Hazbin and Helluva Shorts II

Compromise

It had been a few months Stolas and Stella's marriage. Not that they had had a say in the matter. Like all Goetia marriages, it had been arranged. Their parents and the elites had decided on it when they were only children. The only reason they had been set up was to make a child (or, even better, for the elites, children). But neither Stolas nor Stella had wanted this. And, here they were years later, living together as unwilling husband and wife.

Stolas carried out his various duties for the Goetia race and took over some of his father's responsibilities. He wasn't home too often as a result. It was partially to avoid making a child with a woman he had no feelings for. As much as Stolas wanted to be a father, he could never bring himself to sleep with her. Stella kept the mansion in order and distracted herself with parties. Only her closest and most trusted friends knew how sad she was. It wasn't that she didn't like Stolas. He was a wonderful man and definitely husband material. Any woman would be lucky even to date him when Stella never had to. But that was it. There was no love or anything.

Time dragged on. Soon, the Goetia elites began pressuring Stella and asking when she would give an heir to their race. Naturally, it was extremely uncomfortable. Eventually, it reached the point of harassment. And they weren't above taking extreme measures to make her have a child. It was at this point that Stella told Stolas. She couldn't take it anymore. He was furious. And a little mad at her for not telling him sooner. The elites had crossed the line.

Stolas sat with Stella a few nights later. It was time to get serious. Both of them wanted a family. They weren't opposed to that. But neither wanted to sleep together. And sleeping with their respective love interests wasn't an option. The elites were watching them like a hawk waiting. It seemed hopeless until Stella got an idea. In the living world, Human women could get pregnant thanks to something called sperm banks. They could get pregnant by allowing a medical professional to inject them with one of the samples from various men who donated. The proper term for the process was artificial insemination. Of course, Hell didn't have sperm banks. But it did have powerful magic. It was cunning. But that was what Stolas liked about Stella.

The following day Stella called her brother Andrealphus and love interest over Genesis. Stolas also invited his love interest, Erin. They sat in the mansion's meeting room and closed the doors with tea. Stella took charge and explained everything. Usually, Andrealphus would've been against this. But after hearing how the elites had treated his sister, he was enraged. Genesis was also angry. They both supported her without question. And, Stolas was also in her corner, as was Erin. With everyone on board, they started planning. After the meeting concluded, Stella left with Genesis. It was time for a family.

Months passed, and Stella finally had a daughter. She and Stolas named her Octavia. Luckily, Genesis and Stolas both had dark plumage and other similar physical traits. So, suspicion of an affair wouldn't come up at first glance. In addition, Hell didn't have this thing called a paternity test that the living world used to identify the father of a child. Of course, Stolas promised Genesis that he would raise Octavia as his own. And one day, they would have to tell her the truth. But for now, protecting her was the family's first priority. Meanwhile, Erin had had a son. The story was the same. The elites were never told. And that's how the four parents intended to keep it. Nobody was touching the children without laying their life on the line.