The grand hall gleamed beneath the fading sunlight, golden rays spilling through tall windows and casting their glow upon the towering throne. King Lucifer lounged lazily against it, fingers polishing his black pistol until it shone like a treasured jewel. A satisfied smile curved his lips.
"There is nothing more beautiful than a weapon that never betrays. It obeys only its master." His calm voice echoed across the chamber, each word laced with quiet menace.
The great doors burst open. Two guards dragged a struggling young woman inside and threw her to the marble floor at the foot of the throne. Aryana's body hit hard, her breath catching in her throat.
"Your Majesty!" one of the guards bowed low.
"She trespassed in the dungeon. Spoke to the prisoner."
Lucifer paused, the pistol still in his hand. His golden eyes settled on the trembling girl sprawled before him, a single brow arching.
"Oh… trespassing, is it?" he murmured, his tone almost contemplative, as though weighing which punishment would cause the deepest pain.
Aryana tried to lift her head, but one glance at his gaze crushed her resolve. Her voice withered in her throat, her body weak from endless labor and the limp he had given her days before.
Lucifer rose from his throne. Each step of his boots against the marble floor echoed like a drumbeat of dread. He stopped before her, eyes glinting with disdain as he glanced at her crippled leg. The pistol spun slowly in his hand, catching the light until Aryana flinched and shut her eyes.
"How bold of you. to set foot where only I decide who may enter," he said, lowering his voice as he leaned close. His face was so near hers she could feel the weight of his presence.
"Did I ever grant you permission, crippled servant?" A cruel smile touched his lips.
"Perhaps I should show you what happens to those who play with fire."
The cold barrel of his pistol brushed against her cheek. Aryana shuddered, biting her lip as tears slipped down her face.
"Your Majesty… please, I…"
BANG!
The shot tore through the ceiling. The echo roared through the vast chamber like thunder, dust raining down from the impact. Aryana screamed softly, her body jerking, her heart stuttering into silence.
Lucifer lowered his pistol with cruel leisure, his smile never fading.
"Do not tempt my patience," he said quietly. The quietness was worse than shouting. It was the calm before the guillotine fell.
The cold steel pistol was pressed against her chin, forcing her face up to meet him. His golden eyes burned with mockery.
"You think this is a place for you to defy me? Did you forget? You are alive only because I am not finished breaking you."
He turned to the guards.
"Drag her to the kitchen. Let her work her until her hands bleed. No food. No rest. No medicine."
The guards seized her arms to drag her out, but Aryana thrashed desperately, wrenching free only to collapse again at Lucifer's feet. She fell to her knees, clutching at his leg with trembling hands as tears soaked into the dark folds of his cloak. The memory of her frail mother in chains burned in her chest.
"Please, Your Majesty… forgive me… I beg you," her voice cracked, drowned in sobs.
She tightened her grip on his leg. The guards moved to intervene, but Lucifer raised a hand, stopping them. They obeyed, uneasy under his command.
"Please spare my mother… Please don't torture her. Please…" Aryana pleaded.
Lucifer looked down at her, at the girl who once dared to raise a blade against him, now reduced to a pitiful doll clinging at his feet. His smirk curved cruelly.
"What has become of you, little girl?" he whispered, voice dripping with venom. He kicked his leg free, forcing her to release him.
"Didn't you once try to pierce my heart with your blade? Where is your courage now? And here you are, groveling in the dirt for mercy."
Aryana bit her lip hard, swallowing her sobs. She dared not answer. Her tears fell freely, staining the marble.
Lucifer crouched slightly, gloved fingers seizing her chin and forcing her face up to his. His dark eyes held no trace of pity.
"Do you know the difference between us?" he whispered.
"I hold power. You are nothing but a pawn on my board. And pawns do not decide their fate." He released her roughly, her head bowing again in shame.
"If you wish your mother to keep breathing, you will obey. If I tell you to crawl, you will crawl. If I tell you to lick the floor, you will lick it. And if I tell you to smile, you will smile, even as your heart dies." His voice dropped to a hiss. Aryana trembled, caught between terror, rage, and despair, her tongue tied by fear. Lucifer gestured toward the guards with a flick of his hand.
"Take her away."
They dragged the kneeling girl from the hall. Her final glimpse was of Lucifer resuming his seat upon the throne, polishing his pistol with languid ease, as though the entire scene had been nothing more than a passing amusement.