“Cael!” Listamati and Liara welcomed him back.

“What happened?” The emperor asked, unsure of how to address him now.

Caeldaemos raised his hand, dropped the mountain of evidence, and brought the spirits out of the ‘Meadow’ Domain he had been working on with Geon.

“Aww.” The earth spirit pouted.

The other spirits comforted their companion.

“Here is the evidence of what he had been doing. He had been performing mortal experiments on spirits.”

“WHAT?!” The emperor shouted furiously. “How dare he!”

“Cael…” Liara held his hand. “What… Mother…” She was having difficulty finding the words.

“Your majesties. We will be returning home. Can you handle it from here?” Caeldaemos asked.

The emperor looked up from some of the evidence. “Yes. We can take it from here. Thank you, Caeldaemos the Benevolent. We shall not forget this favor.”

Listamati joined Liara and him, but the spirits stopped him.

“WAIT!” They all grabbed onto him in some way. “Don’t leave us here!”

“I am sure the emperor can get you home,” Caeldaemos stated.

They looked at the emperor with unsure fear. “We don’t trust demons.”

Their words hurt the royals, but they could understand with what Caeldaemos had stated earlier.

“But I’m a demon.”

“No.” They stated in unison. “You’re the Demon-Lord.”

Caeldaemos normally would have chuckled at their answer, but his heart was too heavy to do so. He nodded and held a hand out to them.

After taking his hand, he teleported them to Hallibrush.

It took a whole day for the royals to get through all the evidence, but the following day, they performed an emergency broadcast to the entire nation, informing them all of Duke Gaolphista’s crimes. They had all the nobles in league with the duke arrested and deposed for their crimes. Much of the evidence that the duke was using to blackmail others was measured in the severity of the crime. Many had to pay hefty fines, while others were arrested. Of course, the emperor gave gracious thanks to the Demon-Lord for his assistance in helping their nation once more. He announced that the Demon-Lord would be welcome in Forteria, even if the world turned against him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Caeldaemos brought Liara to the Ever-Night Forest ruins alone.

“Cael, what is going on. What did you learn?” She asked him.

“I…” The words choked in his throat. How could he tell her?

“Cael.” She cupped his cheek.

“I’m… afraid.” Tears welled up in his eyes.

“What for?”

“To lose you.” He fell to his knees heavily.

“How could you lose me?” She held his head to her chest.

“The truth… Liara. Do you think you could go without it?” He begged.

Liara was worried. What kind of truth did he find? “Cael,” she lifted his face to hers, “you won’t lose me. I promise.”

“You don’t know that!” He exclaimed. “Once you know, there might not be any going back!” He tore his head from her hold.

She couldn’t figure out what he was so scared of. How could the truth of her mother change her?

Liara knelt and hugged him. “I’m sorry, Cael, but I must know what happened to my mother. Is she alive?”

He trembled. “Dasheara is alive….”

“Please, Cael.” She gently asked.

He hugged her tightly. “Very well. I pray to Io that I don’t lose you….”

“Cael?”

“Lord of Darkness….”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Liara opened her eyes to see that she floated above an area in front of a large gate.

“Gaol!” A woman cried happily.

Liara looked to see a woman that looked like an older version of herself. “What? What is this? Cael?!”

He was silent.

“Come, Ara. This will be your new home.” Gaolphista stated.

“I’m so happy!” Dasheara clung to the demon’s arm tightly.

The scene changed to that of the evening. Gaolphista was rolling out of bed, and Dasheara stirred.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“Mm? Gaol?” She called him.

“Sorry, Ara. I forgot I had some things to prepare. I will be back in a couple of hours.” He answered.

“Ah…” She settled back into the bed with a smile on her face.

“What? I don’t understand. Why am I seeing my mother’s memories!?” Liara asked.

“You will understand….” Caeldaemos answered sadly.

The scene changed to morning at breakfast. The two were sitting at a grand table enjoying a good meal.

“Oh goodness! My compliments to your chef!” Dasheara joyfully stated.

“Of course. He will be happy to know you said so.” Gaolphista smiled.

“Um, Gaol…” She acted shyly.

“Yes?”

“What do you think of adoption?” She asked.

“Hmm. I may be up for it. Why do you ask?”

“Well, we cannot have our own children, so I thought adopting some children would be nice. We could mix demons and spirits together. I was thinking… maybe… twelve?” Dasheara bashfully asked.

Gaolphista laughed. “Twelve? We can talk about it later.” He paused. “Ara.”

“Hmm?”

“I need your help with something. Could you help me?” He asked.

Dasheara beamed at his question. “Of course!”

The scene changed to that of a dark room.

“AAAARRRGGHH! AAAAAAAHHHHHH!” Dasheara screamed.

“AAAAAAAAHHHHHH! IT HURTS! WHY DOES THIS HURT!?” Liara cried out in pain.

“Sanctuary.” Caeldaemos surrounded her with his barrier, stopping the pain.

“C-Cael! What is happening?! Why am I feeling my mother’s memories!?” Liara begged to know.

He appeared behind her and pulled her in his embrace. “These are not your mother’s memories….”

“What…?” Liara was in shock at his statement.

“GAOL!? WHY!? PLEASE! STOP!” Dasheara begged.

“Hmm. Seems we might have the ratio of monster blood wrong.” Gaolphista commented to his assistant.

“Yes, sir.” The assistant noted down.

Dasheara screamed again before her body broke down, and a blue flame floated above the table.

“Damn. Once she revives, chain her up. We will proceed with the next ratio this afternoon.” Gaolphista stated.

“Yes, sir.”

The scene changed once more. A woman who almost looked like a carbon copy of Liara sat curled in the corner of a jail cell.

“It can’t be….” Tears rolled down Liara’s cheeks. “She wasn’t my mother… Was it me? I’m Dasheara?!”

Gaolphista stood before the cell. “Ara.”

“Stay away!” Dasheara cried.

“That won’t do, Ara. We have more tests to run.”

“NOOOOOO!” She screamed as Gaolphista’s men dragged her out, kicking and screaming.

Dasheara died once more.

“Again.”

She died again.

“Again.”

Her body fell to pieces once more.

“Again.”

Dasheara screamed.

“Again.”

She cried.

“Again.”

She lost her mind.

“Again.”

Dasheara laughed in madness.

Forty-seven times Dasheara was experimented on, and forty-seven times she died.

They strapped her to the table once more.

“Ara.” The duke called her name.

Her eyes were hollow, and her body had regressed to a young child’s. Her mind and soul were dead and broken.

“This time will be a bit special. Seeing as monster blood won’t work, we will substitute something else.”

Liara could feel vague remnants of her past mind floating in the body on the table.

“We will be using my draconic blood.”

Liara smiled evilly. She knew what to do. Just how to screw him over and free herself. She still had a decent number of lives left, so she could use this one to curse herself. Dasheara would seal her spiritual powers so he could not rely on her revival. Also, if she sealed them, the blood would take, and he would think he succeeded.

“Yes. Do it. I will have the last laugh! I swear… I will regain my memories one day. When I do… I will see you screaming as you die!” Liara screamed while laughing manically.

“Lia.” Caeldaemos’ sad voice called out to her.

“Cael?” Her mind snapped back. “Oh, gods… I… I’m sorry.”

Gaolphista executed his final experiment on her. It had been a while since Dasheara had laughed, but this time she did as the bastard’s blood entered her veins. She could feel it burning in her body. Her nature denied it.

As her life began to break down, she instituted her curse. As her body broke apart to become a spiritual flame one last time, she swore she would have her revenge.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Liara slumped against Caeldaemos back in the ruins, tears running down her cheeks, sobbing at her past.

“Lia.” He cupped her cheek, but she shoved him away, quickly scurrying from him.

“I… I’m sorry, Caeldae-! No! He is Cael! He is my beloved husband!” She cried as she struggled against her memories rushing back.

Caeldaemos gently took her into his arms.

“NO! LET ME GO! Don’t leave me! DON’T TOUCH ME! Cael, save me!” Liara was swinging back and forth.

He tightened his hold on her as she clawed and bit at him. “Benevolence.”

The entire Ever-Night Forest was instantly engulfed in a blinding silver light.

People of nearby towns and cities could see the powerful light, and instead of feeling wary, they felt comfortable.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Empress Yopawl sat at the table in her sitting room, feeling exhausted. They had been so busy working out the worst evidence Caeldaemos had provided them that she had barely rested.

“Yopawl!” A woman engulfed the empress with her chest.

“W-WHO!?” She pulled away and saw a face she never expected to see again. “Dasheara?”

Liara warmly smiled. “I once was, but I am now Liara.”

“Liara!” Empress Yopawl hugged her long-lost friend, crying happily to see her.

The emperor joined them after the empress informed him that Dasheara had returned. He sobbed while holding her hand to his forehead. It took several minutes to have everyone calm enough to have a conversation. Liara sat on Caeldaemos’ lap, not wanting to be away from her beloved husband and savior.

“So, you are Liara?” The emperor asked.

Liara nodded elegantly. “I am, Zilparkana. Whoops, Zilly.” She giggled.

The emperor laughed. “Gods! I haven’t heard that nickname in so long!”

“What happened, Liara?” The empress asked.

“I… Was lost. That bastard experimented on me so much that my mind had broken. But…” She looked lovingly at Caeldaemos. “My true beloved brought me back.”

“Thank you, Caeldaemos. I know we promised to help you with your actions with Aqualaria, but we will surely support you even more for this. Everything you have done for us… Would you consider becoming a Grand Duke here?”

Caeldaemos chuckled. “It sounds appealing, but I am happy at Hallibrush.”

“Hmm…” The emperor fell into thought. “Oh! I know!” He rushed over to a shelf and brought over a map.

“Dearest?” The empress was confused.

Unrolling the map, the emperor pointed out a large area. “From here to here, I shall give it to you.”

“Zilly!?” Liara exclaimed. “What of the noble who owns that!?”

The emperor laughed again. “Well, sadly, he recently had a bad case of ‘death.’ Heck of a thing to piss off a Demon-Lord.”

Liara and Caeldaemos looked at one another and laughed. The emperor was gifting a majority of the lands of Gaolphista to Caeldaemos.

“Let’s see.” Liara shifted around on his lap, putting her rump on his crotch and leaning forward to look closely at the map.

“L-Lia…”

“A moment, my dear.” She shushed him. “Venture, Allendale… Oh! The Ever-Night Forest and Mount Calangfall! That has a multitude of gem and mana stone mines!” As she went over all that was to be turned over to them, she shifted her rear back and forth.

“Ahem. Liara.” The empress called her.

“Hmm?” Liara looked up.

“Can you not do that?” The empress was blushing along with the emperor, who was looking away.

“Oh, my apologies!” Liara giggled elegantly.

“Dammit, she got her mischievousness back.” The emperor grumbled.

Two thick arms wrapped around Liara. “Your majesties.”

Liara’s eyes widened, and her face tensed.

“It seems my beloved wife has issued me a challenge. Please excuse us.” Caeldaemos stated.

“Of course.” The empress giggled.

“Cael….” Liara began sweating.

“Hmm?”

“I’m sorry….”

“Oh, you are not sorry yet!”

Liara got off a brief, joking scream before Caeldaemos took her away to ‘punish’ her.