To Bewitch a Devil

“She was just tired,” Zavian chipped in.

“Oh? You must have been overwhelmed,” Jasmine said. She leaned closer to Neera, and that way, it brought her even closer to Zavian. “Please rest well. I will have the maids bring you your meal immediately. You must be on bed rest for the remainder of this week and the next, no, no protest,” Jasmine held up a finger when Neera opened her mouth to speak, “Zavian and I care so much about you, and that is final.”

Neera nodded in resignation. “Thank you, your Majesty.”

Jasmine waved a bejeweled hand. “It’s nothing”, and to Zavian, she bent to his level and tilted her head to him, and it looked like she wanted to kiss him. Zavian backed away, but Neera wasn’t satisfied. She wanted him to take those hands off his shoulder.

“My King, the Commander General, has been waiting for you, and he said it can’t wait any longer,” Jasmine said in a low voice.

Zavian looked at Neera, permission and an apology in that gaze. Neera patted his hand in assurance she will be fine. She removed it when she saw Jasmine’s eyes fall on it. A public display of affection before someone as kind-hearted as Jasmine looked like a crime. It was on another spectrum of kindness, being comfortable sharing one’s husband with another woman and the Queen had been nothing but tolerant and welcoming to her.

“You should go, I will be fine”, Neera vocalized the gesture.

“I will make the meeting short and I will be back here, okay?”

.....

Neera smiled. “Okay.”

Zavian took her hand and planted a kiss on the back of her palm, obviously not sharing the same sentiments of displaying his affection publicly. Neera’s eyes instinctively shot up to Jasmine, and she saw her glazed-over expression. Was she mad? Hurt? Upset? Jealous. Nothing was given off. Jasmine was completely unreadable.

Zavian stalked out of the room, and Jasmine came to stand beside Neera. The ice on her expression broke off with a smile.

“When you get better, we should spend some more time together. Maybe having a new friend would cheer you up.” Jasmine suggested. “Being in the castle and having no one to talk to except Zavian can be lonely, so I want to be that friend for you in here.”

Neera’s eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. A concubine being friends with the Queen? Countless tales of history have shown the way concubines minded their own business within the palace and would rather avoid the Queen out of civility. Neera had played the part of minding her business and avoiding crossing paths with the Queen for fear the relationship with Zavian might upset her, but there she stood, offering her a priceless friendship.

“Your Majesty…” was all Neera could manage to say.

“I mentioned before I became Queen that I would love to get to know you better,” Jasmine said. “And I mean it, so” she produced a hand for a shake. “Friends?”

Neera looked long at the hand. A lover in Zavian and a friend in Jasmine. Despite everything happening to her, the companionship of these two demons would make life easier to deal with.

So Neera shook the hand, and to Jasmine, she smiled.

“Friends.”

….

Penelope was on edge, so much so that it wore down on her. Her agitated hands were always knotted together in worry, hovering around the gates each time the General Commander rode into the estate, and the guilt sank into her spirit like an anchor, a reminder of what she had done.

I shouldn’t have taken her out_ became the mantra that hung on her lips for the next few days. She should have agreed to their silly little games within the castle’s walls, where it was safe. But Neera had seen something, and Penelope had never seen her that way before__ blanched and terrified.

She made sure to spend most of her day in the green courtyard that flanked each side of the gates, divided into two by a straight road in the middle leading to the doorways of the estate. She picked aimlessly at leaves, ignoring the maids’ looking her way. They must think her to be crazy, but what did their thoughts matter in a situation like this?

When she heard the gates open, and the Commander General himself ride in, she lifted her gown and sped to him. Azriel noticed her and brought his horse to a halt.

“How is she?” Penelope asked. It was torture, not being able to see her. But the King was raging at her, and she was lucky she wasn’t rotting away in the dungeon from direct disobedience of his order.

Azriel smiled at her. A good sign, she hoped.

“Pen, I told you over and over again, she was going to be fine, and she is.”

“You mean… you saw her?”

“No.”

“Then how would you know?”

“The King,” Azriel answered. “He told me today. She opened her eyes and asked about you as well. So, there you go. Neera is hale and hearty.”

Penelope’s body racked with relief. The heaviness of all the weight of worry she had carried lifted off her, and her body felt so light she was sure she could fly if she wanted. She let out a cry and put a hand on her chest to calm her anxious heart down.

“I have to go, and I would appreciate it if you drew me a bath,” Azriel said. She looked up at him then, and at that moment, perhaps even for the first time, she saw him in the light of the General Commander and not Azriel, the skirt chaser.

Business with the King had done a number on him. He had been gone for days on end, and from what she heard, he sometimes had no sleep. The dark eye circles could attest to that, for even demons, no matter the strength they carried, would need to sleep.

“I would be there shortly, my Lord,” Penelope promised.

Azriel rode to the stables, and when he parted ways with his horse, he was off to his chambers. Tucked under his arm was a scroll from unfinished business at the palace, and in the confines of his chambers, he laid out the large parchment of a map and watched all the places marked.