Cinderella (Obey Me) Part 5
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
The house of lamentation was quieter than usual, Asmodeus noted silently. He usually didn’t care about what his brothers were up to, there were more important matters such as his skin care routine or the latest gossip on devilgram. But ever since the past four nights, his older brothers seem to be strangely quiet and even eager for the ball they once were annoyed to attend. He had no idea what had changed so swiftly. Even Levi was excited to go. Levi!
Asmodeus paused as he passed Lucifer’s door, hearing something from behind the door. Being his nosy self, he couldn’t help but press his ear against the door and try to listen in. He could hear Lucifer’s voice muffled from inside along with Diavolo’s. Ooooo! Were they having a secret affair? Asmodeus liked the idea of that!
“I don’t like it. That human ought to keep their nose down and stay out of trouble. Not interact with my brothers,” Lucifer said with firm protectiveness.
For a moment Asmodeus wondered if he was talking about Solomon.
“The human is new to the Devildom and probably has no idea who your brothers are. It’s part of why we agreed on a masquerade,” Diavolo calmly reminded his old friend.
Boo. It wasn’t about his human. He suddenly felt less interested in their dull conversation.
“Mammon, Levi, and now Satan are all looking for this human each night. We cannot let our guard down. Next thing you know, we’ll have Asmodeus trying to bed them or Belphegore trying to strangle them.”
Asmodeus felt slightly offended. Not for his little brother’s case, since he knew Belphegore was still angry with humanity after the Lilith incident. He was offended for his own sake! As if he would seduce some lowly human who didn’t even have magic! Asmo pulled away from the door, refusing to hear any more slander as he huffed his way to his room. Sure, he had a reputation for being flirtatious and lustful and willing to bed almost any demon… but he had standards!
Did Lucifer really see him like that?
_____________________________________
Tonight, you were ready. There would be no surprises, no sudden falls or unexpected transitions. You had done your hair nicely, put on a simple but clean outfit and sat on your mattress, patiently waiting to be whisked away to the Devildom once more. Yes, the Barbatos butler guy would still transform your outfit into a lovely piece with dazzling glass shoewear but you were done letting him catch you in your pajamas. You waited impatiently, twiddling your thumbs as you kept an eye on the time. The minutes were hours. Every creak of the apartment you lifted your head expectantly. For a moment, you wondered if you were going insane. Then… you heard gentle music.
A waltz. And it was coming from the bathroom. Your brows furrowed in confusion as you entered the bathroom, slowly pushing the creaking door open. Would you travel by bathtub again? The music echoed from the mirror, luring you in like a siren’s song. You placed your hand upon the glass, and a hand reached out suddenly, gently grabbing yours and pulled you in. Even if the mirror was too small, you somehow teleported through. On the other side, you were standing in a lovely hall with Barbatos observing you closely.
“...Are you going to bring me here by surprise every single time?” You ask.
“Welcome to the fourth night of the masquerade. And worry not, each way to the devildom is perfectly safe.” Barbatos responded in a non-answer.
You glanced away for a moment, then he was gone. It was his words that lingered in your heart. Only three more days left. Three more days of excitement, of dancing and joy and pleasant things. Knowing this, you resolved to eat as much as you could and spend as much time as you could with your strange new acquaintances. After snatching a pastry or two, you rushed off to explore the castle. It wasn’t everyday you had the chance to visit a real castle. This time you wanted to explore for your own sake.
During your explorations you saw a mix of wondrous things, from paintings of horrific demons to gardens full of colorful rainbow roses. The terror and beauty of the world, mixed into one gothic castle of secrets, calling out to all who entered. At the end of your exploration, you found a hall of dozens of mirrors, some large and some tiny. All pinned upon the walls. Were they decoration? Were they magic? You had no idea.
There was someone else there too, a beautiful young man with the softest strawberry blonde hair and the eyes of a blazing sunset. He stared up at the mirrors, at all of them, glaring at his demonic reflection with a soft frown upon his face. It was as though he was trying to figure out a puzzle hidden in his own gaze. After a moment, he seemed to realize you were there, though he made no move to greet you. His frown shifted to a mask of confidence as he continued staring at his reflection.
“I really am enchanting 24 hours a day!” He boasted proudly before turning to you, “And what about you? You look like a lost little lamb. Come to see my sparkling beauty? I can’t blame you.”
“Oh um, no I just got lost.”
“Sure, that’s what they all say. Now why don’t you get me a chair. I’m awfully tired of standing.”
“You’re excused.” The beautiful stranger paused, as if stunned that you weren’t immediately rushing off to do as he says, “Ah. I see. Come…. Look into my eyes.”
A part of you knew it was smartest to look away but the more rebellious part of you stared right into his eyes, challenging him right back. The stranger paused, startled and confused by something.
“Do you feel anything?” The stranger asked.
“Nothing at all? No overwhelming desire to obey me?!”
The confusion on the beautiful man’s face contorted into frustration, though he kept that brilliant smile. Instead of saying anything, he huffed.
“Jealousy. That must be it. That would be the only reason you could resist me!”
He stared back at the mirrors, now a mix of confusion and worry, gently touching his face as if checking to see if it was still there. Why wouldn’t his powers of charm work? That creature didn’t even have an aura of magic! Was his powers failing him? Was he truly no more than a demon with low standards? Foreign feelings of insecurity blurred his mind and vision as he stared at his reflection.
You pause, wondering what the hell was going on. But when you looked at his expression, at the way he used the mirrors, it reminded you of yourself… back as a teenager. Your body had slowly changed, in ways you liked and ways you hated. Perhaps…. Perhaps this stranger was dealing with something similar? Though he WAS a bit old for puberty.
“You have a shard of mirror in your eyes.”
“What?” The beautiful stranger asked, “Have you lost your mind after seeing my beautiful face?”
“No… I mean…. There’s an old fairy tale. About an evil mirror that reflected only the worst in people. They say if a shard of that mirror strikes your eye, then all you can see are the negative parts of everything.”
“Are you saying I am seeing myself as somehow less than a hundred percent gorgeous? You shouldn’t comment on things you know nothing about, darling”
Hints of rage and defensiveness flew through his eyes, and you recalled the last time you pissed off a demon.
“Beautiful art is meant to be contemplated, right?”
For a moment, he was stunned. Then, a small sincere smile returned as he took a step closer.
“Well, aren’t you the charmer? How about this artpiece graces your presence a while longer?”
And just like that, he was stuck to your side for the rest of the night. He would chat about his makeup routine, his clothing style, and pull you into a dance on the dancefloor. If you were poor at dancing he’d help you along but if you were already good at dancing, he’d have the time of his life. You had learned his name was Asmodeus, partly from his constant talking about himself and partly from the occasional fan screaming his name. He’d draw out compliments from you, or give them to himself. Then he lured you back to the mirror hall for a bit of ‘private time’. For a moment you wondered if he was up to something.
“I’ve never met someone who could resist my charms,” Asmodeus admitted in a quieter, sincere voice, “....You said you contemplated things about this beautiful artpiece…. What did you find?”
His tone was calm but there was a desperation in his eyes, as if he was desperate to know that he was more than just something beautiful to shove up on the wall. He wanted to be thought about. To be admired on deeper levels than any demon could possibly know.
“I see someone who wants to live up to everyone’s expectations. I see someone who deeply cares about others and the way they see him,” You respond.
Asmodeus stared at you and for a moment, you could have sworn there were tears gathering in his eyes. He quickly brushed it away, fearful of ruining his perfect mascara. His hands snatched yours, looking deep into your eyes.
It was all he said before he went off to get some demonus for both you and himself. You considered following after him. From the corner of your eye you saw a crack on the mirror closest to you. Your fingers traced the crack. In a sudden rush of motion, you were yanked back into the mirror through the cracks, falling and falling.
Then you woke up, in your bed once more, awoken from the dreamlike masquerade.
