Snow White was confused by the demon's words but did not let herself be manipulated.
"I know that well," she replied, "but not even a demon can see what awaits us on the horizon."
At those words, Astrael seemed almost thoughtful. The pressure surrounding the princess ceased, and the demon walked toward the terrace; without saying anything, he opened the curtains and doors, raising his face to the sky, to the starry sky. "You humans have beautiful landscapes. When you raise your eyes, you see the light, both day and night, and when you lower your head, you are unaware of what reigns beneath your feet. Living in ignorance is a grace not granted to us demons, nor to the creatures of this world that are not human."
Astrael closed his eyes, and for the first time since she had met him, the princess saw him in a different light. He seemed almost human, wounded, as he gazed at the stars and the moon.
"You demons are just as bound as humans, aren't you?"
"All creatures in the world have chains of some kind." Astrael turned to her, raising a hand to the sky: "But we are superior beings and that's an unmistakable fact."
His red eyes darkened, and his lips, always stretched in a smile, relaxed, giving way to a more solemn expression. Snow White really didn't understand him, but that evening she was convinced she had discovered a different side of the demon.
"Snow White of Arran, you are a truly interesting human. I'm curious to see how you will face the obstacles along your path." And so he disappeared again, just as a noise came from the entrance to the room. The door burst open and Rachel appeared, panting and wide-eyed: "I heard a voice... are you alone, princess?"
"Rachel, why are you so out of breath? Has something happened?" Snow White looked at her worriedly and pretended not to notice. She certainly couldn't reveal that a demon had appeared in her room and then disappeared into thin air.
"I saw something! I don't know what... I thought I heard a man's voice and I was worried, so I ran to your room, but..."
The princess didn't think twice before enclosing her in her arms and whispering reassuring words in the handmaiden's ear: "Don't worry, you must have seen a shadow. There was no one here, believe me."
"T-then, the voice?"
"It must have been one of the guards in the corridor. Trust me, everything's fine." Rachel nodded slowly, sighing, then separated from her princess; the handmaiden wiped away her tears. Then, another voice came from the entrance: "What's happening?" It was the queen herself. Grimilde frowned and looked around but saw nothing out of place.
Snow White clung to Rachel, surprising her. "Nothing, Your Majesty, Rachel was just worried about me." The girl's expression became innocent and vulnerable, immediately triggering a reaction from the queen, who apparently became more serious: "I see..."
"Your Majesty has come to keep me company?" Snow White's flirtatious voice made even Rachel blush, who, contrary to what the princess herself believed, had fully understood her intentions. The handmaid stepped aside, smiled at the queen, bowing slightly. "Your Majesty." Then she turned to the princess. "If you need anything..."
"I know, thank you so much, Rachel." And so she left the room with a radiant smile on her face: "I have so much to say to Mariella," she said to herself, skipping toward the room where the princess's maids resided. Mariella was probably reading a book at that hour, as usual; she would still be awake for a chat!
"Snow White?" Grimilde looked at the closed door and then observed the terrace, which had remained open since Astrael's arrival. The curtains fluttered in the cold wind, which had extinguished a few candles, leaving behind smoke and darkness. Snow White didn't seem to mind; in fact, she remained still before the queen with a sincere smile on her lips. "I'm glad you came."
"What happened?" Grimilde reached the terrace and closed its doors, then took a candle with flame and lit the ones that had gone out around the room. She couldn't allow the princess to catch a cold. The girl in question remained still and silent, but her eyes attentively followed the blonde's every movement. She was memorizing every detail, with a solemnity that was worrying. When the queen noticed, she froze, putting down the candle she was holding. "Do you want to talk about it?" Grimilde whispered, turning to her. She hadn't noticed she had moved and found her standing just a step away.
"It's not like that... It's nothing important. Astrael visited me, then left."
"Astrael?" Grimilde gritted her teeth and looked around, but the princess took her cold face in her hands and brought her eyes back to hers: "I'm fine."
"What did he say to you? He doesn't listen to me, I thought I could control him, but—"
"Shh, it's all right." The princess wrapped her arms around the queen's shoulders and whispered soft reassurances: "He doesn't mean to hurt me. It's not your fault."
She separated from her queen only to lead them to her bed, where they sat down, holding each other's hands. Grimilde's attention never wavered from the princess for a second, as if she were her center of gravity. Snow White smiled at the thought. "Is there anything I can do to help you?"
"Let me think... there is actually something you can do."
Grimilde nodded promptly, happy to oblige the princess with every request. The beautiful girl approached her with apparent caution, and when their faces were about to touch, the queen grabbed her shoulders, stopping her: "Darling, are you sure everything is okay?"
The girl sighed and grabbed the queen's hands, bringing them around her waist. "You don't like our closeness, do you?"
Snow White looked at her with her usual doe eyes, and Grimilde shivered: "How can you say such a thing? Of course I want you close," she replied immediately. "Then why are we still talking, Your Majesty?"
And to be even more seductive, the princess brought her hand to the queen's neck and run her fingers further down her chest.
"Darling." Was that a warning? From her tone, it seemed so. Her eyes were more alive than a few minutes before, and her lips finally stretched into a smile. The queen didn't need to be told twice and their mouths collided, caressing the cheek of her beautiful flower, touching her skin as if it were delicate enough to break with the slightest pressure. This, however, wasn't what Snow White needed: she was used to being treated as if she were the most delicate and vulnerable woman in the kingdom, but she was strong and had long wanted to assert herself, to show everyone that they shouldn't underestimate her. A flame lit inside her, and she found herself clinging to the neck of her beautiful queen, while her fingers slipped between her blonde locks.
Grimilde gasped in surprise at the sweet aggression and returned the passion, pressing her against her body. Their tongues met, fighting for dominance, their lips now red from kissing, their hands eager to explore each other's skin.
Grimilde longed to go further with her, but she knew it was too soon for both of them and feared all that ardour would burn them sooner or later. She kissed her princess a little more, brushing her lips along her cheek and nibbling the skin of her neck. She wouldn't leave marks, even if she wanted to. "What are you thinking about?"
Snow White whispered, rubbing her hands along the queen's back.
"There are so many things I'm thinking about." The blonde smiled against her skin, then, still maintaining her hold on her, she pulled away so she could look at her face. "Terran, Astrael, Aron, the rivalries of the border... it seems that the threats are never-ending. I fear... more than a simple act of rebellion from a marquis awaits us."
The princess said nothing and continued to watch her, waiting for her to fully unburden herself; the fingers of one hand played with blond locks, while the others continued to caress her shoulder, sliding down her arm in a gesture of comfort.
"Your father... the king expected it." Those words stopped the princess: "What did he expect?" She didn't raise her eyes, but tightened her grip on Grimilde.
"That it would mark the end of Arran's peaceful era."
As frightening and heavy as those words were, the princess forced herself not to feel suffocated by the future that awaited her. She had to be strong for the kingdom and for Grimilde. She wasn't alone facing the dangers along the way. She was with a brilliant, determined, and far-sighted woman.
The queen had a plan in mind to deal with Terran and the rebellion they were preparing; as far ahead as they were compared to the two of them, they were unaware of the presence of a demon and a magic mirror at court or of the fact that the queen came from a family of demonic summoners[1].
"I'm not afraid, with you by my side."
Grimilde smiled faintly and held her brave princess close, sighing into her ebony hair. She was so beautiful and strong that her heart ached. She would do anything for her, she would save her, her kingdom, her peace and happiness. No matter what the cost.
At that point, the queen tried to get out of bed, knowing it was late and the princess should rest, but a warm hand gripped her wrist, stopping her. "Where do you think you're going? Come here." The wheat-haired woman gasped when the princess surprised her by sitting on her lap. "My dear, I don't think this is the time..."
"The time for what?" The blush on the queen's cheeks was so seductive that the princess couldn't resist playing with her a little longer. She knew that Grimilde, passionate as she was, would never do anything without her consent.
Moreover, both were deeply romantic, and the princess, influenced by her favorite stories, longed for a perfect first night of love with her queen. And it would have been possible, if it weren't for the enemies lurking around, ready to harm them. Would they ever find peace?
"You're quite mischievous today."
"Aren't I always mischievous with you?" the princess giggled, nuzzling her cheek on her shoulder, inhaling her sweet scent. "Hold me again." She whispered. She couldn't separate herself from the queen, she didn't want to.
"Can you stay with me? For tonight..."
"Fine, but sooner or later you'll have to take care of your maids."
"What do you mean?" The princess raised her eyes kissed her cheek. These days, she always seemed to be the last to know everything.
"The queen and the princess take turns spending the night in each other's rooms... even if some people are less intuitive, not everyone is that blind."
"Oh..."
[1] As mentioned above, Grimilde's family had political control of their territory also thanks to their strength, that is, controlling demonic energy.