Requiem

Three

Charis followed in Gideon's footsteps, as he hurried down the hallway, pushing a large set of doors open, slowly letting Charis inside; Keziah and Ophir in his shadow. He stood slightly in front of her, looking to Leonore.

"Your majesty?" He raised his brows as Charis touched his arm, redirecting his attention.

"I think you should look in the chair," She murmured. His eyes followed toward where she suggested, eyes resting on the demon locked in chains, with the chair bearing the mark of the Order. Her eyes narrowed and Gideon started to draw his blades.

"Hold on, Gideon," Leonore starts.

"Alastor." Charis hissed softly, and the demon smirked. His grey eyes flickered gold before resuming their grey color. He was in his human form, giving a restrained nod.

"Charis. You're the reason for all the excitement in hell and on earth?" He let out a chuckle, before shaking his head. "What happened to hiding in the shadows, Sweetheart?"

"People get tired of being suppressed and pushed into a corner, Alastor." She growled lowly, stepping from behind Gideon. He almost pulled her back, but resisted the urge. "Why are you here?"

"To send a message."

"For who, demon?" Gideon spat.

"Her." Alastor jutted his chin to Leonore first, and then to Charis. "About her." He turned to look at Leonore, smirking. "You think you can protect her from what is to come, but she is claimed, Leonore. Promised, by her father. And you cannot do a thing about that. He will not stop until he gets what he is promised."

"Promised to do what?" Leonore questioned.

"You don't know, Leonore? Why don't you ask our little Cherry?" He smirked at Charis. "Tell your mum what happens. You're of age, and he wants to claim you as his prize."

Charis stormed over to him and grabbed his chin, her fingertips a burning pink. "You're lying." She bared her teeth.

"But I'm not, and you know it. That's why you're upset, isn't it? Alastor chuckled. "You thought you could avoid this? That he would just forget?"

"Charis," Gideon said, "What is he talking about?"

She knew she had to increase his trust in her, but this? This would destroy it, if she thought it was going to head on the path she was praying it wouldn't. She sighed, dropping her shoulders, before looking over her shoulder to meet Gideon's eyes. "When my father fell from Grace, he made a deal with Lucifer. That he would promise his firstborn to marry a demon prince upon reaching three centuries of life, in return, he'd be a demon lord. I was my father's firstborn, and I was promised to marry..." She swallowed and ran a hand through her hair. "I was promised to marry Neberius. I reached three centuries of life 98 years ago."

"She's been running for 98 years, and Naberius doesn't take too kindly to having his bride run from him."

Charis rolled her eyes, "Tell Naberius that I will never marry him."

"I wouldn't be so certain," Alastor hummed, before letting out a low whistle through his teeth. Charis wailed, and fell to her knees, covering her ears. She let out a yell of agony, a sharp burning growing in her back.

Gideon ran over to her and she waved a hand, "Back, Gideon!" She howled again, her fingers clawing at the wooden floor. Gideon didn't obey her order, he ran to her and pressed a hand to her stomach and another on the small of her back, jumping when a pair of wings unfurled from her back.

"Doesn't feel too good, does it, Cherry?" Alastor chuckled.

"S-stop this," She whimpered, looking up as red tears fell from the corners of her eyes, a trail of red on her lips, and at the corner of her mouth. She tried to stand to her feet, but her legs gave way from underneath her and she tumbled to the floor, Gideon picking her up in her arms and she curled into him, as he had to cradle her like a small child. He sat her against the nearby pillar, as she looked up at him pitifully.