Sinthia and The Demon Duke of DeSidea: 33

“Your Grace, isn’t Sir Elias back in your service? Where is he now?”

In the Duke’s office, a young man assisted Kairn in his duties wearily. His hair was chestnut brown, and small ears stuck out from the crown of his head. Kairn thoroughly read over documents, signing them and handing them to the young man. “He is. He’s currently delivering something for me. What, you don’t want to help your lord with his work?”

”Not at all, Your Grace. I was just curious.” The man’s spine snapped straight with fear before taking the pile of documents and setting off. Kairn kept his eyes on the paper in front of him, but he did not read any of it’s words. His mind was somewhere else.

Kairn had stared at the somber letter for a long time after reading it, wondering what it was he was supposed to do now. He folded it again slowly, fingers carefully running over the seams. He got what he wanted. The wedding was off. But it felt like he had set back a lot of things. Sinthia seemed to want to keep in contact, but he wondered if she would be able to keep up the cheery, flippant attitude she had brazenly begun with. Probably not.

”Your Grace.” A familiar voice called. Kairn didn’t need to look up to know it was Elias.

”You’ve returned.”

”I have.”

”...”

”I’m very sorry, Your Grace.”

”What are you sorry for?”

”For... for taking the side of a human when I should have remained loyal to you.” His voice sounded very sad. Was he sad that he had taken a human’s side, or was he sad that he had to apologize for doing so? Kairn wondered.

”Do you believe that it would be a good idea?”

”Pardon me?”

”Do you believe it will be a good idea for us to have a wedding. The princess and I?”

Elias was hesitant. “You may speak truthfully. There will be no consequences.”

”Thank you, Your Grace. I... will be honest. I think that if you were to have a wedding, it would help dispel the fear that humans have of you. They fear you because they do not know you, so they assume. It will also dispel the grim feelings people have towards engagement to the DeSIdea household. Sinthia told me... that everyone looks upon her with pity because they think that she is like a sacrifice. She says it annoys her to no end. All she’s doing is marrying. So she said that she wanted it to be like any other marriage, with a grand wedding and a couple that looked Ike they were having fun. She said it was her way of telling them to shove off and take their misplaced pity with them.”

”Did she really say ‘shove off’?”

”Yes. I actually had to filter what she was saying to me just now because she used words I don’t think a Royal Princess should be heard using.” Kairn gave a strange breath. Half laugh, half sigh. “That somehow doesn’t sound unlike her.” He wondered if she would use such words with him again.

“Your Grace...”

Now Kairn looked up at Elias. He had his eyes lowered and his hands clasped before him. His tail did not move or flicker. It sat still.

“You are forgiven. In actuality, you didn’t do anything so wrong it garnered such punishment from me. You were just your usual self. I was the one that should have been careful with his reaction. I apologize.” Elias looked up, his eyes lighting up then becoming moist.

”No, you cannot hu—“

But it was too late, for his childhood friend and brother had already thrown his arms around him in an embrace as his tears of joy flowed endlessly.

“Tomorrow, take this letter to the princess.” He handed Elias an envelope. Elias took it, looking at it carefully. “What does it say?”

”Don’t worry yourself over it. Just deliver it.”

”Will you... do the wedding?”

”Take the letter later tomorrow. Now help me sort through these documents.” Kairn turned away, annoyed at Elias’ persistence. Well, it looked like annoyance... but was it really? Elias knew the answer to that question, and with that he was fully aware of what the letter said.

Recalling these events, Kairn sighed in annoyance. Annoyance that was not really annoyance. He found himself sighing again and again and again, until he acknowledged that he was somewhat eager to know what it was she would say to his letter. Well, no matter. He would come to know soon enough, when Elias will burst into his office and begin to talk one thousand words a minute. This made him almost smile as he picked up the document he was supposed to be working on.

Cedric was in the presence of an actual demon. For a moment, the hairs on his neck stood and his skin crawled. A real demon. “Oh, Elias. I’m positive you’re supposed to make sure I’m alone before bursting in.” He heard his daughter sigh, and it brought him back to his senses. “Sinthia what is— what’s going on??”

”Your Majesty, this is Sir Elias. He is Kairn’s aide and my close friend.” The demon seemed to perk up as his tail wagged joyfully when he heard her words. “We’re close friends?”

”Of course we are. Now, Elias. This is His Majesty, the King of the Ophelian Kingdom, Cedric Alexander Bennet of Ophelia. Be polite.”

The demon turned to him and gave a deep bow. “I am honored to be in your presence, Your Majesty.” Cedric did not say anything back. What was he to say?

“Well, Your Majesty. Elias is how I’ve been exchanging letters with my fiancé. He works hard to get them to me.” She gave the bright-eyed demon a pat on the shoulder.

”It’s okay, SInthia. It’s fun talking with you so it’s worth the effort.”

Again.

”What did you call her?” Cedric coldly asked Elias. Elias’ big round eyes simply stared back in confusion. “Sinthia?”

What was with everyone and calling his daughter by her first name? Did everyone do that now?

”Elias is my friend so I let him call me that, Your Majesty. Really, I had to beg him to.” Sinthia gave Elias a playful nudge as he grinned back at her. This made Cedric somewhat more annoyed. So many people were familiar and comfortable with his youngest daughter and yet he... He didn’t know why exactly, but it angered him.

”So then, you’re here to deliver a message from your master?”

”Oh, yes!! It’s such good news! Sinthia, here! Hurry and read it!”

Sinthia held the black envelope in her hands, her heart beating very loudly. Elias had said it would be good news. But she was still sort of nervous. With how happy he was, they must have made up then. That was a relief. But now, this letter. She opened it carefully, then pulled out the dark grey paper. “Okay. I’m going to read it.”

”Hurry hurry! Tell me what it says!” Elias chirped, his tail wagging  uncontrollably. Cedric glared at the happy puppy-like aide, confused and annoyed at his adorable and lovable behavior that was not at all in line with how he expected a demon to behave. Taking a deep breath, Sinthia begun to read.

Sinthia

Elias is excitable. It’s not strange that he would be overjoyed by this idea, so there’s no need to be so sorry. He would have reacted that way wether you incited him or not. He is forgiven. As am I. As are you.

And we can continue to correspond as we did before. Just continue to write as you did earlier. Until we meet before the wedding.

Kairn

Sinthia was without words for a long time. She simply looked at the paper, her heart still. “‘Until we meet before the wedding.’” She breathed.

Elias beamed. “Then that means!”

Sinthia turned to him, a giant smile on her face. “That he will have the wedding!” They exclaimed in unison before Elias immediately embraced her, both bouncing and screeching with joy and excitement. Cedric had wanted to be very mad at the brazenness of the demon. He really did. But seeing his daughter’s face so full of joy that her cheeks flushed and she happily shouted as she danced round and round with a fox-like man made his own anger melt and turn into a strange feeling. A warm feeling. He looked at the two happy children dance and rejoice, his arms crossed lightly and his lips forming into a gentle smile. He was glad that at least once in his life, he managed to see his youngest daughter’s face shine with such innocent and sincere happiness.

Yayayayaya haha