Book 1 1/2 Metamorphosis (The Wrong Girl in the Devildom Short)

Part 2: Strategy

Seasons...One of the few things that remained constant in the Devildom was the lack of seasons. The temperature was always slightly chilly, never cold enough to warrant coats, and never warm enough to warrant the shedding of layers like the human world. Even in the rain, the temperature hovered towards chilly. Any deviation from this would be negligible at best and cause for concern regarding one's mental health at worst.

So why did the days seem to grow colder for Barbatos? It'd been a week since he last saw Alicia, and the last time he saw her, he had to deal with the news that she was engaged to his charge. In his long life span, never once did he feel any level of resentment towards his prince...but at that moment, for a single second, the feeling pierced his skin. It was bad enough that Mammon nearly proposed to her, the news about her engagement sent Barbatos into temporary isolation. He spent the next day running on autopilot, tending to the prince's needs as he normally would, deferring to default answers for questions, he didn't like the feeling.

Despite his relatively quick snap back, Diavolo assured Barbatos that he wouldn't let the arrangement get in the way of the two exploring the possibility of a relationship. He even went so far as to insist that having Alicia around the palace more would help him out, but uncertainty still settled in the pit of the butler's stomach.

"Barbatos...You don't seem like yourself." Diavolo noted, walking alongside his escort. Taking in the man's posture, he seemed stiffer than normal. There was no idle conversation. "Are you nervous about seeing her?"

The silence remained a moment longer, light throat clearing broke it. "We haven't seen her since her birthday...She should be finishing up her transformation."

"Are you worried you won't like the way she looks?"

"Absolutely not. Something as shallow as physical appearance wouldn't bother me. I'm concerned about how she's handling things. Asmodeus informed me that she seems willing to interact with others again, but what if she's simply masking her emotions again?" So much work went into building Alicia's confidence throughout the year, so many late sessions on building herself outside of what she could provide others...What if all of that work came undone?

"I'm sure she's fine, and if she isn't...Then that's something you both can work on. Cosmetic changes are nothing for us, and with this gift from Simeon, at minimum, we can deal with the scar you were telling me about."

When they arrived at the house of Lamentation, they were greeted not by Lucifer or his brothers, but by their latest house guest.

"Y'all are late."

"Late?" Barbatos looked at his watch and chuckled. "We're right on time. We were told to be here at noon."

"Early is on time, on time is late. If I wanted y'all on time, I would've sent for you to come earlier."

"DeMarcus." The trio turned to look at the demon coming down the stairs. All the cold left Barbatos' body, the heat running straight to his face. Diavolo fixed his gaze on the woman, his hand tightening around the gift bag he held.

"You're being rude. Don't let your magic get to your head. Diavolo is still the prince, and you're still a guest in his realm." Alicia held an annoyed look on her face for a moment, before she offered the newcomers a smile. "Don't take him personally."

"I'm so sorry. Your highness, welcome to the house of Lamentation, you're late."

"Marcus."

"Come on, let's get this show on the road." He stepped out of the way for the two to walk in the house and closed the door once they stepped in. He glanced between the two and his sister, who disappeared in the common room with the others. "Y'all alright?"