To Bewitch a Devil

“I wouldn’t dare, my Lord, I am sorry you saw it that way.”

“You,” Azriel wagged a finger at her. “You are in luck. I’ve got a couple of shoes that would fit you.” He summoned a passing guard. “I’m sure you’d like them.”

Penelope watched with horror as Azriel gave the guard instructions to fetch the shoes. Once he was gone, she whipped her head back to Azriel.

“I would rather not wear the forgotten shoes of...your guests, my Lord.”

Azriel looked humored. “Guests? They are my sister’s shoes.”

Penelope was shot with surprise. She never knew of any family of his, nor had she seen them come visiting.

“You don’t have a sister,” she said as bait, testing his truth.

“And you don’t know me enough to know that,” Azriel said. He ran his hand through her hair, his fingers passing smoothly through her silky tresses. “Perhaps if you spent more time in my company instead of avoiding me all the time, that bit of information and many more might have been yours. So as far as you know it now, those shoes are my sister’s.”

.....

Dangerous grounds, that was where Azriel was threading. Dangerous grounds worse than a battlefield, but he was willing to go all the way in.

“We should...we should get going, my Lord,” Penelope said. She could feel the warmth spread through her, soft, welcoming, like a thick blanket on a cold, rainy night. Azriel’s gaze and touch had the power to make her feel that way.

The guard came in the nick of time, and Penelope saw golden slippers in his hands and fell in love with them at once. She didn’t even need to look at the others before reaching out to them.

“Good eyes,” Azriel commended her, and took them from her hands.

When Penelope saw Azriel crouch in front of her, her eyes widened in shock.

“What are you doing, my Lord?” She backed away.

“Pen,” he called her, looking up at her face. “We’ve wasted enough time as it is. Bring your feet and let me put these shoes on.”

“My Lord, it isn’t...”

“It’s an order, Pen.”

Those words were the only reason Pen pushed herself back to stand in front of him. He took off the shoe on one foot, and donned the new one, which was thankfully a perfect fit. He did the same for the other foot, and all the while, Penelope made sure to avoid eye contact with the guard.

“There you go,” Azriel said. He handed the guard Penelope’s sandals and quirked his lips at the new height Penelope gained from the heels of the golden shoes. He brought forth his hand to her as if asking her for a dance, and Penelope made a side glance at the guard.

“You can go now, this fine lady doesn’t enjoy an audience,” Azriel said to the guard, never taking his eyes off Penelope.

Once she was sure he was gone, Penelope put her hand in Azriel’s, and he pressed a kiss on it before guiding her to his horse. He helped her mount and came in right behind her.

“I really hope the Queen doesn’t keep you for too long,” Azriel said, pressing a kiss on her neck and sending a shiver down Penelope’s spine..

“I do hope it’s good news I am going to meet,” Penelope said.

“Why don’t we just get there first?”

The ride was smooth, and Azriel eased the horse into a trot through the city. Penelope found it easy to relax into him, and with it came a profound appreciation of things around her, the mundanity of it, the ease of the moment.

They arrived at the castle in due time, and as much as Penelope didn’t want to be torn from him, she had to meet with her friend. So she allowed him to carry her down the horse, and Azriel held her in his arms, her feet dangling above the ground.

“Don’t be long,” he said.

“I’ll...try,” was all she managed to say, and he set her down to her feet.

Penelope was guided by a guard to the library and left alone once the doors closed behind her. Rows of shelves stretched out endlessly before her, and it was quiet, not until she heard the sound of feet.

Neera appeared around a shelf toward her, and Penelope braced herself for any verbal onslaught she might have, as Neera had been so quick to dish of late. Instead, Neera began to run to her, and Penelope grew alarmed.

“No, no, no, Neera!” She raised her hands to stop her. “My Queen, please no!”

“Pen!” Neera stopped in front of her. ” was only going to give you a hug!”

Penelope lowered her hands only a bit. She studied Neera, and for the first time, noticed the aura that radiated from her, like the soft touches of the dawn sun.

“I won’t hurt you, I promise,” Neera said, staring at her softly;

“I didn’t mean it that way,” Penelope quickly said. “I was just...”

Scared she might turn the verbal abuse into a physical one? Penelope couldn’t voice her earlier fears without upsetting the Queen, and with the Neera she had gotten used to over the span of several weeks, she wasn’t going to take it lightly.

Neera’s lips wobbled, and tears burst out of her eyes. Penelope was stunned by the unexpectedness of what just happened, and she was still glued to the spot as she watched Neera’s tears stream down her cheeks.

Was she supposed to see her cry? Was it a crime to see the Queen cry and watch? Or to hold her?

“My Queen, I hope all is okay?” Penelope started carefully. Neera nodded and used both her hands to roughly wipe at her face.

“You are even scared of me, Pen,” Neera said, her voice shaking. “I have done so many horrible things to you.”