive height.
Fawn took a step back without thinking.
“Oh,” Viribus backed up as well, ducking his head. “I’m sorry.”
Fawn glanced at Tyria, who gave her a pointed look. Taking a deep breath, Fawn resolutely stepped forward and took Viribus’s hand.
“Will you show me the library?” She asked him.
“Yes,” He replied, smiling hesitantly. “Yes, I would love to.”
Pallidus was there, leaning against a desk with a small book in his hand, waiting for Tyria like she requested. He closed the book and set it on the desk, standing up straight as they entered, smiling widely at the sight of Fawn and Viribus together. Pallidus extended his elbow for Tyria, which she took.
“I really didn’t get the chance to introduce you two properly earlier,” Tyria said. “Fawn, this is Prince Pallidus, Heir of Cavernae. Pallidus, this is Princess Fawn of Suida, my middle sister.”
Pallidus bowed low, the delicate chains around his horns making a pleasant ringing sound as he moved. “It is an honor to finally meet you, my Lady,” He said.
Fawn curtsied. “A pleasure, my Lord.”
“She hasn’t met Genus yet. Is he here?” Tyria asked.
“Oh, I’m sure he’s in one of these rooms, he always is. I could find him, if you wish.”
“No, no, she’ll likely meet him soon enough, anyhow. Dinner will be in a little while.”
“Speaking of which,” Pallidus said. “Why don’t we go speak to Mother about the menu? Fawn is vegetarian, didn’t you say?”
“Yes, she is,” Tyria said, winking at him cheekily. “We’ll see you at dinner, all right?”
Fawn nodded, a little apprehensive. “All right.”
Pallidus and Tyria excused themselves and left, still arm in arm.
Viribus gulped nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. “So… would you like a tour of the library?”
Fawn swallowed her terror at being left alone with this grey giant and said, “Yes, please.”
He took her through each of the many rooms that made up the library, smiling a little at her excitement as she forgot her nervousness and looked over each title, every tiny leaflet, every oversize tome. He walked with her, but was always mindful to leave several paces between them, so she didn’t feel like he was looming over her.
She’d spend a lot of time examining each row for books she recognized, and even pulled a few off the shelf that she had never heard of before, asking him about them. He only knew the story of one, so she put that one back and kept the two he didn’t know to be read later.
In the very center of the seventeenth room, she found a huge model castle, carefully hand painted and glittering, sitting on a pedestal.
“Oh!” She breathed, rushing over to it as soon as she saw it. “Look at this! This is an exact replica of the castle in my Cinderella storybook. Where did you get this?”
“That?” He said. “I made that.”
She turned to look at him, her mouth hanging open in shock. “You made this?”
“Yes,” He came to stand on the other side, so that the table was between them, and pressed a tiny button on the side. There was a minuscule chiming sound.
She laughed with delight. “The little bell tower even works! Oh, Viribus, this is lovely.”
“You like it?” He asked, pleased.
“Yes, very much,” Fawn said.
“Then it’s yours,” He replied.
“What, no! It belongs in the library. It’s perfect here. It makes the room so lively.”
“Hmm,” He mused. “Then I’ll make you another one for your room. What would you like? The one from Snow White? Or I could make the dragon’s hoard from that really long story about a ring.”
She thought about it, examining the intricate detail on the towers and the parapets and the apiary. It reminded her of her own castle.
“Could you make my home castle? The one I live in?” Her face fell a little. “Well, lived in,” she clarified.
He watched her face sadly. “Yes, I can. I’ve seen it from many angles, so I’m certain I can replicate it. Although, there may be one or two things on which I could use your input.”
“I’d love to help,” She said.
“Well,” He said a little uncertainly. “Follow me, then. I’ll show you my workroom.”
“Should I bring the books?” She asked, holding them up.
“Oh, yes,” He said. “Would you mind reading to me while I work? It’s awfully quiet in that end of the palace.”
“Sure,” She said, following him back out into the hallway, but just as they stared down the long corridor, a bell tolled somewhere.
“Looks like it’ll have to wait,” Viribus said, a little disappointed. “It’s time for dinner.”
The next day, he led her to a secluded corner of the hallway at the very back, away from most of the rooms. She was a little nervous, being this far out with him alone, but she was determined to make the best of the situation. She didn’t want to insult him more than she already had.
“I’m sorry it’s such a long walk,” He said, holding the books from the library under his arm. “I can make quite the ruckus sometimes when I’m building things. Father had my workroom put out here so that I wouldn’t disturb anyone.”
“Do you spend much time here?”
“Almost everyday,” He said. “Pallidus and Genus are usually in the library, when they aren’t entertaining your sister, that is, which is another reason it’s so far away. It’s hard for them to read over my banging and sawing.”
“Don’t you spend any time in the library?”
“Not really. There’s no point since I can’t read. The only time I’m in there is when I’m placing a new model or they need help moving shelves. Otherwise, I’m in here.”
“By yourself?”
“Mostly.”
“That sounds… lonely,” Fawn said.
He merely shrugged, and opened the door. As she entered, she let out a wondering gasp.
In the middle of the room, surrounded by walls of tools, equipment, materials, and paint, was a huge table that contained a display of a tiny but vast forest. There were hills and trees and minuscule woodland creatures. In the very center was a clearing by a lake, where stood a single fawn the size of her thumbnail. It almost looked as if this tiny creature was the centerpiece and everything else had been built around it. The way it was all painted and placed made it look real, as if at any second, the breeze would shift the branches and make the leaves dance. She almost expected the fawn’s ear to twitch.
“Viribus,” She breathed. “This… this is incredible. Did you really make all of this?”
“Yes,” He said, watching her face. He did that a lot. “This one has taken me months. It’s not quite finished yet, but it’s getting there.”
“You’re amazing!” She said, giving him the biggest smile he had seen yet. “You’re a real artist.”
He scratched the back of his head. “I wouldn’t say that.”
“I would, and I just did,” She said emphatically. “I couldn’t do this. And it’s such delicate work. Look how tiny these are!” She reached out to pick up the little deer, but stopped herself. “Oh, I’m sorry. May I?”
“Yes, of course, please,” He said, sitting on a stool near the table. He watched her pick up the small deer and examine it carefully, a soft smile lighting up her features. She walked up to him with it, stopping in front of him so that they were very close, and held it up to him.
“How did you paint something this small?”
He gulped at the proximity, but managed to say, “Uh… I can show you, if you’d like.”
She nodded vigorously, and he stood up, walking to the far end of the room, where there was another table covered in little carved figures, ready to be painted. He picked out another animal; from the shape, she guessed it was a mountain cat of some kind. He opened a tray that had many small reservoirs, all filled with paint. Using a spare section of the table, he used a paint trowel and mixed an orange and a gold paint together to make the perfect color for a cougar’s fur. He took up a small, finely bristled paintbrush, dipped it in the mixture, and drew short, deliberate strokes along the cat’s side, his hands completely steady.
Watching him work was mesmerizing, and Fawn couldn’t help but move closer and closer, until he could feel her breath on his neck. It made the short hairs on his body stand on end, but he forced his hands to remain stable and continued on.
It wasn’t until she knitted her hands together, placing them on his shoulder and rested her chin on top of them that he stopped altogether, turning to look at her with wide, almost terrified eyes.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” She said as she pulled away, although she didn’t remove her hands from his shoulder. “Was I throwing you off? I can back up, if I’m bothering you.”
“No!” He said quickly. “No, you’re… you’re not bothering me at all.”
She smiled, resting her head back on her hands, waiting for him to continue. This close, he could smell the perfume of her hair, like clover and wildflowers. He took a deep breath and turned back to his work, but now his hands were shaking and he couldn’t get them to stop.
Before it could get awkward, though, a yipping sound caught her attention.
“What’s that?” She asked, following the sound.
“Oh, I…” He began, but stopped when she gasped.
She bent down under one of the tables, and when she stood up, she was holding a small brown dog, likely a forest mutt.
“Where did he come from?” She cooed, cuddling him to her cheek.
“The outside,” Viribus said. “I’m the only one that Father allows outside, so I can collect materials for my work. He doesn’t like me doing it, but it’s the only way I can get the things I need. I can only go out twice a month, at night, for thirty minutes. No more than that.” He reached to touch the dog’s ears. “I found him a few months ago, and I think another animal attacked him.”
The small dog became frantic to get to Viribus, so Fawn handed him over. Viribus cradled him like an infant.
“I named him Peach. Father doesn’t want us to bring live things from the outside down here, but I couldn’t leave him out there like that. He’d have died.” Viribus looked up anxiously. “You won’t tell Father about him, will you?”
“Of course not,” Fawn said consolingly, scratching the dog’s ears. It happily licked at her hands. “Oh, Peach. Viri’s just a big, soft teddy bear, isn’t he? Yes, he is.” Fawn giggled and looked up at Viribus with a wide grin, laying her free hand on his arm.
The contact made his spine shiver. Again, he seemed at a loss for words. He often felt that way around her.
“Why doesn’t your Father want you or your brother’s to go outside?” Fawn asked curiously.
“It’s not safe,” Viribus said, going to sit back at the table.
“Why not?”
“Well, several reasons. There are more humans now than there have ever been, and they are multiplying rapidly, encroaching on the old territories. There are far fewer of us than them, and since the old treaties between our kinds died out, many humans have forgotten the old codes and regard us with fear or hatred. Demons have often been attacked when they try mingle with humans. Elves have retreated far into their homes and have stopped venturing out for fear of the same.” Peach had one of Viribus’s large fingers in his mouth, snarling playfully, and Viribus smiled down at him. “Not to mention the sun.”
“What about the sun?”
“For a lot of demons, sunlight is harmful,” He replied.
“Will it kill you, like vampires?” She asked.
“No, not unless we spent hours and hours in the sun, but that’s bad even for humans. No, it’s more like an allergy. It makes out skin burn and welt. It’s not lethal, but it’s not pleasant, either.”
“Are elves the same way?”
“No. Actually, most elves enjoy the sunlight.”
“Well, you’re half elf, aren’t you? You might be immune to sunlight.”
He tilted her head at her, considering. “Now, there’s an idea.”
“Have you ever tried going out during the day?”
“Oh, no, never,” He replied, shaking his head. “Father would be most displeased. He worries for our safety, above all things.”
Fawn was reminded of her own father, and she sighed unhappily. She turned her attention back to Peach to distract herself.
“Well, now,” She said, pulling the dog from his grasp and setting him on her shoulder. “Why don’t we read for a bit while you’re papa does his work, hmm?” She smiled up at Viribus. “Would you like that?”
“Yes,” he said quietly. “I would like that very much.”
She took a stool from a different work station and sat it next to him at table, laying on of the books in front of her and opening the cover. Viribus had laid the cougar aside and picked up a flat, thin length of wood and a small carving knife, meticulously cutting out the shape of what would be the Suida capitol’s great castle, Fawn’s home.
“’Many years ago, so long that time itself has forgotten the name of the country, there lived a great king with no heirs…’”
When Fawn was with Viribus, days passed like seconds. She loved to watch him work in his workshop, and he adored the sound of her voice when she read. He was happiest when she shared her own stories with him, ones she had written herself. It was like a little piece of her only he was allowed to see. The first time she sat in his lap to read, he very nearly cried.
It took some convincing, but she finally got him to join her in the library for a reading. She invited Tyria and Viribus’s brothers, too, and though Viribus thought his brothers would laugh at such a thing, they always turned up and listened to her readings. Once or twice, his mother and father came to listen, as well. It became a weekly thing, and it made Viribus very, very happy.
As if to repay her, he went out of his way to accommodate her. Anything she wanted, he would get her, no questions asked. He would do almost anything to please her; if she were to request that he burn down his entire workshop, he would do it with a smile on his face as long as it made her happy. Not that she ever would. It was her favorite place to read.
Most of the time, she read out loud to him, but there were times when he needed to concentrate hard on his work, so she would stay and read in silence. He just really enjoyed having her nearby, even if they weren’t interacting.
She’d often throw on an apron and help him keep the place tidy, even though he told her each time that she didn’t have to do it. All it took was a kiss on the cheek and a smile, and he let her do whatever she wanted.
When he went out on his bi-monthly hikes to the outside, she waited at the portal, anxious for him to come back. Once, he’d come home with an arrow in his shoulder, and she was beside herself with worry. He said there had been hunters near the portal when he came out, and he had tried to lead them away, but was shot in the process. He made her swear never to tell his Father, lest he revoke his ability to go out. She promised, helping him remove the arrow and dress the wound, burning the bloody tunic afterward.
Seeing him with his shirt off did strange things to her body. She always knew he was muscular, but feeling the solid muscle shift under his skin with her own hands was something new entirely. It made the blood rush to her cheeks and pooled warmth at her midsection. There was a powerful ache rising up in her that made her heart beat hard in her chest and her thighs clamp shut. It made her imagine things she had never thought of before, like what his hands, or his lips, would feel like on her bare skin. It took a strong force of will to stop her fingers from lingering on the flesh of his back, tracing his spine downward, and seeing where it led.
She was quite old enough to understand what these feelings were, even if she had never felt them before. It was still a startling revelation. She desired Viribus. She wanted him in a painful, aching, physical way.
But desire and love were two different things entirely. Did she love him? She certainly knew she cared about him a great deal, but was that love? How would she know? How did he feel about her?
She wouldn’t have to wait long for the answer to that last question. A few days after the arrow incident, she went to his workroom to meet him, carrying bandages concealed in a bag so that she could change the dressings on the wound, when she heard his deep, bass voice through the door.
He appeared to be playing with Peach, wrestling and roughhousing. As much as Viribus thought of himself as a clumsy, hulking monster, he had never once hurt Peach, even accidentally. Or her, for that matter.
She suddenly heard a scratching at the door. Peach must be able to smell her. Just as she put her hand on the knob to open the door, she heard Viribus say: “Waiting for Fawn, eh? She’s coming soon, buddy, don’t you worry. You love her, don’t you, boy? Do you love Fawn, Peach? Huh? Do you love her?”
He must have picked the dog up, because the scratching stopped. She heard Viribus sigh softly on the other side.
“Yeah. Me too.”
For a moment, the only thing she could hear was Peach’s excited panting and yips. Then she heard Viribus say, in a more cheerful voice, “Let’s get this place cleaned up, eh, Peach? Make sure she doesn’t work her pretty little hands to the bone this time.”
Fawn laid a hand on the smooth wood of the door, listening to him knock around inside the work room, putting things away and talking to Peach animatedly.
Something had taken hold of her heart, something as strong as iron and as soft as rose petals. She had never felt it before, but knew what it was in an instant.
Of course. Of course she loved him. He was her Beast, how could she not? She pressed her forehead against the cool door, bathing in the new emotion, letting it swallow her up. Knowing that he loved her made the desire for him stronger and more urgent, like a fire fueled with spirits. Her breathing was a little uneven and her body tensed in ways it never had. It took several minutes before she was able to settle herself down and enter the room.
As she came in, he smiled at her affectionately, and the fire was kindled anew. Watching him strip off his shirt and submit to her ministrations with trust in his eyes did absolutely nothing to quench it.
She had been in the underground kingdom for three months, and in all that time, he had never once brought up the engagement. He gave her as much space as she needed and didn’t press her or ask her about the betrothal, perhaps afraid of what her answer might be.
One afternoon, while taking tea with her on the balcony of her apartments, she surprised him.
“I wrote a new story. Would you like to hear it?”
“Always,” He said with a wide smile, sitting down on the balcony bench with her.
“I haven’t figured out a name for it yet,” She said, opening her journal. “It just sort of spilled out of me yesterday evening, so forgive it if it’s a little rough.”
“I’m sure it’s wonderful, just like all your tales.”
She smiled up at him. “Very well then,” She replied, clearing her throat.
“’Once upon a time, there was a young woman who lived with her family in the sunlight. She was of royal birth, but she was a wild thing, hard to dislike but even harder to tame.”
“Reminds me of someone, but I can’t think of who,” Viribus said playfully, and Fawn shushed him in a good natured sort of way.
“'One day, while playing with her animal friends, she stepped through a hole and fell into a dark, impossible place far underground. There, she met a strange man, who insisted they were to be wed. Shocked, the poor girl collapsed.'”
Viribus’s smile faded. He knew this story.
“'When she awoke, she saw him waiting there. He was huge and monstrous and hulking. But when she reached out to him, he shrunk from her, as though afraid. He was timid and unsure of himself, a stark contrast to his fearsome exterior.’”
Viribus shifted in his seat anxiously. She seemed to notice, but continued.
“’It took time, but the two tried to understand one another. They found they shared the same love: a love of tales. This is just like Beauty and the Beast, she thought. So she made him a deal. She would read him a story each night, and he would put off the wedding for another day. He agreed. So, as time passed, the wedding was suspended and many stories were told.’
“’One evening, he came to her chamber and sat down to receive his story, when she realized that his eyes, which she once found terrifying, looked at her with splendor, as if she were the only thing in the world worthy of being looked upon. The next night, she realized that the body she once believed to be huge and intimidating, was in fact strong and protective, and would gladly take sword and arrow if it meant keeping her from harm. The next night, she looked at his hands, and instead of the violent bludgeons she had suspected they could be, she saw them for the careful, creative things they were, able to calm wounded creatures and make beautiful, delicate things to be marveled at and wondered over.’
’And she realized then, he was beautiful. Beauty and the Beast was indeed a fairy tale, because in this young maiden’s story, her beastly prince was beautiful just as he was, and she would never want him to change. All at once, she knew then that she loved him.” Her voice softened to a near whisper. “She loved every strange, wondrous thing about him.’”
Viribus’s heart stopped, and then beat way too fast. She couldn’t mean…
“’How would she tell him, then? How could she put it into words and make him understand that what she said was the truth? He doubted himself and saw himself as a monster, so how to make him see, that to her, he was a good man, the only man worthy of her love? In what way could she tell him that being held by him was like being wrapped in her favorite blanket, safe from any danger? How could she show him that the sight of him filled her with desire, a thirst for him she couldn’t slake. How could she say and make him believe that he was the only man she would ever want? How?’
“’And then she knew. It was simple. The answer had been there all along,’” Fawn said, looking up at Viribus and slowly closing the book in her lap. “’She would just tell him a story.’”
He reached out with his hand and touched her cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, putting her own hand over his sighing in contentment. He bent to rest his forehead on hers.
“That was beautiful,” He said quietly.
“It’s a true story, you know,” She whispered. “And it’s not over yet.”
“No?” He said, looking into her eyes. “Then how does it end?”
She tilted her chin up and gently pressed her lips to his. “She keeps telling him stories, not to hold off his advances, but merely to make him happy. In fact, there’s only one night when no story is told.” Her cheeks flush. “Their wedding night.”
His heart danced in his chest and his eyes widen in shock. “You’ll marry me?”
She nodded, her sweet smile full of affection. “Yes, I will.”
He breathed a sigh of relief and shut his eyes, tears falling freely down his cheeks. He rested his head on her shoulder, weeping unashamed, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, humming a soft lullaby into his ear.
“The story is only going to get better,” She said as she pulled him back a little, wiping his tears away with her fingers. “I promise.”
“I believe you,” He said gently, and he bent to kiss her again.
A kiss that was interrupted by a familiar voice screaming obscenities from the hallway outside of Fawn’s balcony.
“Oh,” Fawn said pleasantly. “Looks like Gale has made it at last.”
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My Masterlist
The Exophilia Creator’s Masterlist
The Bargain: Genus
Rating: Teen Relationships: Female Human x Male Demon/Elf Additional Tags: Arranged Marriage, Marriage, Demons, Elves, Princes, Princesses, Monster Boyfriend, Monster Husband, Monster Lover Words: 6901
Based on “The Princes” series of shorts written by tumblr user @your-monster-romance, with her permission. Read the Original Shorts Here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
Previous Chapters: Prologue, Pallidus, Viribus Following Chapters: Gale (NSFW), Fawn (NSFW), Tyria (NSFW), Epilogue
The third brother, Genus, finally meets his betrothed, Gale. Gale rejects the planned wedding outright and is determined to escape, even if she has to ask her so-called future husband for help. Please reblog and leave feedback!
All Gale remembered was getting up from the garden table to look for her sisters, who were taking their sweet time returning to her birthday luncheon, when she stumbled out into the open meadow beyond the castle’s rose garden and fell after stubbing her toe against something solid.
Looking back, she saw that she had tripped over a glittering rose, pink and transparent, that appeared to have been sculpted from crystal. She had never seen anything like it before. It was the kind of thing that would be the jewel of any dragon’s treasure hoard or in a display case of a grand art collection. It looked incredibly out of place, standing straight up out of the ground surrounded by waving grass.
Thinking to show it to her father, who had been acting rather odd lately, she took hold of the seaglass-green stem and attempted to pull it up. It was anchored pretty solidly, so she yanked and ended up snapping the stem from whatever held it beneath the earth with a soft tink!
Then, it was like a small explosion went off all around her. The grass and flowers of the meadow kicked up and swirled around her so fast, it was if she were in a hurricane. She closed her eyes and shielded her face, certain she would open them again to find her gown shredded and cuts all over her skin, but when the deafening noise finally died away, she saw no such thing. She was completely unruffled.
“It’s you!” A voice called suddenly from across the long, dark hallway in which she found herself. A young… man… scurried up to her, dropping a tall stack of enormous books in his haste. He took her hand in both of his, exclaiming, “I can’t believe your finally here! I was giving up hope you’d ever come! I’m so happy to see you!”
“Unhand me! Who are you? What are you?” Gale shouted, her heart pounding, as she wrenched her hand from the grip of the shortish, grey skinned man. If he could be called a man.
He wore spectacles, seemingly an academic type judging by the ink smudges on his hands and the smell of old books that permeated from his skin and clothing. He had on a simple, plain white shirt and natural linen trousers, with his curly black hair hanging down his back in a messy braid. He was mostly clean and pressed, but had the slightly mussed-up, unkempt look of a person not overly concerned with their appearance.
He was rather stout but not muscular, and Gale suspected this was a fellow who spent most of his time sitting down. He was, in fact, rather squishy looking. Although, judging from the enormous stack of books he had been carrying, he possessed considerable strength.
Despite somehow looking like a history professor, his body was quite animalistic in nature. In place of feet, he had cloven hooves like a goat or a deer, and his legs were double jointed and covered in soft black fur from the reverse knee joint down. He had short antlers on his head and a thin tail swinging behind him. His head was just level with Gale’s, perhaps a hair shorter, but his antlers made him appear taller.
His ears were small but pointed and twitched slightly when he smiled. He could also apparently move them backwards and forwards, sticking them out or flattening them against his head like a small creature listening for predators. The whites and irises of his eyes were solid red with small black pupils as their only distinguishing characteristic. It was an odd juxtaposition of features.
He had rushed up to Gale before she had even had the chance to open her eyes, taking her hand and shaking it vigorously, going on about how please he was to finally see her in person as though they were lifelong penpals or some such. His enthusiasm was daunting, and the strangeness of his appearance did nothing to reassure her.
“My name is Genus, my Lady,” He said, bowing. “I’m so happy you’ve come! It’s truly an honor to meet you!” He was practically jumping up and down in excitement. She backed away from him in alarm.
“Gale!”
Gale turned and saw her sister Fawn dashing up, followed by an absolute giant of a man. The giant had similar features as this short, chubby man, except the taller of the two had solid black eyes, a darker skin tone, no tail, and ram’s horns rather than antlers. He trailed after Fawn, who was maybe three-fifths his height, like a lovesick puppy.
Fawn flung herself onto Gale, crying. “I’m so happy you’re here! We missed you so much!”
“What? We? What are you talking about?” Gale asked a little hysterically. “Where is here?”
Instead of answering, Fawn took the giant by the hand and pulled. He knelt down so that she could whisper in his ear. After listening for a moment, he nodded in agreement and she smiled at him, laying a hand on his right cheek and kissing the left. Reluctantly, he slipped out of her grasp, then stood and trotted off.
“He’s going to get Tyria,” Fawn said. She glanced at Genus, who was shifting from foot to foot, with no small amount of sympathy. “We need to talk.”
After a moment or two, Tyria walked up on the arm of another impossible man, this one hauntingly thin and gaunt, with horns spiraling high out of the top of his head decorated with delicate silver chains. He was dressed very rich in green silk and emeralds at his neck and ears. His hair was long and black, and he walked with a graceful swagger. A bit haughty for Gale’s taste, but Tyria seemed quite taken with him. She fussed and picked at his tunic, and he smiled at her fondly.
The giant returned as well, reaching out for Fawn. Gale’s middle sister stepped into the safety of his embrace without hesitation, placing her hands on his chest, her eyes dewy as they looked up at him. He gazed down at her as if she were the only thing that deserved his attention.
Gale looked at both of her sisters as if they, too, had grown horns. “What is going on here? I feel like there’s a joke that everyone is in on except for me.”
“Not much of a joke, I’m afraid,” The tall, gaunt one said. His voice was quite musical. “Although I’m sure my father finds this all rather amusing. He always did have an odd sense of humor.”
“And your father is?”
“Zinzo, the Demon King.”
Gale’s head rocked back. “Uh… what exactly does the Demon King want with my sisters and me?”
Tyria and Fawn shared a look between them that made Gale very nervous.
“Now, you mustn’t get upset, Gale,” Tyria began.
“I’m already upset, Ty, just tell me what’s going on!”
Tyria took a deep breath and, with Fawn’s help, carefully explain the situation with the betrothal, trying their best to convey that the brothers were not in control of the situation and that Gale shouldn’t hold it against them.
“Are. You. Serious?” Gale said through gritted teeth as they concluded the explanation.
“I’m afraid so,” Fawn replied. “Father made the deal before he even knew he’d be having daughters, before he even married Mother. He thought, at the time, that he would never have to make good on his promise.”
“So… what? We’re literally just collateral for Suida? That’s the only reason we exist at all? What kind of nonsense is that?”
“I know it’s hard to accept, Gale,” Tyria said. “It’s not ideal in any sense. Trust me, I was plenty angry at Father when I first arrived. But it’s really not so bad here once you get used to it.”
Gale massaged her temples, trying to wrap her head around the day’s events. Genus fidgeted and watched her apprehensively, with his brothers standing at his shoulders in support. Her sisters stood on either side, creating a wall of insanity she couldn’t penetrate.
“Well,” Gale said. “It was nice to meet you all. I’m leaving.”
Her sisters and the brothers exchanged uneasy looks.
“I’m afraid you can’t leave,” Genus said woefully.
“The hell I can’t,” Gale retorted. “I don’t really care what promises my father made, I don’t recall signing any contracts. I am an adult and I want to leave.”
“No, Gale, you don’t understand,” Tyria said. “None of us can leave, not even Zinzo’s sons. There’s a protective barrier around the kingdom that prevents anyone from entering and exiting without Zinzo’s permission.”
“Then take me to the Demon King and I’ll make him release us.”
Again, Fawn and Tyria exchanged glances.
“What?” Gale fairly snarled.
“Well…” Fawn said in a small voice. “I’m not sure what Tyria wants to do, but… I don’t want to leave.”
“Why?” Gale asked venomously.
“Well…” She said again, reaching back to take the giant’s hand in hers. “Just before you arrived, I agreed to marry Viribus.”
There was a joyous exclamation between the five of them, congratulating Fawn and her massive groom-to-be as they grinned sheepishly. Gale watched them in horror.
“You can’t be serious!” Gale said. “You’re really going to marry that monster?”
Viribus flinched, and Fawn’s eyes widened in offense.
“Gale!” Tyria said reproachfully. “This is a special day for Fawn and Viri. Don’t you dare spoil it for them.”
“Oh, my gods, am I the only sane one here?!” Gale shouted. “How can you both be all right with this? It’s ludicrous! We are not commodities to be bartered! We are people! Royalty! We have rights!”
“As royalty,” Tyria said, her voice shaking a little as she went to lay her hands on Fawn and Viribus’ arms. Fawn was visibly upset and Viribus was holding her with his head hanging. “We are servants of our people. Their safety and prosperity is our primary concern. Father made this deal with his people in mind, knowing he might have to make a terrible sacrifice. His methods may have been deplorable, but above all, he did it for his people, his country. We can aspire to do no greater than that.”
A faint half smile drifted across Pallidus’s face.
Gale shook her head. “You have either lost your mind or been brainwashed. Either way, I’m not sticking around long enough for either of those things to happen to me.” She addressed the tall man standing with Tyria. “Take me to your father. This nonsense ends now.”
She left Genus and Viribus, looking stricken, and a weeping Fawn behind her, not sparing a backwards glance.
Zinzo sat at his desk in the grand sitting room, reading a message from an outer province. He smiled as Tyria, Pallidus, and Gale entered the room.
“Well, well,” He said, standing. “It’s about time. I assume Fawn and Viribus have good news, if she has come at last.”
“We shall let them make the announcements at the appropriate time,” Pallidus said.
“Wise,” Zinzo replied. He turned his attention to Gale. “Now, I assume you have questions.”
“No, I don’t,” Gale replied a little hostilely. “I understand the situation well enough.”
“Ah. Well, that’s good. Tyria here need quite a lot of explanation and assurance. So, you--”
“I’m not here to make nice. I’m here to demand our release.”
Zinzo’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh?”
“You’re holding us against our will. We’re hostages. There are laws against that sort of thing.”
“Perhaps in your kingdom. The rules are different here.”
“I don’t care what the rules are here. I’m telling you I’m not going to play your game with you. Let us leave.”
“Gale!” Tyria hissed warningly.
“No, Princess,” Zinzo said lazily. “This should be interesting.”
Gale crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at the king, who looked at her with a smug grin on his face.
“Tyria told me that when you made the deal with my father, the only son you had was Pallidus, and he was but a babe in swaddling.”
“That’s so,” Zinzo said.
“So how did you know you’d have two more sons? How did you know you’d need three brides?”
Zinzo quirked his head at her. “How do you think I knew?”
Gale looked him up and down with a scowl. “I think you’re a seer, or otherwise capable of divination.”
“Very astute,” Zinzo replied, to Tyria’s shock. Pallidus looked guilty but unsurprised.
“So you tricked my father into agreeing to your deal,” Gale said.
“No,” Zinzo replied calmly. “I merely used my foresight to my advantage. It’s a common tactical strategy. Both your father and I had a problem on our hands, so we made an exchange that was mutually beneficial. He just didn’t realize I knew more than he did about the matter. That doesn’t make it a trick. If anything, it could be argued he was attempting to take advantage of me, he just couldn’t see the entire picture.”
“Even if that’s true, I still doesn’t mean I’ll agree to it, and there’s nothing you can do to change my mind.”
“Perhaps so,” Zinzo said. “But you should try anyway.”
Gale frowned and huffed. “Use your foresight. Does this ploy work out for you?”
Zinzo grinned wickedly. “Spoilers.”
Genus was waiting for them anxiously when they came out of Zinzo’s sitting room. Fawn and Viribus were absent.
“I’ll take you to your room,” He said.
“No,” Gale said coldly. “Tyria will.”
He lowered his eyes. “Very well.”
Tyria glared at Gale and put a comforting hand on Genus’s shoulder as she passed. “I’ll come to the library later,” She said to Pallidus, who nodded, putting an arm around Genus and leading him away. As if he was the one who needed assurance.
Gale stomped down the hallway with her arms folded forbiddingly over her chest. Tyria sighed in annoyance.
“You’re being quite unreasonable,” Tyria said.
“I’m being unreasonable?” Gale retorted. “Have you actually gone insane? How can you expect me to just be all right with this?”
“I don’t, Gale,” Tyria said irritatedly. “But I do expect you to be polite. Genus has seen your your every possible need. He’s a good man, if a little quiet. He loves books just as much as we do. You should let him show you the library. It’s breathtaking.”
“I would rather gouge out my own eyes,” Gale grumbled.
Tyria rolled her eyes. “Well, the least you can do is apologize to Fawn and Viribus. They’re both very upset. You ruined their announcement.”
“Sure, I’ll get right on that,” Gale replied sarcastically.
Tyria grabbed Gale by the shoulders and stopped her roughly. “That’s enough. I understand you’re angry, but that’s no reason to take it out on people who have no control over your circumstances and are trying to make the best of this situation.”
Gale shook her off. “You’re not Mother. Stop telling me what I should do and how I should feel.”
Tyria shook her head in disappointment and agitation. “This is your room,” She said, motioning to a door with constellations carved into it. “It’s next to Fawn’s, and mine is the next door down. Maybe you should spend some time alone and think about things.”
“It’s not going to change my mind,” Gale said stubbornly. “I’m going to get out of here. It’s only a matter of time. And if I have to leave without you, I will.”
Tyria’s jaw worked in frustration. She opened her mouth to vent at Gale, thought the better of it, and said instead: “Dinner is in an hour. You will be there.”
She turned on her heel and walked away.
During dinner, Gale refused to sit with Genus, instead sitting in the seat next to Tyria ordinarily reserved for Pallidus. Tyria huffed in aggravation, but assured Pallidus it would only be for the evening.
“We’ll see about that,” Gale said obstinately. Tyria growled and didn’t speak to Gale for the remainder of the meal.
After the main course had been served, Viribus and Fawn stood, announcing their engagement to the delight of everyone in the room. The best wine in the castle was cracked open and a celebration was conducted. Gale sat in silence, refusing to participate. The table collectively ignored her.
That evening, she went to her room without speaking to anyone and plopped down on her new bed, groaning in frustration. What was wrong with the people here? What was wrong with her sisters? Was it something in the water?
She stared at the ceiling, her gaze unfocused on the mural of the night sky meticulously painted above her. Her thoughts chased themselves round and round, consuming her to the point where it took her several seconds to see the hidden wonder of the mural. Furrowing her brow, she peered at the ceiling through narrowed eyes.
“How did they pull this off?” She breathed in astonishment. After examining the mural closely for what felt like hours, she fell into an uneasy sleep, determined to asked about it in the morning.
She woke late the next morning, nearly missing breakfast. She refrained from speaking during the meal, resolving to seek out the person who made the mural and ask them directly.
After eating, her sisters and the princes disappeared, leaving her to wander on her own. Eventually, she made her way to the library. She had no idea where it was, but she always seemed to feel a pull toward any large collection of books in any place. She just naturally gravitated to spaces of learning and wisdom.
Once there, she reached out and grasped the handle, but before she could turn it, she heard her sisters talking with Genus and the other men behind the closed door. She leaned against the door and listened to the voices within.
“She hates me!” Genus cried, his voice muffled as though his head were in his hands.
“That’s not true, Gene,” Tyria said. “She doesn’t know you yet. She scared and confused and angry. I know how she feels. It’s exactly how I felt when I first got here. You were the one to finally change my mind and got me to talk to Pallidus. Remember that?”
Genus didn’t answer.
“Don’t worry, brother,” Fawn said. “Just give her time. She’s a willful girl, she always has been. You know that.”
Genus sighed. “Yes, I know. It’s one of the things I like about her. She’s never been afraid to speak her mind. I’ve always envied that.”
Fawn scoffed. “It’s not so much that she isn’t afraid as it is she doesn’t know when to keep her trap shut.”
She was clearly still angry at Gale. Gale felt a twinge of guilt, but not enough to convince her to apologize. She stood by what she said. For Fawn to marry that hulking giant was just absurd, as absurd as it was for Tyria to marry that prissy dandy, or for her to marry that short, excitable bookworm.
Gale heard the rumble of the large man muttering, possibly comforting Fawn, but she couldn’t make out his words. There was a lull in the conversation, during which Gale knocked on the door. It opened, revealing Genus’s pale, surprised face.
“Oh!” He exclaimed. “I… I didn’t expect to see you. Please come in. You don’t need to knock, you know. It’s a public library. Anyone in the palace is permitted to use it.”
“Then you should keep the door open,” Gale said.
Genus blushed and flung the door wide. “Would you like to come in?”
“No, I had a question.” Gale could see his brothers and her sisters looking at the pair of them with matching hopeful expressions. She scowled at them.
“The mural of a star map that’s painted above my bed. The constellations, they’re correct down to the spacing. How did you do that? Who painted it?”
“Oh, Viribus did,” Genus said, motioning back at the giant, who smiled tentatively. “He’s a very talented artist, even though he’d never admit it. I mapped it out for him, though.”
“How did you manage that if you’ve never seen the night sky for yourself?” Gale asked.
“I have star charts.” He pointed at the desk. “They’re a few centuries old, but they worked well enough.”
“A star chart from three hundred years ago would be different than the current sky map,” Gale said skeptically.
“Yes, that’s true,” He said. “I used grafts and calculations to determine how much they would have shifted and based the resulting positions on my equations. I’m pleased to learn my math was correct.”
“That’s… impressive.” Gale had to admit, it was. “And labor intensive. It must have taken weeks to plot it out correctly. Not to mention the patience involved in mapping it out above your head. Why did you go to so much trouble?”
“For you,” Genus said simply. “I wanted to do something nice for you. I know you love astronomy and have your own observatory at home. I regret that I cannot give you an observatory, so I did the closest thing I could think of. Did you like it?”
It was Gale’s turn to blush. “I… yes, it’s very lovely. And factual, which is the important thing.”
Genus laughed, a gentle, boyish sound. “I thought you’d approve. Viribus wanted to take artistic license with it, make it a bit grander, but I figured you would appreciate the accuracy.”
“You were right,” Gale said begrudgingly. “Are you interested in astronomy, as well?”
“Oh, extremely. I’ve always wanted to see the sky. It’s my dearest wish.”
“So why don’t you just go out?” Gale asked bluntly.
“I can’t leave,” Genus said, shaking his head. “Father would never permit it.”
“Why not?”
“It’s dangerous for us on the surface world. He worries for our safety.”
“But if you--”
“Gale,” Tyria said sharply. “Let it go.”
Gale scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Fine. I just wanted to ask about the mural.” She turned on her heel and stormed off.
“Wait!” She heard Genus called. She didn’t stop walking but she did slow down enough to allow him to catch up with her, his hooves clacking noisily against the dark marble floor.
“I nearly forgot,” Genus said, reaching into his satchel and retrieving a wrapped gift. “Happy birthday.”
Gale, surprised, took it hesitantly, carefully tugging the item inside from it’s paper wrapping. It was a book on elvish astronomy.
“Elves have different constellations that humans, did you know? This book has a list of them as well as how to identify them and the elvish names for the stars in each one.”
“Wow,” Gale said. “I always assumed the constellations were universal.”
Genus laughed. “Yes. Humans tend to do that.”
Gale looked up at Genus’s smiling face and was struck by how… genuine he seemed, despite his odd appearance. Like it had never once occurred to him to tell a lie in all his life. He had a childlike openness about his demeanor that, she hated to admit, was intriguing. His default state of being was curiosity.
“Thanks,” Gale said. “For the book. It’s nice.”
Genus grinned and bowed. “Well, I’ll leave you be for now. I know this is hard for you; I don’t want to make you feel any more trapped than you already do.” He turned to go back to the library, calling over his shoulder, “But please, should you need anything, don’t hesitate to send for me. I’d be happy to assist you.”
“Thank you,” She replied. He waved a hand and disappeared back into the library.
“She liked the book! She actually talked to me!” He told the others excitedly. The purity of the happiness in his voice made her blush return. All right. So maybe her sisters weren’t as crazy as she first thought.
It didn’t matter. Having nice jailers didn’t make this place any less of a prison. She was still determined to escape.
Gale spent every waking moment over the next couple of weeks in the library, pouring over books about the Demon Kingdom of Cavernae. As it’s name would suggest, the vast majority of it existed in caverns and caves deep beneath the earth and that only a tiny portion of it was present on the surface. Gale had often wondered why, in the entire history of the Cavernae Empire, the reigning monarch had never tried to conquer another kingdom, but reading the history of the Demons, Gale realized it was because they didn’t need to.
Cavernae was everywhere. It spanned the whole continent, underneath the feet of all the kingdoms and countries. It was a few hundred feet at it’s shallowest, and over seven miles down at it’s deepest. It never ended. Gale didn’t know how to feel about the fact that there was a kingdom full of people underneath her own all this time that she never knew about.
Genus was often in the library with her. At first, he merely smiled when he saw Gale and left her alone, unless she asked him to help her, which he was happy to do. He found her books on any subject she could think of, seemingly pleased that she had taken interest his home. He proved to be a treasure trove of useful information about it and more often then not, she turned to him with her questions rather than a book.
She had been careful, asking pointedly vague questions in hopes of gleaning the information she needed to make her escape without arousing suspicion. He didn’t seem to notice, prattling on willingly about the barrier, where the portals were, where they currently were in relation to your castle in Suida. Gale were surprised to learn that the palace was actually straddling the line between Suida and Gale’s grandfather’s empire.
Finally, he gave Gale the information she was after. There was a portal in the palace. He told her that Viribus used it to bring materials from the outside world, and that it only opened at certain times, during the full moon and the new moon. Those were the only days Viribus was permitted to go out, and even then, he was to be no longer than thirty minutes. It was unguarded because it didn’t need to be; everyone in Cavernae knew the risks when it came to the outside world, and none of them were willing to risk their safety or the Demon King’s ire.
But Gale wasn’t a demon, and she wasn’t answerable to Zinzo.
She waited for the perfect moment. She couldn’t go when Viribus did; he’d catch her and bring her back. She learned he sometimes did errand running for the palace because of his immense size. Fawn would often accompany him to the markets outside of the palace. She was apparently beloved by the people there, and they delighted in seeing her out, so their visits were often, sometimes bringing Tyria and Pallidus with them. The only time Viribus missing his outing to the surface world was on days when he had been to the markets with Fawn.
Gale began to subtly plant the idea of going to the surface with Genus in his mind so that he could see the stars. She tried her best to insist that it would he for his benefit, not hers. At first, he was complete opposed to the idea, not wanting to anger his father, but also concerned about what could happen to him up there.
After a few months of incessant hounding, he began to soften. When he finally agreed, she did your best to hide your triumphant smile.
The next full moon, Viribus and Fawn had been out at the markets all day and were exhausted, going to bed right after dinner. This it it, Gale thought. This is my chance.
That night, she had talked Genus into meeting her in the library and he would lead her to the portal room. She decided not to take anything with her for fear that Genus would become suspicious, but her eyes fell on the book Genus had given her for her birthday and found she couldn’t leave it. She tucked it into her dress, trying her best to conceal it, and ran to the library.
“I don’t feel good about this,” Genus whispered, trying his best to move quietly, though his hooves made that impossible. It was very early in the morning, though, so most everyone in the palace was sleeping.
“Don’t worry,” Gale said reassuringly. “We’ll just pop our heads out and come right back.”
“But we don’t know where the portal will empty out,” he said a little desperately. “What if we stumble into some poor fellow’s garden? We’ll give him a fright.”
“It’s the middle of the night, Gene, any sensible person would be sleeping,” Gale replied.
“The implication being that we aren’t sensible?”
She grinned at him cheekily as they hurried down the corridor. She stopped in front of the large door. There was a strange looking lock on it.
“You won’t be able to open it,” He said, putting one of his fingers over his razor sharp canines and biting down. Blood immediately welled from it. “This lock only responds to the blood of the royal family.”
He dripped a drop or two of blood into a tiny reservoir at the lock’s base, and the filaments that extended out of it to hold the door shut retracted. He pulled the handle, and the door swing open.
There up on a dais, was a glittering doorway formed of branches and vines, similar in color to the rose bushes in the underground garden. In the middle was a bright, swirling light, and beyond was a forest.
“Come on!” She urged him, grabbing his hand. He groaned in reluctance, but allowed himself to be pulled forward. Standing before the portal, he hesitated, and Gale found herself unable to shift him.
“What’s wrong?”
He stared into the portal at the forest outside. “I’ve never been surface side before. I’m… nervous. We really shouldn’t be doing this.”
“When are you going to get another chance, Genus? Come on, we’ll just go in and out. Ten minutes, I promise.”
He grimaced at her and swallowed.
Gale took his hand again. “Come on, Gene. You know you want to see the stars.”
He sighed heavily and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose, knocking his spectacles askance. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”
Her grin widened and she started forward into the barrier. This time, he stepped forward with her. When he opened his eyes again, they had passed through and were standing in the forest they had seen reflected in the portal.
He opened his eyes and stared around them at the tall trees. “I’ve never seen real trees before! They’re everywhere!”
“It gets better,” Gale promised. “Ready to see the sky?”
For the first time that day, he forgot his misgivings and grinned at her in excitement.
“Yes. Let’s go.”
Gale took his hand and led him to where she saw the trees begin to thin out, and with a few seconds, they were standing in an open meadow, flowers everywhere in the ankle-high grass. He stared down at them all with a joyful expression.
“There are so many!” He said happily.
“Genus,” Gale said, laughing. “Look up.”
He did, and the smile faded into wide-eyed, open-mouthed wonder.
They couldn’t have picked a better night for this. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and the stars shone as bright and clear as if they were fireflies in a jar, winking and glittering above them. The dark blues and purples swirled overhead, painting a picture more beautiful than any mortal hand could produce.
“Gods below,” He breathed. “The books do them no justice.” He reached up, hand spread, as if to touch them. “What miracles. What treasures.”
Gale watched him, a soft smile on her face. His open awe was more than a little endearing in a painfully naive way. It almost hurt to look directly at him, so she turned away to stare down at the horizon and froze in shock.
There, just beyond the meadow, was a castle. She recognized the spires, the towers, the observatory on the roof. The rose garden. Tyria’s rose garden.
This was Gale’s castle. She was home.
Her heart began to beat as if trying to propel itself out her her chest. She turned to look at Genus, who was still captivated by the night sky and not paying attention. She could run now. She doubted he’d be able to catch her, not on this terrain.
Just as she had turned slowly and lifted her foot to sprint, she heard Genus say, “They’re disappearing.”
She turned back to look, and he had a frown on his face.
“What’s happening?” He asked in confusion, looking around you. His gaze focused on the crest of a nearby hill and he stopped, his eyes widening with apprehension. “Oh.”
She followed his gaze and saw that the sky on the horizon was turning blue and brightening. Dawn was coming.
He began to back away toward the safety of the woods. “I shouldn’t stay out. The sun is dangerous.”
“Maybe not,” She said, grabbing his arm to keep him from retreating. “You’re half elf, aren’t you? Fawn said it might be possible that you didn’t inherit the sun allergy, like other demons have. You could be perfectly safe out here.”
“But…” He said, still trying to pull away, though Gale held him fast. “But I… Father said…”
“Don’t you want to see the sunrise?” Gale insisted.
“Of course I do,” Genus whined. “But…”
“Stay,” Gale said. “Stay and see. Isn’t a couple of little blisters worth a once in a lifetime experience?”
He grimaced, his eyes darting to the horizon, where the sky was progressively getting brighter, and back to Gale's face several times. “Gale… I don’t know about this…”
“Look,” Gale said, taking his hands in hers and pulling him close. “I won’t force you to stay if you’re determined to go back, but you know as well as I that this may be the only chance you have of seeing this. Do you really want to pass it up?”
His brow furrowed and he looked back and forth between the sky and her eyes.
“You’ll stay with me?” He asked.
“Yes, I will.” She said, surprising herself by realizing she was actually being sincere.
“You promise?”
“Of course. Do you trust me?”
He narrowed his eyes at her but responded with a slow, “Yes.”
She squeezed his hands reassuringly. “Then trust me.”
He puffed an explosive breath out through his pursed lips and nodded. Looking once more at the crest of the hill, where a golden light was beginning to form, he faced her and closed his eyes, waiting.
In a few moments, the sun began to break over the hill, sending light and shadows across the sleepy meadow and over the two of them. Gale paid close attention to Genus’s skin, looking for any sign of puckering or burning. When the sun was a quarter of the way up, she realized he was indeed immune.
Smiling, she squeezed his hands again.
“Genus, open your eyes. It’s safe.”
He did, looking in the direction of the sunlight, and inhaled a long gasp. The sun had painted the sky in blues and golds and reds. The rays filtered over the trees, casting long, lazy patterns over the fields. A gentle breeze blew through the grass and flowers, making the shadows and light dance together, like birds on water. It was breathtaking, even for Gale, who had seen her fair share of lovely mornings.
“The colors,” He said reverently, staring out over the field and crouching, as if the force of the beauty he was witnessing was preventing him from standing upright.
Looking at him, staring at the sunlight with the eyes of someone brand new to the world, she felt a stab of guilt. This was such a simple pleasure, one any person who lived on the surface would be privileged to from birth, but for Genus and his brothers, a joy that was out of reach. There was nothing fair about that. No more than being abducted and forced into an arranged marriage had been.
That’s when she realized, she couldn’t leave. Genus was just as trapped as she was. She had to help him and her brothers. There must be a way to free them as well as her sisters. She would find a way.
Gale looked distantly at her home, feeling as if her heart was being pulled in two directions, and sighed deeply. “We should go. Our absence will be noticed,” She said reluctantly.
“What?” Genus said, standing back up and looking at her with a frown on his face. “But… aren’t you going home?” He motioned at the castle looming darkly in the light of the rising sun.
Gale’s heart leapt into her throat. “I… wha… What do you mean?” Gale stuttered.
Genus let out his breath in a mirthless huff. “Gods, you must really think I’m stupid, don’t you?”
She shook her head, unable to speak.
“You think I don’t know who’s castle that is? I’ve looked at it every day my whole life. I know it backwards and forwards. You think I didn’t notice it when we came out of the forest? I’m surprised you didn’t just take off running as soon as we got here.”
“Genus, I…”
“Did you think I didn’t realize what you were trying to do, asking all those questions about the portal? I knew you were trying to escape. You said you would on day one and I never believed you had just given it up. I knew you’d find a way.” He nodded his head toward the castle. “So get going.”
Gale shook her head in disbelief. “Why did you help me, if you knew?”
“Because I love you, Gale,” He said simply, as if it should have been obvious. “I’ve always loved you. I just want you to be happy. If you can’t be happy in Cavernae, then that’s not where you’re meant to be. You should go where you happiest, even if that’s not with me. And hey, I figured if I helped you, at the very least I’d get to see the stars.”
Gale’s throat tightened. She could feel tears coming to her eyes. “But your father…”
“Oh, don’t you worry about him,” Genus said, waving a hand dismissively. “I’ll talk to him. He can be reasonable at times. I’m sure he won’t like it much, but I’ll smooth it out. Don’t worry.”
“Genus,” she said, tears beginning to fall. “I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything,” He said gently, cupping her cheek with his hand and wiping the tears away with his thumb. “Just be safe. Be happy. For me.”
A stone lodged itself in her heart. She stepped close and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. His arms went around her waist and squeezed, his nose buried in her hair, breathing in deeply. He was so warm, she found, and she enjoyed the feeling of his hands on her back, his thumbs rubbing softly. She loved how he smelled, like books and leather and ink. His kindness and selflessness broke her heart. She knew that doing this for her could cost him dearly. The idea of him paying any price for helping her made her ill.
Though he made no effort to step away, he said, “You should go. I have to get back to the palace. The portal will be closing soon.” His hand tangled itself in her curls.
Taking a breath, Gale replied, “You’re right. We should get back.”
He did step back at that, narrowing his eyes at her, his hands stilled on her waist and hair. “But, aren’t you going home?” he repeated.
“Yes, I am,” She said. “With you.”
He continued to frown with confusion, opening his mouth to speak but no sound came out.
Gale took his face in her hands, pulled him toward her, and kissed his lips. He immediately kissed back, as if hungry for it, his hands putting themselves on her hips and drawing her as close as possible. When she pulled away, she wasn’t the only one with tears in their eyes.
“Are you sure?” He asked her, his forehead resting on hers and his hands gliding up her back.
“Yes,” She replied. “Let’s go home.”
He gave a watery laugh of relief. Gale took his hand and led him back to the portal. He cast a wistful glance back at the brightening sky and followed.
Before stepping into it, Gale stopped short and looked back through the trees for one last glimpse of her family home, knowing she may never see it again. She bid a silent apology to her mother, father, and brother, hoping that they were all right and that they’d understand.
Genus squeezed her fingers gently, not wanting to rush her but reminding her the portal would be closing presently.
She turned back to him and smiled, laying a kiss on his cheek to make him grin, his sharp teeth flashing in the sunlight. Together, they traveled back through the veil into Cavernae. The portal sealed itself just seconds later.
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My Masterlist
The Exophilia Creator’s Masterlist
Am I allowed to ask about the royal family of Cavernae? How’s life? How goes establishing trading between surface? Has viribus painted anything new as well?
Pallidus says: "Trade is booming! It took some time for the underfolk to get used to the surface, and we did encounter some animosity from the overfolk and there were some clashes between them, but Coll has been instrumental in the immigration process and helping us set up a space topside. In return for the land, we have been supplying Suida with gems and magical crystals. Both kingdoms are rich and thriving."
Viribus says: "We are well! I'm currently working on a large dollhouse for Eri. It'll be a while before it's done, but she's not walking yet, so by the time it's finished, it'll be perfect. Only the best for my sweet baby girl. Fawn is a wonderful mother. I enjoy spending my days with them. I'm more than happy to let Pallidus, Genus, and their dear ladies attend to matters of state. All I want in to keep my girls close and happy."
Ask my characters a question and they will answer!
Diese wirklich hübsche Spinne sitzt in einer Magariten Blüte auf unserem Balkon. Richtig raffiniert getarnt wartet sie dort auf Beute. #spiderman #spinne #Latrodectus #pallidus #nature #naturephotography #naturelovers #nature_lovers #photography #nature_seekers #nature_shooters #natureza #nature_brilliance #landscapes Quelle: Wikipedia (hier: Aachen, Germany) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzkJuYXnuGb/?igshid=4nj0fbf4jnr7
