Kathrine Ann walked with her arm looped in Lucifer's and a smile on her face. This was the rare side of Lucifer that she liked. He had let down his guard, and she was able to sneak in and get to see the real him,

"Louie!" She heard from behind, and a sinister smile crossed his face letting her know she wasn't going to like this.

Turning to greet the voice, she saw a woman who looked to be around her age wearing a fire-red dress that hugged her voluptuous figure perfectly, straight black hair that stopped just below her waist, and eyes so dark red they looked black. She was beautiful. She had a perfect figure, a perfect face, and Kathrine Ann had a pretty good idea of who she was,

"Angelique. Enjoying your evening?" Lucifer greeted, only for her to drop her smile and furrow her brow.

"To be honest, Louie, I was a bit underwhelmed. This being the royal wedding and all, I expected a bit more. If it were me, I wouldn't pay the wedding planner." Angelique smiled, not bothering to look at her.

"You must be Duke Cazimir's daughter?" Kathrine Ann asked.

"Lady Angelique, and yes." The woman replied with a smirk as her eyes slowly moved to Kathrine Ann and looked her up and down before flicking a bit of her shiny black hair over her shoulder and turning her gaze back to Lucifer, "Kathrine Ann, right?"

"Lady Kathrine Ann," She replied, forcing herself to be calm, "May I ask your complaints about our wedding? I actually planned the wedding and oversaw the setup, so if something's gone wrong,"

"It's just so plain. I assumed it was going to be glamorous, not boring." Angelique answered, looking at her perfectly manicured nails, also red, painted red, "It is the Crowned Prince's wedding, after all."

"It's also my wedding, and I find too much glitz and glam to be gaudy, like a desperate cry for attention. Almost as desperate as wearing the same color as the bride on her wedding day."

"Oh, I'm enjoying the claws, Baby Girl," Lucifer laughed.

"Careful, Kathrine Ann," Angelique snapped, clenching her hand into a fist.

"Lady Kathrine Ann." She corrected with a smile through the anger surrounding her was thick, "Or Princess. That's acceptable as well."

"Okay, Princess. You may have claws, but how sharp are they?" She questioned, "You are not one of us. No one trusts you, and no one respects you." She laughed.

Kathrine Ann was beyond annoyed with this woman, and her words hit deep because maybe she was right, but she couldn't let her win,

"Angelique, you're here in your father's place, meaning you're the eldest child? The one who is to inherit your father's title?" She asked.

"I'm his only child." She replied smartly.

"Lucifer, Is Lady Angelique in line to become the Duchess of Central City after her father retires?" She asked, not taking her eyes off Angelique.

"Yup." He answered.

"Does the Crowned Princess have a say in this power shift?" She asked.

Lucifer shrugged, "I imagine your opinion would have a significant sway."

"So you wouldn't suggest someone in Lady Angelique's position getting on my bad side?" She smiled, still holding Angelique's furious gaze.

"It could be an issue."

"Seriously, Louie?" Angelique rolled her eyes.

"Do not underestimate me, Anglique. I am married to Lucifer, not you, and I'm here for all eternity. I suggest you try to make me your friend, not enemy, and you can start by backing off and leaving Lucifer and me alone." She warned.

"Ha," She laughed, "I suggest you talk to your husband then. He's the one that comes to me, Lady Kathrine Ann." She replied with a mocking curtsey before she walked away.

"As much as I enjoyed seeing this powerful and sexy side of you, you overstepped a line, Baby Girl." He fussed.

"Seriously, Louie?" She mocked, pulling her arm away from him.

"She's no threat to you," He reassured, but she just huffed.

"That's funny because almost everything she said came off pretty threatening," Kathrine Ann snapped and took a deep breath, "You don't get it. She'll use you two's relationship to destroy my reputation." She explained, "She's right. No one here respects me, and it'll be hard to earn that respect when your mistress is running her mouth, proving that my own husband has no respect for me."

"I believe I already gave you my word that my relations with other women will remain behind closed doors. Besides, things are different here. We don't hold monogamy in such high,"

"Oh, shut up." She interrupted, surprising him, "Maybe I am naive to the culture and traditions here, but I'm not stupid, Lucifer. How you spoke of Bulbra and their traditions tells me that the Crowned Prince of Hell openly fucking his old fling right after getting married will be a humiliating scandal for me."

"Don't worry about it, Baby Girl. She will keep her mouth shut; you have my word." He calmly reassured.

"Oh, will you make her sign a contract next time you fuck her?" She snipped, sipping her glass.

He chuckled, "So cute." And she growled at him, "Tell you what, give yourself to me, and I'll stop seeing Angelique."

Kathrine Ann choked on the wine she had attempted to swallow, causing her to cough and sputter a bit, "You do love torturing me, don't you?" She sighed, dabbing her mouth with the back of her hand, and he just smirked, looping her arm around his again, and pulled her to start walking, "For someone who's slept with so many women, you don't understand them. Mark it, Lucifer. She'll try to ruin me."

For the next hour, she was introduced to so many people, and trying to remember all their names was hurting her head. It didn't help that she was still angry with Lucifer but had to play the happy bride. Finally, after they ate and cut the cake, Lucifer released her to roam as she pleased but reminded her to stay close. Her first stop was the bar, where she was quickly served. Not sure where to go, she decided to sit for a minute and enjoy the moment alone, but despite not having anyone around her, she felt eyes on her. Looking around, she caught the gaze of a man with purple eyes and silver hair. Unlike the overly friendly siblings, he was a bit taller, and his hair was cut short to the side of his head, leaving the top long and swooped to one side,

"Hello, Princess!" She heard, causing her to gasp and grab at her chest, almost spilling her glass.

"Jesus Christ, Azazel, do you do that on purpose?" She hissed.

"Yes." Azazel smiled, sitting next to her, "How's your big night going?"

"Eh, back and forth. Some moments have been good, and others not too pretty good." She shrugged, sipping her wine.

"Saw you two conversing with 'lady' Angelique." Azazel rolled her eyes as the bartender gave her a glass of something.

"Screw her." She replied, letting her emotions finally release as Azazel signaled for the bartender and mumbled something.

"Oh no, you don't like the future Duchess?" Azazel rolled her eyes.

"He's sleeping with her, isn't he?" She asked, "Why am I even asking? Of course, he is. Who wouldn't? I don't think I've ever seen anyone that beautiful."

"I'm sorry, Kathrine Ann, it's my fault. I told Louie he needed to find someone else. We were becoming closer, and I felt guilty. Especially since you care for him,"

"I don't!" She interrupted as the bartender returned with two shots, "He doesn't care about me, and I don't care about him. It's not a true marriage; it's more like a business contract. But seriously, you stopped sleeping with him for me?" She asked.

Azazel picked up the two shot glasses and handed her one, "To new business partners and weird friends?" She smirked, and the two women clinked glasses and downed their shots, "And she's not that beautiful. It's all makeup. Plus, that nasty personality takes away a lot." She added.

"Thanks, Azazel." Kathrine Ann smiled, "You're not saying all this to make me feel better, right? Like, I'm not going talk to other people and find out she's some saint who saves puppies and spends all her money on feeding the homeless?"

Azazel laughed, "She's a pompous, entitled, and power-hungry brat. Not to mention her reputation with men is almost as bad as Louie's with women, but at least Louie is respectful. To be honest, I'm glad you came along. I might have ripped my ears off if I had to hear her talk about her plans 'once she becomes the queen' one more time."

"Do you think he would have ever married her?" She asked, swirling her wine in the glass

"No. Seriously, I don't even think his father could have forced him to marry her," Azazel reassured, "I've known Lucifer for hundreds of years. Maybe he didn't want to marry you, but he most definitely wouldn't have married her." She couldn't help but feel relieved, and it showed, "You care about him, don't you?"

"I don't want to." She admitted as her cheeks lit up, "And I shouldn't. He doesn't care about me. It's crazy to care about someone who doesn't care about you." She sighed.

"Maybe a little crazy, but I wouldn't jump to any conclusions too quickly, Princess." She replied as they both sipped their drinks,

"What's the shit?" Orad huffed as he and Milril approached them, "Toasting the bride without us?"

"Easy fix," Azazel reassured as she called for another round.

"I don't know if that's a good idea." Kathrine Ann laughed, "I have the rest of the night to get through, which I'm sure includes more meeting and greeting."

"Nonsense! It's your wedding. You're allowed to loosen up a bit," Orad reassured, "Speaking of, how are you enjoying the power of the Princess?"

"What power? Sure I get fake smiles, bows, and compliments to my face, but behind my back, I hear the mumbles about me being unfit for the throne and questions about how a simple mortal is supposed to handle the responsibility of a Queen." She replied, "None of them respect me, and I guess I don't blame them."

"Then make them." Milril yawned, "Sure, you earn respect, but you must get their attention first. You're the future Queen of Hell, so branch out and show them you're not playing around."

"And Lucifer?" She scoffed as the bartender placed four shots on the bar.

"Trust me, you show Lucifer you can hold your own, and he'll roll with it. He hates having to ta-ta people." Azazel inputted, handing out one shot to each of them.

Kathrine Ann took her glass and was about to reply, but her eyes had wandered, and she caught Lucifer across the garden talking to Angelique. She didn't look happy, her arms were crossed, and her movements indicated she was fussing. That asshole stood there relaxed with his hands in his pockets, probably reassuring her that Kathrine Ann meant nothing. She knew he didn't care about her, but at least he could show a minute amount of respect for her on their wedding day. And as if to the cherry on top, Lucifer reached up with one hand and grabbed Angliques's chin, pulling her face close to his. Her eye's burned as she turned away a little too quickly, catching the other three's attention and causing them to look,

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"You know he really can't stand her," Orad reassured.

"Right, he seems real annoyed." She hissed, trying to control her emotions

"He may be kinda cold, Milady, but I doubt," Milril began.

"Oh please, he's made it clear if I don't give him what he wants, he'll find it elsewhere." She sighed, trying to dab her eyes with her fingers to avoid smudging her makeup. Everyone expected her to break down, and they might get what they wanted.

"Here." Azazel offered in a whisper handing her a cloth kerchief, which she used to dab her eyes.

"We were taking a shot, right?" She forced a smile.

"Right!" Orad quickly confirmed, raising his shot glass, "To the best Princess we could have asked for, thank you for not being the total cunt we expected."

"Orad!" Both Milril and Azazel sapped, but she laughed.

"To not being a cunt!" She raised her glass, and the other two joined, clinking their glasses and throwing back the shots.

Though she appreciated the gesture and what they were trying to do, Kathrine Ann still had a heavy weight on her chest, so she grabbed her glass of wine and stood up, "If you'll excuse me, I need a moment to breathe." She said with a smile as she left the three of them.

She wanted to go into the trees and hide by the river, but she knew he would come after her and the Young Lord was the last person she wanted to talk to. So, instead, she took a seat on one of the benches outside the orchard and finished her glass. A servant quickly approached, making her wonder how closely they watched her, but she handed over the empty glass and took a full one. After those two shots, she was feeling a bit buzzed, and maybe that's why her emotions were taking over. She always got a bit emotional when she drank, and right now, she was trying to fight off tears. Sighing, she allowed herself to be swallowed by thought and had no choice but to admit she cared about Lucifer. No matter how crazy or stupid it was, something inside her had changed, but why? She didn't know. He didn't deserve her, that was for sure. Truthfully he could have been crueler and meaner, but the last twenty-four hours, as sweet as she thought his gestures were, now she saw they were just another part of his backhanded kindness. Every act had a touch of acid to it, and somehow in her inebriated state, she saw it clearly,

"My Lady." She heard, pulling her thoughts out of plummeting dread, and she saw the purple-eyed man she had noticed earlier standing in front of her.

"Oh, uh, good evening, sir," She paused, standing up.

"I am no sir, Viskiam is my name, but you, my Princess, may call me Kiam." He replied, holding out his hand for her's which she gave. He kissed the back of it as he bowed low, "I didn't have the pleasure of an introduction earlier while the young Lord was showing you off, so I've taken it upon myself to seek you out. I am the ambassador for Shain."

"Elf?" She asked, straightening her dress with one hand as she held her wine glass in the other.

"Yes, you are familiar?" He replied, a little shocked.

"Not exactly. I met Duke Krant and Duchess Katarina just a bit ago." She admitted taking a drink from her glass.

"I see. Please don't judge my people based on those two." He sighed.

"No need to worry." She smiled, "Lucifer filled me in, so you're an ambassador?" She asked, taking another sip and starting to walk, causing the man to follow.

"Yes, for quite some time now." He verified, pulling from his glass.

"Tell me, Mr. Kiam,"

"No, just Kiam, please." He interrupted.

"Kiam, what does an ambassador do?" She queried.

"Well, it all depends on the world. Are you familiar with the worlds?" He questioned.

"No, I mean, I know there's a bunch of them, but I've only been to mine, Hell, and I spent a brief time on Kelil. Besides Kelilians, I do know Elves and Vampires exist." She reviewed, and he laughed, "Am I that clueless?" She sighed.

"Oh no, I'm sorry, milady," He paused.

"It's okay. I know how 'naive' I am. When I was alive, human, I didn't believe in any of this. Heaven, Hell, that was all made-up bull shit used to scare people into conformity, and now I'm married to the Devil and talking to an Elf while my husband is trying to fuck a vampire."

"Give him a bit more credit." Kiam winked, "Not much more than a bit. Tell you what, grab my arm and let's walk, I bet five minutes, tops, and he'll be back by your side. Swear I won't try anything. I'm happily married." He reassured, holding up his left hand, revealing a golden ring on his pinky. She did trust him, but she also knew Azazel, Milril, and Orad had been watching her since she walked off, and they would never allow anyone to hurt her.

"So, you were going to tell me what ambassadors do?" She reminded, looping her arm through his before they both continued to stroll casually.

"Right, so there are worlds that acknowledge the existence of Heaven and Hell, and in those worlds, the Young Lord has ambassadors. We fight for half-demon equality, handle any legal situations involving a half-demon, and keep track of all the half-demons on the planet. Depending on the size, sometimes there are multiple ambassadors, but for Shain, I'm enough."

"So you make Louie's job easier?" She responded, and as if saying his name called him, she felt his stare on the side of her face, but she didn't care. She didn't even bother to look.

"Yes, we arrange meetings with those he needs to check on as well as those under investigation, but he also trusts us to handle minor infractions," Kiam explained.

"Minor infraction?"

"A half-demon accidentally uses his power for self-defense, protection of others, basically anything that isn't serious enough to involve the Prince."

"Another example is an ambassador just spewing information he's supposed to keep tight-lipped on." Lucifer's cold voice responded from behind them.

"Sorry, Young Lord, but I assumed it was fine since she is my future queen," Kiam replied with a bow releasing her arm.

"You've taken quite an interest in my wife," Lucifer replied while she rolled her eyes and took a pull from her neglected drink. Suddenly she felt his strong arm wrap around her waist, and Lucifer pulled her to his side.

"Who wouldn't? She's quite a beauty, Louie. If I were you, I wouldn't leave her side in fear another man may try to steal her affection, which from what I can see, wouldn't take much work as she's obviously deprived." Kiam smiled.

"Is that so? You think I'm mistreating my wife, hum?" Lucifer asked as she tried to hide her smile, causing an accusing glare from him.

"Apologies, I don't mean to offend you. I'm just stating the obvious." He retorted, a smile still firmly on his face as Lucifer tightened his arm on her waist, "I noticed you come running when you see another man showing the slightest affection to the Princess, but you have no shame when it comes to the company you keep." Kiam continued, and she worried about what would happen as Lucifer glared back at him with anger teasing in his eyes. However, he kept a mostly calm demeanor, "Hypocritical and unfaithful, not good grounds to start a happy marriage with Louie." He tsked, and she wondered how he was so confident talking to Lucifer like this.

"You would know, wouldn't you? Married what four times now, Viskiam?" Lucifer replied in a warning tone.

"No, still just three. You should know since you've attended all of my weddings, and yes, I would know. I have loved all my partners loyally, and how rude for you to remind me of my late wives." He sighed and shook his head, "My first wife and I married young, and sadly after the birth of our second daughter, she fell ill and never recovered. Years later, I met my second wife, and we lived a long and happy life together, and she passed on from age. Now, I am happily married to my husband, Javen." He explained to her, offering the information before she could question and making Lucifer look like an asshole.

"I'm sorry for your losses, Kiam." She offered.

"Thank you, milady, curses of being a half-demon, my already naturally long life is even longer. I've been fortunate to find souls to share it with, and I can only hope you find the same one day."

"Her soul is none of your concern." Lucifer snapped, losing his patience.

"Then whose concern is it? You can't seem to be bothered."

"You're pushing your luck Viskiam," Lucifer warned.

"Well, I hope you allow me to push it a bit further. On Shain, marriage is sacred. It is the binding of two souls for life. You are supposed to love and respect your spouse. This is why I'm confused as to why I found yours sitting on a bench alone, basically in tears on her wedding night while you were talking to Duke Cazimir's daughter across the garden." He snapped back, losing his composure for the first time.

"We are not on Shain. This is not a marriage for love, and how I treat my wife is of no concern to you. Leave now, Kiam, and remember where you are and who I am because next time you decide to speak to me with such disrespect, I'll make Hell your permanent home, and you'll never see your beloved Shain or that husband of yours again. Oh, and stay away from my wife." Lucifer replied coldly, bringing back the feelings Kiam had distracted her from and adding anger to it.

"Wow!" She pulled free from him, "You, you, Ah!" turned her back on both of them, and walked back towards her bench while finishing the rest of the glass, but as the servant approached, she shooed him away, keeping the empty glass in her hand. She passed the stone bench and went into the orchard, disobeying Lucifer's orders to stay within sight, but she didn't care right now as she tried to hold back the tears. She didn't stop till she got to the river and climbed up on a rock. Kathrine Ann sat down and let her head rest on her knees as she took a few deep breaths to calm herself.

"We were talking about his job. You didn't have to come over and act like a jealous asshole." She finally said, lifting her head and looking up towards the sky.

"I didn't like the way he was touching you," Lucifer replied, stepping forward, so she caught a glimpse of him in her peripheral.

"He's married to a man Lucifer, and what the fuck do you even care if another man is talking to me? It's not like you want to. Should be glad somebody else is occupying my time, so you don't have to." She replied, bringing her eye's down to stare at the water as her head spun a bit from the alcohol.

"You are mine. I don't share,"

"I know! Thank you for reminding me yet again that you don't share, but I have to. You can run off to talk, touch and fuck whoever you want, but I can't. Can't leave the castle, can't choose my clothes, and now apparently, I can't talk to anyone with a dick." She sighed, "All I asked of you was to stay away from her."

"And I chose not to." He replied coldly.

"Fuck you then." She said. The words didn't come out angry or spiteful, just sad, and now she could not stop her tears as they escaped her eyes.

"Baby Girl," He started walking closer.

"Just leave me alone, Lucifer." She interrupted.

"This is our wedding,"

"Oh please, just go spend the rest of the night with her like you wanted to." She hissed, wiping her eyes and throwing the glass into the river. "Tell you what, why don't you bring her my crown? It'll match her dress."

"What do you want from me!" He snapped angrily, "Have I not given you enough? The wine, the pampering, the time you asked for, Azazel. I didn't ask for this either, Kathrine Ann, you act like the victim here, but I don't want this any more than you do, but at least I'm trying."

She genuinely laughed, "You really do think I'm stupid, don't you?" She asked, still chuckling, "Maybe, I am stupid to believe that anything you gave me didn't come with a sour aftertaste. The wine? You dragged me through the streets, telling everybody I was mute while I had no choice but to follow you around like a lost puppy. The pampering? How long were you amused thinking about me being massaged by another of your fuck buddies, leading us right into Azazel? She asked you to find someone else, Lucifer, so don't even try to take credit for that. Besides, her 'replacement'? I would almost rathered you kept fucking my only friend then that power-hungry cunt. And the time I asked for? Yea, thanks so much for not r**ing me yet, asshole. Though I guess you have the right to since you own me." She spat, holding up her left hand, revealing the cold and heavy ring, "A fucking shackle." She laughed again, "I honestly don't know if I should hate or respect you for this one. Brutal but clever."

There was a long pause, "I see the alcohol has made my precious doll brave." His words came out slow, "Paranoid but brave nonetheless. The wine was just a gift, more of an apology for your trouble in Kelil. The massage? Sure, I thought it was a bit funny, but Fernya is the best, and once again, an apology for all the stress I caused by leaving you with all the planning. As far as Azazel, understand that if I want Azazel, I will have her, so sure, she may have asked, but I didn't have to agree. Angelique, feel however you want about it, but I've already explained how to get that to stop, and there are other factors at play. Ones I'm not going to discuss right now. And you are many things, but stupid is not one. Now get up. We're going back to our wedding." He demanded, holding his hand out to her for her to merely glare at him, "I won't leave your side again." She shook her head and turned away, "Damn it, Kathrine Ann!" He threw his hands up in frustration, "I'm new to all of this, okay? I have never been in a relationship, never. Fifty thousand years, I've avoided even having a girlfriend, and now I'm married. I have no idea what to do with you. Look, neither of us wanted this, but I am trying. I'm sorry, I will never be your William or anything remotely close, but I swear on my Grandpapa I'm not trying to hurt you." He admitted taking a couple of deep breaths. "I'll stay away from her for the rest of the evening. I promise, now please come on, you don't want your Prince to be embarrassed by returning to his wedding without his Princess."

"One question and I want an honest and straight answer Lucifer." She demanded.

"Deal." He replied as she slid to the edge of the rock and took his hand so he could guide her down.

"Do you like me? I mean, even a little, or am I just a nuisance to you?" She asked, and he chuckled, wiping the tears trails off her cheeks and fixing the bit of makeup that had run.

"You really have had too much to drink, Baby Girl."

"You promised." She huffed.

"Yes, I like you." He answered.

"What about me?" She lured.

"Now, my turn to make a deal. If you want that answer, then you will behave yourself for the rest of the evening. No more running off, locking arms with men, and please, no more crying. I don't like it." He said, and she stuck out her hand toward him.

"Deal." He grabbed her hand and gave it a light shake.

"You're cute, and you know how much I like cute, also funny whether intending to be or not. You speak your mind, which is refreshing to a man who is used to people bowing their heads and agreeing to whatever I say, and you're so addictingly fun to mess with because you get all huffy, which brings us back to cute. Though I admit, I sometimes take it a bit too far,"

"Sometimes?" Kathrine Ann interrupted.

"Yes, sometimes, and we end up here with me apologizing for being an ass. Yet, as frustrated as you may get with me, you're always willing to hear me out and forgive. Now come on, and no more wine." He said, looping her arm through his as they walked back towards the venue.

"Oh, come on, it's my wedding night!" She pouted, feeling a bit lighter now that she'd vented her frustrations to the person who caused them, "Besides, your behavior has sobered me up quite a bit."

"Fine, one more." He sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, and I didn't say I forgive you." She informed, "I just agreed to return to my wedding."