#love-message

before your escape, you tried to stay as loyal as possible to laios. despite the many changes he's gone through after becoming the dark king of the golden country, he was once a friend, your party leader. he declared you the job of being his right-hand, almost akin to an advisor with marcille (who he labeled as his dungeon master), although he didn't really listen to any of your advices on how the kingdom or the dungeon should be ran.

chilchuck, senshi, and izutsumi parted ways with the four of you right after he was crowned king. the half-foot was not able to bare seeing how laios will rule the eternally immortal lands, preferring to finally spend time with his three daughters once more after months of exploring this very dungeon. both the dwarf and beast-woman decided to go back to the higher floors together, deciding that it was what was best for them.

only you, falin, and marcille stayed. though it was briefly obvious that the elven mage had shown her preference to go back to the surface, she seemed to be thriving in her research on ancient magic down here, even if it was visibly mentally draining her. falin's reasons for staying were evident. they were unable to rid her of the plumage on her chest and the lower half of her body remained the red dragon's despite marcille's many desperate attempts. if she was able to return to normal, you knew she could never bare the thought of leaving her older brother in this kingdom deep within the dungeon. but you... you really don't know why you stayed with him. maybe you were always going to be a follower of his, despite everything.

the first incident came after a few months into laios's ruling, when a mass amount of outsiders of the dungeon managed to reach the floor of the kingdom. whispers of a hefty bounty for the head of the mage who resurrected the party member into a horrible chimera hybrid beast spread around (you slightly chuckled at the mention of it, they were really far too late in the news).

barely a flick of his wrist as he sat on his throne and he managed to summon such a frightening beast, considerably more awful than falin's hybrid form. he whispered something into its ear with each individual head, watching from the window as parties were felled one by one, an uneasy pit forming in your stomach. as the ash and smoke rose into the sky, you made your way quietly to his room and suggested for him to let the corpse collectors retrieve the bodies, only to meet with firm refusal.

"they'll only come back to hurt us," laios frowned at your pitiful gaze, before focusing on the smoking reddish sky. "they'll stop at nothing until they manage to kill falin, then go for marcille, and then you, an accomplice. they'd want me last, a king's head fetches for a considerable price and to be lord of the dungeon? one of the greatest treasures here."

"but laios—"

"we must consider our safety before anyone else's. that's final." he turned towards you, his eyes turning soft. "please, i'm doing this for you."

you could only nod, shutting yourself up with lips being pulled taut. from there, you could only watch as the villagers took the corpses one by one and buried them in singular nameless graves. as you rested a bundle of flowers on a freshly planted mass grave, you hoped this would be the last time, hoped that at least one survived and got the message.

the horns didn't appear until the fifth attack on the kingdom. they were unnoticeable at first, eventually laios did complain about some pain around the back of his head but every time that you and marcille tried to heal it, nothing worked. they grew overnight on the day that these outsiders were appearing, ivory-colored horns curving around the top of his head. laios seemed exhausted, dark bags forming on the underside of his eyes but was completely unphased by the approaching masses.

"do you think falin is hungry?" he asked you as he strode on horseback towards the furious crowd, your nerves jumping all about as you followed behind him.

"her appetite seems normal, she never complains and we always give her more servings when she asks."

"no, no. not that kind of hunger," he mused, resting his clawed metal glove on the hilt of his sword (you weren't even sure if it was kensuke anymore). "the hunger for a fight, for bloodshed."

you stayed silent, concern in your expression as he unsheathed the sword slowly, the blade shining brightly in the underground world's sunlight as he raised it up in the air. you wanted to say no, that the red dragon in her was the only part of her that revels in that sort of mess, but then a shadow blew over you, the force of the wind nearly pushing you and your steed back. the sun was blocked for a mere second, the ground shaking violently as falin dove into the crowd.

the screams were loud, ear-piercing. it was more horrid up close than you've ever imagined, nausea building up in your throat as the sharp iron smell filled the air with more smoke. the world seemed to grow quiet besides the flapping of her strong wings approaching the two of you, a beaten and bloodied elven man in her clawed grasp. you flinched as she dropped him on the ground in front of laios, like a cat bearing its owner a gift of a fresh kill. he might as well be a corpse if he didn't start sputtering awake, laios dismounting his horse and approaching him slowly.

"lor... l-lord of the dungeon," he spat out, complete terror but awe forming in his eyes. "you're... y-you're real."

"in the flesh. now tell me," the sword neared his neck, the blade right against a major vein. "why keep insisting coming here when you know that every party that comes here perishes by my hand, never to come back alive? is it greed for the throne? for falin and marcille's bounty? bragging rights for defeating the new dungeon lord?"

the elf was silent, raising his head once more and weakly pointing towards you.

"for her."

laios froze, the grip of the handle beginning to tighten, to the point where you swore it'll break. you were about to stop him, call out his name to try and snap him out of it, until he swung down the blade into the elf’s neck, almost cleanly severing the head from his body. you gagged as his head rolled towards you, his eyes becoming glassy as his mouth continued to open and close. oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck. you could've saved him, should've stopped him.

"y/n, would you leave me?"

laios then coldly spoke, dull eyes staring at your quivering form.

"...no. i would never think of it." you lied, hands gripping tightly around the leather reins. he stared at you, almost hauntingly owlish like falin’s blank stare, finally looking away to clean off the blood of the once pristine sword.

"good. that’s good."

you visited thistle once the clock struck three, carefully sneaking deep below the castle and into the prison cells, seeing the even frailer elf curled up in a dark, damp corner. laios stuck him down here all those months ago, forgetting about him and leaving him to starve. what he didn't know is that you kept coming down here to keep him alive, the visits irregular and the amount of food you brought was scarce. you couldn't risk alerting laios. you thought that he didn't deserve this kind of life, despite the many atrocities he previously committed. were you any different than him, letting all those people die by laios' hand?

before, he'd only take the food and say nothing to you, his gaze almost like a wild animal. he didn't trust you back then, which was understandable considering the previous history between your party and him. now, he'll speak, give you small pieces of advice. the prison gets lonely down here, especially since he was the only one that laios allowed to live since becoming king.

"i need your help, i have to get out of here." you whispered through the bars, his head slowly turning towards you. the purple glow of his eyes cut through the dim darkness, narrowing at your hidden figure.

"so, the new king is going insane, isn't he?" he murmured, eyes glaringly sharp towards you. "now he knows how it feels trying to keep a kingdom and a dungeon together, the damn fool."

you quickly handed bread and milk to the elf, his hands quick to take them, mouth already full with the sustenance. down here, it could be considered as liquid gold. "yes, he's not the same laios i know. not even marcille says anything about his behavior anymore, she's too busy studying the ancient magic and fixing falin. i don't know what to do anymore and i don't want any more adventurers to die for me."

your lip quivered, head leaning against the filthy metal bars. "i'm scared of him thistle. i'm scared of what he's going to do to me if i object him. surely you must know a way to escape? anything, even if it kills me."

he was quiet, gulping down the milk harshly till the bottle was empty. "i'll say this once since you've been keeping me alive."

thistle quietly gave you the escape route, that there was a painting in the castle that lead to a secret hallway that lead into the higher parts of the dungeon, about floor 4. from there, you had to find your own way out, rely on no one other than yourself. since laios and marcille had complete control of the dungeon, nothing and no one could be trusted, not until you get to floor 1. you thanked him, apologizing profusely that you would have to leave him behind to starve once more, but he stopped you, grumbling something about not wanting you to have any regrets leaving here. you could live with that.

once you left the prison, you slipped into bed, heart pounding as the plans of escape swirled in your mind. it's been a while since you've been to the other floors, but the path upwards will come to you naturally, you're sure of it. after all, you were the navigator of the party.

you found the painting the next day right at the supposed crack of dawn, noting its location in your mind. if thistle was correct, you'll be transported into a different part of the dungeon, a complete unknown and uncharted place. slowly, you placed your hand against the artwork, feeling cold wind against your palm. quickly retracting it back, you continued on without looking suspicious, moving into laios' bedroom without a word.

"good morning laios, slept well?" you ask per usual, slowly making your way towards the bed, picking up ripped up scraps of paper and clothing. as you approached, the hair on your arms began to raise, an unusual chill filling the air. something wasn't right, but you reached out to the torn blanket. "...laios?"

before you could retract your hand, a clawed one latched onto you, pulling you down into the sheets. you screamed, wriggling in complete distress as reds and whites enveloped the world around you, the feeling suffocating. "still just as jumpy as before."

the rough, sleepy words caused you to stiffen, the blanket shifting until you could finally see the king. the horns were still as prominent as before, his eyes still weary and worn. you felt the rough touch of his hand on your cheek, newly clawed fingers wiping away the tears you didn't know you've shed. he was warm, only dressed in sleeping slacks.

"sorry. i didn't know i scared you that much."

for a moment, just a moment, your old laios was laying in front of you, a soft smile on his face. you stared at him, wincing as you felt the apple of your cheek get cut open with a slight sting, the crimson slip down into the white sheets, his eyes widening. "don't move. you're so fragile, y'know that?"

his face neared as you tensely shut your eyes, not wanting to see the horns come close to you. the warm, wet muscle of his tongue brushed against your cheek, lapping up the blood like he was some kind of animal. at this point, you might as well be his prey.

"do you know how sweet you taste?" he whispered into your ear, his breath warm and trembling in hidden excitement. you reopened your eyes, mouth suddenly dry as clawed hands pulled you in close.

"no." the inside of the blankets felt hot, as if it was the summer's heat back in the upper world. laios moved until he was on top of you, your lower halves connected and you could feel him, a flush growing on your face. he pressed against you with a hand gripping down on your hip, sensually grinding up and down, a soft whimper escaping you as you felt the nails dig into your flesh.

"laios," you breathlessly whispered out his name, hands tightly gripping the sheets. you were terrified, helpless against him. saying his name seemed to excite him even more, feeling it twitch against your covered cunt. "we... w-we can't do this, not now. y-you have things to do today, so ma... many things."

"i'm the king, they can wait." he bluntly stated with a certain tightness to it, shuddering as he pulled you up, still moving against you.

there was a desperate look in those tired eyes as he was holding himself back from going all out. he was almost drooling, his lower half bucking up in short spasms against you, giving you almost complete control of the pace. you didn't feel like you were in control of yourself either, hands pressed up against the softness of his chest as you bear down against him.

"l-let me kiss you, please. please, p-please. i need you, need to taste you m-more."

how could you reject the king's request? for today, you'll indulge him. one last time, you'll be his loyal right hand. you pressed your lips on his, pushing him down into the mattress and losing yourself in his embrace.

you awoke when the clock struck at midnight, body sore with bite marks littering around your skin. laios was completely knocked out next to you, snoring away on a partially-ripped up pillow. gently, you brushed the growing blond strands away from his face, watching him lean into your touch. you let out a quiet sigh. it's time.

underneath the trash you've been picking up, all your essential items in your old adventurer's bag laid underneath. you wanted to leave a note behind, but it was too much of a risk. better to let him think you've died than him trying to find you. one last look at him before exiting the room, you thought about what could've been if he had just been a peaceful ruler. if he was, would you have stayed in the underground forever?

not even a day passed and it was soon declared in the dungeon that you were missing and must be found, a large bounty on your head to be brought alive. you being dead wasn't an option at all. thanks to the changelings, you were able to change your appearance drastically to be able to make your way upwards with no trouble. there was unfamiliar knights scouting the floors, the haunting sound of metal shuffling around as you narrowly avoid the main paths. you had the idea of visiting senshi and izutsumi once you got to the higher floors, but they might send you back to laios if word has already gotten that high up.

chilchuck might've been the safest option; outwardly, he wasn't too fond of laios, but he put all his trust into him when situations get dire. be it because he had a family to get back to or there were no options left for the half-foot, he might've been the smartest one in the party.

the smell of fresh food and the sounds of joyous chatter reached your ears as you continued forwards, heart pounding with happiness for the first time in forever. the first floor, the start of it all. you shuffled through the crowd, seeing outside light peering through the gaping entranceway. closing your eyes, there was sudden realization. you'll be finally free from the damn dungeon's clutches, leaving behind the title of the dark king of the golden country's right hand.

it must've been 4 years since you've left behind the island, moving to the eastern archipelago with the money you've managed to scour in the dungeon. life is somewhat difficult with the civil wars that go on, but you wouldn't change it either way. anything was better than the island. you even started picking up the language, able to communicate simple sentences to the others living in your neighborhood.

you were busy hanging up the clean, wet laundry on the clotheslines when your son tugged on your robe.

"mama, a man is there." you glanced down and brushed the blond locks out of his face, tucking them behind his ear.

"is it haruto-san? i'll be there in a minute."

"no. the man has horns. haru-san has no horns." you fell silent, the basket on your hip falling down into the grass with a heavy thud. finally looking up, you see him through the flapping sheets. he's there, undeniably there. he's not in the dark metal armor, but in his normal casual wear. his hair has grown longer, his face scruffy with a growing beard. if not for the ivory horns, he would've looked like your laios but older.

"c'mere baby." you tucked your son behind you, backing up closer to your house as he began to approach slowly. you don't know how he finally found you, but he won't take you back there, and he sure as hell won't take your son away from you.

"y/n!" he called out to you as your hand touched the door knob behind you, pulling it open and almost shoving your son into the home. you quietly whispered to him to hide and to not come out until you came to get him.

"what do you want?" he finally reached you, his body towering over just like before. laios simply grinned, reaching out to your face and brushing his clawed hand against the scar on your cheek.

"just wanted to talk to my lover again, it's good to see you y/n. beautiful as the day you left me those 4 years ago, you liar." the grip on your throat was sudden but expected, the raising you up from the floor while choking you out wasn't something you expected. you wriggled in his grasp, your own dull fingernails digging and scratching at his hand and forearm, legs kicking at his body.

laios was unfazed, his head tilting off to the side. "still the same weak and fragile girl. tell me, who's the kid? don't tell me you slept with another man after that unforgettable day we shared together. the thought of you with someone else is giving me a bad taste in my mouth, surely you don't mind if i—"

he made the motion with his thumb, sliding across his own neck slowly. you shook your head, tears in your eyes. anything but him. kill the entire village, but not your precious son. "—y-ours..."

laios paused, the grip on your neck loosening. "what?"

"he's—h-he's yours..." you dropped to the ground, falling to your side as you put a hand over your neck, coughing and hacking.

"we have a kid?" there was a giddiness to his voice as he crouched to your level, completely ignoring the fact that he was just about to kill your and your son. you only started to talk once you were able to breathe, throat still immensely sore.

"yes, i've never been with anyone else since you. that's the honest truth, no lies. he doesn't know that you're his dad and i—"

"because you didn't stay in the kingdom, didn't stay with me like you promised to. we're going back, it's better there."

"a dungeon is no place to raise a child! i'm not letting asahi go down there and i'm never going back there, i don't want anything to do with you laios. stop being so fucking dense for once and look at what's happened to you! you're... you're a monster!"

laios fell silent, as if you've physically hit him with the words that came out of your mouth. his eyes glanced down at the mark on your neck, down to his clawed hands which reached over to his horns. he then started laughing, tears falling down his cheeks.

"this is why i made you my right hand! if only you were honest all those years ago." he wiped with his sleeve, still amused with your outburts.

"fine. if you don't want to go back, then i'll be staying. the boy needs his father." you paled, not even considering that this was the worst case scenario compared to death.

"w-what about the dungeon? the kingdom? you can't just abandon you duties there!"

"marcille's got it in control, 'specially since she's a long-living species. she's better adept at those kinds of things, me? i'm nothing without you, so i'll raise asahi and the rest with you."

you sat yourself up, feeling your heart drop into your stomach. "...th-the rest?"

laios then licked his lips, those frighteningly pale yellow eyes curving with malicious intent.

"4 years was an awfully long time without you, think of it as not being able to indulge in your favorite meal. now then," he grabbed your ankle, pulling you underneath him and pining you down against the wooden deck. you could feel those same claws drag up your exposed thigh, a shiver shooting through you.