"I discovered a filthy mortal whoring herself out to your demon guards. This is the bastard she was carrying!"
"I humbly beg the Demon Sovereign to find the wretch who fathered this thing and grind his bones to ash, so the dignity of the Demon Realm remains unsullied!"
——
Three full years I had carried the child. The heavens themselves had shifted with strange omens.
The movements in my womb had grown fiercer by the day, the unborn stirring with signs that its arrival was imminent.
I was lying in bed, preparing for the birth, when a commotion broke out beyond the doors.
"The Demon Sovereign keeps coming here every other day. Today, I'm going to see for myself what precious little secret he's hiding!"
"But, my lady, I've heard that the Abyssal Palace is part of the Forbidden Grounds. No one is permitted to enter without leave!"
"That's right, Seraphina. They say that when Cadmus Freewild merely wandered in here by accident, the Demon Sovereign executed him on the spot and it sparked a war between the immortals and demons. Barging in like this... isn't it a bit reckless?"
"Reckless? I am the only woman in all the Six Realms worthy of the Demon Sovereign's attention. He would never blame me."