Adira ran aimlessly through the palace halls until she stumbled upon the bull demon she had spoken to earlier.
She called out, panting heavily. "What's your name again?"
"It's Ford, Your Majesty," he replied with a patient smile.
"Who were those three men in the room? Talking nonsense about having a child with me?" she asked, her confusion evident.
Ford's smile faltered, replaced by a perplexed expression. "Those are your husbands, Your Majesty—the three you wed three years ago."
Adira blinked. "Husbands? Then why do they seem to hate me?"
Ford hesitated, his brow furrowing. "…Your Majesty, have you perhaps… lost your memories?"
Adira stiffened, her mind racing. Had he figured her out?
"My memories are just… foggy," she said, attempting to sound confident. "It would be wise not to question me further."
Ford immediately bowed, trembling. "I deeply apologize, Your Majesty!"
"Forget it," she said with a dismissive wave. "Now, answer my question."
Ford straightened and spoke cautiously. "For the past three years, Your Majesty… you've neglected your duties. You indulged in wine, men, and other pleasures. You also… mistreated your husbands."
Adira's eyes widened slightly. 'That explains the cold reception,' she thought.
"But I don't want to get pregnant," she muttered, more to herself than to Ford. The thought of enduring pregnancy sent a shiver down her spine.
Ford, however, perked up. "Oh, in that case, Your Majesty, you can get them pregnant instead."
Adira blinked. "But I'm a woman?"
"My King," Ford said with a grin, "you're the Demon King. Your form is fluid, and your powers vast. Impregnation is merely one of your many abilities."
'Great… except I don't even know how to use those powers,' Adira thought with a sigh.
"I see. Lead me back to my chambers, Ford. I need time to think."
"Of course, Your Majesty!"
With a respectful bow, Ford guided her back, leaving Adira to ponder her next move.
---
Once alone, Adira paced her bedroom. Everything that had happened today felt like an impossible dream. From working overtime in her office to fainting from a nosebleed, only to wake up as the Demon King in another world.
It was absurd.
Still, she needed rest. Her aching body demanded it.
She decided to shower first and looked around the room. Her eyes fell on a tall, sinister door carved with writhing demonic runes.
'Why does everything here look like it belongs in a horror movie?' she thought, annoyed as she pushed the door open.
Creak.
And why do the doors have to sound so ominous?
Tap. Tap.
The bathroom was breathtakingly massive—like something stolen from a royal palace and corrupted into elegance.
Gleaming black marble floors stretched out beneath her feet, reflecting the soft glow of golden sconces mounted on bone-carved walls. At the center of the room rested a sprawling hot spring, its waters gently steaming. Obsidian pillars arched around it like the ribs of a sleeping beast, and delicate silver inlays ran through the stone like veins of moonlight. The air smelled of spiced citrus and dark amber.
'Whoa. It's amazing… and it's making my eyes hurt from all this.' She squinted at a mirrored wall across the pool.
Gaudy demonic luxury at its peak.
She moved toward the bath, fingers working at the laces of her corset-like bodice. The fabric was dark and unfamiliar, heavier than anything she'd worn before, stitched with what looked like tiny scales. She struggled with the fastenings for a moment, grumbling under her breath, until the garment loosened and slid off her shoulders.
Next came the high-collared undergarment clinging to her skin like a second layer. It peeled away slowly, revealing the glowing runes carved into her back and shoulders—sigils that pulsed faintly with an otherworldly rhythm.
She stepped out of her trousers and unfastened the rest of her strange attire, letting the clothes pool on the cool marble floor. Her bare feet padded closer to the edge of the spring, steam curling around her like welcoming arms.
With a sigh, she sank into the water.
'Ah… finally.'
The warmth enveloped her immediately, soothing her tight muscles. It was deep enough for her to fully submerge if she wanted, and wide enough for ten people to bathe together—not that she intended to share.
She leaned against the edge, letting the heat soak through her bones. Her hair floated around her shoulders, silken and strangely longer than it used to be.
'Nothing like a good bath to freshen me up' she thought, her limbs going limp.
She reached for a nearby soapstone carved like a snarling demon's head and began scrubbing herself clean. It foamed instantly, releasing a smoky lavender scent. At least demon soaps know what they're doing, she mused.
The grime of confusion, stress, and several hours of palace chaos slid from her skin. As she rinsed, her fingers traced one of the glowing marks on her collarbone. It pulsed beneath her touch like it was alive, responding to her awareness.
Is this how magic feels here? Like a second heartbeat?
She tilted her head back and sank into the water until only her nose peeked above the surface, eyes staring at the ceiling mural—an abstract swirl of stars, fangs, and monstrous wings.
'So I'm the Demon King… married to three men who can't stand me, ruling a kingdom I know nothing about, and possibly capable of getting people pregnant.'
She laughed weakly. "It's official. I've lost my damn mind"
Eventually, she rose from the water, refreshed and warm, steam rolling off her skin. She wrapped herself in a thick towel made of some dark, velvety material that shimmered under the light.
Returning to her bedroom, she flopped onto the oversized bed, still towel-clad, hair dripping.
Alright, step one: survive. Step two: figure out my powers. Step three: maybe just maybe—make things right with those husbands.
Her eyes drifted shut.
No pressure, right?
************************