They couldn't be more different. Ridley is a knight in shining white armor, so perfect in every way that it makes people hardly able to stand him. Prince Vandel on the other hand (aka the evil demon prince of darkness) is the sworn enemy of the king...
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Author's Note: Sharing this AMAZING art from @artbym.m18 on IG of Vandel! The outfit, the crown, the makeup are all stunning!!!! Vandel would kill for this outfit.
Annette
I never thought I'd be back here...especially willingly.
As my small army of knights and I were marched through the demons' ink black halls, it took everything in me to keep from trembling. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't seem to bite back the memory of how terrified I was the first time I had been brought here. One of the knights, Erica, glanced to the demons leading us towards the throne room, then to me.
"Your Majesty, I don't mean to speak out of line but..." she hesitated a moment, waiting for permission to continue.
"Yes?"
"The last time the demons willingly allowed us inside these walls it turned out to be a trap. Who's to say they won't pull the same trickery again?"
"The demons are taking a risk as well letting a human army enter their castle. If it was Victoria we were pleading with it would be different, but Vandel..."
"Is an evil prince who will stop at nothing to gain more power," Erica said sharply.
I shook my head. "He was once, that's true. But I think things are different now...he's different."
If I hadn't been the queen, Erica would most likely have scoffed.
"Demons don't change."
"Trust me, if anyone should be wary of the demon prince, it's me. And yet...I think I've seen his true colors. I believe he will help us, if not to protect Alteria then to protect his own people from the Bone King."
Erica cast me a blank stare. "Well let's hope you're right, Your Majesty. Because if you're wrong..."
I swallowed hard.
She didn't even need to finish the sentence.
If I was wrong about this and we were walking into some kind of trap I had just doomed us all.
As we approached the large iron doors leading into the throne room, I shut my eyes for a moment, sending up a silent prayer to the Gods.
Please, I prayed, please let Vandel prove himself to be someone who would protect the lives of the innocent...even if they aren't his own people.
I knew the demon prince had the heart for it, but would he have the nerve to risk so much just to help us?
And what if Victoria decided to attack us? What if I really was leading my people into a trap? I shook my head, trying to banish the whirlwind of thoughts from my mind. It was too late to go back now. I was the queen and I had made a difficult decision.
