Enslaved

I woke up to knocking on the door. Naturally, I had pushed Aeryn out through the bathing room once I was done with her. Having cum inside her, she was now my slave. My sperm had taken hold of her ovulation cycle, and if I but willed it, in nine months she would have my child. According to what I could find on devils, finally having a baby wasn’t the end of a slave’s torment. After all, a baby shared much with its mother through the placenta.  

It was an insidious method of breeding. Devil blood would make a woman mad with lust that only devil sperm could cure. Devil sperm in the womb would create a binding spell, forcing the mother to be subservient to the devil until he deemed it time to start her pregnancy. Then, the baby and the mother mixed blood, and the mother’s affection went for the baby instead.

That answered a question I had been wondering since yesterday. What was wrong with my mother, and why did everyone tolerate her absurd behavior. The answer to that question was simple. I had been born a devil. My devil blood mixed with my mother, and by the time I was born, she was irreversibly in love with me. If this was true, then my mother was also my greatest ally. Her loyalty was absolute.

However, my birth destroyed mother for everyone else. I could understand why the King, my sisters, everyone would hate me. My very birth destroyed Mother’s mind. However, for the me sent to this world from another, this was exactly what I needed. After putting on a robe, I opened the door. Standing outside was the very Mother I was thinking about. She looked considerably better than the previous night, but she still had a shadow of worry in her eyes.

“My Son…” She said, pushing into the room. “I’m sorry for last night. My baby understands that Mother worries, yes? Although my body belongs to you, I understand I can’t be selfish. Please, baby, don’t push mommy away.”

I reached out and grabbed the woman, pulling her into a hug. After having spent all night letting my sexual frustrations out on Aeryn, I no longer felt extremely horny and thus could handle my mother, and her big soft chest and curves, without any awkwardness. She made a slight noise of contentment as I squeezed her. I pulled her away and then looked into her big dewy eyes.

“Mother, sometimes I need distance, but I will never push you away.” I leaned down, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

Mom smiled, her body shaking with excitement over my touch. Now that I understood the source of her infatuation, I felt more confident in handling my mother. Yesterday, I wasn’t certain where I stood with her. I knew that she was strangely obsessed, but I didn’t particularly understand why. Those questions were finally answered.

“I would like to see father today.” I finally said simply.

Mother blinked. “Your father? The king?”

I nodded. “I plan to leave the castle and visit some of the other countries soon. I need to discuss these plans with father.”

Mother looked down, a somewhat awkward expression on her face. “I see…”

“Is this a problem?” I asked.

“The King has been ill for some time. As the prince, you should have no problem seeing the king, yet, your uncle…” Her voice drifted off.

“My uncle feels a devil visiting an ill king would be a bad omen…” I completed the words.

It was a story as old as time. I had only heard of my uncle this very moment, but I instantly suspected various things. First, that this uncle had eyes for the throne. Second, he wanted to keep me from claiming the throne. Third, it could even be so far that he was poisoning my father. Was this not the typical story? Mother lowered her head, not wanting to give veracity to my words. However, her silence was all that I needed.

I reached out and gently touched mom’s chin. “It’s okay, I’ve come to expect this kind of thing.”

Mom finally glanced up at me through her long lashes. Even after a night with Aeryn, the charm of her teary eyes were highly effective. Perhaps I was as helpless with my attraction towards this woman as she was with her attraction towards me. I leaned forward and gently kissed her cheek again, unable to stop myself.

“I never want my baby to have to fight through this bigoted world. Your uncle is a general. He fought in the devil wars. He never bothered to get to know you.”

“Mother, I will get dressed. Uncle or not, I must speak with father today.”

I quickly put on my outfit. I had expected mom to show some modesty, but perhaps that was my own mistake. She sat and watched the entire time I got dressed. It almost would have been fine if she hadn’t made a comment about how attractive she found my bottom. I coughed and quickly put on the rest of my silk clothing. In my old world, I liked to wear baggy pants. However, my entire wardrobe consisted of something much tighter. After Mother’s comments, I became very aware of how tight the pants I put on were, especially in the backside. Did Mother select these clothes herself to satisfy her own lust? That was a dangerous direction to think.

The pair of us left the safety of my bedroom, and I allowed Mother to lead the way. Nowhere in my studies the previous day did I find a map of the castle. I had been told that castles in the medieval era were designed to specifically be confusing to fluster invading armies and aid in resistance. I believed it traveling through this castle because we made over a dozen turns, and even with careful consideration, I wasn’t confident I could find my room again.

We reached a large ante chamber with a set of double doors at the end. This must be the throne room. The person sitting on the throne looked the part of a king. He had a big, white bushy beard. He had round cheeks and a straight spine. As for any sickness, it couldn’t be seen on the man. If anything, he looked muscular and powerful.

“What are you two doing here?” His voice boomed as soon as he noticed us approaching the throne.

There had been no announcement, and there were about ten people around the man on the throne, each with a scroll, ink, and papers, likely making appeals towards running the kingdom. Despite all of this, the atmosphere felt casual. The castle wasn’t open to the public or anything. Although the man was well-dressed and sitting in the throne room, I didn’t think I could just walk right in if they weren’t just handling some morning business.

The man definitely gave off some pressure. His eyes looked at mom with just a flash of perversion which caused her to cross her hands over her chest. She wasn’t dressed particularly provocatively right now. However, with her body, it didn’t take much to show off curves and her natural beauty. When his eyes turned to me, the difference was palpable. It was pure disgust. It looked like the way Aeryn looked at me. Although, where she tried to hide it, this man made no attempt.

I slowed to a stop and then gave a simple bow. “Uncle… I’ve come to see Father.”

The man’s hands looked like they had held a sword. His physique was strong. After hearing about my uncle, who else could it be? The man’s eyes narrowed while the advisors around him split and turned to face me. There wasn’t a single man present who didn’t look at me with scorn. None of these men would support my rise to power. These would never be my advisors. I could tell that instantly.

“Your father is very ill. He does not have the energy to deal with the likes of you.” He said, his face in a near snarl.

“He’s the King’s son, perhaps he can make an except-“ My Mother began.

“Silence, Wench!” The man slammed his hand down, causing me to jump. “It is already enough that we allow a copy like you to walk around this castle with the face of the Queen, but you will not dare to speak unless you are spoken to!”

Mother instantly withered under his hateful glare. His look was still lewd but also filled with disgust. As for me, I was completely shocked. A copy? She is not the queen? Is she not my mother? Suddenly, questions I thought I had already answered returned. However, the only thing I needed to keep in my mind was that whoever this woman was, she was on my side. If she wasn’t my mother, perhaps that was for the best. That meant we could- I shook off my desires and shot my uncle and ugly look.

“I must report some things to my father directly. I do not need your permission to see him.” I responded arrogantly.

I didn’t know if what I spoke was the truth, but I found that if you said something with enough certainty, even people who knew things to be the opposite wouldn’t speak up, for fear that they themselves were mistaken. Thus, I kept my expression even as I matched Uncle’s gaze. I was the heir to the throne, not him. This realm was mine, not his.

As our gazes met, I could feel a great deal of heat and pressure from him. It took all of my power to keep my gaze matching his. I could feel his hatred and loathing. The throne room was so quiet that someone could probably hear a pin drop. Then, as quickly as it started, my uncle looked away. The pressure dropped, and I fought to keep myself from letting out a breath.

“Do as you must…” He said, “But leave… that thing… outside. Brother does not wish to be reminded of such a thing.”

My uncle seemed tired as he said this. To my shock, when he said the word Brother, I could even hear the affection in his voice. It was possible he was faking it, but given the current power dynamic, he had little reason to try to fake familial love with my father in front of me. I nodded, and then uncle immediately turned to his men. Some still shot me glares, but others handed him papers. Within a few moments, he was acting like I had never walked into the room in the first place.

Mom walked up to me and fixed my collar. “My son… you have grown so bold and mature of late… your father will be glad to see you’ve grown.”

I nodded, heading towards the door my Mother indicated. A room to the side of the throne room appeared to be father’s bedroom. Opening the door, I stepped inside. There was a maid attendant, and sitting in a massive canopy bed was a man. He resembled the man outside, but without any of the kingly qualities. He was shaved, but stubble had grown just enough to give him a grizzled look. He had no muscles, and his body looked frail and skinny. He looked quite sick.

I took a breath and walked up to the foot of his bed. His eyes were closed, but I could tell that he was still awake. The maid standing next to his bed was filling a cup of water. I gave a bow he couldn’t see.

“Father… I have come.”

I didn’t know what I expected from this man. His reaction to me could be just as violent if not more violent than my uncles. After all, all the hate that man had for me had more directly affected my father. It was my birth that took his wife, his kingdom, and even his daughters away from him. The cost of my birth was unimaginable. If I was in his shoes, I might have shown just as much hatred as the uncle outside.

His eyes slowly opened and when he saw me at the foot of the bed, he broke into a large smile. “My son… I had hoped you’d grow the courage to visit me one last time before I die.”

His words were said with such warmth and love, that my mouth fell open slightly. My heart actually beat slightly harder. In my old life, I never knew my father. My mother did her best as a single parent. Life had been hard. To hear such familial love, it actually moved me slightly. My opinion on the king instantly changed.

“Yes, father. Soon, I plan to visit the neighboring kingdoms. I wish to find my sisters, and bring them home at all cost.” I wasted no time explaining exactly what I wanted.

The King closed his eyes, but his warm smile remained. “This is good. I would love to see my daughters one last time… before I go.”

“How much longer?” I asked, knowing it was an inappropriate question, but focusing more on what I needed to accomplish.

“Three months at most,” Father answered without hesitation. “When I die… the kingdom will be yours. Only you can convince your sisters to give you their inheritance. Only you can keep the human realm strong.”

“Wouldn’t there be a more suitable candidate? Perhaps… Uncle?”

I asked this question more as a feeler. I wanted to know where I stood, and where my uncle stood, in all of this. It was unfortunate I needed to ask such prodding questions, but this might be my last chance to do so.

Father shook his head slightly, his smile turning slightly sad. “My brother, Tarreus, does not wish for the throne. He only wishes for the survival of the human race. The laws of inheritance are strict and bound by magical edicts. Brother Tarreus knows this best. Remember, he’s my older brother, yet when the time came, he conceded his inheritance to me for the unity of the Kingdom. He… holds a great deal of hatred in his heart. When you are King, please do not fault him too much. He is still wise, and regardless of his feelings towards you, his loyalty is absolute. You’d be wise to accept his counsel.”

These were ultimately just the King’s opinions on his brother, but they felt like they had a lot of weight. I had heard the concern and care in Tarreus’s voice. If he had conceded the throne once, it was unlikely he’d go to such lengths only to claim it now.

“My son… can you humor me for just a bit?” The King’s eyes opened again, gentle and kind. “I had sworn to myself that if I had the chance to speak to you in confidence, that I would give you some answers. I grow sicker every day, and this may be my last chance to ease this burden on my soul.”

“Yes, father, you can tell me anything,” I said, moving to his side.

He reached out his gnarled, thin hand, and I grabbed it in my grey one. After a few moments of silence, he began.

“When I was younger, Tarreus and I fought in the third devil war. It was a brutal war. Both sides lost countless millions. We were young and bold and wanted to prove the strength of the human realm to the other realms. So, we often fought on the front lines, in the heat of battle. At this stage, both sides were bringing out their most powerful weapons and magic. Entire cities burned to the ground overnight.

“We had word that the faery keep was under attack, and the faery princess was in grave danger. We knew by then that if the devils got their hands on her, they would impregnate and enslave her. It’s a fate many considered worse than death. My brother and I lead a two-day march without rest, arriving just in time to stop the keep from falling. In that battle, a powerful devil general attacked the pair of us. The fighting was brutal, and all of our guards fell until it was just the three of us standing.

“Tarreus made a mistake, and nearly died under the devil’s blade. In the last moment between life and death, I managed to take the general’s head by surprise. It should have been brother’s victory, but he fell into a coma for a week. While he slept, I was celebrated for killing the devil general. While he slept, I became a hero to the demihumans. I met and feasted with the Elf King, the beastkin, and even the dwarves. I even won a marriage arrangement to your mother, the faery princess.

“When he woke, he didn’t resent me in the slightest. It was his mistake that nearly cost his life, and it was my actions that saved it. Since my relationship with the fairies and by extension the other demihumans were better than my brothers, we both agreed that I would become King of the human realm. Since then, I have offered my brother much, and he has given me nothing but support. He lost much in that war, and thus hates the devils for it.

“What neither of us knew at the time was that he was the lucky one. While he slept in a coma, the killing blow that had led me to fame had also had a curse that backlashed onto me. After becoming King, the devil’s curse began to take hold. Of course, I used all the best priests, and they’ve been able to keep it at bay… but the best medicine in this world has only managed to extend it so far. In three months, I’ll have run out of extensions… and I will die.”

Silence followed the King’s words. After a bit of time, I spoke up with a question.

“Is your curse the reason I came out as a Devil?”

The King sighed. “It’s quite possible. I don’t believe in coincidence. Your mother was a faery, and I was a human. A devil never should have come from that union. However, you are here, and now we all must move forward with this new reality. Now that you know the truth, my son, what will you do with this information?”

“Father…” I said, tightening my grip on his hand. “This changes nothing. From the moment I opened my eyes, I decided to save this realm of humans. I will still do so. I will use every trick I have to bring back your daughters and to keep the human realm united.”

“My son, you are becoming the man I hoped you’d be.” A tear fell down the King’s cheek as he nodded. “Thank you. I can die peacefully knowing this kingdom is in good hands. You will be a great King.”

I wouldn’t have called them good hands. The king was benevolent and loving… but because of that, my presence had caused him to lose all of his daughters and descend to this state. I already knew the reality. To keep this kingdom together, I couldn’t be good. I was the devil that nearly tore the Kingdom apart. If I was going to pull it back together, there was no way I could march the path of benevolence. I could never be a great King, but I will become the King that the human realm needs, whatever the cost.