Ugh….. my head…

She lifted her hand to rub her  forehead soothingly. Trying to stave off a headache that threatened the rest of her day.

Where in the world?

         

“Awake now?” Asked a soft but high pitched brassy bell like voice.

          

That voice!

            

She sat up real quickly, but regretted it instantly.

“Headache?” It supplied unhelpfully.

She squinted her eyes back open to glare at the object of her hatred.

The small hooded figure staring up at her with a look of curiosity.

“I hate you.” She told it firmly.

“I know.” It acknowledged understandingly

“You made me kill one of my men.”

“I did.” It agreed.

        

“I hate you.”

        

“We’ve established that.”

         

“………..”

“………..”

        

They stared at each other for what felt like an hour.

One glaring daggers.

The other insightfully.

            

“What?! Got something to tell me?! Or are you just going to stare?” She asked crossly.

                  

              

“…… Do you want breakfast?……”

              

Out of everything she expected from the Demon Lord’s mouth. This was not it.

“What?-“

*GRRRRrrruuuu*

She felt her face heat up all over.

“Is that a yes? Or?…” The Demon Lord asked her.

“Why?”

It tilted its head sideways while looking at her. Which only served to anger her further.

“Why? Why are you doing all this? Why are you playing these niceties? Why go through all this while committing horrid acts of genocide?!”

         

The Demon Lord tilted its head back.

“We really should clear up these misunderstandings: but first,” It indicated with her hand towards a table. “Why don’t we get you fed?”

           

Her eyes trail over towards the table, which ended up being a small round wooden table, with two chairs pulled up to it.

On top of the table lay a spread that could feed at least three people.

There was a bowl filled with at least four different sliced fruit inside of it.

Two plates that had what looked like bacon, eggs, some sort of circular pieces if bread.

Another bowl filled with what looked like porridge.

Two glass cups filled with some sort of golden liquid along with a glass pitcher.

      

Wait!

         

Her eyes go wide at the sight of that last thing.

I haven’t see actual glassware since I was back in the palace almost forty years ago! How do beings like goblins manage to have glassware?!

      

She was about to ask, but she made the mistake of breathing through her nose.

        

*GRRRrrrruuuuu*

       

Her rumbling stomach complains yet again, making her blush at having been outed by her own bodily function yet again.

The Demon Lord lets out a cute little giggle.

Wait? What?…

But she doesn’t have time to self examine her own faux pas.

The Demon Lord walks up to her. It reaches up, wrapping its whole hand around three of her fingers. It gives her a light tug while encouraging her.

“Come on, get up! You’ll feel better when-“

      

*SLAP*

       

The Demon Lord has a look of surprise in its eyes as its hand is slapped away.

“DON’T YOU FUCKING TOUCH ME MONSTER!”

Briefly. Ever so briefly. She thought she saw a flash of hurt pass through its eyes. She also felt a profound sadness emanate from their depths.

It was so quick and so sudden, and gone just as quickly as it came. That she wasn’t even positive on what she had observed had even happened.

The Demon Lord for their part, stepped back, raised both of their hands.

           

“Alright, alright… personal space. It’s obvious we’re not that close to each other yet.” It acknowledged placatingly. “I was just trying to help you. Nothing more.”

She continued to glare at the Demon Lord.

“I don’t want, nor need your help.” She answered in rebuttal.

She harrumphed as she stood up, from the comfortable bed spread; which she acknowledged its existence the first time.

She walked with her head held up high as she made her way towards the table.

The Demon Lord let out another giggle as she had just sat down.

         

Seriously?! What kind of fucking Demon Lord giggles cutely like that?

           

“Have a bit of Tsundere in you I see…” The Demon Lord suggested.

“HMPH! I have no idea what that word means, but I am assuming you’re belittling me in some sort of fashion.”

“Not belittling. Making fun of maybe… or teasing you a bit it.” It told her bluntly as it shrugged its shoulders, before walking over to sit in the chair across from her.

Its head not even coming completely above the table.

      

The female knight couldn’t help a snort that came out at the ridiculous sight.

She felt, rather then seen it. That the Demon Lord was pleased. This in turn just made her glare at the Demon Lord again.

“Yeah… didn’t think this one through when we selected your room… I must look quite silly sitting like this.”

“I’ll say.” She told it.

“Well! Let us eat while the food is still hot… Well? as hot as it still is.” It amended.

She just nodded without saying anything.

She reached down for the utensil. Realizing that it was something she recognized.

They have silverware as well?

She picked up the fork to examine it. While plain without any sort of decretive patterns inlaid into it, like she had seen back in the palace. It was still elegant in a way, if simplistic.

“Do you not know how to use that?” The Demon Lord asked worriedly.

She felt her face heat up for the third time this morning. She looked at the Demon Lord with another glare.

“I know how to use a fucking fork!”

She then stabbed at her eggs, bring up a piece to her mouth to shove it inside.

                

After it was already inside her mouth. She realized how stupid that was. She looked down at fork; which showed no signs of darkening or blackening from poisons.

She breathed a sigh of relief as she swallowed the egg.

The Demon Lord let out a chortle.

“If you were worried about poison, then don’t be.” It assured. “I am not in the habit of killing people…… well, at all really: I guess you can call me a pacifist.” It corrected itself yet again.

So she knows about silver showing signs of poisoning attempts. This Demon Lord; this goblin: was quite dangerous, but not in the traditional way. Their knowledge was about extensively terrifying.

“Besides,” The Demon Lord spoke again. “That is steel, not silver.” It revealed.

She stopped chewing her second bite of delicious eggs at this. Her eyes widened at the implication.

        

Steel… they… have steel… to forge things…

        

She looked down at fork, knife, and spoon.

…And excess to make faux silverware?! This is big news. She thought with both excitement at learning some vital information and terrified at its implications.

She knew that peasants made things from wood if they needed them. Merchants were inclined to use whatever was convenient. Sycophants and politicians were inclined to do whatever nobles were doing, so no one would be caught dead with faux silverware. This was how she knew this wasn’t something simply stolen or scavenged.

“So?… what is your name?” The Demon Lord asked after a lull in between bites. “My name is Crystaria.” It introduced.

        

She had just taken a drink from her glass when she introduced herself. Nearly making her drink go down wrong.

“You’re a woman?!”

Another flicker of pain shot through the Demon Lord.

“I would have hoped that much might be obvious…” The Demon Lord; Crystaria quipped in a pained voice.

“Not with you covered like that… why are you covered like that? Aren’t you hot?”

       

Even as she asked. She had noticed that there was a steady cool breeze coming into the room.

Another painful blip emanated from The Demon Lord. She shrugged her shoulders.

“Not really. Besides this room having a active cooling system, my robes are enchanted to keep me at a comfortable temperature.”

        

“!!!!!!” She swallowed a piece if bacon awkwardly.

           

*COUGH* *COUGH* *COUGH* *COUGH*

She started choking a little, not enough that her breathing was obstructed, but enough that it caused her to cough.

While the Demon Lord’s expression never changed. She felt her start to panic. The Demon Lord filled her glass with more of the orange tasting liquid. Along with disappearing briefly.

        

Where?

“I!…”

She started at the sudden presence if the Demon Lord next to her.

“…I… Don’t want to touch you without your permission, but! Do you need assistance?! Slap the table once for yes, twice for no!”

How did she do that?! Can she teleport?

               

The female knight shook her head, before speaking in a rough voice.

“I am fine! *COUGH* *COUGH* Just something went down my throat weirdly.” She explained.

She felt relief poor out of the Demon Lord’s blank expression.

“That is a relief. I was worried I was going to have to give you the Heimlich maneuver.”

She shook her head at her again.

“I can assure you… *COUGH* … that no such, maneuver, is necessary.” She assured.

Or wanted. Which she left unsaid.

         

The Demon Lord nodded at her before walking back to her seat. Only once they were both settled back into their seats. That they both started eating again.

She looked down at the remaining item on her plate. Two circular pieces of soft fluffy bread.

“Umm…”

“Hmm?! Yes? Do you need something?” The Demon Lord called to her with an eager voice, sounding much like her old personal attendants.

“Do you have jam for… this?” She indicated with her finger as she pointed at the disks.

The Demon Lord let out a loud guffaw at her question.

She felt her face heat up from the Demon Lords her action, both out of anger and embarrassment.

But the Demon Lord; Crystaria, held up a hand.

“I am sorry for laughing. I didn’t mean to. I just didn’t expect that question: plus, these aren’t eaten with jam; traditionally, anyways.”

              

As by way of explaining. The Demon Lord stood up on her chair. She then reached over to pick up was looked like a tumbler one might find in a bar, but made of glass instead of wood or metal.

It contained some sort of dark but transparent liquid inside of it.

She then poured it on top of her bread; it drizzled out mush more slowly then she expected it would.

Once the Demon Lord had what she desired on hers, she then slid the tumbler towards her.

       

“There you go. That is syrup.”

“!!!!” She looked closer at the product in-front of her.

Syrup! This is syrup?!

             

She knew what syrup was. She had seen something of the sort once or twice while in the human empire, but never had the opportunity to try it.

She examined it quite closely. The syrup she was familiar with was clear, or amber in color. This was almost a brown with a golden hue, and twice as thick.

She picked it up, mimicking what the Demon Lord had done; pouring the “syrup” onto her bread.

        

What a strange concept. Must be a goblin thing…

She watched as the Demon Lord cut off a piece of her bread with her knife, while she held the piece in place with her fork. Much like one would do with a steak at the palace.

She has a very refine dining etiquette. She acknowledged. …For a goblin!

        

She continued to watch as the Demon Lord brought up the soaked piece of bread towards her face. She then put down her knife to pull down her mask briefly.

She expected something to be wrong with the Demon Lord’s face or something. A deformity perhaps, or maybe an unsightly scar.

While she would never acknowledge a goblin was anything but ugly, she wasn’t hideous as she thought she might be.

The Demon Lord after consuming the bite, righted her mask back into place.

“… isn’t that inconvenient? Why don’t you just keep the mask down the whole time while you eat?” She suggested.

      

She expected she might receive some sort of reaction from the Demon Lord. But the myriad of emotions that flashed through her were nothing less than profound: Anger. Fear. Self-loathing. Distress. Sadness. Longing. Jealousy. Regret.

      

It would be faster. She acknowledged. Just to name the emotions she didn’t feel come off of the Her.

The Demon Lord then gently put down her fork on top of her plate. Before looking up at her; her eyes still the same expressionlessness as they previously were. But her emotions were still vibrating.

“I would request: that such personal questions as that. Would only be asked once we get to know one another better.” Her tone of voice, while the same as always. Carried an undercurrent of tone that made the knight just a tad fearful of the Demon Lord for maybe the first time.

      

She nodded her head.

      

“Got it… sorry…” Her years of etiquette training drilled into her from the palace reared its ugly head at this inopportune moment.

Did I really just apologize to a goblin? …If only my parents could have seen me now.

Her unintended thought made her feel a profound sadness come over her.

She then decided to ignore all this and finish her meal. She cut into her bread, bringing a piece into her mouth.

As soon as it met her tongue.

“MMMmmm!” She moaned as she chew. Barely chewed. She corrected. The buttery, melty, delicious sweetness she has ever experienced.

      

What is this?! WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?! IT IS AMAZING!

       

She heard a giggle come from across the table.

“I’m assuming that you’re enjoying it?”

She couldn’t even find the effort to be embarrassed at having been caught enjoying it. But it was more like she choose to not to acknowledge her embarrassment.

She just dug into her discus bread with gusto fitting of her status of a soldier.

           

As she was doing this, she felt a surge of happiness emanate from across the table.

“ ‘opt ‘ookin’ at ‘ee.” She grumbled at the Demon Lord without looking away from her food.

This only brought out another cute giggle out of the Demon Lord; Crystaria. They ate in silence after that, until they finished what was left on their plates. 

Once they ate their fill. They sat in satisfied silence.

         

“So?… would it be to much to ask what your name is now that we have shared a meal.”

“……………”

She sat there looking at the Demon Lord while leaning back slumped in her chair. Her hands over her stomach in satisfaction.

She said nothing for a long time. Both of them just staring at one another. She wasn’t glaring at her now. But she was still squinting at the Demon Lord through slanted eyelids.

“It’s Brenna.”

        

Feeling of satisfaction exuded from the Demon Lord.

“Well then! Princess Brenna-“

“It’s Commander Brenna. I am a soldier first. A princess second.” Brenna rectified.

             

The Demon Lord nodded her head.

      

“Commander then.” She agreed.

            

She hopped down from her chair. She gestured towards the sofa and chair.

“Why don’t we get comfortable?… mostly so I don’t have to stand on the chair to talk to you.” She told Brenna honestly.

Brenna thought about it before she nodded.

“Alright… But you sit in the chair!” She told her. “Don’t come near me! I respect that you seem to be trying to be nice, or that you aren’t showing any sort of hostility towards me. But that doesn’t change the fact that I hate you! None of this!-“ She waves her arms around the room. Before glaring at the Demon Lord once again.

“-Changes nothing! I still want you dead.” Brenna relaxed before she said anything else. “But I’m not stupid as to attack or disrespect you anymore. This isn’t the heat of the moment, like last night. I accept the fact that I can’t kill you.”

The Demon Lord nodded.

“That is fair, and I’ll respect you boundaries.”

          

She then walked over to hop up onto the cushioned chair.

Brenna moved to the sofa, propping her leg up on her other leg. Lounging back with her arms resting on the back of the sofa.

This prompting another laugh from the Demon Lord.

“Get comfortable why don’t you.” She teased.

      

Brenna shrugged.

“May as well enjoy the hospitality since you’re still offering it. Last night, I was very… let’s call it desperate.”

She felt a mirth come from the Demon Lord.

Brenna held up a hand with a raised finger.

“Do not. Take that out of context… I will hurt you, I am not sure how. But I will find a way.”

      

The Demon Lord chortled.

“No promises,” The Demon Lord told her mirthfully. “I like to tease.”

“*SCOFF* I’ve noticed.” Brenna acknowledged.

        

The Demon Lord leaned forward. Elbows on her knees, hands pressed together. Her chin resting on her thumbs. Her fingers settling between her eyes.

“So… let us begin… Why are you guys here? We haven’t had any interactions with your race directly. So I am curious as to why they would send out assassins to kill a Demon Lord, which they had no prior knowledge of? With a princess to their kingdom no less.”

“………….” Brenna just kept quiet.

     

“*SIGH* Brenna-“

             

“Commander.” Brenna corrected.

           

“Commander.” The Demon Lord concede.

          

“I acknowledge that you have reasons to hate me; simply for the fact that we are on opposite sides of this race war going on between the light and dark races.” She then leaned back into the chair. “But I want it to be known. That my objective, to put end to that once and for all. I noticed that you had way more animosity than what I would consider, for someone who just hates me, based on what and who I am.”

“………..” Brenna still said nothing.

“Commander.” The Demon Lord called her moniker with a firmness that was missing in her monotone voice. “I would like it if you come to your own conclusions about me. Rather than just hate me for no reason. If you still think I am as evil as you believe I am by the end of it. I will let you and your men go. No question asked.” She promised.

“………”

“If nothing else, think of your men. Right now I have them with people I trust to keep them safe; from themselves and from some of my citizens of who still have a grudge against your people, as much as yours do against the dark races.”

She raised her hand when Brenna looked like she was about to shout.

“I am not using them or threatening them for your cooperation. I am just stating a fact. That I am doing more than I even reasonably should for a group of assassins and spies.”

“……We’re not assassins…..” Brenna finally spoke.

The Demon Lord said nothing. She just waited for Brenna to continue.

“……These are my personal men…. Men I’ve lead from my post at Fort Vidar……” She took a deep shuddering breath. “My… Family…” She closed her eyes. She leaned forward. Clasping her hands together, steeping her fingers. “They were on an inspection tour… I was so happy… I haven’t seen them for almost fifteen years… T-There was an attack… the Lizen folk from the… from the Crepuscule Swamp.”

        

She had to stop talking. She wiped hey eyes from as she thought back on the recent attack.

          

“Our fort in on the border of the Crepuscule Swamp on our forest home. It was set up there as a sign of defense and a first sign response against attacks coming from the swamps. They did happen often, lizen folk are solitary beings. We had more trouble with…” She stopped talking.

Brenna looked up at the Demon Lord. Not sure if she should say what she was about to.

“Goblins? I assume?” But the Demon Lord guessed the answer.

“Right…”

The Demon Lord shrugged.

“I get it. I understand that goblins are something of a nuisance to people.” She let out a giggle. “Ironically, we have had our own share of goblin troubles from goblins not part of our society. So you won’t offend me for saying things like that.”

“Right… thanks for your understanding. Anyways, we rarely got trouble from them. Our fort also bordered the dark elves lands as well. So it doubles as a two front fort: Very secure. Very well protected. It is one of our first-lines of protection. It also is a training ground for new recruits.”

“So this isn’t a small fort then. And the lizen folk attacked it?”

“……..Yes….. “ Brenna said hesitantly.

      

“If there is sensitive information on that you can’t share…” The Demon Lord started to offer Brenna a pass.

But Brenna shook her head.

“It’s not that.” Brenna looked over towards the Demon Lord. “It’s that I don’t believe that you had no part in this. I don’t trust for a minute that this isn’t some sort of ploy to get men or my men to drop our guards.”

          

“What sort of reason would I have to do-“

“I don’t know and I don’t care!” Brenna shouted. “It truly doesn’t matter what you say right now. I am most likely not going to believe you. Everything we know right now from the attack on the fort, is that you and the lizen folk have collaborated to attack Fort Vidar to… to…”

Brenna was struggling to say something.

The Demon Lord waited patiently for her to speak.

“…To kill off the entire royal family of Elof.” Her glare turned murderous. “You killed them… you killed every last one of my family! I hate you! I want to kill you! But I can’t!, l just don’t have the means to do so!”

         

Her hands clenched tighter together.

         

“I will never be able to avenge my family.” She said sadly.

“………”

“………”

They were quiet for a long time. Just sitting in silence. Waiting for the other one to say something.

“… I see… This explains the hostility. It also explains the unprovoked provocation from the elves…”

               

The Demon Lord stood from the chair. Then started to pace back and forth in the space between the wall and the seats.

“… May I ask why you believe this is a combined effort of the Lizan folk and us?”

“…For one… they were attacking our gate out right with a force of about two-thousand, which wasn’t much for our eight-thousand on site that day… but some how. About fifty had found the secret entrance to the keep from the other side of the wall.”

“They had somehow dug under our wall enough to lead a secret force, while we were distracted with the main force. By the time the main force was routed. We had come to find that all but my middle brother had been killed. He was with his personal guard, bloody, battered and injured from fighting the lizen folk that had attacked them.”

“He, our advisor, his personal guards, were the only ones to make it. The other five of my family members were dead… my father… mother… our oldest brother, my two younger sisters… my youngest sister… she wasn’t even fifty years old…”

“By the time we arrived, my brother, our advisor, their guards had slain the fifty lizen folk that had killed the rest of our family.”

            

After she finished saying this. She felt a tightness in her chest at the image of her sisters slashed to bits by lizen claws.

       

“… Not to doubt the validity of your claim. In-fact, I believe you. But I wanted to ask you a question. How do you know I was apart in any of this.”

“HMPH. Do you think I would just accuse you without some sort of proof?” She spoke indignation at what the Demon Lord said.

“When the combined forces of lizen, orc, and goblins attacked our gate. We knew you had made a cooperation with them. We didn’t know you were a goblin at the time. But we assumed it was an orc after seeing their forces attack our gate.”

The Demon Lord said nothing, but she looked at Brenna like she had grown a second head.

“What?!” Brenna growled at her. “Do you have proof to suggest otherwise?!” She then continued by saying. “They were also screaming “FOR THE DEMON LORD!” As they stormed the gate.” Then she raised a hand. “I don’t have this as proof. But on the bodies of the lizens my brother had killed, was a note written in orcish stating that, “If the lizens are successful in taking out the royal family, then they would be elevated highly into your society.”

Brenna who had been looking at the Demon Lord. Had to bite her lip at what she felt.

              

                   

Murderous rage.

          

          

A blackness that threatened to consume all those near it.

                

It scared her.

           

“Demon Lord?….” Brenna called out gently.

       

 But the Demon Lord shook her head.

“This is a lot worse than I was thinking it would be.”

“What do you mean?-“

“Commander. I do believe that this is not what it seems. I’m certain of it.” She raised her hand in a placating motion. “I know you have no reason to believe me. But if everything is as your saying it is… then we’re all in danger.”

“What do you?”

“I have one more question commander, if you will.”

“What is it?”

“Who knows your here? From back home, I mean.”

“Only our advisor and my Brother, the crown prince Loki.”

“Wait?! Loki?! His name is Loki?!”