FALLEN ANGEL: MARRIED TO THE DEMON KING

The three days, after Solan had come to her home as a bearer of bad news, had flown by in a flash. Arella stood at a field, looking at the portal that shimmered in the distance. The golden light of the portal shimmered ahead and pulsed with angelic power. It seemed alive, almost breathing, and even at that distance, she could feel the holy energy reaching for her like an old friend.

It had been a hundred years since she was dropped off in the human realm at this exact spot.

Arella approached the portal with a measured pace, her heart heavy but her head held high. The closer she walked to the portal, the more angelic energy seeped into her pores. The same angelic power that she had grown up around. At that moment, it felt like a breath of fresh air.

The field was quiet, except for the soft rustle of the wind through the grass.

Beside her trailed echo, his padded steps trailed behind her. He had been silent all along, simply walking behind her and offering her strength. No matter what happened, she knew Echo would always be by her side. The creature whimpered, and this caused Arella to look away from the portal. His ears were flattened at the sides of his head, and his teeth were barred.

Echo was a demonic beast, born of the very energy that the portal rejected. Being this close to such strong angelic power must have been agonizing for him, but he did not leave her side. Arella was almost sure that he never would.

Arella waited for him to stand by her before she lowered her hand to pat his furry head. Her angelic power was one he had gotten used to, and it allowed him to calm down even in the face of stronger angelic power.

"Don't worry, Echo, I'm here." Arella looked up at the portal once more. Her heart was thumping in her chest. Everything was becoming more real. In just one day, she would be married off to the demon king. Echo grunted beside her, as if it were reminding her that it was also there for her too.

"I know, I know." Arella muttered, dropping her hand.

They continued to walk to the portal, and as she neared it, she could see two figures standing on the other side. At first, they were just two blurry outlines haloed by the light. But as she grew accustomed to the light of the portal the closer she walked to it, the figures on the other side became clear to her. Both angels were tall and were wearing the normal angel robes.

Her pace slowed.

The one whose robes had shining blue thread was a figure she recognized very well. It was one that she had not seen for a hundred years. His very pale blonde hair gleamed under the portal's light, falling in soft waves over his shoulders. His wings were half unfurled, just enough to show that he was ready to take flight at any moment.

Castiel.

Her brother.

Solan stood next to him, the gold cuffs of his robes gleaming thanks to the light the edges of the portal provided. He was holding his silver-white staff, which hummed softly, most probably using it to keep the portal open.

Arella's steps faltered upon seeing her brother. Seeing Castiel after so long, after everything, was like being struck by lightning.

However, it was just for a moment before she resumed her determined stride. She had not been expecting to see him here, and the anger she had been holding on to the last few days seemed to surge anew. Her wings flared open slightly at her sudden flare of holy power, a reflexive response to her rising emotions.

"Castiel." She spoke upon reaching the portal edge.

Both angel men turned to her upon hearing her voice.

Castiel's expression was unreadable; however, his voice shook as he addressed his sister, "Arella." Her name on his lips made Arella's fingers tremble. She had missed her brother.

"Why are you here?" She clenched her hand tightly over her travel case. It was slightly larger than the one she had been using when she was first dropped off on earth.

"I have simply missed you, sister. I wished to come pick you."

Arella squinted her eyes at him, obviously not believing his words. She turned to Solan, "Why did you bring him here? Did you think I would not come and that he would be the perfect angel to bring me back to the angel realm?"

"That…" Solan started but was cut off by Castiel.

"That is not the case, Arella."

"Then why? To offer me more useless advice on how this marriage is for the greater good and that I should take this in stride?"

Castiel's jaw clenched, and his fists tightened. Slowly, his wings folded tightly and rested firmly on his back. Arella ignored his expression and continued to speak, "If that is why you are here, then no need to worry; Solan explained everything to me when he came over the other day."

Castiel unclenched his fist and grabbed the edge of the portal. The golden edge of the portal sparked with the contact. He walked from the other side of the portal, his golden shoe stepping softly on the soft grass. "Arella." He took the few steps between her and the portal and stopped directly before her. "Dear sister, you are leaving in a day; I couldn't let you go without speaking to you first."

He took the travel case from her hands, and she allowed him to. "Let me."

Arella crossed her arms, her glare sharp enough to cut steel. "Tell me then; explain to me, Castiel, my brother, how you, father and mother, are simply standing by and letting this happen."

"I did not stand by." Castiel's voice carried a note of weariness. At this distance, Arella could see his features clearly, and she noticed the slight eye bags that were underneath his eyes. "Mother stormed the council after she received the announcement. I do not know what they told her, but she came back home and has not left her chambers since. Father refuses to tell me anything, and I do not have access to the council."

"You mean you, one of Heaven's strongest warriors, could not do anything?"

"Father made it clear that if I interfered, it could fracture the already delicate balance of the realms." Castiel's wings fluttered ever so slightly, showing his agitation.

"Typical. Always the perfect golden angel." Arella scoffed.

"Do you think that me barging into the council rooms would have helped your case, Arella? If I, or the family, had made an enemy of the council and caused heaven to turn its back on you entirely, that it would have made everything better?"

"Yes!" Arella shouted, her voice trembling with emotion. "Don't act like you were holding back just for me, Castiel." Arella shot back. By this point, she was heaving. "You should have done anything for me. I certainly would have burned the heavens down if it came to it, if it meant that I would be able to protect you and our parents."

Castiel's eyes softened. His wings lowered slightly. "You are right," his voice had lowered down to a whisper, "I should have done more, and for that, I am sorry."

S/T:

Arella: (In an interview) It is true. I would burn down the heavens if someone tried to harm my family. This one time, I burned...

Castiel: (The person who had helped her hide the incident.) (Appears out of nowhere and covers her mouth with his palm.) (He uses his angelic power to switch the cameras off.) Nothing to hear here, folks. have a good day (Drags Arella away.)