The dining hall was too big. That was my first thought. It was a long, narrow room with a ceiling so high it disappeared into the shadows. The table was a single slab of black marble, polished so bright I could see my own terrified face in it.
There were dozens of people there. Demon lords, generals, and women with horns decorated in gold chains. They were all talking, laughing, and eating things that looked way too red to be fully cooked. The smell of roasted meat and heavy wine filled the air.
I sat next to Athan at the head of the table. I felt like a small, white bird perched next to a mountain. I didn't touch my fork. I didn't touch my glass. I just kept my hands hidden in my lap, squeezing my fingers until they went numb.
Don't mess up, I told myself. Don't spill anything. Don't look like you're about to cry. Just act like you know what you're doing.
I didn't know what I was doing. Back in the sky, dinner was quiet. We ate small portions of vegetables and bread. We didn't talk. We didn't laugh. We definitely didn't tear into meat with our teeth like the guy across from me was doing.
"You aren't eating," Athan said.
He didn't look at me. He was watching a general explain something about border patrols, but I knew he was focused on me. It was like he had an extra sense just for my breathing.
"I'm not hungry," I lied. My stomach let out a tiny, betraying growl.
Athan finally turned his head. He looked at my empty plate, then at me. He didn't look annoyed. He looked... focused. He picked up a knife. It was sharp and black, reflecting the torchlight.
He didn't hand it to me. Instead, he pulled my plate toward him. He took a piece of steak…thick, juicy, and seasoned with dark spices and started cutting it into perfect, bite-sized cubes.
The table went quiet. One by one, the demons stopped talking. They stared. In their world, the King didn't serve anyone. The King was served.
"Athan, what are you doing?" I whispered, leaning closer so only he could hear. "People are looking."
"Let them look," he said.
He picked up a piece of meat with his own fork. He didn't put the fork on my plate. He held it up to my mouth.
"Eat," he commanded.
My heart did a weird, frantic dance. "I can feed myself."
"I know you can," he said, his gold eyes darkening. "But I want to feed you. Open."
It was the most embarrassing thing that had ever happened to me. It was also the most intimate. Back home, touching someone's food was considered "unclean." Feeding someone was something you only did for babies or the dying. But the way Athan was looking at me... it didn't feel like he thought I was a baby.
I opened my mouth. I took the meat from his fork.
It tasted incredible. It was salty, spicy, and rich. As I chewed, I felt the entire room watching us. Athan didn't care. He cut another piece. He fed me again. And again.
"The Sky King taught you that hunger is a sin," Athan said, his voice low and dangerous. "He taught you that wanting things is weak. He was wrong. In the Underworld, hunger is how we know we're alive."
He dipped a piece of bread into a dark sauce and held it to my lips. I took it, my fingers accidentally brushing his. A spark of heat shot up my arm. I wasn't sure if it was my magic or just him.
"You're mine, Celeste," he whispered, loud enough for the nearby lords to hear. "Everything I have is yours. Even the food on my own plate."
I felt a flush creep up my neck. I wasn't just a guest. I wasn't just a treaty. I was being claimed in front of everyone. It was terrifying. It was also... kind of nice? No, it's not nice, I argued with myself. He's a tyrant. He's scary. Stop liking the way he looks at your mouth.
And yeah!!!!Everyone stared!
By the time dinner was over, I felt like I was floating. The wine was strong, and the attention was even stronger.
Argenta was waiting for me back in the bedroom. The moon was high now, casting a silver-blue glow through the black glass windows. She had laid out a nightgown that was basically just two pieces of silk held together by luck.
"You look like you've seen a ghost," Argenta said, unzipping the back of my dress.
"Athan fed me," I said, my voice sounding far away. "In front of everyone."
Argenta snorted. "Of course he did. He's a possessive bastard. He wanted to make sure those lords knew that if they even looked at you wrong, he'd gut them."
She pulled the dress off and started brushing my hair again. I stood there in my underwear, shivering slightly.
"You're shaking," Argenta noted. "Scared of the big bad King?"
"I don't know what happens now," I admitted. "In the stories, the first night is... well..."
Argenta stopped brushing. She leaned down and sniffed the air near my shoulder, then let out a loud, barking laugh.
"What?" I asked, turning around to face her.
"I can smell it on you, honey," she said, her white eyes sparkling with mischief. "The 'pure' scent. You're a virgin, aren't you?"
I felt my entire face turn purple. "Argenta! You can't just say that!"
"Why not? It's a fact. You smell like a fresh daisy in a room full of old leather." She poked my shoulder. "Don't worry. Athan likes a challenge. But maybe try not to cry? It ruins the mood."
"I am not going to cry!" I snapped, grabbing a pillow from the bed and swinging it at her.
She dodged it easily, laughing. "There she is! There's that's the spirit. Keep that energy, Princess. You're going to need it when he gets in here."
"I hate you," I muttered, but I was smiling a little.
"No, you don't. You're just terrified because you realize he's hot," she said, heading for the door. "Good luck. Try to stay in the bed."
She left before I could throw the other pillow at her.
I stood in the middle of the room, wearing the tiny silk nightgown. I felt ridiculous. I felt exposed. I walked over to the bed and climbed under the heavy velvet covers, pulling them up to my chin.
He's not going to come, I thought. He's busy. He has generals to talk to. He'll probably sleep in another room.
The door opened.
My heart hit my throat. Athan walked in. He had taken off his armor. He was wearing a loose black shirt that was unbuttoned at the top, and dark trousers. He looked less like a King and more like a man. A very large, very powerful man.
He didn't say anything. He just blew out the candles, leaving only the moonlight. I watched him move in the dark. He was graceful, like a predator. He climbed into the bed on the other side.
I stayed on my side, frozen. I didn't move a muscle. I waited for him to grab me. I waited for him to demand whatever it was Kings demanded from their wives.
But he didn't. He just lay there.
"Celeste," he said. His voice was deep in the quiet room.
"Yes?" I squeaked.
"Come here."
I hesitated. My brain said stay put, but my body was already moving. I slid across the silk sheets until I was close to him. He reached out and pulled me against him.
He didn't try to take off my nightgown. He just wrapped his arms around me and tucked my head under his chin. He was so warm. He smelled like woodsmoke and rain.
I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. Oh, I thought. He just wants to cuddle? I can do this. This isn't scary. This is actually... okay.
I started to relax. I closed my eyes, feeling the steady beat of his heart against my ear. It was a slow, heavy rhythm. I felt safe. For the first time in my life, I felt like someone was actually holding me because they wanted to, not because they had to.
But then, his hand moved.
It slid down my back, past my waist, and came to rest firmly on my ass. He gave it a slow, possessive squeeze.
I jumped, my eyes snapping open. "Athan! What are you doing?"
I tried to pull away, but his grip didn't loosen. He shifted, pinning me down with the weight of his leg.His finger gliding down to my panties.He leaned down, his lips brushing against my ear. His breath was hot, sending shivers all the way down to my toes.
"Wife," he whispered, his voice vibrating through my whole body. "You are mine now. Don't forget that."
"I... I thought we were just sleeping," I stammered, my heart racing for a completely different reason now.
"We are," he said. I could hear the smirk in his voice. "But I like to hold what belongs to me. If you protest, I might decide to do more than just hold."
I went still. My face was burning. I was terrified, but there was a weird, buzzing feeling in my stomach that wasn't fear. It was something else. Something messy and confusing.
"Okay," I whispered.
"Good girl," he muttered.
He didn't move his hand. He kept it right there, a constant reminder of who he was and who I belonged to. I lay there in the dark, my brain screaming a thousand different things at once.
I should be angry. I should be insulted. I'm a princess of the Sky!
But as I felt his chest rise and fall against mine, and the heavy weight of his hands on my body..
I closed my eyes and leaned into him. I was a witch,an angel and a queen?