A soft smile of relief brightened Altair's face as she touched him tenderly this time, the redness from her earlier strike having already healed. He pressed his head into her hand fondly, falling hard for the trap.
"She has silver hair and red-violet eyes." Altair started, and as he began, Leviath stopped pacing and listened. "She's small and delicate and beautiful." The archdemon smiled up at his queen. "I wish you could meet her, I wish you could see she is no bad thing. I feel different, having a friend. I feel more alive. Being alone has hurt me, mother...It's done things to me."
Leviath's eyes narrowed, holding back his own retort and allowing Lilith to respond.
She tapped his nose with her finger, laughing quietly to herself as if it were only the two of them occupying the space. Continuing to rub the back of his head, her laughter quickly concluded into a light sigh, practically pitying the archdemon.
"We understand loneliness all too well, my precious. But we also know and want what's best for you. Do you understand? We're worried."
Although she kept up a delicate smile for Altair, she glanced over at her other half with cold, dead eyes, briefly expressing her distaste.
Retracting her hand from his scalp, she looked down on her pet with an icy coldness and stood.
"Not even a name to remember her by. Nothing but a tease; a taste."
Reaching for his chains, she yanked him upright, dragging him close.
"Fine. If that's all you know, then so be it. For failure to report her identity to a council official, she deserves some sort of punishment, does she not?
The color drained from his face as he was pulled to his feet in a mess of chains. Looking at Lilith fearfully, he shook his head and said, "I won't. I won't hurt her."
Nearby, the king's eyes shut tightly in rage. "How could this have happened to you? You were functioning perfectly at the last meeting, and now you're the biggest mistake I've ever seen! You've taken so much work and so many years to develop into the weapon you are, but look at you now! Useless! A waste of material!" Leviath threw his hands up in complete disbelief. "Ruined!"
Altair's eyes grew shadowy with his own anger as he looked over at the man. "I am all that you made me. If I am ruined, it is by your lack of foresight. What did you think would happen?!" His chains rattled loudly as he gestured to himself with his cuffed hands and raised his voice at the two of them for the first time. "What did you expect from me?! You lock me away my whole life, to watch from the windows as others fight and die for you! You give me wings but not the permission to use them! These chains do not erase the craving I have for the air, for the world! You give me a brain but demand I not use it! It is you who made this mistake! I went! I went on my own! I found a way in, I found a way to another realm and I went to her! She is not to blame! I sought her out, which is what ANY FUCKING ONE WOULD DO AFTER BEING IMPRISONED FOR FIVE THOUSAND YEARS! I AM MORE INTELLIGENT THAN YOU THINK I AM! You call me a waste of materials but it is YOU that has been wasting ME all this time!" While he'd been yelling, Altair's wings had started to stretch from his back, though they got caught in the chains and folded tightly against themselves. He stood for a moment, huffing and growling and wondering why he hadn't lost his head yet. Leviath was watching him, stricken silent. There was both horrified fury and deep approval in his eyes, but he let Lilith speak first if she wished.
The lord's double mirrored the same look in her own eyes, watching as her pet turned rabid. She scoffed, grinning to herself in sinister delight at the first creature to stand up to them in ages. The most powerful archdemon to walk along Limbo, challenging their decisions yet unwilling to strike.
"Do you hear him, dearest?"
Tightening the chain of her pet, she pushed against him, egging him on further.
"He gets out one time and gathers the courage to act like this. Speaking as though his weakness and impatience wouldn't be used by the army of beyond, anyways."
She eyed her pet, cocking her head to the side as she stared at his wings for a moment. With a deep breath, she turned to her other self.
"I remember something about an old plan we discussed at the meeting with General Caligula... Why don't we go through with it, after all? If he remains in my sight any longer, I'll be urged to shatter his skull for willful disobedience."
Altair growled at his mistress as she harassed his chains, finally allowing himself to glare at her with the hatred he'd harbored in his heart all this time. One of his wings slipped through the chains and extended, swiping across the golden table and sending dishes and goblets flying. The air began to vibrate with his growing anger, singeing the angel-silk tablecloth.
His eyes locked with Leviath's as the king instinctually took hold of his sword, while wrapping an arm in front of Lilith protectively. The nearby guards hurried to take up the archdemons chains, and they shielded their faces against the scalding barrier of air he emitted.
Lifting his chin, Altair gave his lord a silent look of 'I'm allowing my bondage. See that.' And in response, Leviath gave him a slow blink. 'I see it.'
"Return him to the Fore." The king commanded tersely, giving Altair one last stare before turning away and pulling Lilith to his side. Altair turned away as well, without bowing, and slammed the opposite doors open, followed by his chaperones.
Lilith felt the wave of anger at her back, and yet stood still as Leviath protectively moved to her side. Of course, neither of them could possibly be harmed, unlike their force of guards escorting the archdemon away. The burn to their skin was transferred elsewhere, sent away to whoever captured her pet's attention.
But being pulled around by Leviath felt like the charge she needed. She wrapped her arms around him, rubbing her face against his chest at the first opportunity.
"Such an unruly gift."
She mumbled into him, not as a complaint, but more as a comment. She lifted her arms up, waiting for him to sheath his sword to hold her as she wished.
As Lilith raised her arms, Leviath sheathed his sword and picked her up by her waist, lifting her high and onto his shoulder as he turned and left the hall. "He bites back, but I see sense in it. It seems the souls used in his making have fused well over time. Well enough to create someone new entirely." The lord stroked the woman's legs with his fingertips, his steps echoing against the stone and his luxurious royal robe dragging behind them as they walked down a corridor. "Someone who yearns to serve us." He pointed out, "And while I would sacrifice everything on this gloriously godforsaken spit of land to make you smile, I don't wish to dispose of him foolishly. Altair must remain our very last security. He simply needs guidance. A teacher that can hone his developed brain and show him how to control himself. I underestimated our power when I built him. I expected him to be stagnant, but it seems we have created life itself- full and legitimate."
He gave one of her legs a kiss, careful not to prod her with his thorny crown. "He needs to be castrated. It will help him focus. Then, a tutor for him. Leave it to me, my dear one. All will be well."
Holding onto him as she settled upon his shoulder, she listened to his valid points, softly agreeing as his voice calmed her.
"I trust you, my brilliance. I would never wish to so easily throw away a gift from you."
Although she couldn't exactly lean forward and return his kiss, she leaned against him, tipping his thorny crown before gently running a hand along his robe and back.
"If he's to be any use to us, then he'll understand, yes. That would do well to calm and keep him from seeing any visitors-- Do you believe he actually left the realm of his own accord? If it's true, and an effect of the souls merging with one another, I'm curious if there's a way to disable it... Ah, but whatever you wish to do with him, my beloved. He's your success."
Leviath scoffed just a little at the term 'success'. "It will take time, but I believe it's possible. I need to look into it."
As they strolled, he lifted a finger in a little wave and one of the guards rushed to his side. "Your Majesty."
"Catch up with Altair's escorts. When they've returned to the Fore, he is to become a eunuch. Tell them to take care."
The soldier bowed low, "Yes, your Highness." Stepping backwards so as to never turn his back to them, he removed himself from their way before gathering a few men and leaving.
"Would you break fast with me?" Leviath asked Lilith, looking up at her with a soft smile.
Lilith paid the guard no mind as Leviath spoke to him, running a hand back up before properly fixing his crown.
"Make sure he's sedated." She added, stifling a yawn.
Straightening her posture, she stared ahead of them, listening to the echo of her mirror's echoing footsteps. As he posed the question, she couldn't help but return his smile with a grin of her own.
"It would be my pleasure to accompany you." She replied alike every morning they had the opportunity to spend together.
Gazing down at him, she held her hand out, gesturing to hold his in turn. She'd go on to lock fingers, stroking her thumb softly against his palm as he carried her to their dining hall.
"Now that the meeting is "rescheduled", we have some extra time to spend this morning, do we not? We needn't create more work for ourselves."
