Third person pov
The Demon King Vladimir sat upon his iron throne. The metal was forged from the weapons of fallen enemies, a dark reminder that peace had always been temporary.
Below him, the grand obsidian hall was filled with esteemed demon lords, while the Council of Elders stood in a crescent formation, their ancient eyes gleaming with suspicion.
"Do they take us for fools?" Lord Aldric spat, rising from his seat. His crimson cloak swirled behind him like smoke. "A peace treaty? And worse — a marriage pact? They insult us."
Low growls of agreement rippled through the chamber.
Lord Beelzebub leaned forward. "They proposed it first. That alone suggests desperation. Perhaps we should consider why the Celestials seeks peace now."
"This could be of greater good to our kind," another lord added carefully.
The murmurs deepened.
King Vladimir, golden eyes scanned the chamber slowly, weighing pride against survival.
Then his voice cut through the noise.
"What are your thoughts on this, High Demon Lord Khealys?"
Silence fell instantly. All eyes shifted.
Khealys sat still, his presence alone was enough to silence lesser demons. His silver-streaked hair fell over his broad shoulders, his expression unreadable.
When he finally spoke, his deep voice echoed against the vaulted ceiling.
"If we cannot reach a conclusion through argument… then we cast votes. Whatever the outcome, we move forward as one."
"Let the vote begin," Vladimir commanded. "The elders will oversee it."
_ _ _ _
The vote proceeded quickly. When the results was announced, the hall erupted in quiet unrest.
Majority supported the peace treaty.
Vladimir rose from his throne. "Then it is decided. We proceed."
Elder Lilith stepped forward, her dark eyes gleaming with calculation. "Your Majesty, if the treaty holds… we must address the marriage alliance. We will need to search for a noble lady worthy of representing our kind."
A smirk touched Lord Aldric's lips.
"We do not need to search," he said smoothly. "As we already have one."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
Vladimir's gaze hardened. "Whom do you suggest?"
Aldric's eyes flickered toward one man.
"Princess Azura, Your Majesty."
The hall went still.
Every head turned toward Khealys. They waited, watched, and hunted for a reaction.
He gave none—yet something dark flickered behind his eyes.
"My granddaughter," he said slowly, "knows nothing of courtly manners. She was raised on battlefields, not ballrooms."
Aldric's lips twitched. "That can be corrected."
The hall erupted in murmurs
Khealys knew what this was. A political strike disguised as loyalty.
But he would not show anger.
He would not give Aldric that satisfaction.
"Enough," Vladimir thundered.
The ground itself trembled.
"Princess Azura is not a pawn. Choose your words carefully, Lord Aldric."
Aldric bowed deeply. "Apologies, Your Majesty. I meant no offense. Only what is best for our realm."
The murmurs returned — quieter now.
The king is biased…
Who else could survive among celestials?
No noble lady would last a moment in their presence…
Aldric smiled at this.
Elder Hecate stepped forward. "Your Majesty, perhaps we should hear from the princess herself. If she agrees, we proceed. If not, we reconsider perhaps find someone suitable."
Elder Bael gave a dry laugh. "Those Celestials are suffocating in their arrogance. What delicate noblewoman could endure them? I support Lord Aldric's suggestion."
"Yes," several voices echoed.
Khealys finally stood.
The movement alone silenced the hall.
"Let us complete the first phase," he said coldly. "The treaty. Then we discuss sacrifice."
King Vladimir studied him, then gave a curt nod.
"Beelzebub, draft our letter of acceptance. It will be sent by dawn."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Everyone one bowed as the king descends from his throne and exited the chamber.
Khealys followed. But as he walked through the shadowed corridor, his thoughts were no longer political.