The Damned Demon

Lysandra's eyebrows shot up in surprise at his suggestion. "Overthrow him? Are you serious?" she asked, taken aback by his audacity.

Asher nodded with a serious look and said, "There isn't much time. We will get finished by the likes of Drakar and everyone he is working with or the Hunters, who are hellbent on annihilating us. Before that, we have to take the fight to them. We can't afford to play it safe anymore."

"Annihilate us? The Hunters? Who told you that?" Lysandra asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.

"My cult members. They found out..." Asher quickly explained the WHA's plan to destroy them, revealing details that caused Lysandra's eyes to widen in shock at the audacity of the humans' plans.

"I can't believe it…They had been planning this for dozens of years?..." Lysandra mumbled, feeling unsettled and worried about the future.

"We demons have a clear common enemy, but since everyone in our world is busy killing and fighting each other, we were blind to what the WHA had been planning all these years. But we can destroy the WHA before they can bring their plans to fruition if we combine our strengths. That is why you can't just stay as the queen consort anymore. You must become the Queen," Asher stated firmly, a sense of urgency evident in his voice.

Lysandra closed her eyes briefly, taking a deep breath to process the heavy load of information. Just when she thought Drakar was her only concern, an even greater threat loomed, expanding the scope of her worries.

Asher gently held Lysandra's hand, his voice soft yet reassuring, "You don't have to be afraid of him anymore. You let him terrorize you for all these years by holding your loved ones hostage, making you feel weaker and helpless. But now he has no power over you unless you let him. You are stronger than him if you want to be."

Lysandra opened her eyes slowly, meeting Asher's gaze as he continued, "I am not telling you to challenge him head-on right away. We both know that just killing Drakar alone would serve no purpose. It is his influence we should destroy. We have to dismantle more than 200 years' worth of connections and power he has gathered."

Lysandra's hand trembled slightly under his grip, her voice filled with a mix of skepticism and intrigue, "And how do you suppose I do that in such a short time?" Lysandra inwardly couldn't believe she was even considering his words, but for some reason, she felt inclined to at least hear him out despite how young he was.

"By causing a civil war where you come out on top in the end," Asher stated, the words hanging heavily between them.

"A civil war?" Lysandra echoed, her lips parting in surprise.

Asher nodded with conviction, "Yes, a civil war within your kingdom," he continued to explain, "It might seem impossible since you think Drakar has the support of many, but he doesn't truly have the loyalty of most of his allies. Most of his 'allies' are just those who have been conquered through fear and bloodshed. You know this best since you've subjugated so many clans and small kingdoms under his orders. Now all you need to do is bring them over to your side and promise them freedom from fear and the tyranny of Drakar. Show them that you are and can be different from him if you take over the throne."

Asher inwardly couldn't help but think about Rowena, thanking her for teaching him the important things about uniting the people in a kingdom, especially keeping them happy and content.

Lysandra's gaze sharpened as she considered his proposal, "Promise them freedom from fear? You think they will listen to me if I don't force them?" Lysandra felt a bit surprised that a king like him was thinking of such ways.

As far as she had known and seen, people always succumbed to fear and terror almost instantaneously. It was fast and the most efficient way.

Asher exhaled slowly, choosing his words with care, "I know you've grown up using fear as a tool to command obedience but trust me—that isn't the way to ensure true loyalty. It's merely a means to an end and is only necessary to a certain extent. That's why I said you should show them you are different. Show your sincerity in helping them and ending the suffering of their loved ones, and they will follow you to even the depths of Tartarus to overthrow Drakar. Only you can make this happen since you are the queen consort. You alone have the power to enact this change."

As Asher spoke, Lysandra's fingers tightened around his hand. She couldn't help but once again deeply ponder on his words.

She had seen how Drakar constantly tortured and killed his own subjects and those of his "allies" to keep them in line, and it seemed to work as they hadn't done anything to offend him for so many years.

But this meant that even if she tried to use fear and threaten them to help her, they would have no reason to do so when they feared Drakar more.

This made her realize that fighting fear with fear wasn't the best option here. She had never considered Asher's way ever in the slightest for all these years since it just seemed implausible.

But why was it starting to look a bit hopeful now? Was it because he was the one who told her that she could do it?

She nodded slowly, her expression firming with resolve, "Okay... Since there isn't much time like you said, I have no choice but to at least try your way, even though I'm not accustomed to it."

Asher offered her a soft smile, his eyes gentle. "Just remember, you aren't alone in this fight. I am with you now, and I will help you if there's any trouble, no matter the consequences."

Lysandra's dark, fiery red eyes softened unexpectedly, a spark kindling the warmth that had once again taken root in her heart after all these years. She thought such feelings had long died and would never come back.

Her thoughts swirled in a maelstrom of emotions, as she grappled with the realization that this young alien had somehow managed to reawaken feelings she thought had long been extinguished. The irony was not lost on her - that the ruler of her sworn enemy's kingdom could be the one to revive the embers of her heart.

Without a word, Lysandra's hands rose to cup Asher's face, her fingers tracing the contours of his cheeks as if seeking to memorize every detail.

Her lips, once a thin, determined line, now softened into a gentle, inviting curve. As she leaned in, her mouth met Asher's in a passionate, all-consuming kiss.

Asher's eyebrows shot up in surprise, his eyes widening in astonishment at Lysandra's sudden, bold move. He never expected she would make the first move, considering how she was reluctant to open up her heart to him.

But as their lips touched, he realized she had finally opened up to him and his initial surprise gave way to a deep, abiding passion. His arms wrapped around her curvy waist, pulling her closer as he reciprocated her kiss with equal fervor.

The air around them seemed to vibrate with tension, as if the very fabric of reality was being reshaped by the intensity of their emotions. —

Rowena was standing tall in her throne hall after a protracted meeting with her ministers. The air was thick with the weight of state and war affairs, and all of them left with their backs slightly bent, burdened by their responsibilities and worries of the future.

Things were looking less good as each day passed since they could only survive so much from the resources of the Nightshade Kingdom and after using considerable resources to forge weapons using their Veilstones, it was getting harder to manage the economy and stability of the kingdom.

Rowena knew this and felt that with the 'key' still continuing to consume their most powerful resources, Deviars, to maintain the barrier around the kingdom, they might not last more than two years or less since it seemed to get hungrier with time.

As she prepared to leave, she paused and turned to her royal advisor, Seron, who was waiting a step behind her.

"Have you heard anything about what Drakar has been up to while he was away?" she asked, her voice carrying a mix of curiosity and concern.

Seron's face tightened, reflecting the gravity of her question, "Our spies haven't managed to find much, but what we know is that he has been traveling across various territories on his continent with a large entourage over the past two months. They suggest he might be constructing something significant. However, the details are unclear, as Drakar was extremely cautious with his activities."

Rowena's brow furrowed at the report, "Whatever it is... It can't be good. Keep a constant eye on all our enemies. For the first time in the history of our kingdom, we are being attacked from all sides. But the last thing we can do is let them have their way," she instructed firmly, then turned to leave the throne hall with a swish of her royal robes.

Seron bowed deeply, his voice echoing slightly in the large, ornate hall, "As you wish, Your Majesty."

Exiting the throne hall, Rowena made her way to her study. The crimson sunlight filtering through the window bathed the room in a warm glow, but her thoughts were elsewhere—on Asher, whose duties had increasingly kept him away. She missed him more than ever, though she understood the demands of leadership all too well.

Approaching her desk, Rowena's attention was immediately captured by an ominously wrapped letter, its black seal stark against the polished wood. A dark frown formed on her face as she recalled a similar letter she had received not long ago.

With a hesitant hand, she reached for the letter, half-tempted to burn it into ashes without reading. Curiosity, however, got the better of her, driven by a need to identify the sender who dared to do this again. She broke the seal and unfolded the letter, her eyes scanning the content quickly.

But the words on the paper made her eyes quiver as she read...

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