I stood in the middle of my bed chambers as a flash of crackling energy surrounded me. I waited a moment as I watched as my leading lady Crimson appeared before me. She appeared more hostile than usual as her nostrils seemed to flare and her body seemed tense. At this point I knew she had heard by now of me handing over one of our beloved fiends to Théoden to kill. And therefor I knew she was going to rip into me.

“I can’t believe you just handed over a fiend!” Crimson shouted at me, her voice sharp and filled with fury. The anger radiated off her like heat from a fire, and I could feel it prickling at the back of my neck. I knew she was furious about my decision to turn over that fiend, but I still stood by my choice.

“She overstepped!” I shot back, my voice rising to match her intensity. “Hell, she tried to kill all of us!” The weight of the situation hung heavy in the air, thick with the remnants of recent chaos. As the fiend I sentenced to death tried to kill all of us with poison. Hell, I hate to admit but if it wasn't for Théoden, we all be dead... well maybe not all of us, some would just have a severe stomach ache for an unknown amount of time. And that time depending on the amount of poison that we all took in that day.

Crimson rolled her eyes, a gesture laden with exasperation. “She was just getting done what you couldn’t…” Her tone was dismissive, and it only fueled the fire burning inside me. I knew that she was bothered by the closeness I was getting with Maria. Hell, I even knew that maybe deep down that Crimson liked me. Regardless, I knew she was getting agitated that I was taking time in completing what we set to do more than a year ago now.

“Wait… What?” The words tumbled out in disbelief. As her words made it seem that she sent the fiend after us.

“Please,” she scoffed, crossing her arms defiantly. “You aren’t the only one that the fiends listen to.”

I felt my patience thinning as I stormed up to her, my breath coming in heavy bursts. “I… I can’t believe you!” I growled, frustration spilling over. I was angered. I was angered at the fact that she attempted to murder myself and my prize.

“Please… if it wasn’t for me, we wouldn’t have the upper hand,” she countered, her voice steady despite the heat of the argument.

She had a point, and I couldn't deny it. I had her working for the damned Council for a few years now, leveraging her abilities for our cause. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down before proceeding, knowing that a level head was crucial in moments like this. “Look, I am grateful for your aid in this. However, I cannot risk failure at this point. We are too far deep into this.” That was also true. Her simple act of fowl behavior could easily impact our overall plan.

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“Mhm,” she replied.

“Regardless, having her poison everyone was foolish. It put us all at risk,” I pressed on, my resolve firm. “That’s why I had to hand her over to Théoden. I hated doing that, but the course of action left me no choice.”

Crimson took a deep breath that mirrored mine, a moment of silence stretching between us as she processed my words. “Fair point. Look, I am sorry for overstepping. I just cannot stand how slow this plan is going. We should already be ruling over the Isle! Instead, we are taking baby steps toward our goal.” Her frustration was palpable, and I could see the tension in her posture.

I placed my hand gently upon her heated cheek, feeling the warmth radiate from her skin. “Look, my dear, I know. However, things need to be delicate here. I know we could just rip the roof off this castle, but for the other two kingdoms not to attack us, we need to take it slow.” That was the truth. I may have had an army from Hell at our side and ready to go but even the strongest armies couldn't withstand facing not one but three kingdoms in a heated battle.

She rested her head against my hand, closing her eyes briefly as if seeking solace in my touch. “I get it. I am just used to our fast-paced battles of the Nine Hells.” Her voice softened, revealing a vulnerability beneath her fierce exterior. She wasn't wrong on that one either. I missed those days of constant fight after fight. However, I knew this plane wasn't nothing like the Nine Hells. It was more ordered and less chaotic. It was calm before the storm. And in order to complete things correctly that was how we needed to be. Calm before the storm.

“I understand that, my dear, trust me,” I replied, my thumb brushing against her cheek in a soothing motion. “Having a few hundred wars in a year versus this slow creep… sometimes I just want to rip off the band-aid and get it over with, but patience is key here.” I hoped my voice was reassuring enough to not have her overstep me again. However, knowing Crimson, I doubted that real quick.

Her eyes fluttered open again, locking onto mine with an intensity that made my heart race. “You know she’s training to kill you, right?”

“Yeah… I kind of figured that one out,” I admitted, a wry smile tugging at my lips.

“How?” She seemed genuinely surprised that I had already pieced that together.

“Spies,” I said, my tone casual as I shrugged. The truth was, I had eyes and ears everywhere no matter how hard they tried to avoid them. Stupid spells..

“Are you worried that she will be able to defeat you?” Crimson asked, a hint of concern threading through her voice.

I smiled at her, confidence swelling within me. “Nope. Not a chance.” My tone was light, but I meant it. I had faced countless foes and emerged victorious; this would be no different.

We stood in silence for a moment, the tension between us ebbing away, replaced by a sense of understanding. Then, unexpectedly, Crimson leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss against my lips. The world around us faded as I melted into the kiss, savoring the warmth and connection we shared.

“When this is over and the bonded pair is deceased, you will be mine, right?” she asked, her voice husky with emotion as she pulled back slightly to meet my gaze.

I smiled beneath her lips, feeling a thrill at the thought. “Yes…” I breathed, my heart racing as I fell deeper into her kiss.