Lovely (Ruby x Dyrroth)

ten

Dyrroth had barely gotten himself any rest yesterday night. Millions of thoughts had lingered in his mind, simply refusing to go away. 

He was stressed as Hell. Oh, if only he could exchange roles with someone who could live leisurely for a day. The only part of being the Prince of the Abyss that was entertaining was ordering around the people who acted all high and mighty, like Selena. Maybe even Thamuz. But every other aspect sucked.

And now, the one person who was supposed to be an individual he could trust had completely vanished. 

'Mom! Mom, where are you?' hollered Dyrroth, searching the parts of the Abyss that Alice often disappeared to without informing anyone. That freaking unreliable woman. 'Alice?'

'You're looking for Alice?' A curious, womanly voice drifted towards him from behind. Dyrroth had already begun rolling his eyes to the skies before he'd even properly looked at the person who'd spoken. Of course Selena had to turn up now, of all times. 

Dyrroth gritted his teeth and exhaled through his nose. Don't lose your cool. 'Yes, I am. But I don't need your help.' He sped up his walking pace, trying to get away from her as fast as possible without making it obvious.

'You sure about that?' she asked, saccharine sweet. She slung both arms around Dyrroth's neck flirtatiously, in a far too familiar way that made Dyrroth feel extremely uncomfortable. Why, oh why couldn't Selena just understand that he didn't like her? Was he not making it clear enough?

He groaned in frustration. 'For God's sake, Selena, just leave me alone for once!' He wormed his way out of her embrace, face twisted into a vitriolic scowl. Selena giggled teasingly in response, wriggling her fingers at him in farewell as Dyrroth very pointedly fast-walked away from her. He didn't get what on Earth she was finding so funny.

'I'm back, Son.'

Dyrroth lifted his gaze from the ground to see that Alice had suddenly materialized in front of him in a flash of vibrant purple, Moskov standing to her left. What fresh hell is this? thought Dyrroth, annoyed. 

That was when he laid his eyes on the small, pale figure in front of his mother, who was trembling , transfixed with fear by the blade that Alice was pressing against her throat. For whatever reason, his insides did something very stupid, his heart skipping a beat.

The sight of his mother threatening Ruby in such a violent way enraged him. 'Mom, what the Hell is this?' Dyrroth protested indignantly. 'Let the girl go. You don't have to be so brutal.' Ruby's emerald eyes widened slightly in recognition when she noticed him. He hoped the subtle look of warm appreciation in her eyes wasn't just his imagination.

Alice's evil smirk only broadened at her adopted son's defiance. Just then, a sudden realisation hit Dyrroth. 

This was a test. All of it. Alice was doing everything with only one intention: To find out what his relationship with Ruby was. He'd known all along that  Alice hadn't bought his made-up story the day before. He had no choice but to pretend he harboured no feelings for Ruby now. A lie, to cover up a lie. He silently scrutinized the two other humans that Alice and Moskov had captured. One was a slender young woman with long, snowy white hair. Her hands were bound tight with rope. The other was a boy who hardly looked ten years old, and was writhing angrily as Alice held him suspended in the air.

'I see you recognize each other,' said Alice. The sharpness in her voice didn't match the look of malicious satisfaction on her face. 

Dyrroth shook his head. 'I do recognize her, but not the way you're insinuating,' he responded dryly. 'Care to explain why you disappeared without any sort of warning whatsoever and then returned with three humans?'