~~~
I woke up to the clanging noise of a tray hitting the floor. I jolted in shock expecting to find Hades but to my disappointment it was my maids. My demon maids and Miriam, laughing so hard that they must have dropped the tray.
I thought I had gotten used to Hades not being here whenever I woke up, so why was I expecting him? It also seemed like Miriam was getting used to the twins Lydra and Hydra my rabbit demon maids — They had cute rabbit ears at the top of their head, also a little rabbit bun tail at their buttocks I found it so cute.
"Where's Hades?" I found myself asking.
"My Lady, did we wake you?" Miriam asked.
"No." I lied. "Where's Hades?"
"There was a bit of a problem, I think His Eminence is in the Strategy room with his generals," Lydra explained.
"What problem?" I asked.
"A rebilli--rebeli..."
"...a rebellion?" I asked cutting in since she was finding it hard to pronounce the word.
"Yes that's it," She beamed.
The girls helped me dress up and dressed me in some of the modern clothing Miriam and I designed.
The curve-hugging red dress clinging to my body. The fabric shimmered under the light, a bold crimson — Sleeveless and sleek, the neckline dipped just enough to tease, while a high slit ran up one thigh, offering fleeting glimpses of smooth skin with every step. I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear —a small smirk played on my lips. I didn't just wear the dress. I owned it.
Hours had gone by and I was still in our Chambers, alone and extremely bored. I tried teaching a game from my world to the girls but they just couldn't grasp it.
"Isn't Hades done yet?" I asked.
"Not yet Your Majesty," Hydra responded.
"I'll go to him," I said standing up but Miriam grabbed my hand.
"My lady women are not allowed in the Strategy room," She said. "It's reserved for the generals and warriors,"
"How incredibly sexist," I scoffed. I'm going either way,"
"My Lady please," Miriam and the girls tried to talk me out if it but I was hellbent on attending. Offended by the gender inequality.
.
.
.
The tension in the Hellfire Citadel was thick enough to slice with a blade. Word had just reached the royal court—a rebellion had broken out in the outskirts of the Infernal Wastes, a crucial mining zone that provided the Citadel with hellstone, a rare and powerful mineral used in forging demon weaponry.
The cause? Harsh working conditions, scarce rations, and whispers that the Demon King no longer cared for the lower-class demons.
The spark had caught fire when one of the mine overseers, a cruel horned demon named Kravos, struck a young miner unconscious and left him for dead. The miners retaliated, and now the rebellion threatened to cut off the Citadel's supply chain—and its power.
Hades received the report while in the war room with his generals, his expression unreadable as always. The room was dimly lit, maps of different regions stretched across the obsidian walls, red flames flickering in sconces.
"They've taken control of two outposts already," General Gavriel snarled, slamming his clawed hand onto the table. "And if we don't act now, the whole southern region might fall into chaos."
"Should we send the hounds?" another general asked. "Burn it all down?"
Hazel, who had been waiting in the corridor, finding a way to get past the guards overheard the rising voices. She wasn't meant to be there. Women —especially queens —were not allowed in the strategy room.
But Hazel wasn't the old princess anymore. She had ideas. Ideas from a world where rebellions weren't always crushed, but solved.
Miriam had warned her not to interfere, but curiosity and a sharp sense of justice propelled her forward. She dodged the guards and without knocking, Hazel pushed the massive doors open.
The room fell into stunned silence.
Hades looked up, his dark eyes narrowing. "You are not permitted here."
Gasps fluttered like sparks. One of the warlocks spoke up. "My King, this room is reserved for strategists and blood-bound warriors. The Queen—"
Hazel ignored the sting in his tone and stepped forward, her silver hair catching the firelight. " Then consider this a necessary offense. I heard everything. You're going to crush a rebellion without even asking why it started?"
The generals bristled. One sneered. "This is not a place for royal mouths who don't bleed on battlefields."
Hades' voice was cool. "She stays."
She took a breath. "The rebellion started because they feel unheard. Starved. Abused. If you kill them all, you lose their labor, your supply, and most importantly—your people's trust."
"They've always been difficult," grunted another demon, " Flog a few in public and they'll get back in line,"
"Would you stop thinking like this is the stone age?"
"What?"
Gavriel growled. "You'd have us negotiate with rebels? They disobeyed their king."
She stepped forward. "The rebellion isn't just about greed. They're desperate. They feel unseen. You keep cracking whips and wonder why they bite back?"
A scoff rose. "And what would Your Majesty suggest?"
"Give them a voice," she replied. "Choose one or two respected leaders from Nyxmoor to act as regional representatives. Let them bring their grievances to court monthly. In return, they agree to resume exports under direct oversight. You reduce revolt without bloodshed."
A younger demon commander frowned. "That sounds... like democracy."
"It's strategy," she said. "People are less likely to riot if they feel heard. Fear doesn't last. Influence does."
It wasn't traditional. It wasn't demonic. But it made sense.
Another murmured, "It'd spread fast. Show the rest of the realm that the king listens."
A heavy silence fell. Then Hades spoke.
"Implement her proposal. Send word to Nyxmoor. Two envoys will be accepted within the week. Any who threaten this arrangement will face me personally."
Shock rippled through the room. Hazel blinked. Did he just—agree with her?
"Dismissed," Hades said.
The chamber emptied quickly. Only Ariana and Hades remained.
He finally turned. "Where did you learn that?"
"I'm not from here," she said. "Remember?"
He studied her for a long moment, his gaze unreadable.
"You intrigue me, Hazel. More and more each day."
---
Later that evening, word of Hazel's interference spread through the palace like wildfire. The maids whispered it. The guards repeated it. And by the time she stepped into the moonlit hall to retrieve a book from the library, she was no longer alone.
That's when she heard it—heels clicking behind her. Laughter, like poison honey.
"Such a clever queen," came Lysa's voice, laced with amusement. "Saving demons with words instead of blades. Adorable."
Hazel turned. Lysa the succubus, in crimson silk that dripped off her like blood; Nyra the syren demon, with sea-glass eyes and lips too perfect; and Velia the serpent demon, half-draped in scaled green armor, were blocking the corridor.
"You must be exhausted pretending to matter," Velia added with a hiss.
"Not really," Ariana said, folding her arms. "I didn't pretend. I belonged."
Nyra leaned in close. "You'll never survive him. He devours what he touches."
Hazel raised a brow. "The last one? You mean one of you?"
Lysa stepped closer. "You think your presence means anything? Hades takes what he wants. And when he tires of you, he will toss you back into whatever shallow grave you crawled out from."
Hazel smirked. "And yet here you are, wasting breath on a woman supposedly so beneath you."
They stiffened.
"Let me guess," Hazel continued sweetly. "He got bored of you? Or perhaps you thought you'd claw your way back into his bed."
"I get it now. You're not mad because I'm a threat to him. You're mad because I'm a threat to you."
Nyra lunged forward, but a blast of flames cracked down the hallway.
"Enough."
Hades' voice echoed like a thunderclap.
All three demons turned as the shadows behind Hazel swirled— he emerged from them like smoke, eyes blazing with literally flames.
"You forget yourselves," he said coolly. "She is my Queen. Threaten her again, and I will not be so diplomatic."
Lysa's lips parted. "My King—"
"Leave."
Hazel blinked as Hades stepped beside her. For the first time, he looked at her not with suspicion—but with something closer to protection.
"You didn't have to step in," she said quietly.
"No," Hades replied, voice low. "But you are mine to protect, whether I like it or not."
As he walked away, Hazel's heart pounded.
Maybe, just maybe, she wasn't as alone in this underworld as she thought.