FALLEN ANGEL: MARRIED TO THE DEMON KING

Another knock sounded on the door, and in walked Camael and Castiel. Arella and Lailah looked up.

"You look radiant, Arella," Camael's voice was soft.

"Radiant?" Arella let out a laugh. "I look like I have been dipped in molten gold and wrapped in light. It is hardly my usual style."

"That does not take from your beauty. Just like your mother on our wedding day."

Arella smiled up at her father. "Thank you."

Then, her smile dropped. "What happens if I fail?" What if the demon king decides that this marriage was a mistake and decides that he does not like his angelic bride?"

Castiel's jaw tightened. There was silence in the room for a few moments, the weight of her words hanging in the air. It was true that none of them knew what was waiting for Arella in the realm of the demons. "The council may see this union as a necessity, but I do not."

"Not out loud, Castiel." Lailah patted her son's shoulder. "I do agree with him though."

"Castiel gave you the talisman, did he not?" Arella nodded and pulled it out from the pockets of her dress. "If ever you need to run away, we will run with you. This I, Camael of the Angels of Water, do hereby promise." His eyes changed color, and they glowed a very bright gold.

"I, Arella of the Angels of Water, accept this promise." Arella took his hands in her own; her eyes also glowed gold.

A promise made by an angel was taken with seriousness, and such a solemn oath could not be easily broken.

"You are our daughter, Arella. I have never seen you turn your back on a challenge, and this will not be the first one you run from." Arella's throat tightened at his words.

Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, but she refused to cry. She had promised herself that she would not cry anymore. "Thank you, father." She whispered.

Before anyone could say any more, a bell tolled, the sound clear even in the room. It was time.

Echo pattered gently over to her. He had been sleeping in the corner, refusing to get close to the angels who had been preparing Arella. She patted his head. His dark fur had been washed, and it was now smooth to the touch. "Shall we go, Echo?"

The shadow hound huffed as it stretched his paws and opened its mouth to yawn.

Camael offered her his hand. "It is time, my child," Arella took his hand and his lips pulled up in a wide smile. "Your mother and I definitely picked the right halo."

"It does look gorgeous, doesn't it?" Arella gave him a toothy grin as she offered her other hand to her mother. "You and Mother have the best fashion sense."

"Of course I do." Lailah took the hand being offered.

Castiel smiled at her, "You've got this."

"Of course I do." Arella laughed, "I am your sister after all."

There was a procession of angels already waiting outside her doors. Although she did not know some of the angels who were present personally, she recognized all of them. They were all related to her in one way or another.

Another custom in the angel realm was that the bride's family was to meet with the bride before she walked down the aisle. This way, they could give her their best wishes. Arella accepted the greeting of every angel. All of them kept the widest berth they could from Echo, preventing even the hem of their robes from touching the creature.

After all of them had given their blessing, they left to get seated. Arella was left with her direct family. "That was overwhelming."

"It is tradition." Camael reminded her. "It must be followed. All of them have packed gifts that you will take with you to the demon realm. I do hope there are some helpful ones in the pile that I saw."

As they approached the grand hall where the wedding was to take place, Arella could feel her heart palpitating faster in her chest. The pain of the corset grounded her enough to prevent her from hyperventilating. Castiel walked ahead, his wings tightly pressed to his back.

Both he and Camael were wearing the official angel robes that were made for male family members of the bride. The white robes were so long that they swished on the pristine floor. Just like her wedding dress, they were embroidered with golden thread, the pattern matching hers.

The doors to the grand hall towered over the family and even closed; the soft murmurs from inside could be heard. Lailah quickly placed the veil over Arella's face, dusted her shoulder as she muttered, "Let's do this."

The runes etched on the doors pulsed gently and began to glow with a golden shine as Arella and her family approached. The doors then swung open very slowly, revealing a space bathed in the light of the sun. This was the hall where all angels got married, and Arella had attended at least two weddings here. After it was officiated, the families would go and celebrate in the Dahlia Garden, which was where Arella had burned an angel's wing all those years ago.

The hall was full of angels who lined the walls, dressed in their pristine white robes, and their halos glowing ever so softly. The aisle was long, and at the end, Arella could see the demon king, Varziel. His face was not clear thanks to the veil that she wore, but she could feel the energy he emitted even from their distance.

Arella's breath caught in her throat, as a feeling she did not understand welled up inside her.

Nevertheless, even though she wanted to run, the wedding had to go on, and the wedding march started playing. She did not know when Castiel had left her side, however, she knew that style of playing as his. The piano playing was soft, caressing her earbuds. Arella took in a deep breath and squeezed her parents' arms as they began to walk.

She looked gorgeous; that was one thing she was sure of. Therefore, not even her fears of the marriage could keep her from showing off the dress.

.

S/T:

(King Varziel's preparation consisted of panicking, more panicking, and even more panicking. He definitely was not ready to see the angel who would become his wife. So much so that he had lost control of his powers and burned three suits. However, his assistants had been preparing for this day for so long. So they had almost ten spare suits.)

(Not even their king being on his death bed would make this marriage fall through.)