A Hunter's Curse (Closed o/o with Nyx)

Nathaniel led Ember out of the dining hall, shaking his head. "You can be at times, yes, but it makes you special in someways." He glared at the scene before them. Tables scattered, party decorations in disarray, multiple mishaps. "Eating will make you strong, and you need to be strong for the next chapter of our life." He spoke in a way like he knew more than her. Nathaniel took Ember further down the eastern hall, the hall she visited when that went to the war room. "Ember, we're going to look for some interesting things in the storage/spoils room. It is where we store things we take of people we kill, but all items that have not been used in a long while." He ushered her into a library. It's a giant library with thousands of books. In the center of the room, there are couches and a coffee tables. It's calm, but slightly eerie. He pulls on a book located on one of the shelves and a secret room opens up. There are piles of object stored in this room. "Go ahead, dear."

“Because it sets you apart from other stubborn people. Your stubbornness led you to me.” Nathaniel giggled, placing a hand on Ember’s. He was glad that she found some surprise in the library. It was the biggest library in the palace. It held many personal diaries, fairy tails, and guides. “Ohh, about 10,000 or more. There’s a lot.” He unwrapped Ember’s arms from around his, letting her explore the bookshelves while he opened the secret door to the spoils and storage room. “Step inside.” Nathaniel stood by the open door, waiting for Ember to notice.

Nathaniel leaned his head to the side, gazing upon the large library. “You can spend as much time in here as you want, just be mindful of the books. Their condition varies.” He tore away from her to open the door and looked to Ember, nodding his head for her to step inside. Once she did, he followed, forgetting how unkempt this place was. “This.” He paused eye the pedestals with knives and crows on display. “Is all the spoils we take off of humans.” He gestured to the left of the room. “Where we store things not in used like things for the princes and princesses.” He gestured to the right. “And important pieces that are to be kept concealed in glass until used.” He gestures to the middled of the room. He waled over to the few crowns locked away in glass. “These are the crowns used for the princes and princesses. There are a few copies of each incase a couple has more than on child of the same gender.”

Nathaniel laughed looking around. “Ember, I haven’t kill that many people. This collection spans over thousands of years made by many of those who came before me. Plus, all the human tangibles are on the right. From the middle on are important to us demons only. Forged and handcrafted by generations of demons.. the last time the majority of it was used was when my grandparents were taking of my dad.” He paused. “The last prince to live in hell and the first king to sire a half human-half demon child.” He shook his head, gesturing to the organized demonic stuff. “I though you might like to look around in there. You never know what you my find.”

Nathaniel shook his head and sighed. “Maybe like 150. I don’t count how many I kill.” He let Ember wonder around while he took the prince and princesses crown off of their pedestals. “No, my mother is not dead. They present human at birth, developing their demonic side at 5. The mother lives with the suffering knowledge that her child is damned…because as soon as they’re murdered, the child is revived as a demon.” He paused, staring off into the distance. “I was once and half human prince of hell, but I was murdered by an Angel long ago, and was reborn as the demon I was supposed to be.”

Nathaniel placed a hand over his mouth. “Oopsies, but yes, I have murdered more than you’d like to think.” He stepped out of the room, sitting in one of the armchairs in the library. “You might want to sit down. It’s a long story. My father was the king of hell before me. He hadn’t taken up a wife, but he knew he was running out of time. Going to earth, he seduced my mother and.” He paused, choosing his words carefully. “Impregnated my mother. My mother, unfortunately, was already engaged and married my stepfather. Together, they had my half-sister. I was born with royal blood and human blood.” He continued to talk about his calm childhood and how the hunters had let him join them, thinking he was human. “Now, in the middle of a battle, my sister was murdered. The angel of death wanted to take her soul away, but I wouldn’t let it happen. I attack him, but drove a knife through my heart because of fate. Anyway, the human half of my soul and body burned away in my death, resurrecting me as a demon since I was damned since birth. So, yes, I have felt death before, but I woke up as a demon. It doesn’t matter anymore.. it's in the past” He took a deep breath. “And as for my parents, my dad is dead and my mother lives on Earth.” He stood up. “Anyway, why don’t..go check on the decorations.”

Nathaniel left the library, looking sad but determined. He walked along the hall that led into the grand wall. Entering the grand hall, decorations were coming along. Tables were finally put in their places and many decorations hung from the walls. The demons working turned to see Nathaniel and his queen. They froze. “In the nicest way possible, go away, it’s not ready yet!” A demon spoke, trying to direct Nathaniel somewhere else. He rolled his eyes and walked over to the stairs, climbing the left side rather than the right. Nathaniel walked down the hall, entering a grand room dressed in white. There were red and gold accents with pretty designs on the wall. Other seating arrangements were scattered around. A chandelier with diamonds hung above. He walked a red carpet and climbed onto a platform. On this platform was his throne. His throne was black with purple complimenting it. Behind his throne was a magnificent u-shaped window letting in the red light of hell. Nathaniel plopped down on his throne, red light casted over him.

Nathaniel propped his arm up on the arm of the throne, hand holding his head. He look as if he might cry, but also angry. “No my dear.” He croaked. “You didn’t do any wrong. Thinking about my past, my family, I hate it. They took everything away from me, Ember. They took everything I cherished!” Little tears dotted his face, but he tried to cover it up. “The hunters have to die! The angel’s have to die! My sister is dead because of them both! My father was murdered by them, and that forced my mom to live a life of shame! If my dad hadn’t been murdered, he could have raised me, here instead of on earth.” He groaned in despair, bigger tears running down his face. “I was raised the worst way possible!”

Nathaniel struggled to catch a breath, tears of distress and anger stained his face. His hair covered his eyes half away, the big demon lord now crying over his past. He hugged Ember tightly, crying into her shoulder. No amount of words could make it better. Maybe only the promise their children wouldn’t suffer as they both had. Maybe a promise of revenge. Maybe a presentable way to fix the broken. Maybe, after all that, he would feel better.

Nathaniel heaved, catching a hold of his own breath. He kept his head buried in Ember's shoulder, sniffling as he held her tight. His body was shaking slightly, an unusual sight for the big, mighty king. After minutes of silence, he spoke. "How can we be sure, Ember? I want them to have freedom— to know who they are… not locked away, so they're not hurt." His voice was rough. "Is it truly okay?"

Nathaniel leaned his head on her neck, taking a deep breath. “If you say so dear. We’ll kill anything that tries to hurt them.” He kissed her neck softly, lifting his head up. His face was red and stained with tears. His eyes were slightly red and his hair was messy. He still seemed upset.

Nathaniel stared his beloved in her entrancing eyes. He love how gentle she was with him, not many were. “I’ll take your word, my dear, as I cherish your words dearly to my heart.” He smiled back at her.

Nathaniel’s smiled grew, keeping Ember locked in a hug. “Yes, I am better. I’m glad I have you. You make me feel better.” He kissed her back, pushing her closer to him as a child would with a teddy bear. “Never leave me.” He stood up, placing Ember on the throne. He materialized the queen’s crown and placed it gently on her head. It was a black circlet encrusted with red gems. “You look adorable!”

Nathaniel shook his head. “You’re my wife, correct? Then it’s our throne.” He stood her up and spun her around. “Although, it’s my throne by blood and my subjects only see me as the true one to sit upon it.” He giggled, kissing Ember. “But I see differently. We both have crowns.” He snapped his fingers and his was suddenly on his head. It looked similar to Ember’s with a few differences in the design and size of the gems.

Nathaniel raised an eyebrow. “Me? Crazy? How so? But I’ll never change. I will be the way you like me. Purely myself.” He brushed some of her hair forward to flow over her shoulders. He was already wearing his fancy suit, but Ember needed to change her clothes. “Hey dear, I need to you change into something more suitable for our party. You should find some wonderful clothing options in the closet of your room. I’ll walk you to it and wait outside.” He hooked his arm in hers and started to walk to the door of the throne room. Exiting into the hall, he walked her down the hallway and to her bedroom door.