Kathrine Ann stared at her mirror reflection while brushing her teeth. The shower was on, and the mirror was fogging up a bit, but she paid very little attention to it. It had been almost two weeks since she and Lucifer returned from their camping adventure, and he had been avoiding her. Maybe avoiding wasn't precisely the right word, preoccupied perhaps? He just seemed unusually busy lately. They only had lunch twice, and one of those times was because she went to find him. Also, he had been so insistent on her working with him, but since they returned to the castle, she hadn't received a single assignment. She heard the water stop as she spat out the toothpaste and rinsed her mouth. She had just saved her toothbrush and picked up her hairbrush when Lucifer, in all his glory, emerged from the shower towel drying his hair,

"Good morning, Baby Girl. Big day today, hum?" He smiled, giving his body a quick rub and tossing the towel before walking up behind her and plucking the brush from her hands, "Are you excited?"

"We have an agreement Lucifer." She fussed, glaring at him through the mirror.

With an overdramatic sigh, he walked to his side of the sink, brush still in hand, and picked up his underwear, "I'll never understand why nudity bothers you so much." He muttered, pulling on the tight-fitting garment before walking back to where she stood and holding up his arms as if presenting himself for approval, to which she just rolled her eyes and nodded.

"And to answer your question, no. I am not excited about this little tea party you've forced me into." She huffed as he began to brush out her hair.

"Oh, come now, it will be fun. A bunch of ladies gossiping about scandalous rumors." He encouraged.

"Yea, like, how many women in the room has the Crowned Prince slept with?" She grumbled only to feel a sharp pull on her scalp, "Ouch!"

"Oh, sorry." He scowled, "And I assure you, once again, she will behave herself. Can I say the same about you?"

"Yes, but don't think for one second I'm going to let her disrespect me, Lucifer, and before you open your mouth to 'assure' me again, you need to understand how catty and spiteful women can be, especially about their men." She replied.

"I am not her man." He defended.

"You're more her's than mine." She mumbled under her breath, but she was sure he had caught it from the annoying growl that resonated from his throat, yet he didn't say anything. Probably because he knew she was right as he continued to brush her hair in silence.

"What do you want me to say, my stubborn doll?" He asked after a moment, "No matter how many times or how many ways I tell you she means nothing to me, you always find a way to convince yourself I'm lying." He released an exasperated sigh as he put the brush down on the counter, "I'm starting to think you want me to care about her since you are so insistent that I would rather be with her." Without another word, he left the bathroom.

Kathrine Ann sighed and followed him out. Lucifer vanished into the closet to get dressed. She was already dressed in a high-waisted, short-sleeved, emerald green dress that stopped at her knees in front but flowed to her ankles in the back. She sat on the bed to put on her shoes. She lifted her right foot onto the bed to fasten the small buckle, "Are you going to stop by for lunch?" She called, trying to lessen the tension in the air. She got annoyed anytime Angelique was brought up, which caused Lucifer to be annoyed by her annoyance, but she couldn't help it. Kathrine Ann accepted part of her was attracted to Lucifer and cared for him, and that part that seemed to be growing. The problem was the more it grew, the more she despised his relations with Angelique, no matter how 'necessary' he claimed it was. However, she wasn't ready to give herself over to him completely, so she reminded herself, once again, to take her own advice about having your cake and eating it too.

"Are you sure you want me to?" He asked a minute later as he emerged from the closet, pants on and shirt unbuttoned, allowing her a peek at his very toned chest.

"I'm sure," She answered, putting her right foot down and lifting the left, "I would very much like it if you did. Besides, it would be rude if you didn't properly greet the guest in your castle now, wouldn't it?"

He hummed quizically while buttoning up his white shirt, "If I have time, I'll pass by, but I have a busy schedule today. Some of our servant staff will, sadly, be leaving us, and I need to sign off on their release as well as a few,"

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"Permanent residents to visit." She finished, and he looked up at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Why would you say that?" He asked as he worked on rolling up one of the long sleeves.

"I'm right, aren't I?" She grinned, putting her foot down and waiting for a reply, but he stared with a questioning smirk. "Your shirt. When you go to the chambers, you always wear a white shirt like the ones you force me to sleep in." She pointed out.

"And here I thought you liked wearing my shirts. Baby Girl, you don't have to wear them if you don't want to." He said, moving on to the other sleeve.

"Really?" She asked excitedly at the thought of her own pajamas.

"Of course, you may sleep naked if you like." He grinned cheesily as she huffed at him, "Now, what evidence do you have to back up this shirt theory?"

"You come back covered in blood. Any time you leave in a white shirt, you usually return splattered in blood." She stated with a triumphant smile.

"I'm sorry, my sweet little Watson, but you are wrong." He chuckled as she deflated.

"How?" She mumbled, kicking her feet.

"Simple, the souls punished here are dead. The dead don't bleed." He informed, and she gawked at him. Opening and closing her mouth a couple of times, trying to get her thoughts straight.

"No, that can't be right. There was that witch lady who killed all those kids because she loved your dad or whatever! She was dead, and you came back almost every night covered in blood." She protested.

He smiled, "Well, I'm not lying to you, so use your cute little deduction skills. I know you can figure it out." He teased, finishing up with his sleeves by straightening the rolled cuffs.

Kathrine Ann scrunched her brows and chewed her lip as she processed everything, trying to put the pieces together,

"It wasn't her blood!" She almost shouted, pointing her finger at him but quickly pulling it back.

"Right you are, Baby Girl. It was not her blood. It was demon blood or mine. Physical pain doesn't work on those who are dead because they're dead. The torture we administer in the chambers is psychological, and sometimes a bit of role-playing is involved." He explained, slipping on his shoes.

"But I'm still right...no. Shit! You weren't wearing white with crazy witch lady." She remembered as her shoulders sank, and he turned to the floor mirror.

"No, I wasn't. It was still a valid observation. You just didn't know,"

"Don't. I'm not a child Lucifer. I don't need an A for effort." He looked over his shoulder and was about to speak, "It's just a silly saying from the US that means you still get rewarded with top marks even if you were wrong because you tried really hard. Who are you torturing, and why?" She asked, now curious as to why her mysterious husband's ambiguous job had him torturing living creatures.

"Strange, effort doesn't start with A," He mumbled, "Anyway, both of those have endless possibilities." He hummed, "And the answers you don't need to know." He added, looking over his reflection and combing his hair back with his fingers.

"What? Not fair." She pouted.

"Oh, my sweet little doll. There is a reason only demons enter those chambers." He said, walking over and poking her chest. "Your soul couldn't handle it. Most can't, and the last thing I want is for you to have nightmares because of me." He turned and walked over to his liquor cabinet.

"Too late." She grumbled, crossing her arms like the little child she told him not to treat her as.

"Ouch." He chuckled, taking out two glasses and pouring a shot into each.

"Little early, don't you think?" Kathrine Ann scoffed.

"Usually, yes, but today is an exception." He sighed, walking back and offering her a glass, "For both of us, I think. A nip to take the edge off?"

"Can't hurt, right?" She smiled, taking the glass, "A day of torture got you nervous?"

"Nervous, no, and it's not the torture that I'm dreading." Lucifer sighed, presenting his glass to her. Not sure what he was trying to insinuate, she shrugged it off and mocked his gesture. A clink rang through the room as they both downed their liquor.

"Come on, let's get to breakfast." She stated.

"Wait." He demanded suddenly before dashing into the closet only to reappear a moment later, holding a golden band, "You must wear this for your little party." He stated, handing her a golden band and realizing it was a crown.

"Oh?" She responded, taking it from him, "Sure, okay." She shrugged, slipping the golden ring on her head,

"You don't have to put it on now." He chuckled.

"Well, I'm not going to carry it on my arm. Is it straight?" She replied.

"No, hold on, I'll fix it." Lucifer stepped forward and adjusted the golden crown before pulling her to her feet, "Perfect. Let's go."

"I have a question." She stated as they stepped out into the hall.

"Go on then." He told her as he offered his arm, and she looped hers through.

"Why a white shirt?"

"Easier to see the blood, adds to the fear and desperation which leads to answers." He explained, and silence followed, "I promise, Baby Girl, these are bad people who have done unthinkable things. I don't torture the innocent."

"What about me?" She asked, smirking up at him, "You torture me constantly."

"You must not be completely innocent." He smirked, "Grandpapa wouldn't have given you to me if you were."

She gave him a light shove and pulled her arm from his, "What did this person do? You could at least tell me that." She asked, curiosity eating at her.

"Possession, manufacturing, and the sale of illegal substances." He answered, grabbing hold of her arm and looping it back through his as they walked towards the dining hall.

"Drugs?" She gasped, "You torture people over drugs?"

"No. Drugs are fun. I'm talking about poison, Baby Girl, a very rare, very potent, and very deadly poison."