Between Shadows and Flames

11

The clock struck midnight as the Hazbin Hotel lay shrouded in silence, the only sound breaking the stillness was the soft whimpering of Charlie, tears streaming down her face in the darkness. Alastor stirred in his sleep, his keen ears catching the sound of his wife's distress. His eyes snapped open, immediately alert as he reached out to gently shake her, concern etched on his face. "Charlie, my dear, wake up," he whispered, his voice laced with worry. She continued to murmur in her sleep, words of pleading and apology falling from her lips. Alastor's heart clenched at the sight of her pain, his own ears laying flat against his head in sympathy. Suddenly, Charlie's topaz eyes shot open, wide with fear as she scrambled out of their bed and across the room, curling up in a corner as she trembled uncontrollably. Alastor pushed himself up, his instincts taking over as he crossed the room and knelt down in front of her, his hand reaching out tentatively. The blonde demoness flinched at his touch, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps as she stared up at him with wild eyes. Alastor felt a pang of sadness grip his heart as he realized the depth of her fear, the trauma that still haunted her even in her sleep. Through their soul bond, Alastor gently urged Charlie to see him for who he was - her husband, not the monster of her past. Slowly, her fear began to ebb away, replaced by recognition and a flicker of relief as she whispered his name. "A-Al," she breathed, her voice trembling with emotion. Alastor's gaze softened as he cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing away her tears as he searched her eyes for answers. He knew something had triggered her memories, dredging up the pain and nightmares of her past. He needed to understand, to help her heal. "What did he do to you, my queen?" Alastor asked quietly, his voice filled with a mixture of anger and sorrow. Charlie hesitated, her words coming out in a shaky whisper. "S-Sev would a-abuse me both verbally and physically," she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. "He'd... he'd rape me." Alastor's blood ran cold at her words, his hands clenching into fists at the thought of someone hurting his beloved in such a cruel and unforgivable manner. The rage simmered beneath the surface, threatening to spill over as he vowed to protect her, to never let anyone harm her again. "I'll kill him," Alastor growled, his eyes ablaze with anger as he made his vow. "No one will ever hurt you again, my queen. I swear it." Charlie reached out to grasp his hand, her eyes pleading for reassurance as she leaned into his touch. Alastor pulled her into his arms, holding her close as he whispered words of comfort and love, his heart aching for the pain she had endured.

😈The following morning 😇

Liliana, Aurora, and Alarik tiptoed quietly through the halls of the Hazbin Hotel, their little feet barely making a sound on the plush carpeting. They had a mischievous glint in their eyes as they made their way to their parents' bedroom, eager to surprise them with a morning jump. As they reached the door, Liliana, the eldest at six years old, motioned for her siblings to be quiet as she slowly pushed the door open. The room was dimly lit, with the curtains drawn to keep out the bright morning sunlight. The children crept closer to the large bed, where they could see their parents sleeping peacefully. But as they got closer, they noticed something that made them freeze in their tracks. Their father, the King of Hell, Alastor, was sitting up in bed, his signature radio smile gone from his face. In his arms, he held their mother, Charlie, the Queen of Hell, as she slept soundly. Liliana, with her blonde and red ombre hair, stepped forward, her brow furrowed in concern. "Daddy, is Momma okay?" she asked softly, not wanting to wake her mother. Alastor looked down at his daughter, trying to find the right words to explain the situation. "Your mother had a rough night, my dear," he said gently. "She just needs some rest." Liliana's eyes widened in curiosity. "Why did Momma have a rough night, Daddy?" she pressed, her concern growing. Alastor hesitated for a moment, unsure of how much to tell his young children. Finally, he decided to keep it simple. "Your mother had a nightmare, sweetheart," he explained. "But it's nothing for you, Aurora, and Alarik to worry about." The children nodded, understanding their father's words. Alastor smiled gratefully at them before turning the conversation in a different direction. "Would you three like to help Daddy make breakfast for Mommy downstairs in the private kitchen?" he offered, hoping to distract them from the somber mood. Excited at the prospect of helping out in the kitchen, the children eagerly agreed. Alastor scooped up Aurora and Alarik in his arms while Liliana walked beside him, holding his hand. Together, they made their way downstairs to the private kitchen, where Alastor set to work preparing a delicious breakfast for his beloved wife. As they worked together, the children chattered excitedly, asking Alastor questions about cooking and sharing stories about their latest adventures in the hotel. Alastor listened attentively, a warm feeling of contentment spreading through his chest as he spent this precious time with his three fawns. When the breakfast was ready, Alastor ushered the children into the dining room, where they set the table with care. Moments later, Charlie appeared in the doorway, her hair tousled from sleep but a smile on her face at the sight of her family gathered around the table. As they sat down to eat, the children regaled their mother with the story of how they had woken up early to surprise her with breakfast. Charlie listened with joy in her eyes, her heart swelling with love for her husband and children. As the family of five enjoyed their breakfast, Angel and Husk stumbled into the dining room and sat down at the table after grabbing a plate and filling it with food, followed shortly by Vaggie, Cherri, and Niffty. While they are and chatted, Aurora, the oldest of the twins, was animatedly babbling at Husk, who had his normal grumpy expression on his face but it was softened slightly as he listened to the red and black ombre haired girl's chatter, an emerald clad demon came strutting into the dining room and Charlie froze, causing her husband, children and her friends that made up the Hotel's staff to notice that she had tensed. The radio demon followed the young Queen's topaz gaze to the dining room's entrance where Seviathan was standing, a smug grin on his face as he stared at the stag's wife, making Al's ears lay flat against his head as he let out a low growl. Liliana, Alarik and Aurora all looked up at their parents wanting to know what caused the sudden change in demeanor, and the three siblings slowly followed their parents' crimson and topaz gazes to the doorway where the unknown demon was standing. The young demoness narrowed her red eyes not liking the way the man was staring at her mother and her red and black ombre haired twin siblings' ears laid flat against their heads as they each let out a small growl of their own, Rory's crimson and topaz eyes were narrowed just like her older sister's. The same thing with her twin brother's ruby eyes. "Good morning everyone! I see that I'm the last to arrive at breakfast it seems." The emerald demon replied as he stepped further into the room. The young rulers stood up from their seats. "This room is meant for the royal family and the Hotel staff. Guests and patrons are to have breakfast in the main lobby, Seviathan." Charlie replied as she tried to keep her composure in front of everyone. The demon known as Seviathan to the young fawns scanned the room and spotted the three siblings all having a perfect mix of their parents two of them looking like an exact replica of their father, save for the younger girl having mismatched eyes one red and the other topaz while the oldest looked like an exact replica of her mother save for the blonde waves fading into a bright crimson. "Is that so? Well then, I guess I'll take my leave then and allow you all to finish your breakfast. However, you must tell me who these little hellions are. They have quite the striking resemblance of their parents wouldn't you say Charlotte?" Seviathan inquired, turning his attention back to the tense blonde demoness. "They are none of your concern, dear sir. However if you must know, they are mine and my wife's children. Now I suggest that you kindly leave this room and go join the other guests and patrons that are at this hotel in the main lobby for breakfast, or I will personally see that you are escorted back to your room by Razzle and Snazzle, where you will have your breakfast served to you in a paper bag." Alastor replied not unkindly. The air in the room popping with static. Seviathan took one last look at the group his eyes lingering on Liliana a little too long for the radio demon's liking, before leaving. The second the emerald demon was gone, Charlie let out a small breath that she didn't know she was holding and turned to her husband. Should we let my parents know that he's here? Alastor looked down at his wife. It would be for the best my love. Not to mention, I don't want him anywhere near our children. Perhaps Lucifer and Lilith would be willing to oversee Hell while you're ex is here? Charlie swallowed hard before looking at her children who were looking at them with confused looks. I can give them a call, but I believe that we should keep things the way they are except maybe we should stay at the castle while Seviathan is here for the next three months. The crimson stag demon let out a soft sigh. Who will run the hotel while we are at the castle? I'm not trusting it to our effeminate fellow. Alastor replied. I was thinking more along the lines of Vaggie, Velvette and Husk. Charlie replied with a smile.