Page 11 of Crowned A Traitor
“It’s a travesty, hiding in my hovel while you rise in the ranks. We both know how much Father loves those with ambition,” Klara said. In fact, there was nothing the King hated more than ambition. Frendall’s young face had grown stern and handsome in the years they had been apart.
“Come,” Frendall called the Hounds to his side. Klara looked at her furry friends as they joined the opposing team, Frendall was their Commander now. He could end the Hounds’ existence in a split second, even if the boy she had once known had loved the Hounds more than anything on this God-forsaken plane. However, there was a new coldness in Frendall’s eyes she didn’t trust.
“Delighted to see the Mutt has gotten good at following orders,” Klara said glaring at the Demon who went to take her axe. The Demon grunted as the blade burnt its hand. “The Hounds do as I command, perks of the job,” Frendall said puffing out his chest.
“I wasn’t walking about the Hounds,” Klara smirked, and the Demons hissed as she insulted the Commander. “We weren’t expecting you.”
“Does the Heir of Hell have to announce her visits?” Klara asked, hating that she talked of herself in the third person, but reminding Frendall of his place was much too gratifying.
“I suppose not,” Frendall said. Klara glared at the Demons around her, and they promptly took a step back as she reminded them who holds the higher rank.
“Then, I see no reason why your Demons continue blocking my path.” Klara studied their shadowed shapes and sour yellow eyes, their bargained souls now the protectors of their tormentor.
Klara’s hands ached as her magic sensed a threat was close. The Demons lingered in a dark swirling mist as they awaited their orders. “Back to your posts,” Frendall barked, and his tone made Klara jump.
“Easily frightened?” Frendall said his eyes narrowing on her. “I’m not used to you barking orders at Demons.”
“Get used to it.”
Is he against me now?Klara wondered, thinking of how they had held each other as children when Father decided to send her away.
“Can we get a move on? I don’t want to sweat to death out here,” Klara said motioning past Frendall. Her friend was gone, she didn’t know what horrid crimes he had committed to gain those three scars, and she didn’t want to either. Her new home in Kalos waited for her, and one day this would all be a bad memory.
“Your Father will want to see you immediately.”
Klara glared at Frendall’s back as her Hounds followed him up the long hedgerows to the stone steps that led to her Father’s Manor. One of the many things Klara desperately didn’t miss about Hell was the one hundred step climb to the Manor.
When they reached the top, Klara’s chest heaved, and her legs felt numb.
“I see Lilith’s training didn’t increase your stamina,” Frendall strolled past her, unfazed by the thin air and monstrous climb. “I’d like to see you attempt the Fall and then run up those steps,” Klara barked knowing that if she still had a heart, it would have been an easy climb.
Frendall approached the colossal Manor doors embedded with the skulls of Lucifer’s enemies. Frendall placed his hand on the blood seal, and the skulls rearranged themselves to allow Klara and Frendall access.
“What are you smiling about?” Frendall watched her force a smile. “Just so happy to be home.”
Klara looked out to the Maze below, noticing that both the Queens and Lucifer lived high in the clouds.
“The King will be so pleased to hear it,” Frendall said, standing behind her as Klara wondered if the Rulers were trying to reach the Heavens that had rejected them.
???
In silence, Klara studied his perfect posture and wondered if her Father had overseen his training. “Did you miss me?” Klara asked, circling him. Frendall was the orphan son of a Demon and Human. “About as much as you missed me,” Frendall snapped as they stepped inside the Manor. Everyday Klara had missed him, but he didn’t need to know that. Lucifer found and executed the Human swiftly; however, the King never spoke of the Demon who birthed Frendall. Only that the boy had been left on his doorstep as an offering for their crime. From the child’s’ scent, it was hardly a task for the Hounds to capture the Demon responsible. Lucifer could forgive the fraternizing, but the abandonment of a child was unforgivable. Klara put it down to her Father’s daddy issues. As children, Frendall and Klara had grown close in order to survive her Father’s moods.
“The Manor hasn’t changed since I left.” Klara stared at the gothic Manor forged by Lucifer himself. Frendall’s gaze drifted from the winding mahogany staircase to the chandelier hanging from the ceiling and shrugged, “Guess not, you know the King. He doesn’t like change.”
The Manor had remained in the gothic style since the Human Victorian era, Father despised Humans but would never admit to enjoying the architecture of different centuries. The heat stifled Klara as Frendall pressed his hand against the door to seal it. “What?” Klara asked as Frendall studied her hair changing from one colour to the next.
“The King isn’t going to like it,” Frendall frowned, and Klara realized he had never seen her with real hair.
“I’m sure he won’t, let’s hope he doesn’t notice for both our sakes,” Klara said breathing in the rich smell of cinnamon and wood. The smell of home. On her last visit, Klara had left a wig in her wardrobe, and she wondered if it would still be there as her courage waned.
Klara went to the base of the staircase and contemplated a quick dash to her room but hesitated on the bottom step.The King probably gutted my room after my last visit.“Looking for something?” Frendall asked, so deep into the hallway she could barely see him.
“The chandelier is new,” Klara said, not wanting him to see her hesitation. “Since when does Father prefer electricity to fire?” Klara said gazing at the beauty of the shining chandelier in the centre of the foyer. Jewels and gems glittered from the golden arms.
“The King thought it was time for an upgrade,” Frendall shrugged though candles still burnt brightly on every surface.
“Are you coming?” Frendall asked as he continued down the hallway.
