Page 45 of King's Obsession

“What’s the matter?” Dougal split his attention between Elara’s feeding and his mate.

“Lord Pencil Dick wants to file an application.” Asmodeus was still growling while he eyed the demon in front of him with anger.

“What for?” Dougal gently eased the bottle teat from Elara’s mouth. “Are you hiring more staff for the palace?”

“It’s Lord Pentagon, your majesty.” Pentagon drew himself up proudly. “I am here to lodge my application as a suitable marriage partner to the new princess of the realm. As one of the original bloodlines, who has connections to the royal family for over ten thousand—”

“No.” Setting the bottle on the arm of his throne, Dougal raised Elara up onto his shoulder, softly stroking over her back as she nestled into his neck.

“King Consort, sir, I don’t think you understand.” Pentagon was persistent, but then the entitled demons usually were. “It is customary for all royal children to be bound on a marriage promise from a very early age—”

“You weren’t.” Dougal interrupted the man again, arching his brow at Asmodeus. His mate’s white-knuckled grip on the arms of his throne was threatening to break it.

“My father died before a marriage contract could be announced, and as I became a surly bastard thereafter, most applicants quickly withdrew their offer.” Asmodeus’s lip curled into a sneer. “They had commonsense. Pencil Dick, you seem to have left yours at home.”

“My name is not Pencil Dick,” he spluttered indignantly. “Your Majesty, I must protest over your disrespect, not only of my family name, but the deep history behind my family’s attachment to this realm. The princess will not be able to rule on her own, and at present, she is your only potential heir.” He held up his hands, his face flushing. “I’m not suggesting for a second that anything might happen to you or the consort,” Pentagon added quickly as Asmodeus made to get up from his chair.

“The rule of law in this realm has to be followed, even by the king. After deep consideration, I believe I am the best person in this realm to care for the princess should something happen to you at any time, and once she reaches adulthood, I can act as regent to rule in her name.”

“I’m going to kill him,” Asmodeus said casually, and Elara burped in agreement.

“You can’t kill me for reminding you of the law of this land.” Pentagon was visibly sweating. “The law states the princess will never be able to rule on her own—”

Asmodeus threw up his hand, and Pentagon’s words were silenced, even though his mouth was still moving. “Baal,” he yelled. “Get me Rote. Immediately. Now.”

“You yelled, Your Majesty.” Rote tumbled into the room less than two minutes later.

“We’re changing the laws of succession.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” A pen and scroll appeared in Rote’s hand.

“How do I put this?” Asmodeus leaned against Dougal’s side, stroking Elara’s cheek. “She’s falling asleep again.”

“That’s good,” Dougal smiled, finding the entire situation bizarre. “Rote, if you please, in simple language, as the king’s firstborn, Princess Elara will inherit the kingdom, estate, and Asmodeus’s throne should anything happen to him or myself. Is that clear enough, without being subject to people seeking loopholes?”

“Demons spend their long lifetimes seeking loopholes, Consort,” Rote said briskly, scribbling madly. After a few seconds he read, “It is hereby decreed that Princess Elara, as King Asmodeus and Consort Dougal’s first child, will inherit all estates, including the title and responsibility of ruling the demon realm as the full heir, and as decreed by King Asmodeus and Consort Dougal. All I need is a signature and today’s date to make it legal.”

“What about forcing the princess into an arranged bonding?” Dougal asked, more worried about that because he would not tolerate some asshole attempting to claim their child in this way. “Is it part of demon law that we have to accept applications for that shit?” He pointed to Pentagon, whose mouth was still flapping.

Rote barely looked at Pentagon. “It is definitely not law, even if it’s considered demon lore, Consort. In fact, even if it was law from the legal sense, King Asmodeus’s decree countered that law from after the ball, insisting that demons seek their blissful ones rather than engage in useless posturing and forced marriage bonds.

“In fact, I am sure King Asmodeus insisted in that previous decree that anyone looking to push a marriage application on an unwilling party that person will be guilty of treason against the crown.”

Rote met Dougal’s eyes. “That stemmed from the idea that demon families were only engaging in those marriages to strengthen their position in an attempt to overthrow the throne.”

“Makes sense.” Looking over, Dougal waggled his eyebrows at Asmodeus. “No killing required. You can save your energy for something more interesting. Arrest Pencil Dick for treason, sign the new law giving our little princess her rights as your heir, and we’re done for the day. If you get all that completed quickly enough, we might get five minutes to ourselves before our little lady wakes up again.”

The scent of Asmodeus’s arousal flowed around the chamber as he signed the papers and called in his guards. Dougal loved decisive men and sleeping babies. Of course, he loved his king and daughter all the time, but some moments really stood out, something Dougal was keen to show Asmodeus when they got home, assuming Elara stayed asleep.

Epilogue

Dougal

When Dougal first arrived at the forest, he was a young troll looking for a place that needed him. Asmodeus had been right in that, he had built a forest. Over time—admittedly centuries, but that’s still time—he’d built a family—a clan of his own as well. Through his acceptance of demons, first Dakata, then Merihem, Scott, and Christa, he’d opened a pathway for his first and only demon love to accept—finally—the truth Dougal had lived with since his first game of hide and seek with the demon king.

The forest benefitted from the bonds as well. As the weather got warmer after a short but necessary winter, new shoots were appearing daily, shaking their wee leaves and spreading them out to find the sun. Baby wildlife scuttled under bushes or peeked out of tree knots and everywhere hummed with life as Dougal took his morning walks.

Court life in the demon realm had settled down as well. By making himself available on set days and times, Asmodeus had reduced the rumor mill that used to flourish prior to his claiming of Dougal, when he used to spend a lot of time shut away by himself. Now demons knew that if they wanted to know something, they could come and ask the king or his consort themselves.

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