Chapter 13
Upon Alastor entering Rosie’s emporium with the Queen of Hell all cannibals present halted their actions and fell silent. They then simply bowed their heads to their queen and moved aside to allow Lilith and Alastor direct passage to Rosie.
Rosie hurried forward ad gave her own elegant curtsy before greeting Lilith with all the formality of old friends. “My queen, it’s been far too long! People were beginning to think you had abandoned us all. Of course, I would never allow such gossip here. You must come into the parlour and join me for some refreshments! Perhaps you can regale me with all you’ve been up to lately, if you’re so inclined.”
Rosie ushered Lilith towards the parlour while making a shooing motion to signal the other cannibals to leave. She didn’t even so much as spare Alastor a glace. Well, if that’s how she wishes it to be, he thought before bringing her attention to himself. “Good evening, Rosie. I was just catching Lilith up on the latest happenings of Hell and we thought we’d pay you a visit.”
Rosie harrumphed. “I don’t recall addressing you, and don’t refer to your queen so casually like that! I thought I taught you at least some manners!”
Lilith smiled, “really, Rosie, it’s quite alright. Alastor and I have become rather well acquainted over these last few hours,” she looked back over her shoulder at him, “wouldn’t you say, deer.” There was just a hint of mischief in her eyes as she continued to speak between them, clearly having picked up on their unresolved tension. “But what of the two of you? Did you have a falling out?”
Alastor attempted to quickly talk past the matter, “oh nonsense, just a small disagreement that we’ve both since come to an understanding over. I’m sure such trifle is of no interest to the Queen of Hell.”
Rosie immediately cut in before Alastor has a chance to say anything more. “This two-timing, double-crossing…”
“Two-timing?” Lilith interrupted Rosie, “are you saying he cheated o you? I wasn’t aware the two of you were in that sort of relationship.”
Ahgast Alastor and Rosie simultaneously yelped, “we weren’t!”
Lilith giggled at the two of them. She hadn’t expected them to be so easy to bait. Clearly something had rattled them both enough to shake their usual stoic professionalism. “Alright, alright, I was only kidding. Surely whatever he did isn’t beyond forgiveness, right? We’re all friends here.”
Alastor mumbled, “there are no friends in Hell,” to which Rosie and Lilith merely looked at each other and rolled their eyes at them.
As they situated themselves at Rosies table Lilith made a few mental notes about how different it was since the last time she’d had the pleasure of tea with Rosie. For one thing, whatever happened between them had clearly made Rosie more apprehensive of Alastor. However, to Lilith Alastor just seemed to be acting like a proud feisty brat who had grown too big for his britches and gotten one over on his mum. Lilith wondered briefly just how accurate her assessment might be as Alastor seemed to pout at Rosie purposely ignoring his presence.
Another difference Lilith noticed was the absence of any business partner. “If you don’t mind my asking, whatever happened to your business partner? I believe his name was Franklin?”
Rosie simply shrugged. “Didn’t make it through that last execution, I’m afraid.”
“Oh, I’m terribly sorry to hear it. He was quite the chef as I recall.”
“No matter. I have all his recipes memorized.”
Alastor cleared his throat, “There will be plenty of time for the two of you to gossip about ex-partners and ex-husbands later. For now, if we could discus…”
Rosie interrupted him, “Ex-husband?! Oh, My Queen, don’t tell me you and His Majesty have called it quits?! Is that why you were away for so long? You poor thing, you must’ve been heartbroken!”
Alastor cut back in before Lilith could recount her entire lengthy tale to Rosie. Having to sit through it once was enough for him. “Again, there will be time for that later. There really are more important things which need attention.”
Lilith thought to herself, ‘like you’ seeing Alastor so blatantly trying to focus them on whatever agenda he wanted to sell. Rosie seemed more interested in the bit of royal gossip she’d just been delivered than any other current matters of Hell.
Rosie attempted to not so subtly fish for more details. “I suppose with a royal divorce comes and eventual inevitable degree of some sort. With an announcement like that there’s bound to be chaos. How do you plan to get ahead of it?”
Lilith really didn’t come here to discuss her divorce, which she considered a personal matter, but it seemed at least the two overlords present thought it relevant to affairs of Hells. “Not you too, Rosie.” Lilith sighed, “it’s just a divorce, a private matter between my husband and myself.”
“Ex-husband,” Alastor reminded her with a small triumphant smirk, proud of himself for ceasing the opportunity to throw her own words back at her. “As I explained earlier, it matters because you aren’t just some ordinary housewife, Lilith, you’re the Queen of Hell.”
“And as I explained earlier, Alastor, I’ve been absent from Hell for long enough now for my presence, or lack thereof, to make little difference, if any.”
“We’ve been through this already!” Alastor practically snarled at her. “Your absence is, at the very least, indirectly responsible for what happened to Lucifer!”
Both Lilith and Rosie looked at him quizzically and back to each other as if to silently affirm they both heard what they thought. Alastor noticed the apparent exchange between the other two like they were communicating something to one another without words, seeming aware of something he hadn’t yet discovered.
Rosie finally looked directly at him for the first time since his arrival, raised an eyebrow at him, and asked, “to Lucifer?”
“What?”
“You said ‘to Lucifer’, not ‘to Hell’,” Rosie clarified. “Did you forget about all the damage done to the city? All the souls lost? Or is it that you only have concern for Lucifer?”
Alastor noted the smirk she gave him, but he didn’t have time to play her games right now. His only interest in this conversation was in finding a way to steer it towards the problem he knew would get these two bleeding hearts to partially hand him what he wanted. The problem and what he wanted were one and the same, Lucifer. If he could keep the concern for Lucifer’s well being at the forefront of the conversation, Rosie and Lilith would want to ensure his safety from any more ridiculous schemes made by other idiots like Vox. Thus, providing Alastor the perfect opportunity to suggest a deal for his protection. Such a deal made with these two would also grant Alastor proximity to Lucifer, and with that, the potential to make a deal with him.
Lilith knew Alastor was clueless to his own obvious infatuation. She also knew Rosie was just the person to help her give this hopeless deer a nudge in the right direction. “It seems our dear Alastor has developed quite the attachment to his king while in the service of our daughter.” Lilith and Rosie shared another knowing look as Alastor scuffed at the indignance.
“I’ve developed no such’ attachment’,” he practically hissed the word through gritted teeth, “I simply wish to avoid having yet another dolt-powered laser, or any other weapon, to contend with. Once was enough, thank you. If you aren’t planning to be Lucifer’s keeper anymore, I suggest you assign him one. Obviously, Our King, can’t be trusted to use his head when left to his own devices.”
“A keeper?” Rosie giggled. “Oh, yes, I dare say, he deserves to find himself a ‘keeper’. A man like that will have every eligible dame in Hell lining up to get into that hotel once they hear of him being back on the market.” She winked at Lilith. “Honestly, I know you’re a free spirit and all, and not every woman wants to be tied down to a husband, but how can you let such a man as Lucifer, The King of Hell, The Devil, The First Temptation go so willingly? Now HE was a ‘KEEPER’!”
Alastor rolled is eyes at the two women. Was it really necessary to sing that corny circus clown’s praises like that? They were still talking about the being who damned all mankind. Alastor wasn’t used to others sharing his admiration for the original opposer. Usually, others jeered at the mere thought of the devil. Even though Alastor had always wanted others to see the gift of free will that Lucifer’s actions had ultimately granted them as the blessing it was, for some reason he didn’t like all this attention and reverence towards Lucifer that Rosie was showing.
In general, he really didn’t care for it much when anyone praised Lucifer. They were just enamoured with his beauty like a couple of horny school girls. Did they really even appreciate Lucifer the way Alastor did? Or were they merely attracted to his physical appearance? Honestly Alastor expected better from The Queen and a respectable overlord.
Lilith followed Rosie’s line of conversation knowing exactly what kind of affect it was intended to have on their mutual friend. She also noticed it seemed to be working. “Lu is a keeper, and I did try to hold onto him. He was mine for thousands of years, after all, but I am a selfish being and I want better for him. He deserves a keeper now too. Perhaps I should do as Alastor suggests and find him one. You wouldn’t happen to know of any eligible suiters now, would you, Rosie?” Lilith watched Alastor for his reaction out of the corner of her eye.
Alastor couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He knew Rosie loved her gossip, especially about romance and royal affairs, but they were supposed to be discussing what could be done about Lucifer’s reputation and vulnerability after his fiasco with Vox. Yet here they were playing matchmaker? “You know perfectly well what I had in mind when I said to find him a keeper.”
“Rosie teased him, “oh, Alastor, you ARE quite the charmer, but I wouldn’t go as far as to call you a keeper! Ha!” She snort-laughed rather unladylike and continued. “Especially, not after your recently display of disloyalty. And I had always been so good to you.”
“I was not suggesting that I…that we…never mind all that foolishness! You know full well I’ve not the slightest intention of indulging your silly notion of finding Lucifer a replacement spouse! All he needs is someone willing to look after his wellbeing and be a deterrent from any potential future Vox wannabes.”
“Well, if you’re so passionate about it why don’t you take the job?”
Finally, Rosie gave him an opening. “You want ME to look after Our Poor Pathetic King?”
“Enough of that!” Lilith knew Alastor was just postering to compensate for whatever issues he had of his own, probably being too proud to admit caring about anyone other than himself, but she still wasn’t going to just sit there and allow him to speak that way about Lucifer, especially not in public. “You know all too well Lucifer is anything, but pathetic. Even with his heaven decreed restriction, he an still wipe the floor with you. Do you really think he survived the fall and all this time in hell by being weak?”
Alastor knew he pushed his luck with Lilith too far and now he needed to salvage this chance. He also knew she was right. “My apologies, I was just surprised at Rosie’s sudden, and rather bold, suggestion. You may have noticed my reluctance to further assist our mutual acquaintance in her endears. Previous business arrangements have left me hesitant to volunteer my services.” Alastor shot a gotcha look at Rosie. Not only would he get what he wanted by making HER suggest it, but he would also get the satisfaction of taking control away from her and giving it to Lilith.
Rosie glared at him and grit her teeth. “You’re already lurking about the hotel of your own accord, I see no reason why you can’t keep an eye on things yourself since you’re obviously concerned. I’m sure there are other matters of Hell to be discussed, but YOU specifically brought up Lucifer.”
“Because it was HIS power that nearly took out the rest of Hell! The only reason we are STILL talking about that man is because of your silly little waste of time fretting over his non-existent love life. However, if it will finally resolve the issue entirely and conclude this redundant conversation, I am willing to entertain the idea of offering my services for a fee, of course.”
“Of course. How could I forget? You don’t work for free.” Rosie scowled.
“Why don’t you work for me, then?” Lilith offered. Alastor looked at her as though he was considering and then smiled at her charmingly.
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