Demon's Priestess

1.

It took them several days, but finally, they reached the capital of the state. The silver-haired man allowed the woman to rest for the rest of the day, warning that he would come for her at dawn. That night, the young priestess could not sleep a wink, trying to come to terms with her fate.

The next day, the man kept his word and came to take the pink-haired woman to the hall where she was to meet the king. Their journey to the rendezvous point was silent, neither of them even attempting to reach an understanding. However, one thing the woman noticed was how gloomy the palace was. All floors and columns were made of black marble, and the walls of the building were lined with dark blue wallpaper, only here and there there were gold ornaments and paintings.

- Please go inside and wait. - The silver-haired man suddenly said, the woman was so focused on the surroundings that she didn't even notice when they reached the place.
- The king will appear soon. - She looked back again, did she expect that some messenger would suddenly come running and say that it was all a mistake? Maybe, but for the most part, she's reconciled.
So she turned to the door indicated by the man and entered the room.

The room she entered surprised her with its decor. The walls were paneled halfway up in wood, and the rest was cream paint. On the floor, come on, you could hear that they were wooden, there were mats.
The room had several banners bearing the symbol of the royal family and huge windows overlooking the main square, she could tell by the outline of the gate.

The whole room was much brighter and nicer than the rest of the castle she had seen so far. There were already other women in the room who, unlike her, were wearing what she thought were their best outfits, full makeup, and beautifully pinned hair. Although she also noticed a few similar to her, ordinary girls, from the villages.

- I would not have thought that there would be such plebeians here. - The attention of the pink-haired girl was attracted by the words of one of the women who was standing next to her. They were of similar height, although it was hard to tell because of the kennels the blonde had. Her hair is tied up with a purple ribbon in a beautiful long ponytail with bangs combed to the left side. In the same color, she wore a dress that barely reached her knee, with a ribbon of a lighter shade of purple around the skirt. The torso of the dress had a deep neckline and straps tied around the neck, with sewn-on sleeves that hung freely from the woman's shoulders. The whole was tied with a wide, black belt with a bow.
Makeup was the perfect complement. A strong eyeshadow that reflected the color of the blonde's dress, and a powder slightly darker than her complexion perfectly emphasized her beautiful blue eyes, the whole was complemented by a distinctly pink lipstick.

Looking at the blond-haired woman, the young priestess only thought of one thing.

- With all that makeup and dress you look like a yūjo*. - before she realized she spoke her thoughts aloud, which, as could be expected, met with considerable indignation on the part of the blonde. - How dare you- - the blonde in purple was not allowed to finish.
- Please calm down, dear. - another well-dressed woman with beautiful purple hair in a violet dress in a more traditional cut joined the conversation. - No need to start an argument. - Both the presence and tone of the woman's voice were rather timid, but something was reassuring about her.

- That's right, the King will arrive soon. - said the blonde much more calmly, at the mere mention of the man, the pink-haired priestess wanted to leave the room, but she couldn't.

- After all, today he will choose his first concubine! - The joy that gushed from the blond girl disgusted the priestess. How can one be happy with the fate that awaited the unfortunate one who will be chosen by this tyrant?

From behind the two ladies standing in front of the pink-haired girl came another, this one was dressed in a traditional red kimono, wrapped in an orange obi belt. Her hair was blood red, loosely pinned up. What caught the priestess's attention was not only the appearance or the fact that the woman wears glasses but her seriousness. She was a complete contrast to the other two.
- It probably won't be you. - she said standing next to the purple-haired girl. - Hmm, we'll see. -

~~~ × ~~~

The conversation or argument that took place between the women did not last long.

Not long after the red-haired girl approached, a silver-haired man appeared and announced that the king was approaching and the ladies were asked to line up. For almost an hour, the young tyrant walked around the room and looked at the gathered women one by one.
Some stood stiffly, others curtsied slightly, and a few even tried to seduce him in some way.

Until it was the turn of the priestess, the girl stood erect with her hands folded on her kimono, smiling. 'Priestess?'

The black-haired man examined the woman's appearance more closely until he noticed a pale violet rhombus on her forehead. 'Senju's apprentice, huh?'

The girl kept her eyes closed all the time and prayed that the man standing in front of her would leave as soon as possible. 'Could he leave already?' She didn't want to open her eyes, she wasn't sure what she found before her, but she couldn't resist and opened them. The moment she made eye contact with the man, he smiled.

- I choose you, dear priestess. - he said smiling broadly. There was blissful joy in the whole room, all the women present there were happy that it did not hit one of them. - If I may, I would advise you, my King, to reconsider your choice. - she thought about what she said and chose her words carefully, and yet there was a slight uproar in the room and surprise at the young woman's objection.

Everyone present was sure that it would not end in a favorable way for her, but the attitude of the young man surprised everyone. - Thank you for your opinion, but I will not change my decision. - The smile never left the man's lips.

Seeing that her behavior did not work, she decided that there was no need to inhibit herself.
- I hate you. - she said straight to the man's face, it seemed to her that he was moved. However, this time it didn't work it had the opposite effect.

- Unfortunately my dear, the decision has been made. - he said turning around with a smile. - Ladies, - he turned to the three women the girl had spoken to earlier. - I ask you to prepare our dear priestess for this evening. Everyone else can go to their rooms. - He finished his speech and left the room, leaving everyone in silence.

*Yūjo {or Asobime} was a prostitute who did sexual service to men at yukaku (prostitute quarters) or a posting station, and the meaning of yūjo is generally considered "a woman who has her guest make merry."