She opened her eyes to find the room flooded with morning light. Laying under the sheets, she stared at the undisturbed spot across the bed. With an audible sigh, she pushed herself up, hopped out of bed, and scampered across to cool floor to the dark bathroom. Flipping on the lights, she then turned on the shower so the water could warm up.

He was still gone, or maybe he was back and already down at breakfast. A flicker of hope passed through her mind at the idea. She had admittedly enjoyed the first couple of days that Lucifer was abroad, no one teasing her or making her uncomfortable by walking around naked and barging in while she bathed. The freedom had been lovely, but she started to get worried and lonely around the third day. Once again, trying to push the feeling away, she undressed and walked into the shower hoping the warm water would settle her unease, but it was no use. Her worries sat heavily and permanently on her mind. She didn't know where Lucifer went or why he was gone so long. All anyone told her was that he was in the mortal realm handling a delicate situation. What if he was hurt or, worse, dead? Not that she cared much about him personally, but what would happen to her if he died? Was the deal done, and she could return to Heaven, or would she stay here, worse down there? Shaking her head in a pointless attempt to remove the thoughts, she finished her shower and dried off before choosing another dress from the absurd collection.

How many dresses had he bought? Better yet, how did he get so many so fast; she wondered as her eyes scanned the garments. There were so many dresses that she still hadn't worn a single one twice, and there were still quite a few to go. She finally settled on a silky, sea-foam green dress that fell to just above her ankles with a pinched high waist that allowed the fabric to roll over slightly. She slipped on the dress, followed by the matching pair of flats, before returning to the bathroom to brush her hair and teeth. She grabbed the discarded towel and began rubbing her hair dry as a memory of a morning not too long ago popped into her head,

"Does it always do that, those little twists at the bottom?" Lucifer asked, standing next to her at the bathroom sink while she brushed out her hair,

"They're called ringlets, and yes. It's just how my hair is." She explained, hyper-aware that she only wore a towel around her torso.

"My hair doesn't do that." He replied, seemingly uninterested in her partially covered body and more focused on her hair.

"That's because my hair is better than yours." She replied jokingly.

"I'll have you know; I get a lot of compliments on my hair." He chuckled, causing her to smile. She liked it when he laughed, "But, I suppose you're right; your hair is much more impressive than mine. I like them, the ringlets. They're cute."

"Thank you." She replied, "You have nice hair as well, Lucifer."

"You know I'm curious about something." He hummed, causing her to look at him, and she saw the mischief swirling in those blue eyes.

"I know I shouldn't ask, but what are you curious about?"

"Your hair is so long and thick. Do you think if you draped it over your shoulders, it would cover,"

"Lucifer, no!" She snapped.

"Oh, come on, all you have to do is drop the towel," He laughed as she hit him with the brush.

"Get out, you shameless man!" She fussed.

"I'm no man, Baby Girl." He called as she shooed him out the door, "I'm the Devil."

She rolled her eyes at the memory, but a smile also graced her lips as she grabbed the brush off the countertop and pulled it through the long mess before tying it up into a ponytail. She hated to admit that she missed Lucifer. As frustrating as he could sometimes be, other times he was a fantastic conversation and even funny. When he was in a good mood, he would tell her about the other worlds and all the different kinds of mortals or crazy stories from his trips and strange situations he would find himself in. The stories about Earth were her favorite; maybe she was a bit biased but hearing about humans from the beginning until now was fascinating.

She had a theory. If Lucifer had a long day of breaking souls and torture, he was less likely to come back and mess with her, whereas if he didn't get his daily amount of suffering and pain, he filled that void by annoying and frustrating her.

Groaning and mentally slapping herself, she pushed him out of her mind again. She was just lonely. That's why she missed him, she reassured, putting down the brush and grabbing her toothbrush. It wasn't that she had no one. There was Milril and his brother Orad; they were pretty cool and hung around the castle a lot. Evidently, their main job was to entertain Lucifer, and since he was gone, they were bored. She had met them roaming around the other day, and they gave her a tour of their two favorite places, the game room and kitchen.

She was scared when she first ran into them, being her first demons and all, but she was pleasantly surprised to discover they weren't cruel and evil creatures dedicated to torturing damned souls, though she didn't tell them that. She figured it would be rude. Oh, and Vassal, she was a sweet lady demon. She worked in the gardens and had been kind to her since they had met the first day Lucifer was gone. Maybe she would go out and visit with Vassal after breakfast. She thought as she closed the door to her room and turned for the dining hall. She knew where it was now, but on the first morning of Lucifer's hiatus, she was called for breakfast and got so lost in the halls that Lord Lucifer couldn't help but laugh when she walked into the dining hall just as everyone was finishing up and shyly explained why she was so late.

She had been a bit surprised when she was told her presence was still requested, but she didn't mind. They mostly ignored her, so it wasn't too awkward. It was like being a little kid sitting at the grownup's table. News of going on's in Hell City, the castle, and the torture chambers filled the air as she munched on the strange assortment of food she was slowly growing accustomed to eating. When Belial had brought her the first meal after she woke, it was soup, and she was so hungry she didn't question it. The soup continued for a few days before Lucifer brought up her first substantial meal. She had stared at the food and then at him, then back to the food:

"What?" He had asked questioningly.

"I've never seen food like this." She hesitated.

"Of course, you haven't. Food like this doesn't grow anywhere else. It's fine, eat." He had insisted.

"Is it safe? I mean, I'm human..."

"You've been eating it in soup form, and you haven't died or become ill yet, now eat I said. You won't get better if you don't." Lucifer insisted, rolling his eyes.

Like the food she had eaten when alive, she found things she liked, like the odd orange leafy stuff cooked with a tangy sauce and these little green vegetables that looked like tiny broccoli stalks but were sweet when you bit into them. She also found things she didn't like, like the weird strips of black meat. It was cooked like bacon, but the taste. Wrinkling her nose at the two thin pieces, she pushed them to the side of her plate. In her opinion, it tasted bitter and almost rotten, but Lucifer loved it. He would always reach over with his fork and take her discarded pieces. Damn it! She snapped to herself. Why was she thinking about him so much? It's not like he was coming back with the desire to see her again. She doubted she had even crossed his mind, and if she had, it was because he had come up with a new way to frustrate or annoy her.

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She entered the dining hall and quietly took her place, where she was immediately presented with her breakfast. She began eating as the hum of conversation filled the room,

"Still enjoying the young Lord's absence?" Questioned Belial from across the table. Some of those present looked her way while a few uninterested kept eating. So much for being ignored.

"Freedom from the constant harassment for which Lucifer thrives? I would say I am." She responded, putting down her fork.

"Then, are you not feeling well?" He replied as he wiped his mouth with his napkin before dropping it on his plate.

"I feel fine. Why do you ask?" She replied suspiciously.

"For the last day or so, you've seemed distant. I've just noticed that when our Prince is present, you're a lot more lively," He noted.

She felt her cheeks flush a bit, "Well, if you wish for me to be my 'lively' self, maybe try stealing food off of my plate, constantly criticizing my eating habits, or telling me how unattractive some of my facial expressions are." She suggested with a forced smile.

A few chuckles and laughs filled the room, but the one that caught her attention came from Lord Lucifer himself. He took a sip from his glass before he spoke, "My son can be quite a handful. However, I hope he is treating you well." He smiled, and something about how he looked at her calmed her.

Lord Lucifer had the same gorgeous blue eyes as his son, but they looked more worn and reasonably so. She couldn't imagine the things he had seen in his lifetime, which, if what little knowledge she knew of the fallen angel was accurate, was pretty long.

"He hasn't hurt me." She replied, answering the implied question.

"I know that. I asked if Lucifer was treating you well?" He clarified, fixing his eyes on her while leaning forward and placing his elbows on the table, waiting for her response,

"As you said, my Lord, he's a handful, but the Young Prince hasn't mistreated me." She replied, not entirely truthful, remembering the 'good wife' talk and that ridiculous wardrobe, but tattling to his daddy while he was away would be foolish.

He stared at her for a few moments, and she wondered if he could read her like Lucifer, making her more nervous. Finally, he gave a nod as he leaned back in his chair, "A word of advice, the more you fight against Lucifer, the more he will fight back." She felt a surge of frustration. Was he telling her to bow down? As if to add more insult, he chuckled again, "I'm not telling you to lay down and roll over. Being a person of power, which my son and I are and you shall be, needs to come with the understanding that most battles aren't won by force but by treaty and compromise. Eternity will be excruciating to live if you loathe the person you're sharing it with."

"No offense, my Lord, but Lucifer doesn't seem to be the compromising type." She retorted.

"No offense, young lady, but I think I know my son better than you. Stubborn, yes, but not stupid and not evil or heartless. I've seen and heard of your wonderings over the last few days. I imagine Hell isn't what you expected, and I ask that you keep that in mind. We're not barbaric creatures who lust over others' pain and torment, well, at least not most of us. Our world, at its creation, is the same as any other. It's living and evolving, no different from the Earth where you once lived. What's that human cliche about the beauty of things?" He asked, tapping his lips quizzically.

"It's in the eye of the beholder?" She offered.

"Right, beauty is in the eye of the beholder." He smiled at her.

"Thank you, my Lord. May I be excused?" He gave her a nod, and she pushed back her chair. No sooner had she risen than a couple of angels with their wings tied down swooped in to remove her used dishes, "Lord Lucifer?" She spoke up as if she had forgotten something.

"Hum?" He answered, looking back up at her.

"Will he be back soon?"

"Yes." He simply replied.

She gave him a quick bow of her head and left the dining room. Sticking to the plan she had made earlier, she followed the hall through the kitchen, and out the back door into the garden.

Smiling as the wind kissed her cheek, Lord Lucifer's words about beauty echoed in her head. When she had first entered the garden a couple of days ago, she was so surprised that she stood there for a few minutes taking it all in. In her mind, Hell had been painted as fire and brimstone, a desolate place with no new life but that day destroyed all of those preconceived ideas. The path she walked down was a dirt path, and sure the dirt was a pale red, but the grass that grew on each side of the path was a dark green. The garden she walked through was filled with flowers, bushes, and trees she had never seen before. The flowers bloomed with colors of maroon, deep reds, dark yellows, and splashes of blue, while the bushes carried leaves of odd shapes that seemed to glitter in the light, and the trunks of the trees looked black from a distance but were truly dark brown with their leaves that varied in shades of blue ranging from pastel to midnight. When she looked up, the sky was bright blue, just like her home, but the three small suns that would make a triangle if connected reminded her she was somewhere very different.

As she strolled, she caught glimpses of the flying creatures she could have almost mistaken for birds, except they had four legs, a long body, and a tail. They looked more like flying lizards with feathers than birds.

"Hello, dear." Called Vassal as she approached the vegetable bed.

"Hi, what are those?" She asked, noticing Vassal pulling out spiky vine things that let out a hiss as she ripped them from the ground, "Are they hissing?"

"Yes, Night Thorn, also known as Hissing Weed, is a unique pest; watch closely at the roots." Vassal informed as she grabbed one of the vines by the base. Wide-eyed and focused, she squatted down and watched as Vassel ripped the plant from the ground. The plant's roots shriveled with a hiss and fell off almost as soon as it touched the open air.

"Cool." She replied.

"No, a nuisance. Though they die easily, they spread just the same." She explained, "Their roots feed on the roots of other plants, and they multiply overnight sometimes, thus the name."

"Vassal, can I ask you something?" She asked, rolling back to sit on her butt.

"Umhum." She replied, plucking away as hisses filled the air.

"Have you met Lucifer? The Young Lord, I mean."

"Oh yes. I practically raised Louie. His mother was a, well, his mother wasn't around. Anyway, I had to chase him out of the garden a few times, while other times, he sat calmly and helped me with my work. He got a pretty bad prick from one of these guys once; poor thing cried and cried even though the wound healed right before his eyes leaving only the smallest drop of blood, but he was so upset." She chuckled, "Don't talk to him as much anymore, but he still comes around. He likes to sit over there under the trees and read. He'll often bring me fruit or just come over and chat for a minute. Why do you ask, dear?"

"I don't know. I guess I'm just trying to understand him." She sighed, leaning back with her arms stretched out in support as she stared at the sky.

"Tough kid, he's been battling himself for years; there's no one like Louie. Poor thing never truly had a mother, and his father is a very busy man, not usually around." She sighed, "And people can be such assholes, claiming he had no soul."

"So he does have a soul?" She asked.

"Of course, he has a soul! He's only half-demon, and his other half isn't just any old angel either. We're mostly all halflings, you know. Part demon and part something else."

"How does that work?" She pondered aloud, "Part demon?"

Vassal looked at her puzzled, "Well, a demon and a mortal decide they want to, uhh, 'love' each other..."

"No!" She interrupted, "I understand how that works. How did demons and mortals meet? Demons live here, and mortals not here."

"Oh, when Lord Lucifer and his siblings were cast out of Heaven, the force God used made holes, and a few demons snuck out into the mortal realms unknown to God or Lord Lucifer. Hundreds of years passed as Lord Lucifer worked to manipulate and mold this world to his liking. Then God reached out and told him about these demons that escaped and insisted he capture them and bring them back, but he couldn't leave Hell. So Lord Lucifer sent his most trusted demons, who did retrieve the escapees, but the damage was done. Males impregnated mortal women, and female demons came back with children or expecting, not to mention those already born in the mortal world. Poor things, no idea what they were, and developing powers. Anyway, the Lord took the young halflings and babies and raised them in the castle so the mothers wouldn't kill them while also sending teams to find and gather those needing help. Centuries later, you have the booming metropolis of Hell City, filled and made up of half-demons. We have souls and are incapable of torture, so we aren't allowed to work down there; fine by me. Lord Lucifer gave some of us jobs in the castle and allowed others to make and open businesses creating Hell City. Half-demons own all the shops, restaurants, bars, and any business really. Hell City has theaters, museums, whatever food you can think of,"

"He won't let me go." She pouted.

"And rightly so! That soul of yours is too pure. Though we half-breeds wouldn't bother you, many of the pureblooded demons live in and visit Hell City, and that soul of yours would be too tempting for them, the things they would do to you. The young master is right; you can't go there, at least not alone." Vassal explained, "Now, enough of this talk; tell me, how are you today?"

She visited with Vassal for an hour or so before heading back in. She had the whole day to waste, so she explored the castle a bit more and quickly found herself somewhere new, the west wing, maybe? She was still trying to figure out the castle, and right now, she figured she was a little lost but didn't care too much. As she continued roaming, the faint sound of music caught her attention. It was a beautifully somber tune that reached her ears. It was unfamiliar yet alluring. The instrument that created it called to her and made her ache for the life she lost as she followed the music to its source. She stood in front of two enormous wooden doors, cracked open slightly. It was already open, so it was ok if she entered, right? Right, she pushed open the door, and her heart jumped as a smile crossed her face.