Demon Queened Ch 65

Abigail

I twisted and turned, studying myself in the full length mirror I'd put in Devilla's room. I looked pretty damn good! The backless red dress Chloe had picked out for me clung to my curves, showing off my chest. The twins may have been smaller than Devilla's titantic tits, but they were still a perfectly fine size! The skirt, meanwhile, flared out from around my upper thighs. I'd have to be careful not to flash anyone today. I wouldn't want anyone thinking I was trying to proposition them in the middle of a date.

"You look pretty!" came a voice from behind me, almost making me jump. I just barely managed to maintain my composure, though, turning around and forcing myself to smile at the newcomer as she continued speaking. "I love your dress!"

"Thanks," I said, plucking at the skirt. I couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious all of a sudden, as ridiculous as that was. It wasn't like I

actually

cared

what Lucy thought... Did I? I hadn't even wanted to go on a date with her in the first place! "Chloe picked it out. She said it would make you go gaga over me or something."

"It does do a very good job of showing off how attractive you are!" she told me. "I think you'd look even better without it, though!"

"That's... Kinda sweet? A bit too early in the date, though. Like,

way

too early. That was the sort of thing you said

after

a really nice dinner or something." What sort of idiot would try and start the date with it?

"Oh... Sorry! Eena said it would be impolite if I didn't mention how pretty I found you. And that you'd probably get upset if I didn't mention your body..."

"Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure Devilla learned everything she 'knows' about romance from a combination of maid gossip and bad romance novels... Take whatever she tells you with a mountain of salt, alright?"

"So I probably shouldn't expect sex on the first date, then?" Lucy asked.

"I mean, I don't see why we

wouldn't

sleep together if everything goes well, but... Maybe don't bring that up until after we know we click well enough?"

Lucy nodded happily. "That's fine! Where are we going on our date first?"

"To a play," I told her. "Chloe got me tickets. But before that, I think there's something

else

we need to worry about..."

"What's that?" Lucy asked.

The sheer innocence with which she asked it, the sheer

obliviousness

to obvious problems... I couldn't help pressing a palm against my face and sighing as I wondered just what I'd done to deserve a life like this.

"You're wearing a fortune in metal, Lucy. Not to mention the fact that it's

armor."

"Oh!" Lucy said, her mouth a perfect little 'o' of surprise. "...I didn't bring any extra clothes with me, though!"

"Yeah, Chloe figured that would happen, so she picked some dresses out for you too," I told her, pointing towards the bed where several outfits had been laid out. "The girl is so thorough it's kinda scary

."

"She does seem to have put a lot of thought into our date," Lucy agreed. "But I think it's nice of her! I mean, I don't really know about you, but I'm actually really nervous about this date! I've never tried going out with more than one person before. Or with anyone at all except Eena, for that matter! I don't know a lot about polyamory, either, so I'm not really sure what to expect in the future if things go well. Not to mention all my worries about what might happen if things go bad... I try not to think about it too much, but it's hard not to worry!"

"Regretting this whole thing then?" I asked. "If you'd just left it with me pining after her then you'd never have been in this mess."

"Maybe," Lucy agreed. "But I'd rather follow my heart and be hurt than go against what I'm meant to stand for!"

Death and destruction?

I wanted to ask. I didn't say anything, though. I wasn't going to lash out at Devilla's girlfriend... and potentially

my

future girlfriend... just because she'd figured out her feelings for Devilla before I could. "Should I ask what that is? Or are you going to spill it on your own?"

"A better future! A world where everyone, both humans and demons, can feel safe and happy! To make that happen it's not enough to just chase my own happiness! I have to help other people, too!"

"Even if it could cost you everything?" I questioned her, unable to help myself.

"I don't think it will!" she replied with a smile. "But even if it does, I don't think I'll regret it. I'll always know I did my best!"

Yep, there's another stab of guilt for thinking ill of her. She really was too pure. "Ugh... I don't even know why I'm bothering to rehash this. You already said everything last time we talked about this, right? So just... just pick a dress so that we can get going, alright?"

"Alright!" Lucy agreed, turning her attention to the outfits Chloe had laid out.

I didn't really bother paying much attention to Lucy as she hopped from outfit to outfit, picking up articles of clothing and holding them up against herself so she could study the results in the mirror. I didn't want to think about how her excitement was sort of cute. Or how she really was just a girl trying her best to do right by everyone, while I grumbled and groaned about being dragged along for the ride.

There was one thought I couldn't block out, though, no matter how hard I tried. The fact that the Heroine - the enemy of all demon-kind, slayer of queens and heroes, the real life boogeyman most parents wouldn't even dare to terrorize their children with, out of a deep rooted fear of her appearance? She was kind of a dork.

"You must

really

like playing dress up," I remarked. More for something to say than anything, honestly.

Lucy shook her head in response for a bit before pausing and tilting her head in thought.. "It's not that. Well, not

just

that at least! It

is

really nice to do something so normal, but I'm also just really happy that you went through all the trouble of picking things out for me! That's why I want to make sure I put proper thought into the outfit I wear!"

"Chloe prepared them, not me," I replied, rolling my eyes. Not that she'd be able to tell. "Honestly, you can go in anything for all I care. I'm sure you can pull any of them off."

"I'm pretty sure pulling them off is what you do at the

end

of the date," Lucy said with a giggle. "And even if you're not the one who picked out the dresses, I still want to look pretty for you!"

"Yeah, well... you'd look pretty good in anything, if I'm being honest, alright? Just pick something that goes with your eyes or whatever and let's get going or we're going to be late to the theater!"

"Alright," Lucy agreed, putting the black dress she was holding down. She picked up a red crop top and a small black skirt. "Is it okay if I wear something less formal, then? I almost never get to wear casual clothes!"

"What? You're not going to tell me you're in that armor twenty four seven or anything, are you?" I asked, arching an eyebrow. "Because that's some serious commitment to the job."

"I mean, I

am

pretty committed," Lucy said, "but I don't

always

wear it. Sometimes I wear formal dresses and stuff, too! That's mostly just when I'm meeting with nobles and such, though."

"What about when you just want to relax?" I asked, curious despite myself. "You've gotta take some 'you' time

sometimes,

right?"

"I mean, it's not like being me and being the Heroine are two different things to me," Lucy replied. "I like helping people! And I get a lot of 'me' time when I'm traveling, too - or I did before I joined with Eena, I guess? Not to mention Feyra, Grell, and Dyona..."

"But you can't be like this

all

the time, can you?" I pressed. "So... happy and upbeat. It's gotta get tiring, right?"

"I wouldn't say tiring," Lucy replied, reaching for her hair so that she could wind a few strands around her finger. "It can be

hard

sometimes when things aren't going well, or when I mess something up... It's really lonely, too, since most people treat me like I'm just the Heroine and not a living, breathing person....It's part of why getting to play dress up and pick out pretty outfits for our date is so fun for me."

"That sounds pretty tiring to

me

."

"It's also really rewarding, though! Knowing I'm making a difference, and that just my presence can bring people hope makes me feel good! Plus, it hasn't been lonely anymore since Eena joined me!"

"That just makes it worth it, not...

not

tiring."

"Tiring implies I get tired of it, though!" Lucy protested.

"No, it means that it's

hard.

You think I don't find it tiring to help Devilla? I still do it. It still makes me

happy

to know that I'm helping her. That doesn't stop me from moaning, groaning, and just generally bemoaning what a mess she is or all the trouble she leaves in her wake. I'll never tire of it, but I can sure as hell be tired out

by

it."

"I don't like complaining about it, though," Lucy protested. "What if I make people feel like they're putting something on me? I want them to know that I'm here for them because I

want

to be!"

"Then don't complain to

people

. Complain to Devilla - hell, complain to

me.

We're dating now, aren't we? I'm pretty sure listening to each other's petty complaints is part of the deal."

Lucy didn't say anything for a moment. I almost thought I'd upset her or something. "...You know, I think I can see why Eena values you so much... You're really good at cutting to the heart of things, aren't you?"

"I'm just speaking my mind," I told her, rolling my eyes again. "Not like I'm dropping ancient wisdom here or anything. Now go on and get dressed! I wasn't kidding about us running late if you don't hurry."

"Right!" Lucy declared, immediately starting to strip herself of her armor.

So much for getting undressed at the

end

of the date. Not that I was complaining... If anything, I was just grateful for the fact that no one could tell where I was looking, because I was staring at Lucy

hard

while she was changing into the new clothes.

Not that she couldn't guess as much, in all likelihood - nobody took

that

long to change without an audience - but... well, it did seem like I suddenly had a new reason to be looking forward to the end of the date.

***

Lucy

***

Watching the play with Abigail was really fun and we even made it on time! It was about two women, a goblin and catgirl, fighting to win the heart of an orc. They did all sorts of things to sabotage each other, but the more they fought with each other the more they got to know each other, and eventually they fell for one another too! It was kind of funny to watch them both complain to their friends about how they were in love with their rival and panicking about how to approach each other. It ended up working out fine, though, since all three of them got together in the end!

I couldn't help but think Chloe had chosen this play on purpose. It wasn't an exact match for my situation with Abigail - it's not like we were fighting over Eena or anything! - but it was nice to see polyamory in action, even if it was only as part of a play. Abigail didn't seem to appreciate it as much as I did from the way she scowled as we left, though.

"Is everything okay?" I asked her, hoping she'd be honest and admit that something was wrong. I didn't want to push her, and I wouldn't say anything if she lied, but it was definitely better to get things like this out in the open!

"It's fine," she lied instead. I think she must have seen my expression though, because a moment later she let out a sigh. "Ok, fine. I just can't refuse that cute sad expression... I'm annoyed that Chloe thinks

I

need a lesson on polyamory shoved down my throat, alright? I already know going through you is the only way I'm ever going to be with Devilla."

"I don't think that was the point," I replied, wanting to defend Chloe. She'd put a lot of thought into this date from what I could tell! "I think she just wanted us, or maybe even just

me

, to learn more about polyamory? Or maybe she wanted us to see a positive relationship? It was really educational and encouraging for me! Plus, I think it helped me understand demon culture a bit better... I mean, there were so many different types of demons in the play all getting along together! I always imagined there being little enclaves of each species..."

"Yeah, well, it used to be like that according to my old history lessons," Abigail told me. "Villages of mostly one type of monster girl or another, but when humans started lumping us all together we had to

band

together. We

do

still have

some

'enclaves' - I mean, almost all the harpies live in Mipha's territory, for example - but it's... different. If a harpy falls in love with a lizard girl, or if a cat girl wants to date a mouse girl, there's no prejudice or anything."

"What if a demon wants to marry a human?" I asked, unable to help myself.

"Yeah, like that would ever happen..." Abigail muttered before glancing up at my sunhat. She'd insisted I wear it - said that people would probably assume I had non-human features under it if I did. "Humans aren't exactly

popular

around here, you know? Even if most of us have never actually even seen one before..."

"Not every human is involved in the war effort... A lot of them just assume the worst about demons because it's all they've ever been told. I think Eena's journey so far is proof that people can overcome that, though!"

"Maybe," Abigail agreed with a shrug. "But still. You're sort of the stuff of

nightmares

for most of us. We

all

know, deep down, that it's only a matter of time before you, or someone like you, wipes us all out... Even if it's just an abstract concept for most of us, it's still pretty damn hard to see humans in a potential romantic light."

"Do you think that could change?" I asked curious. It wasn't like I

needed

Abigail to fall in love with me for things to work out. As long as we could get along well enough to not cause any trouble for Eena, I was sure everything would be fine! That didn't mean I wasn't going to put my best effort into getting to know Abigail, though! If we could all end up together, I was sure it would be even better!

I don't think Abigail shared my optimism, though. She just sort of shrugged and then started looking around.

"Chloe told me I'd know where to go after the play somehow, but-"

At that moment something ran by us, so fast its form seemed to blur. Which was weird, since it didn't seem to actually be moving

that

fast. Just... fast enough that I didn't quite react in time when it bumped into Abigail and then kept going.

"What the..." Abigail muttered before suddenly paling and patting her waist. "My purse!"

My eyes widened and I was instantly on alert. "They went that way!" I declared, pointed toward the figure. They must have been using magic or

something

, because even now that I was focusing on them they were still nothing more than a blur of red and black to me. Unless it was just a feature for some sort of monster girl I didn't know about?

Either way, it was pretty obvious what I had to do. Grabbing hold of Abigail's hand, I ran after the blurred being.

"Wait!" Abigail called out, trailing behind me. "I'm not that great at the whole running thing!"

"Really?" I asked. "Even though you're... you know?" A demon. I might have been the Heroine, but I was still just starting out - I shouldn't be

that

much stronger than the average demon. I could even be called weaker than some of them as Chloe had proven.

"Yeah, well, athletics have never been my strong suit..." Abigail muttered. "Something about my Mom not getting enough lust when she was pregnant with me? I don't know."

It sounded like there was a story there, but I didn't think Abigail wanted to share it right now. Instead I did what I thought Eena would do in this situation - I scooped Abigail up into a bridal carry and kept running!

"Hey!" she protested, her wings flexing a little as she settled into my arms. They made carrying her a bit awkward, but with Abigail shifting herself into the right position - despite her protests - I was still able to keep hold of her and continue pursuing the shadowy figure.

"Sorry!" I told Abigail as we neared some trees. "I think they're going into the forest!"

"It's a park," Abigail replied. I could tell she was a little disgruntled, but I didn't have time to pay attention to that right then. Just like I didn't have time to ask how a forest (or a park?) could possibly grow inside a tower. Maybe some sort of holy magic or magic from another demon I didn't know of?

Either way, I kept running after the blurred figure while still carrying Abigail. She, because this had to be

some

kind of monster girl, weaved her way through trees with ease, often leaving me to force my way through paths she could just slip through. I could feel twigs and branches breaking against my skin, but it didn't bother me. I just did my best to make sure I'd take the brunt of the impact instead of Abigail and kept going.

Eventually my chase led me to a clearing. In the center of it was a large red and white blanket with a wicker basket in the center. At the edge closest to us was Abigail's purse with a piece of paper tucked beneath. The blurred figure was nowhere in sight.

"...Dammit Chloe!" Abigail shouted from my arms, wiggling around a little. "Let me down!"

"You think Chloe did this?" I asked while gently lowering Abigail to the floor.

She didn't respond right away, but instead stomped her way over to her purse and the paper underneath. "...It says that we're free to talk here. She'll make sure nobody overhears us... Fuck. There was probably someone following us, wasn't there?"

"Do you think they know who I am?" I asked. I was a little worried. I knew I'd taken a risk coming here, after all, even if I

was

pretty sure that Devilla's friends and family could sort anything out for us if necessary. It would probably look really bad for Devilla if people knew she'd brought a human into the tower, though - let alone the Heroine!

Abigail shook her head, though. "It's not

you

they're after. Nivera warned me I was becoming a 'person of interest' by hanging around with Devilla so much... I didn't think anyone would be

following

me, though."

"Are you in danger?" I asked, looking around.

"No," Abigail said hurriedly. "I don't think anyone's dumb enough to actually try to kill Devilla's only known friend. Or at least nobody has said anything about it being a possibility... I'm just under observation for now, whatever that means."

"It means spies, I think," I told her. "I'm used to being under lots of eyes, though, so I know what I can and can't say in public! I don't think we really discussed anything that would cause trouble."

"Yeah, well, I guess that's why Chloe decided to put us somewhere she could guard us. I'm pretty damn sure she could have pulled this off

without

stealing my purse!" Abigail raised her voice towards the end, yelling at the trees around us.

"At least she gave it back?"

"Yeah. Small favors," Abigail grumbled, looking into her purse. I was pretty sure she rolled her eyes while she said that. "At least there's nothing missing. Hell, I think she might have

added

a couple coins while she was at it."

A soft giggling sound, carried on the wind, made me and Abigail tense for a moment before we realized who it must have come from.