‘The grown-ups can have a conversation now. He’s perfectly fine.’

‘What did you give him?’ Mara asked, unnerved as she cradled her pup.

‘A bit of *Kiec. A delicacy from my kingdom.’

‘A delicacy?! It shrank my dog!’ Mara struggled to emulate her feelings. She was in disbelief, but her heart warmed every time she looked at tiny Shiro, her fingers caressing his small snout; she couldn't tell if she was shocked, or just in love again.

‘It’s perfectly harmless. Depending on the desired outcome, the Kiec can also act as a nourishing snack. Really it depends on what the owner wants. Here it helped reverse some undesirable… behaviour.’

‘Shiro was just playing. You would know that if you got to know each other so well, like you said you did.’

‘True. Alas my master commanded me. I had to do something. I say again, this is harmless, and the effects are temporary.’

‘You mean he will go back to the way he was?’

‘Of course, soon enough.’ Mammon added his trademark smile she so hated.

Mara observed Shiro once more. He did look fine, blissfully unbothered by this change. She admitted that it felt good to hold him in her arms. He was just this small when her father brought him to her all those years ago.

‘Can we get back to the issue at hand now?’ Lucious cut in.

Mara glared at him.

‘The servants have come here several times to get you to try the outfits, but you keep sending them away. Stop wasting their time. They have other things to do than to cater to your whims. Just pick one, any kind will do.’

‘I will not.’ She replied. Her response was so flat and so final it visibly threw him off.

‘What?’

‘I know you heard me. I will not be trying those dresses.’

Lucious closed his fist and inhaled. ‘This is not a request. Yet you act like you have a choice in the matter.’

‘I don’t really care.’

Lucious advanced a few steps towards her. ‘You don’t realise what’s at stake! Not even Pox will be able to protect you if you keep this up. My father-’

‘Aaah! I see, so you kidnap me, lock me up here for however long, don’t even bother to tell me the reason, you have my dog shrunk my dog and now you make these ludicrous demands?! Dressing me up for a fancy banquet? What’s so important about wearing fancy clothing if it is so dangerous, as you say?’

‘It is dangerous! And I didn’t shrink your dog. Mammon did that.’

‘Mammon did it because you asked him to!’

He shook his head.

‘That’s not… . What is it you want then? Do you want to stand out even more by just wearing a jumper and jeans?’

‘Why not?’

He turned around and paced. ‘Or… or… argh!! Why are you so stubborn! There are bigger things happening here, why can’t you just understand that! I should put you in a dungeon and see how you like it.’

She couldn’t hear him now, but it was clear he was yelling. Part of her relished at seeing him so worked up.

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‘You listen here, Prince of Hell or whatever it is you think you-’

‘Ah-ah, alright, alright,’ — Mammon cut her off and stepped in between them. — ‘Let’s just take a moment, you two.’

Lucious had moved so close he towered over her. He suddenly pulled back, and turned his back on them both.

Mammon cleared his throat before he began.

‘Lady Mara, I understand this is all very hard for you. We haven’t exactly been very diplomatic about the situation,’ — He raised a reproaching eyebrow to Lucious as he spoke. — ‘However, I believe this will also be a once in a lifetime opportunity for you.’

‘And how have you come to believe this?’ Mara said, unimpressed. Maybe Mammon’s sarcasm was rubbing off on her.

‘Well, I’ve seen your art. I’m not an expert, but frankly what I saw was something humans could only call unearthly.’

This caught her attention, and Mammon noticed.

‘My lady, what I’m saying is, Hell is unique, in its own way, and so is its populace. What better source of inspiration could you seek? You will see things that no human has ever seen, not a living one anyway. As an artist, I cannot imagine that you would want to pass that up so easily.’

Damn, he was right. Even before he finished speaking, she knew he was right. Her current circumstances were something most artists of her generation couldn’t even dream of; some would give their souls for just a glimpse. She would be a fool to dismiss the opportunity.

‘It’s funny how you call me lady only when it suits you.’ She said, and Mammon chuckled.

She looked at Lucious, who still had his back turned to them.

‘I never said I wouldn’t go. It’s just, those clothes… I’m not really the type to wear fancy dresses.’

‘Excellent.’ — Mammon nodded once. — ‘We can certainly review. What would you be more comfortable with?’

‘Well… I was thinking perhaps a pair of black trousers and-’

‘Absolutely not.’ — Mammon said flatly, raising his hand to her as if her words made his head spin. — ‘This is a high society event, not some back garden barbecue at your neighbours. The formal dress code must be maintained. Let’s try again.’

‘Wait, this is why I’m saying that some fancy black trousers and a nice silky-’

‘Mm-hmm, that’s a hard pass. Again, the formal dress code is mandatory, lady Mara.’

Mara sighed in frustration. ‘What is the formal dress code?’

‘Why formal wear, of course. Ladies of Court must have their gown.’

If only she could squeeze his neck with her eyes.

‘Right, because that’s not sexist at all.’ She said.

‘It isn’t. It’s just a matter of principle and tradition.’ He said it as a matter of fact, and then waited. She could only stare at him as a rare specimen of sorts.

‘Your silence tells me you do not have any other suitable suggestions. Worry not. We’ll find you a suitable gown in no time.’ His tone was so final, it made Mara slump and roll her eyes, defeated.

‘Look on the bright side: at least there will be no one you know there.’ He grinned. It was to be his most annoying smile so far.

Lucious turned to face them. He was his detached self again. It seemed beneath him to be involved in discussions of attires.

‘You will meet the rest of the Royal family at this dinner. Mammon will fill you in on the details and Pox will come along, but we will be your main escorts.’

Now that she had caved to their terms, there was nothing more to say.

‘Mara, if you are to be safe while you are here, you must do what we say at all times. You must understand this.’

He almost sounded concerned. Perhaps he even looked pressured, she couldn’t tell. Nothing betrayed his true intentions. She nodded.

One of Lucious’ large wings sprung out and made her flinch. Some feathers floated in the air until they rested on the floor. Lucious grabbed one of them.

‘Whatever you wear, make sure it conceals this. You must have it on you at all times during the dinner.’

Up close, the jet-black feather was longer than she had first realised.

‘You will also be given a face covering and you cannot not, under any circumstances, remove it during the banquet. Do you understand?’ — His exposed eye bore down on her. She nodded and reached for the feather, but he pulled his hand back. — ‘I must hear you say it.’

‘I… I understand.’

His gaze lingered a while longer before handing the feather to her.

‘Mask it well.’

With that, he turned on his heal and left, and Mammon followed.

Mara squeezed the feather. It was clear (yet unnerving) that he worried for her safety. It gave her chills, trying to think of why that could be. She held Shiro close to her face, seeking some of his comfort she so missed, and he returned the affection with some licks. Miina said before that they coveted human souls in this place. If he was so worried about her safety, why bring her here, to Hell, and claim to want to protect her? There had to be another purpose, one she couldn’t yet grasp. In the end, it could only come to a simple explanation: he was a demon, a kidnapper, a predator; and she a soul, a casualty, a prey. Why she needed a constant reminder of that, was beyond her.

*Kiec – A speciality snack from the Wolf clan in Hell. As Mammon says, it has various properties which can be used to just feed someone, but also subject the recipient to some interesting changes.