FALLEN ANGEL: MARRIED TO THE DEMON KING

Even as King Varziel led her down the steps of the dais, his hand not leaving hers, she could still feel that feeling bubbling up in her chest. A ripple of magic surged through the air at that moment, and as they reached the last step, the demons closest to them gasped, staring at her.

Arella was confused at first, wondering if there was something wrong with the wedding dress that she was wearing. She looked down at the gown, hoping the beautiful dress had not gotten ruined. What she saw also made her gasp.

The beautiful white gown had begun to turn a dark color from the lace that was at her bust area. The fabric seemed to be absorbing the shadows of the demon realm. Arella's eyes widened, and she swallowed deeply, refusing to make a scene. The transformation spread downwards like ink in water, turning the gown a shimmering black color. The delicate gold embroidery that had embodied the holy power of the angels seemed to shift into intricate patterns of swirling smoke. The angelic glow that surrounded Arella also seemed to dim into a shadowy luminescence that looked almost white, a far cry from her golden angel glow. It took just but a few seconds for the entire wedding dress to turn that deep black color that matched King Varziel's hair.

The halo crown at the top of her head was the only golden thing that was left, and her wings were the only white that was left. Her fingers trembled at the realization.

There was pin-drop silence, as the demons were momentarily stunned. Once the dress was fully black, the air around them sizzled, and as if a flip had been switched, the crowd erupted into deafening cheers.

"She now wears the mantle of a queen!" A towering demon bellowed, his voice sounding like an avalanche.

"The darkness has claimed her!" Another much smaller one shouted. She spun in midair with her wings, leaving sparks of flame in her wake.

Arella clenched her fingers ever so slightly before glancing down at herself and at the dress. She thought she would have at least had an instinct to recoil; however, she felt no malice towards the change. In fact, she quite liked how the dress looked.

She looked up at Varziel, who looked at her dress with a satisfied smirk. "Why do I have a feeling you knew this would happen?"

King Varziel bowed his head to talk in her ear. "It took longer than I thought, but it did happen. Angel silk, for some reason, always turns black in the demon realm. I am glad they used it to make your gown. I liked it when it was white, but I absolutely love it now that it is black."

The courtyard surged with energy, far different from what Arella was used to. It was the energy of the demons, but she did not feel disgusted by it. Some demons dressed very scantily twirled in a dance at the edges of the crowd, their leather wings trailing some dark light. Other demons roared their approval, slamming their weapons into the stone ground rhythmically, the sound echoing like thunder.

"All hail the Queen! All hail the king!" came a chat that grew louder with every passing moment.

Varziel raised his hand once more, and the crowd fell into a hushed murmur. His deep voice carried over the courtyard: "You have all witnessed; the darkness has accepted Arella, the Angel of Water, as the Queen of the Abyss."

Arella's back straightened, and she realized her hands were no longer trembling. She raised her gaze to look at the crowd. "I will honor this bond." She spoke simply.

The energy of the demons surged once more as they roared their approval, with their cheers shaking the very stones of the courtyard. "All hail the Queen! All hail the King!"

She looked down at her beast. "What do you think, Echo?"

The shadow hound yipped, his tail wagging. Arella chuckled at his obvious indication of the way he liked the dress.

King Varziel lowered his head once more. "They cheer for you as much as they cheer for me. It seems that you have won their hearts."

"I have done nothing to warrant it." Arella's words were sharp as she spoke to the king, although she had a smile on her face.

"It is tradition of the demons for the bride to wear black to their wedding. I imagine their shock when the queen walks in wearing a pristine white dress." He did not have to say more for Arella to understand.

If someone got married in the angel realm wearing a dress in any color that was not white, it would be considered scandalous, and they could very well be refused to marry in front of the officiant.

"Well, let us hope their loyalty follows their hearts." She looked up at him and gave him a small, wry smile.

"It will." His words were confident, as if he was sure that no one would decide that it was not worth it to ignore their angel queen.

The crowd of demons parted like the sea as Arella took the last step. Arella's transformed wedding dress gleamed like liquid night as they walked through them; her head was held high, and her wings shimmered faintly in the dim light.

The demons were very respectful, not touching her wings inappropriately not trying to touch her. However, the closer she looked, the more she realized that they looked just like any angels she knew. Their faces were different from what she was used to, and so was the power that they emitted, but they had expressions similar to the ones she knew. Their joy looked like joy... with pointier teeth, and their excitement looked like excitement... with fire trailing in its wake.

Okay, the fire was actually normal. It had happened to Arella quite often too.

.

S/T:

Echo's thoughts:

Hello, my name is Echo, and I am the familiar of the very rude and stupid Arella. My master is very kind, even though she is stupid. Her favourite thing to do is sleep in and laze around. Once in a while she will take care of the garden she planted, but that is about it. 

She is now married to the Demon King. I have half a mind to run away like I did a hundred years ago. But my contractor is stupid. She will not survive in the demonic realm without me. 

Sigh.

I need all the luck I can get to ensure both me and my contractor survive. As always, it is Echo to the rescue!