Golden Blooded

11. Wingspan.

The next day was just as boring as the last one had been. He spent the day alone, since Ivan either was in his locked office, or somewhere else doing war meetings. The office stayed locked at all times, and Alfred didn't have anything to unlock it with.

That feeling of chance had long since faded, and now he felt an incredible amount of guilt. He shouldn't have felt that. He didn't know why he felt it. For some reason, he had felt like he could have a moment of control- yet he wasn't supposed to control. He was a General. He listened to orders in every step, and adored Heaven in every breath.

He looked at the door and the knob shook. Ivan seemed to have decided he could be left alone now, as long as he stayed in the bedroom and adjacent living room. If he wanted to leave, he would have to get an escort. He didn't want to bother anyone, so he just decided to stay in the rooms.

Toris walked in, holding a tray. He placed it down on the coffee table and left- he never really wanted to talk with him, and Alfred thought it was fair, considering the circumstances, so he didn't try and bother him. Alfred looked down at the food he was brought. Lemon slices doused in honey and strawberries.

"Thank you," he said, just before the door closed. He heard the demon scoff and felt a pang in his chest. He didn't want Toris to not like him, but he also didn't know how to get Toris to like him. He couldn't bring it up with Ivan because he didn't want to get him in trouble. Maybe Eduard? But he wasn't sure if Eduard liked him either.

This was what he got for being on the side of killers.

No! Heaven didn't like killers, therefore they couldn't be killers. They were never malicious, just powerful. The most powerful of all the realms. They were showing their well-loved strength to everyone else.

That little childs purple eyes rang out behind his eyelids. He rubbed his hands, gulping. Here, he hadn't been asked to kill anybody. It was... pleasant. He thought again of Emma's death, if he did get away. Or Eduard, who was only here to thank Ivan for granting him his life. Even Toris, because nobody deserved to lose anyone they loved.

The door opened and closed, quietly. He looked back, expecting to see Toris again for whatever reason. Instead, two children- a younger girl and Raivis- stood there. Raivis started to shake as soon as his eyes landed on him.

"Papa!" the girl called, paying him no mind. She was as demon as any of them, tanned with cropped black hair. Her eyes were so black that he couldn't tell the difference between the pupil and the iris. Around her neck hung the scarf she probably wrapped around her head when she was outside to escape the cold.

"He's not here right now," Alfred said, standing, "he's having a meeting with another general."

"Oh," the girl said, before tilting her head, "who are you?"

He was taken aback by someone not knowing him. It seemed that everyone knew him by face, yet this little child didn't seem to have the slightest clue.

"My name is Alfred," he crouched down, "what's yours?"

"Evane," she chirped. She looked at Raivis when he grabbed her arm, but only shook him off.

"General Alfred," Raivis whispered, "the one papa fought."

There was a moment of fleeting panic on his face, but Evane seemed to be unaffected. She looked at him, studying him with her dark eyes.

"Why are you here?" Evane said.

He paused. He didn't know how to nicely put that he had become a bed slave so it would be understood by a child as small as this one.

"I... work for your father."