“She had to have been waiting for it. For him to die. It’s the only explanation. It’s been one day!”

Jaehyun had nervously been pacing around the room while Luna was being shoved into a make-shift wedding dress. Luna had made the most ridiculous requests just to postpone this wedding for as long as she could. Claiming she couldn’t possibly get married without a wedding dress. Without rings. Much to her surprise, Victoria had accommodated her. Too quickly. The servants, their skin a dark red and dirty green unlike Victoria’s, had left her after. It had unmuted Jaehyun. He was clearly in a panic.

“I agree. But I don’t understand why?” Luna could only stare at herself in the mirror. How had she gotten here? The dress wasn’t white. It was a dark green. Too beautiful for what was going to happen really. It still didn’t seem real. It had all happened too fast.

Jaehyun finally came to a halt behind her. “I can’t let you do this. We are going to get you out.”

Luna shook her head. “And what then? This is devils we are dealing with. I doubt they’ll take to my absence kindly.”

“Of course not. But I can’t just-“

Luna turned to face him, “I… might have an idea. I mean, I have an idea. I am just not sure if it will work.”

She bit her lip. It was quite drastic and she wouldn’t even have dared think of it had the situation not been so very dire.

“Okay?” Jaehyun eventually prompted.

“I read a book a few years back about devils. One passage fleetingly mentioned that angel’s blood is like poison to them.”

Jaehyun seemed uncomfortable, “how much blood exactly?”

“Oh, not much. That’s not the issue. I just… I don’t know if we qualify as angels anymore, Jaehyun.”

“Of course, we do. It’s our heritage. Our genes. Even if we don’t have the wings to prove it.”

Luna knew he had never doubted it but she wasn’t as optimistic as him. Well, nothing to lose trying anyway, she supposed.

“But how are we going to-“

“It’s simple. We say it’s a wedding ritual. The exchanging of blood. I will cut my hand, and will request for her to do the same.”

He still seemed uncomfortable, “what if she knows? Wouldn’t she know?”

Luna shrugged, “I don’t know. But we don’t really have anything to lose, right?”

Jaehyun shook his head, “I guess that’s true. You always had the craziest yet the most brilliant ideas, little sis.”

Luna cracked a smile at her brother, “even if you are taller, I’m still older. Don’t ‘little sis’ me.”

He smiled back at her for a moment, before his expression turned grave again. “How long is it supposed to take?”

Luna pursed her lips, “I have read different things. It seems to range from immediately to about two days.”

He pressed his lips together, eyes flicking in between her own. Before Luna was fully aware of what was happening, she was well within his hold. The hug was both comforting as well as frightening. A wake-up call to what was happening.

“Just be careful, little sis.” She just had to tell herself this wasn’t a goodbye hug.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

For all the requests Luna had made, Victoria hadn’t even bothered changing her clothes. Not that it didn’t fit a wedding. Almost as if she had been prepared for it. Her dress was a soft violet colour, working perfectly with her golden skin. A thin, golden sash around her middle kept the dress in shape. She had bare shoulders and arms, with no other jewellery adorning her arms nor neck. Such a simple look and yet, objectively, she looked stunning.

Luna could never find a demon truly and genuinely beautiful though. Creatures of evil. The pair of cold, black eyes would always remind her. If the tail appearing from in between 2 layers of fabric didn’t make it blatantly obvious. Not even speaking about the set of big, intimidating horns. Luna felt nauseous at the realisation she was marrying this creature. This devil. Just for a little while. Their plan had to work. She just hoped her nerves wouldn’t show.

Victoria glanced her way as she and her brother entered the same hall again. The gates were still closed. It seems as if it wouldn’t be a public wedding then. Good. Dark eyes took in her outfit. Victoria didn’t say anything about it, however.

“Okay, let’s get this over with then.” Straight to business. Luna quickly glanced at Jaehyun, noting his balled fists. She hoped he wouldn’t do anything rash. Because there was no way they could face this head on. They had to play smart.

One of the black guards had taken off his helmet, revealing more dark red skin. Almost purple this one. He made his way over to Victoria, opening his hand and presenting two rings in his palm. “Come here,” Victoria commanded, not even looking at her.

Luna took in a deep breath, lifting her dress slightly as she made her way over. She came to a halt in front of the devil woman. Still towering over her.

“Give me your hand.”

She looked down to see Victoria hold out a golden hand to hold onto her own, the other at the ready with a thin, silver ring. She briefly wondered where Victoria had managed to get these so last-minute. Probably stolen from one of her citizens. Luna swallowed a scoff of disgust.

“Wait, there’s another ritual we usually perform during our weddings.” She didn’t dare glance at Jaehyun anymore. Just in case Victoria would pick up on it. Luna kept her eyes strained upon those black ones. Victoria’s face didn’t betray anything. “What is it?” She could tell from the tone of her voice she was getting impatient though. No wonder. Luna had already requested a lot while Victoria just really seemed to want to get it over with. Luna supposed she should be happy about that.

“To signify the bond of marriage, we cut our palms and mingle our blood. We become one.” It made sense. To anybody who didn’t know it was entire bull and that this had never happened before.

Victoria quirked an eyebrow and Luna’s heart dropped. She knew. She knew Luna was trying to kill her. She had to. The silence dragged on and Luna was sure the end was here. She held her breath.

“I’m surprised you’d want that,” she eventually just said.

“If this is the only marriage I am getting, I am doing it right.”

Victoria’s face was still unreadable and Luna tried her hardest not to glance at those black horns. Just the sight of them made her want to cower. They made her want to run away and abandon everything. She had to be brave though. This wasn’t over. Their people lived and so did Jaehyun.

“Fine.” Without moving her gaze from Luna, Victoria held out her palm towards that same black knight again. He wordlessly plucked a knife from his belt, laying it in her palm.

Luna’s heart was beating rapidly now. She was going with it? What if she died on the spot? That would be bad. Luna hoped the process would work slowly. To give them some more time.

Victoria didn’t even hesitate. She ran the blade of the knife along her palm in one fluid motion. Red blood immediately filled her palm.