As soon as Alexander, Mazikeen, and Kinley vanished from the basement into Hell, Rae Rae let out a deep sigh. She was suddenly really distraught. When she reappeared at the beach house, Ella and Jophiel were waiting for her. The little Angel of Death stood motionless in the middle of the living room, tears streaming down her cheeks. Ella jumped up and hugged Rae Rae and asked:
"What happened?"
The Angel almost whispered:
"Maze and Alexander, they've gone to Hell. They'll be taking their place on the thrones. When my little boy returns, he'll be the King of Hell..."
Jophiel had joined them and asked quietly:
"And you think he won't be the same?"
The angel nodded quietly.
"Yes. Hell is no place for kids; it's awful there. He's still so young... It's like I've stolen a part of his childhood. Left him no choice."
Ella wiped the tears from Rae Rae's face and spoke softly, the emotion clear in her voice.
"We're talking about Alex, chicka. I've only known him a few days, but that boy never ceases to amaze me. I bet that even though this was so unexpected and everything had to happen so fast, somewhere in that curly blond head of his there was already a game plan ready, just in case."
At the end of Ella's sentence, the Angel chuckled a little sadly and said:
"Yeah, that would be just like him. Casiel once told me the following: Alex was fed up and bored when he had, in a manner of speaking, play traditional 2D chess, so he invented 4D chess to fuck with the others when they wanted to play 3D chess with him. And yes, compared to Alexander, the girl can be a bit potty-mouthed. She's often hanging out with Micky, her Michael."
Jophiel and Ella laughed, and the lab tech said:
"Yeah, I can see that happening. Something like that seems typical of Alex. When you think you know what he's up to, he's already three steps ahead of you."
The angel nodded:
"Still, I worry. He may be Luci's son and have two wonderfully warm, incredibly loving parents. In a way, he and Cas are like my little boy and girl too."
Jophiel added:
"It couldn't be otherwise, sister. You've known the boy and his sister since they were born. Of course they have a special place in your heart. It's not like he's gone forever. If I've got this right, they should be back by morning. He's with Maze, so everything should be fine. Any idea why Luci didn't go with them?"
Suddenly, Lucifer's voice, who'd come in unnoticed and been listening to part of the conversation, sounded from near the door:
"Because I would be more of a hindrance than help. He'll take the throne and establish his authority. Having the former king around for the Demons to look to when they're in doubt, and they are guaranteed to doubt, would negate some of that authority. They've got to focus their attention on him and on nothing or no one else. I'm sure he'll make decisions or do things that probably would make me want to open my big mouth if I were there. He doesn't need that..."
Ella looked at the former devil and saw that he was unhappy about the situation and clearly worried. She tried to change the subject to more calm topics, so she asked:
"I get that there's a time difference between Earth and Hell. How long will he be there?"
Lucifer thought for a second and answered:
"Time goes by faster in Hell than on Earth. It's all about the number of Demons around and the souls that are heading down. Also, time is not static in hell. When there's a big influx of souls, like during a war, time speeds up. It's all about getting the souls processed."
He glanced at his watch:
"It's almost midnight, and Maze said she'd make sure that his first visit to this hell would be limited and that they'd be back by seven. Right now, time is going by about ten times faster in Dis. About three Earth days..."
Just before entering hell with Maze, Alexander winked at Rae Rae. He grabbed Kinley by the throat, pulled the priest close to him, and, without another word, they disappeared from the basement. They ended up in the dimly lit throne room of Lucifer's palace in Hell.
Alexander threw Kinley to the ground and growled:
"Your turn will come later. I've got more important things to do than waste time on a piece of trash like you."
He hit the priest right on the chin, knocking him out cold. He made sure the priest would stay that way until it was time for his punishment. His eyes glowed bright gold. Quickly, he scanned the palace and the people in the building. He was surprised to find a young girl in the Devil's private quarters. He quickly scanned the young Demon and realized that her father had placed her there. Supposedly, she kept the place spick and span at all times, since the King could pop up at any moment. In reality, her dad wanted to keep her safe from the other Demons. The girl was just too soft for Hell, and without that extra security, her existence in Hell would suffer greatly. Even Dis, where the Demons were more human than in the rest of that godforsaken place, was dangerous for her. Alexander expelled all the Demons from the palace except for the girl and sealed it off for the moment. The girl heard his voice in her head and was startled:
"Please come to the throne room."
He could tell she was scared and hesitated. She heard his voice again, but now it sounded much more warm and friendly:
"Please come to the throne room. I promise you'll be safe, and no one will hurt you. You have my word of honor."
The girl made her way over, and Alexander looked at Mazikeen.
"It's time for you, Mazikeen of the Lilem. Are you ready?"
She took a deep breath and nodded. She saw the king's throne change and a second throne appear to the right. Where Lucifer's throne had been pitch black, made of some sort of marbled stone with bright red highlights, it changed completely. It became much smaller and turned into a kind of blue crystal. The second throne, which was slightly smaller, was made of metal. He thought it'd be perfect for a warrior of Hell like Maze. The throne was blue and looked like it was made of Damascus steel, like the famous swords. Alexander thought that with Maze's penchant for daggers and swords, he could make a nod in his creation toward the TV series Game of Thrones. He made the back of her new throne look like it was made of swords. The demon smiled at him, then bowed her head briefly in his direction and said:
"I'll be honest with you, my King, you've actually got damn good taste."
He laughed softly for a moment and replied:
"I thought it would suit you. Take your place, Princess Mazikeen of the Lilem."
The Demon took a seat on her throne, and her eyes lit up with a silver glow as she anchored herself to the throne. At that moment, the young girl hesitantly entered the throne room. Alexander looked at her and motioned for her to come closer.
"Don't be scared. Nobody's going to hurt you, I promise."
She came to stand before him, and he immediately noticed that she was not only afraid but also shy. He said:
"What's your name?"
She looked down and said:
"Squee, My Lord."
He nodded and said,
"But your dad doesn't call you that, right? Squee is your official name. What does your father call you?"
She turned as red as a tomato and murmured softly:
"Anna, My Lord. My father calls me Anna."
She couldn't see the smile behind the balaclava, but she heard it in his voice:
"Anna, yes, that suits you much better than Squee. May Mazikeen and I also call you Anna?"
The girl looked at the figure on the throne, and her eyes widened. Everyone in Hell knew Mazikeen, the King's right hand and bodyguard, a living legend in Hell. She asked quietly.
"Is this Mazikeen? Does that mean the King is coming back?"
"Yeah, that's Mazikeen, but from now on she's Princess Mazikeen of the Lilem. No, King Lucifer isn't coming back. There's a new King of Hell now."
She looked at him, confused, and asked:
"A new King? But how can that be, and who's the new King?"
He winked at her, and she saw the warmth in his eyes.
"How's that possible? Well, he just stepped down and gave up his throne and title. Well, not exactly voluntarily, but not in a hostile way either. And who's this new king? Well, that would be me."
He held out his hand and said:
"I'm Alexander Morningstar, son of Lucifer and the new King of Hell."
She looked at his hand and didn't seem to understand. Higher demons never bothered to greet her, let alone in such a personal way. And this was the King. She could hear the playful tone in his voice as he said:
"I'm really not going to bite you, Anna..."
It seemed like the girl had to fight herself for a second before she could take the outstretched hand. When Alexander took her hand, gently but warmly, he said:
"Pleased to meet you, Anna. As I said, there's nothing to be afraid of. From now on, you're under my personal protection, and no one will ever bother you again."
Her eyes got as big as saucers, and she couldn't say a word. Maze had bonded with her throne and came to stand beside Alexander. She looked at the girl for a moment, then turned to the boy.
"My Lord, it is time..."
He nodded, took a deep breath, and walked to his throne. Just before he sat down, he said:
"Princess Mazikeen, could you get the leaders of all nine circles together? No need for threats; if there's one who doesn't want to show up and undermine my authority from the start or test me, all the better. Then that one can immediately serve as an example to the rest when I burn him out of existence. I'd also like the Dis representatives, Morax as the head of the archives, and the generals Bearus and Belios to be here. Oh, and let's not forget Lilith. This party wouldn't be complete without her... Right now, please!"
Maze nodded, made a slight bow, and replied:
"As you wish, My Lord."
He snapped his fingers, and to the left of his throne, slightly pushed back, a very comfortable chair with red velvet cushions appeared.
"Anna, when they come in later, this chair is your spot. You're not at the service of every higher Demon who enters the palace anymore. If they need something, they can take damn well care of it themselves. The only ones you need to worry about are Maze and me, and we don't expect you to do our bidding. You're a person, Anna, not something they can just order around. If they have a problem with that, let them try to raise their voices. It'll be the last thing they ever try!"
The girl stood and looked at him, confused. This new King, this boy, was so different from the people she was used to from Hell and its inhabitants that she just had no idea how to deal. In just a few minutes, he had greeted her warmly and kindly, and he had made her untouchable with just a few words. Maze put her hand on her shoulder and said quietly:
"Things will change in Hell, Anna. This is just the beginning..."
Alexander took a seat on the throne, his eyes glowing gold. Then, all of a sudden, his whole body started shining a golden glow, getting stronger and brighter until you couldn't even look at him. It was clear that Hell had received an unmistakable message. There was a new king and a new princess of Hell. The dark, sad palace changed its appearance, which surprised the Demons who had been temporarily banished from the palace and those who had come to see it out of curiosity. The building changed shape and color. It went from dark to beige, which was almost white. Large glass windows popped up everywhere you looked, and even whole sections of the walls seemed to be made entirely of glass. The building went from being sad and gloomy to feeling warm and welcoming. But the biggest shock came when the building changed into its final new form. Around it, there was a beautiful garden with all kinds of flowers and plants. There was even a pond. It seemed like the demons there couldn't be any more surprised, but then, out of nowhere, the constant stream of falling ashes suddenly stopped. The sky cleared, and, to the stunned Demons' surprise, a beautiful sunrise broke through for the first time in Hell's history. Most demons had never seen a sunrise. In Hell, the sun was only known because it could be seen in some of the cells of the souls condemned to Hell. The rest of the demons in Dis never got to see one, and most of them never even thought about it. This first sunrise in Dis was unforgettable, with its vibrant colors in the sky. His face was hidden by the light, but a big smile spread across the young Antichrist's face. He'd just dropped his calling card, and it was a showstopper. The eternally depressing half-darkness was gone. The Son of the Lightbringer had brought the sun with him, and the night sky the demons would later see promised to be equally spectacular. Anna gazed out through the expansive windows, her mind awash with wonder. The palace transformed before her eyes, shedding its dark, gloomy exterior and embracing a world of light and warmth. Everywhere she looked, she saw glass, a symbol of transparency and enlightenment. Looking outside, she witnessed the incredible transformation and felt the light penetrating every corner of the building. The events outside the palace were astonishing to her. She'd never seen the sun before, and she was amazed by the sight of green bushes, grass, a pond, and the vast multitude of colorful flowers. She thought it was all stunningly beautiful, and it made her happy to the point of tears. Lastly, she saw a huge fireplace appear in the throne room. Above the fireplace, there was his personal coat of arms, just like the one he wore on his battle gear. This one, though, was made of gold and real diamonds. It was of a huge fire-breathing dragon with a silver crown adorned with diamonds of all colors that were supposed to represent the stars. The new king was the son of the dragon, and he was determined to burn down everything in his way to achieve his goal. At that moment, the golden glow in the throne room disappeared. Maze, who'd been distracted by the impressive display of the palace changing shape and colors, heard Alexander moaning on his throne and hurried over to him. He smiled a little and said:
"I'm fine, Maze. That took a lot out of me, though. I'm going to bond with the throne to its deepest essence for a while to tap into its full power. That'll give me my strength back. Can you get our guests here in a few minutes?"
The first thing Maze manifested in her existence, now that she could do it after being anchored to the throne, was a glass of tomato juice for Alex:
"Drink this; you need it."
He smiled mischievously at her and got his usual smirk on his face:
"Yes, ma'am..."
He drank the glass in one gulp and closed his eyes.
Maze left the throne room where she'd left Anna, who'd found a place near Alexander almost automatically. She walked purposefully towards a large group of demons who had gathered in the front courtyard of the palace, watching everything with wide eyes. She didn't pay any attention to the barrage of questions being thrown her way. Instead, she started giving orders. The demons quickly noticed that this wasn't the same Mazikeen they remembered. She hadn't been around for almost a hundred years, but before that, she'd been with Lucifer for tens of thousands of years in Hell. She had been Lucifer's bodyguard and right-hand woman for ages, but now her voice had the authority of Hell's throne. She picked her words carefully. So, the demons weren't just following orders from the throne. Maze left some wiggle room for anyone who wanted to challenge Alexander's authority or test him. She thought to herself, "With all the consequences for the idiot who does."
Then, without another word, she retreated to the large double doors that gave access to the palace. The first to meet her there were Morax, Beraus, and Belios. The latter's gaze shifted nervously from Maze to the palace and back again. It was pretty obvious that this intimidating guy, all decked out in black leather and built like a linebacker in his prime, was freaking out about the situation in the palace. He was worried about his young daughter. The general whispered:
"What the fuck, Maze..."
Mazikeen had known both generals for as long as she could remember. She'd known them since she was born. Beraus had taught her to fight and guided her until she became Lucifer's bodyguard. She also knew that if Belios was worried, Beraus would be too. The two of them looked like they could be twin brothers. They basically lived as Siamese twins. The Generals and Morax were the closest thing to family she had ever known in Hell. They were also, for lack of a better word, friends with Lucifer. Insofar as the Devil allowed himself to have friends. She suddenly realized that before she lived on Earth and made friends of her own, she would never have thought friendship was such a big deal. Before, she never thought about having friends. They were dangerous in Hell. At least for warriors like her. She knew that other Demons in Dis had some emotions in their lives, but those Demons didn't have to be on their guard 24/7. She had a realization:
"We're so fucked up. We're so far from the potential we have inside us. We need Alexander so badly! He's the only one who can, and he's set on helping us reach our full potential. May everything holy and unholy protect that boy because without him, we're stuck, hopelessly lost in this rotten place."
She was shocked at herself for calling Hell, her actual home, a rotten place. She asked herself:
"Was this really still home? No, home is tomorrow, and that's where Alexander will lead us, home."
She decided to shake off the charged emotions because she had more important things to do at the moment. Her first priority was to protect Alexander, and she needed to put these three at ease. If Anna was Belios' daughter, then she was family too. She raised her voice, and it seemed like she sounded pissed. But that was just an act. She did this just in case some Demon from the lower circles was listening. She knew the three would pick up on her intention:
"Generals, Morax, follow me! I want a troop deployment report, and Marox, I need a review of the archives. The king wants to be informed!"
She spun on her heels and strolled back into the new palace. Maze made sure that the entrance to the palace was hermetically sealed again, now that she could use the power of the throne. She wasn't sure if this Alexander was in a deep trance or if he was aware of his surroundings. Either way, she was determined not to risk his safety. The four of them went into the throne room. When Anna saw her dad, she flew right into his arms. She pressed herself against him and mumbled a word:
"'Papa...'"
Bearus asked in his deep, low voice, "Are you okay, little one?"
The girl nodded vigorously.
"Yes, Uncle Bearus... The new king is so young and so different from the others here in Hell. He is so..."
Anna seemed to be searching for the right word to describe Alexander, and they heard an amused voice from the throne:
"Weird... Is that the word you were looking for, Anna?"
The girl's eyes widened, and she looked at him, startled. She was afraid she had offended the new king. What they saw were two bright green eyes sparkling with joy and mischief above the balaclava. Alex said:
"Don't worry, girl, that's what my Mom and little sister think a lot, and they've called me weird plenty of times. You already fit right in with the clique; you'll feel right at home."
He got up from the throne and walked over to the five of them. He pulled down his balaclava so they could see his face for the first time. Alex held out his hand to Belios and said at the same time:
"Good idea, General, to temporarily house Anna in the Royal Suite for her safety. Apparently, my arrival, unbeknownst to me, has been lifesaving for more than one person. Pazuzu?"
Belios had already seen the royal mark Alex had placed on Anna. It made the girl completely off-limits to any Demon, since she was now marked as the King's personal property. Belios took the young king's hand, and you could hear the concern in his voice as he said:
"My Lord, I'm grateful to you for my daughter's safety and for saving her from the fate that would have befallen her. Indeed, Pazuzu, and a forced bond with him."
Alexander shook hands with the general.
"Don't worry about the marker, General. I promise you, it's not meant to be taken literally. It's just a precaution against savages like Pazuzu. Anna's got full autonomy to do her own thing. She's got the King of Hell's full support to choose her own path and whether she ever wants to share that path with anyone she chooses. But, as long as she's in Hell and not a grownup, I'm afraid there'll have to be some play-acting. Like my father, Lucifer, I never lie. So if someone asks me straight up if Anna is my property, I'll just say yes. In Hell, that's the truth. She bears my mark. I suggest you do the same—no more, no less. Just answer with a simple "yes" and let the rest hang in the air. Let them come up with whatever scenario they want. I don't care either way, and I don't think you should either. Is the curiosity not tempered by this? Claim royal privileges and send them to Maze or me for more explanation. I wonder how many will not be able to contain their curiosity after today."
Apparently, Alexander's words were enough to convince the usually hardened Bearus. The general dropped to one knee, and Belios and Morax followed suit. Anna started to do the same, but Maze gently but firmly stopped her, shaking her head. Bearus bowed to his new king and spoke:
"My Lord, you just saved the life of a girl you don't know. She's important to General Belios for obvious reasons, and to me too. She was seen as insignificant in Hell and insignificant to the Crown. I'm loyal to you and you alone. How can we be of service?"
Maze and Anna had seen a resentful pull appear around Alex's mouth when he heard the word "insignificant" twice. Mazikeen sensed that he would not be able to restrain himself. But she hoped he wouldn't be too hard on Bearus. The generals still had to get to know him and understand his outlook on life and how important he thought life was for everyone.
"Stand up! Now take what I'm about to say to heart!"
The three were back on their feet in a flash. The boy's eyes lost their warm look. Now, they saw a glint of hellfire in the depths of the bright green eyes, which began to glow more fiercely with each word spoken, until only the hellfire could be seen in its full intensity.
"First, loyalty must be earned, and I intend to earn it by working hard for it and by leading by example. This place might be Hell for the souls that end up here and belong here! This place is also a dump for the Demons that live here. It's a fucking dung heap; even the pigs would turn their noses up at it."
Maze's eyebrows shot up when she heard Alexander use that curse word. The usually cautious boy, who was a bit worried his Mom would scold him if he used certain bad words, must've been pretty pissed off if he didn't hold back in this area too.
"I know full well that my father is the main reason this place hasn't developed the way it should. I'm definitely going to have a talk with Lucifer about that, and I can guarantee he won't be a happy Devil afterwards! But I'm also telling you that this nonsense is going to stop right now. This is my first official order to you, and you better make damn sure that everyone out there in Dis and the first four circles knows about it! If anyone says that anyone, no matter where they come from or what they do for a living, isn't important to Hell or the Crown, they're going to have that crown rammed so far up their ass that it'll look like they have fucking gold teeth!"
When he said all that, Hell shook. Everyone in Hell knew right away that their new king had a short temper, and they were warned.
"NO ONE IS INSIGNIFICANT! EVERYONE IS VALUABLE AND SHOULD BE TREATED AS A PERSON; IS THAT FUCKING CLEAR ENOUGH?"
The three demons and Anna looked at him, wide-eyed, as a small smile appeared around Maze's mouth. After a few seconds, he looked Anna in the eyes and said in his usual soft voice,
"I'm sorry, Anna, and you too, gentlemen. I get upset sometimes when people talk about something so stupid, like one person is more important than another. I mean, birth or job doesn't automatically make one better than the other, you know? That's ridiculous!"
The generals, Morax and Ana, immediately understood who Alexander was deep down. Belios said,
"I understand, My Lord. We'll make sure your words are spread crystal clear among our people."
He nodded, turned back to the throne, and snapped his fingers. Instantly, comfortable chairs appeared for everyone he expected. Alex took a seat on his throne, and Mazikeen sat on hers. Anna still seemed uncertain. He smiled at her before putting the balaclava back in its place and said:
"Please take your place, Anna."
Next to her nice chair, a little table showed up with a big carafe of tomato juice and a bottle of vodka for Maze and two glasses.
"I hope you don't mind, Anna, but we're going to have to act a bit during the upcoming conversation to appear believable. Could you please refill Maze's glass and mine every now and then? And please forgive us in advance if it seems like we're ignoring you. I promise we're not. Just for this meeting, we're just trying to make it seem like we don't think you're important. We don't want to make you a pawn in a power play by one of the Demons. No matter who tries to talk to you, don't stand up for them or answer them. Don't even acknowledge your dad, uncles Bearus, or Morax. And definitely don't give in to Pazuzu. Leave him to me!"
Maze looked him in the eye and asked:
"So he's going to be one of the examples you're going to set?"
His eyes turned cold again when he said:
"I wasn't planning on it, but after my initial scan of Hell, its inhabitants, and the story of Anna? You can be sure of that! I need to vent a bit, let's say. Imagine if some old guy, just because he's the mayor of some lame town, demanded that Bee marry him even though she's way too young; she didn't want to, and her parents couldn't say no. What would you do?"
She thought again about the connection to Trixie he seemed to make on a subconscious level. But she replied:
"I think what I'd do with such a figure would be nothing compared to what you'd do with him...if it were about Trixie, My Lord!"
He saw the twinkle in her eyes and got red ears at the implications in her words. Alexander cleared his throat, but Morax saved him by stepping in. He was standing next to an unconscious Kinley. Morax said, surprised:
"My Lord, this one's still alive. It doesn't look like he's going to get the same jolly outing as that Italian your father once gave a tour to."
The young king groaned at Morax's words because he was reminded of his father and Dante. After a night of drinking and partying, his father had had the crazy idea of giving the Italian poet a tour of Hell. In the universe he grew up in, it was their Michael who brought Dante to Hell. The drinking part was accurate, but minus the whole frolicking part, plus a whole literature angel, the Archangel seems to harbor. He quickly said:
"On second thought, here's my second order right this instant. I don't want to hear anyone talk about my father's wild adventures in Hell or on Earth when I'm around. NOT ONCE! Eewww!"
A shiver ran down Alexander's spine, and Maze sat giggling on her throne. The way the boy reacted when he thought about Lucifer's wild sex life kept amusing her. One moment he acted and talked like he had been a king forever. The next moment he was back to being a thirteen-year-old boy who didn't dare think about his parents having sex without being shocked. She figured she could use this info later if she needed to. Alex chimed in with:
"Don't worry about him, Morax. I've got something special planned for that scumbag. After this first meeting, you three are going to stay here. I've got some big plans for Hell, and you three are going to be key players in them. But first, I'm going to make it clear that this is the morning of a new future, and I'm going to deal with the past. Bearus, can you let the rest of my guests in and make sure the Dis representatives and the first four circles are on the right side of the room and the rest, including Lilith, are on the left?"
It took the three Demons and Anna some getting used to having a king who knew the word "please" and asked things instead of barking orders. His questions were friendly but also a sort of hidden orders. The way he spoke made it clear how serious he was and how urgent the matter was. Bearus nodded and walked away. He kept his face straight, but inside, he was smiling like an idiot. It was clear that Anna was safe with this young king, and he was also a friendly and kind kid. The girl was safe, and he really cared about that. He just knew that there was going to be a very different policy. The fact that the representatives of the deepest five levels and Lilith were to be separated from the rest told him that his new king was planning something that many Demons would not like. Dis and most of the demons in the first four circles hated the others. The demons in the lowest circles were not going to be thrilled about the changes. Lilith would be the one to really not like the changes and the new king. The way this young king spoke of her made it clear that he didn't have much love for her. The days when she could get away with her infernal plotting to grab the power in Hell from Lucifer and come out on the other side more or less unharmed were over. Lucifer always saw a twisted kind of connection between the two of them because of their shared hatred for God. She was the first human that ended up in Hell because of God, he was the fallen Angel. The boy did not have that twisted connection. This new King was about to lay down the law.