King Noah has a minion!

Yes, the Lucifer

The Demonic King of Echlovad

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Role-play Status: Always open

Life was... pleasant. My father was an excellent king. My mother was a very strong woman. A true queen. I would spend nearly every afternoon with my younger brother Ben, practicing sword fighting while our parents watched and cheered us on. I would strive to be like my father. He was a strong man with a good heart. He was truly someone that I looked up to growing up. I would do anything just to make him proud of me. He would always say that one day, I would make an excellent king. There wasn't a single doubt in his mind.

Early one morning, I was practicing my sword technique. I stepped closer to the castle wall as I lunged at an imaginary foe. I stared at the tip of my sword as I pointed it towards the tree line just outside of the walls surrounding the kingdom. My eyes focused on the tree line, and I found myself staring at.... something. A man? The figure was too far off to see clearly from the walls of the castle. I blinked, and suddenly it was gone. Rubbing my eyes slowly, I passed it off as lack of sleep. Surely that's all it was. Only that, and nothing more.

"Noah! Your father has fallen ill. He's requesting your presence..."

My mother's voice startled me out of my daze. It felt as though her words pierced my heart. I dropped my sword, and immediately ran to my fathers bed chambers. He was lying in bed, covered with his blankets. He looked so... frail nestled amongst the dozens of pillows and cushions. How could a king so great, seem to become so ill overnight? "... Noah, is that you?..." I swallowed as I went to his bedside. "Yes father, it's me. Mother told me that you requested my presence." He lifted his hand slowly and I took it in both of mine, leaning with my elbows on his bed. "Noah... I've watched you grow into an intelligent young man. You've made me very proud.." I stared at him as he spoke, jaw setting.

I let out an awkward laugh. "Father, you're starting to sound like you're on your death bed." I said, looking him in the eyes. He had a look on his face. A weary look that I had never seen on him before. My smile faded as we stared at one another. He squeezed my hand lightly as he put his head back on his pillow. "I've been sick for quite awhile Noah. I didn't want to worry any of you." He murmured. Our talk was brief, as he was incredibly tired. I found myself standing out on the outer wall, leaning against one of the towers as I stared off at the sky. The sun was already starting to dip below the horizon. What was going to happen? My father just had to get better. He was a great king. After that, I spent most of my free time with my father. Every time it seemed like he was starting to recover, his illness just seemed to get worse.

Mother had had countless meetings with the council, frantically trying to tie up loose ends should anything happen. Before we knew it, our kingdom was without a king. As I did my best to comfort our mother, Ben seemed to... drift a bit. He would snap at the servants, distance himself from everyone, and disappear at all hours of the night. One evening, mother called for us both to appear before the council. He arrived a few minutes after I did, and we both took our seats at the table. Our mother smiled at us, and I couldn't help but admire how strong she had been throughout this entire ordeal. "Good evening, boys. I called you here because.... as you know...." She trailed off, having to take a deep breath. "We need a king." She continued. Ben and I looked at her. ".... Before your father passed, the two of us had a long talk about his affairs. He was very clear on who was to take the throne after he was gone." I saw Ben lean forward eagerly out of the corner of my eye. The subject was taking its toll on our mother, but Ben didn't seem the least bit concerned. "Mother, are you okay?" I asked, watching as she nodded and smiled weakly. "Yes dear, I'm fine."

Ben tapped his fingers on the table. "Well, what did he say?" He asked impatiently. She looked at him silently, before turning her attention to me. "Your father wanted you to take the throne, Noah." Ben slammed his hands down onto the table as he stood. "Oh of course he'd make you king! You've always been his favorite!" I felt my anger begin to boil inside of me. "That's enough Ben." I said firmly, though he continued to throw a fit. "He always cared more for you, he never gave a damn about me!" He stormed out of the room, and I stood, following after him angrily. I shoved him against the wall, holding him there. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" I snarled, staring him in the eyes as he jumped a bit. "Mother has been through enough, she doesn't need your childish outbursts. Maybe you should actually think about why father decided to make me king. I'm older than you. Based on your outburst just now, I'm obviously more mature than you as well. He chose me because he knew I'd be ready for it, not because he favored me."

Ben yanked his shirt from my grasp before he stormed off in a huff. I was just about to follow after him when my mother laid a hand on my shoulder gently. "Noah.... Your father wouldn't want you two fighting...." She murmured softly. Tension slowly left my shoulders as I sighed. "I know mother. But how he reacted was immature and completely inappropriate. Especially now." I replied, staring at her with frustrated eyes. She gave me a soft smile. "I know sweetheart. Don't let your anger get the best of you. Your father chose you to take his place because he believed that you were the best choice. We both did. I love your brother, but you are better suited for the role of king. Ben is childish, especially when he doesn't get his way. You are mature, responsible.... Your father made a very good choice choosing you as king." She rubbed my shoulder slowly before she allowed her hand to drop. She took my hand, placing a small object into it. "Your father wanted you to have this. Take care of it." She cupped the side of my face lightly, smiling for a moment before she walked back into the council room. I looked down at my hand only to find myself staring at my fathers pendant. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath as I put it on.

After nearly a month, I thought that Ben had dealt with his anger. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Instead of accepting the fact that our father had chosen me to take his place, Ben thought of a way to make himself king. "Your precious king is nothing but a traitor!" Ben spat, looking to the council members. I couldn't believe that my own brother was trying to make me out to be a traitor. "I have done nothing traitorous." I growled, taking a step forward. "He is a traitor. I've witnessed it. He's trying to use his power as king to jeopardize the safety of this kingdom and he wants to get rid of the council!" The council members went very quiet at his accusations. "You don't honestly believe him do you? He's spouting nothing but lies!" I said angrily before I looked at Ben. "You're really going to do all of this just because you're jealous?" I growled. The council members spoke in a hushed tone to one another as they decided what to do. "It is law that treason will not be tolerated in this kingdom..... Due to the circumstances, his royal highness Ben will be crowned king. For bringing these matters to the attention of the council, we thank you." I stared at them, my mind going blank as I realized that Ben had actually succeeded in taking the throne.

Ben was crowned king, and promptly banished me. I walked along the path leading to the surrounding woods, taking one last look back at the castle. Silently, I vowed that one day I would return to my kingdom. "You may be king now little brother, but when the time comes, you can bet that I'll be taking my throne back." The thought passed through my head as I turned my back on a kingdom that was rightfully mine. I continued to walk, disappearing into the woods. After wandering for what seemed like hours, I decided to rest. The temperature was already starting to drop. I laid my hand over my heart, my fingers tracing over my fathers pendant slowly. My eyes fluttered closed as I laid there against the base of a tree. Nearly an hour passed before the sound of dogs barking startled me awake. I knew those barks all too well unfortunately. I immediately got up and started to run. Running was constant. I couldn't stop. I couldn't rest. I just had to keep running. Minutes turned into hours. Hours into days. Exhaustion was setting in.

I looked over my shoulder, panting. Was this my brothers idea of a cruel joke? Sending out hunters and their dogs to track me down? The air was so cold that I could see my own breath. I jumped over a fallen tree, hearing the dogs getting closer with each passing second. I skidded to a stop as I came to the riverbank. There were stones leading across it, but the current was far too strong to allow a safe passage to the other side. I started across, going as quickly as possible while trying to avoid slipping. I got about half way to the other side when I lost my footing. I fell, hitting my head on one of the rocks as I plunged into the water. I was so disoriented from the fall that I couldn't even figure out which way was 'up'. Sometimes you imagine what it would be like to drown. You find yourself struggling to resurface, only to be pulled back down by the current. As panic begins to rise in your chest, you try to take a breath.

Your lungs begin to fill with water. Your airway feels like it's burning. When you finally manage to resurface, you instantly try to take a breath. You try to take a breath at the same moment the current pulls you back beneath the surface. Your chest feels tight from the cold water; you can barely breathe. You can't get the oxygen you need and the world begins to fade, like someone's turning out the lights. The rapids were throwing me around like a rag-doll. My head was still bleeding from the fall. I kept swallowing water as I panicked and attempted to breathe. I resurfaced in time to see that I was about to go over a waterfall. I went over the edge, and for those few seconds, I honestly thought that this was where my life would end. I plummeted into the water below and the world slowly began to grow dark. As my eyes began to close, the last thing I saw was a hand reaching for me.

"Time to wake up, your majesty!" The voice, along with a slap to the face, startled me awake. My clothes were still soaked and my entire body was numb. My eyes fluttered open, but my vision was hazy. The sky had grown dark since I was last awake. Despite how blurry my vision was at that moment, I tried to get a look at the figure beside me. Slowly, I realized that it was the same figure that I'd seen right before I found out that my father was ill. "Yeah... Odd feeling, isn't it? Having water in your lungs.... Feeling like you're about to die? The freezing cold water on top of that? Boy, I bet that's an interesting way to die." I began to choke, shifting to my side to cough up the water as he spoke. I collapsed, too exhausted from running for so long. My face rested against the rocks as my body shook from the cold. I looked at the man crouching beside me, panting and shivering hard. "W-w-who are y-y-you?" I could swear that my teeth were chattering up a storm as I tried to get up. "My name, my boy, is Lucifer. Yes, the Lucifer." He paused, taking a moment to examine me. "You look like you're on the brink of death, that's a shame. I'm surprised though.... that such a 'great' king like you would give up so easily even after his own brother betrayed him." I laid there, noting just how right he was. If he hadn't slapped me in the face and woken me up, I probably would've given up right then.

"You know.... I could give you what you need to regain your throne. I could bestow upon you the power to do anything. Can you see it? The destruction that you could cause?" He reached out, brushing a bit of my hair out of my face. I closed my eyes slowly, allowing him to do so. "...... I don't want to cause destruction. The only thing I want to do is regain my throne and deal with my backstabber of a little brother." I growled before coughing up some more water. "..... Far less interesting, but I could easily bestow upon you the power to do that. Though..... I would require something in return. An offer that I can't refuse, perhaps?" He purred, smirking. I looked up at him tiredly, eyes cold. "Give me the power of which you speak and once I have my throne back, my kingdom will become a haven for you and your demons." We stared at one another as he mulled over my offer. "You realize that gaining this power means that you offer up your soul and become a demon, right?" He questioned, looking at me curiously. "I'm fully aware." I shot back, suddenly feeling very sleepy. He stuck out his hand, smirking slowly. "Then is it a deal?" I instantly grabbed his hand, looking him directly in the eyes. "It's a deal."

.: Two months later :.
"I've found the most brilliant way for you to get into the castle without anyone noticing you." I looked up at Lucifer's voice, only to have something thrown into my face. I held it up curiously, raising a brow as I realized that it was clothing. "Your little brother is going to be hosting a ball.... A masquerade ball." I couldn't help but roll my eyes as I got dressed. "Of course. The only time women aren't repulsed by him is when he wears a mask." I muttered, buttoning my vest. Lucifer laughed at my reply and laid a hand onto my shoulder once I pulled on my tailored coat. "Come on, the ball is tonight. We should get going." He motioned to a pair of black stallions that hadn't been there before. He must've seen the curious look on my face, because he was quick to explain. "Oh come now, you offered up your soul and you find that odd?" I chuckled, giving a shrug as we walked over to the horses. "What can I say, I'm still getting used to all of this."

After locating the main road, we headed in the direction of the castle, talking most of the way there. We arrived outside of the castle walls as the sky grew dark, and we were allowed in almost immediately. Our horses were taken to the stables as we made our way into the castle. We were barely there for ten minutes before I saw my brother talking to one of the sorcerers. He'd always fancied Sophia, but she found him childish and annoying. As he spoke, she glanced off to the side. Her eyes landed on me, her face shifting from one of boredom to one of surprise. I couldn't help but chuckle. "One of the sorcerers recognizes me." I murmured to Lucifer. He took a look at her, raising a brow. "Do we need to do away with her?" I shook my head, smirking. "No. She won't say a word." I assured him. "Is there something wrong, Sophia?" She turned her attention back to my brother as he spoke. ".... Not at all your royal highness." She replied. "Don't you mean 'your majesty'?" He asked. "That is a term reserved for the king."

I couldn't believe what I'd just heard, and apparently, neither could Ben. "You seem to forget that you serve me." She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I serve the king, and only the king. Not the jealous little brother who seems to think that he's this all powerful ruler simply because he banished his brother from a kingdom that was rightfully his." Without another word, Sophia left him standing there with a look of utter surprise on his face. Lucifer snickered. "I like her." He purred, slinging an arm around the back of my neck. "And now, a word from our king." Everyone stopped at the servants words, turning and looking towards the throne. Ben looked a bit moody after his chat with Sophia, and I found myself smirking at this. ".... Let the ball begin." He huffed, sliding his mask on. I spent the better half of the night relishing the fact that Sophia kept rejecting my brother. I danced a few dances (I just cannot say 'no' when it comes to the Viennese waltz), and then I talked with Lucifer. He pointed out that my brother seemed to be getting bored with the ball. "The king has announced an open sword challenge!"

".... How good is he with a sword?" Lucifer murmured. I watched as various men rose to the challenge, only to let him win simply because he was royalty. "Who else wishes to challenge me? Anyone?" Ben had a cocky smile on his face when no one said a word. ".... I'll take that challenge." I said suddenly, stepping forward. I tossed my coat to Lucifer and took a sword that the servant was holding out. Almost immediately, I noticed that my brother was using my sword. A sword that my father had given me. I raised the sword, staring directly at him. ".... It's custom to bow before your king." I laughed. "I bow to no one." I shot back, watching him get angrier and angrier. He lunged at me, and I stepped to the side, smacking the back of his head with the flat of my sword. He was seething with anger at that point. We began to fight, and he desperately tried to beat me. He was starting to get tired. I could see it in his eyes. "How does it feel, Ben?" He stilled as I called him by his name. "That moment where you feel exhaustion setting in?" I asked, staring at him hard.

"You dare call your king by his name?!" He shouted, stepping forward and raising his sword. Once he was close enough, I knocked it out of his hand. I grabbed the collar of his shirt, crashing my forehead into his and causing him to sprawl backwards onto the floor. He stared up at me, hand over his forehead, temporarily disoriented. "I will call you whatever I damn well please." I hissed, stepping closer to him. "The exhaustion you feel now? That is nothing compared to what I felt when you sent hunters and their dogs out after me. Do you know what it's like to be so exhausted that you just want to give up? What about drowning, do you know how that feels?" I pulled my mask off, throwing it aside and glaring down at him coldly as his eyes went wide. "You get pulled beneath the water, and panic begins to rise in your chest. You try to reach the surface, but the current pulls you back down. You try to take a breath, and your lungs fill with water. Each and every time you think that it's safe to take a breath, you swallow more water; and then the world around you starts to fade into black oblivion." The room was silent as I spoke. "I almost gave up. Fortunately for me, someone was kind enough to drag me out of the water." Ben swallowed, trying his best to look brave. "Who pulled you out?" I took a step forward, and Ben visibly flinched. "The devil himself." The guests began to murmur amongst themselves, gasping softly. "Why are you here?"

I smirked at the question. "To take back my throne and my kingdom, little brother. You made me out to be a traitor. You banished me. All because you were jealous that father made me king. Was it fun while it lasted? I hope so, because it all ends tonight." I hissed, the point of my sword at his throat now. "W-what are you going to do to me?" He whispered, fear flashing in his eyes. "I haven't quite decided. What do you think Lucifer? How should this little traitor be punished?" I asked, looking up. Ben tried to move away, and I immediately put my foot on his chest to hold him down. Lucifer started to walk towards me, smirking as the crowd quickly stepped away from him. "If it were up to me, I'd have him ripped apart by four horses." He replied, leaning against the throne as he reached it. I stared down at Ben, noting that he'd started shaking in fear. "Admit it." I said suddenly. He stared up at me, eyes confused. "A-admit what?" I gritted my teeth at his stupidity. "Admit that you lied. Admit that the only traitor here, is you." I snarled, watching as he flinched again. When he failed to say a word, I pressed the sword hard enough against his skin to make him bleed. "Admit it!"

"All right! I lied about everything! What are you going to do Noah? Kill me?" He snapped back. I stepped away, throwing the sword back. Lucifer caught it easily, leaning on it like it was a cane. I settled down onto the throne, waving a hand at the guards. "No Ben, I'm not going to kill you. That would be too easy of a punishment for you..... Guards, lock the traitor up until I can figure out what to do with him." I stated, watching as they began to drag him from the room. The guests looked at me, staring quietly. "Ladies and gentlemen, commence with the ball. After tonight, things in this kingdom will be very different." I announced before the music began to play again. The ball continued, and everyone was trying to act like nothing out of the ordinary had happened. As I sat there, Sophia wandered up to the throne. She curtsied in front of me, a small smile on her face. "Welcome back, your majesty." I smirked, motioning for her to step forward. "It's good to be back, Sophia." I replied, fidgeting when Lucifer cleared his throat and elbowed me in the ribs. I rolled my eyes, waving a hand to him. "This is Lucifer. Be wary, he likes your attitude."

She looked to him, raising a brow as he stooped into a bow. He took her hand, kissing the top of it lightly. "It's a pleasure to meet you." He purred. "I bet it is." She replied, giving him an unamused look. I leaned back in my throne, watching as one of the other sorcerers made his way up to us and knelt before me. "..... Your majesty.... Would you mind terribly if I stole Sophia away for a bit?" He asked as he stood. I turned my attention back to Sophia lazily. "Well that's up to her. Sophia, do you have anything else to say, or are you free to be stolen away by Satrivi?" She stood there silently for a moment. "You should watch how you say things. You make it sound like I'm some sort of object." She murmured before turning and walking away. Satrivi bowed his head to me once more, and then turned and wandered off after Sophia. Lucifer watched them walk away, staring specifically at Sophia. "How good do you think my chances are of making her swoon?" He asked, looking at me curiously. I laid my head in my hand, sighing at his question. "Considering the fact that her and Satrivi are somewhat of an item? I'd say not good."

The ball came to an end, and I found myself walking into my old room. I took a deep breath, noticing right away that it hadn't been touched since I was banished. I pushed the doors closed behind me, walking over to my bed and allowing myself to plop onto it. My eyes fluttered closed tiredly. My moment of peace was just that; a fleeting moment. "Nice room." I scowled at the sound of Lucifer's voice, lifting my head to look over at him. He was sitting in one of my chairs. "You have your own room, so why do you feel the need to invade mine?" I growled, covering my eyes with my arm. He chuckled before he bit into an apple. "I just wanted to remind you of our deal." I unlaced my boot, throwing it in his general direction. "I'm well aware of our deal. Bring your demons. As I said before, consider my kingdom a haven for you and them. Just don't destroy anything or kill anyone. Now go away so I can get some rest." I muttered, kicking off my other boot. "Fine. Geez, such a rude man you are!.... Sleep well, your majesty." He purred, putting emphasis on my title before he suddenly disappeared. I listened for a moment just to make sure that he wasn't going to come back before I rolled onto my side, welcoming sleep.

I opened my eyes the next morning, slowly remembering where I was. A small smirk tugged at my lips. That's right. I'd taken my throne back from my little brother. I started to close my eyes again when I was shaken. "Time to wake, Noah. You have a bit of an announcement to make to the peasants... both new and old." Lucifer's voice purred into my ear. I scowled, swatting at him and sitting up. "Why are you pestering me? It's still dark out dammit." I groaned as he tossed some clothes onto my bed. "It's actually not.... Not if you get far enough away from the kingdom. You've made it a haven for demons. Demons very much love the dark." He replied as I got dressed slowly. I stood up, allowing him to hook a cloak around my neck. "There... now you look like a proper demonic king." He smirked as I glanced into a full length mirror. The cloak was decorated with a thick chain and a clasp that was made to look like a skull. I looked at Lucifer, who simply smiled at me. "Are you ready to greet your kingdom?" I nodded after a moment of silence, and followed him out onto the balcony.

For a moment, I thought that it was nighttime. The sky was dark and it looked as if the moon were out. I looked down, eyes falling on the large crowd of peasants outside of the castle walls. "Rumors have been spreading about your brothers throne being taken. I believe now is the time to confirm those rumors." Lucifer clasped a hand on my shoulder, smirking at me. I stared out over the crowd, watching as pairs of red eyes flickered, even in the darkness. There were hundreds of them scattered throughout the crowd of humans. "..... Your former king.... my younger brother, made me out to be a traitor. I did nothing of the sort. My father had made me king, and my brother was jealous and enraged by his decision. As you all know, he banished me from the kingdom and took over the throne. Obviously, that has changed since then. He will no longer be ruling this kingdom. I will. But there will be a few changes." I paused as the crowd began to murmur amongst themselves. I smiled dangerously, leaning forward on the stone wall. "I made a deal with the devil himself. In exchange for the will to live and the power that I needed to take back my throne, I offered up my soul and my kingdom." The humans in the crowd went still, staring up at me with horror in their eyes. Their own king had made a deal with the devil. "..... From this day forward, my kingdom will be a haven for the devil and his servants, and the darkness will forever linger."

"Welcome to the new Royal House of Echlovad."

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The Coven of Echlovad

Satrivi
You were my fathers most trusted adviser, but now you serve me. Keep that in mind, sorcerer.

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Credits

Amazing overlay by Shalashaska ♥️

Story written by me.

Coding from this thread.
Edited by me.