007. A deal with the devil

Hyacinth did her father King's last wish and visited the lowest room of the underground part of the Diamond Palace, the ruler's palace. The spiralled staircase leading downstairs was too dark that she carried a lantern with her. As per the King's additional instructions, Hyacinth changed her clothes and wore a red dress matched with red jewelries.

The air surrounding the staircase was starting to become suffocating. And as she reaches the lowest part, she could see the fogs surrounding the door. The door was thrice taller than her. It was a black door with weird carvings on it.

Hyacinth stood in front of it, raising her lantern as she looks at the carvings on the door.

Her eyes squinted a little, her fingers brushing against the carvings as she reads them silently. "Quartum. Ad avaritia universa natura sit insufficiens. [The fourth. For greed, all nature is insufficient.]"

Her eyebrows knitted together. It was weird. She could read the carvings, but she couldn't understand what it meant. Hyacinth sighed softly and instead of reading the other carvings, she pushed the door open.

A soft, eerie sound reverberated through the room and a harsh gush of wind escaped inside it, turning off the lantern she was holding. Hyacinth could feel all the hair throughout her body standing on their ends as a cold shiver brushes down her spine.

Despite the growing fear, Hyacinth pulled herself together and took a step closer inside.

"What business does a beautiful maiden have in this wretched place?" A sinister voice whispered as she entered the dark room.

Hyacinth could feel a heavy presence lurking inside. Her chest felt heavy as her heart beated faster. She broke out in cold sweats, the hair all over her body standing at its ends as she felt a cold, dangerous gaze piercing her well-being.

She swallowed the lump on her throat. She wanted to look around, but the whole place was now covered with darkness. As if the unknown voice noticed her wariness, another gush of wind brushes past her and the lanterns that she didn't noticed inside were lit up.

She was now able to see the interior of the room. It was vast with nothing inside, aside from a marble altar placed in the middle of the room. There were also weird carvings on the wall. Then she heard the voice spoke once again.

"You smell like a descendant of Fleur. Why have you come here?" Hyacinth bit her inner lip when she felt something cold brushing against her shoulder. It made her quiver.

"I... I want to form a deal with you."

The cold wind concentrated in front of her, as if it was surprised to hear her words. Then his booming voice filled the room as he laughed hysterically.

"So that's why he was calling for me."

Hyacinth frowned.

"Your father, the former King, called for me. He offered his life to me and said that a child of his will come and form a contract with me. So it was you, a princess. To think that your father will break his own words by sending his own child."

That made her confused.

"What is it that you desire, Your Graciousness? Money? Power? Pleasure?" His voice was becoming deeper.

Hyacinth was drowning with questions once again that she was unable to respond to his question. The devil seemed impatient that he flicked a gush of wind towards her, and in a blink, memories of his father flooded her mind. Memories after the day she left for the meeting.

She was biting her teeth, her hands clenching on her side as she watches his memories. The King had prepared for this day and the reason why he drank the poisoned drink was so he could offer his life as payment for this deal. And for her to accomplish her mission.

'Father... You sacrificed your life for me... For your people...'

She wiped her tears using the back of her palm. And with her voice full of conviction, she spoke. "I want you to help me win a war to protect this Kingdom and my people."

The devil cackled. "It comes with a heavy price, Your Graciousness."

She knew that. The King told her of another price she needed to pay after the deal was done. "I'll give you anything you want."

With a devilish smirk painted on his unseen face, the Devil stretched his shadow-like arm towards her. Hyacinth looked reluctant at first because of the unusual hand in front of her, but she eventually shook his hand.

However, the Devil had a different plan than just shaking her hand. He pulled her deeper inside the room, and what seemed to be a pair of cold lips pressed against the princess' pink pairs. She was surprised for a second, and out of reflex, she pushed him away.

The deal was sealed.

The devil ignored what she did and laughed instead. "In five years, I will come back to collect the fee, Your Graciousness. Prepare yourself until then, Your Majesty." His voice came to her like a deadly whisper.

Hyacinth was left in the room with only the lights of the lanterns inside accompanying her. The energy of the devil seemed to disappear, as if he was freed from this cage-like room.

▬▬

"Your Highness! What happened?" The Chancellor asked, rushing towards the princess.

Ludwig and the other servants looked at her with worry filling their sad eyes. Other than the sadness she was emitting, the color of her hair and eyes somehow changed. There was a hint of darkness mixed with her pale blue hair and her bright blue eyes.

Hyacinth looked at them and a small smile graced her lips.

"Dispatch the first and third unit of the Knights of the Round Table. Make them stand on guard in front of the boarder of the mainland," she instructed. She glanced at her nanny, Lucrezia. "I don't have a formal war clothes, so prepare my most elegant dress. Just give me two hours to prepare." Hyacinth was about to dismiss them when the Chancellor stepped forward.

"Are you planning to go alone, Your High—Majesty?"

Hyacinth shook her head then her gaze landed on the man who saved her. "I'm sorry. I didn't get your name."

"I am Giovanni, the first in command of the second unit of the Round Table," Giovanni placed his arm across his chest as he bows.

"I'm bringing Sir Giovanni with me. Prepare everything that is needed for the proclamation."

And with that, she dismissed everyone. Hyacinth clenched her fists as she marched to her room. After going back from the underground room, she went back to visit her father. But she was too late already.

She was having a hard time calming herself as she felt a black flame inside of her burns brightly. She could feel her sadness turning into rage as she remembers the people she had lost because of her siblings greediness. And for some reasons, there was something passionate inside of her, whispering sweetly the things she does not want to commit.

"Kill them. Cut their life like what they did to your precious people."

Hyacinth tried to brush it off by hoping that the devil she made a deal with will stop the war.

Lucrezia dressed her up with a red dress decorated with black roses on her chest. It was a new kind of dress for her since she had always wore lighter ones. She requested for them to tie her hair up. Once they were done, Hyacinth stepped outside. She nods as she saw Giovanni waiting for her.

Hyacinth wasn't on her right mental state, her head was full of poisonous thoughts that she only greeted him with a nod, while the latter bowed to her. Hyacinth was planning to announce her accession to the throne in the midst of the war between her siblings. Surely, they won't be able to continue if the ruler stops them personally.

She wasn't sure how the people and the nobles would accept this, but they wouldn't have any choice either way. If she was right about the dark lord, then he must be half way done with his part of the deal.

Ludwig and the Chancellor were already prepared. Even the carriages were ready. Hyacinth boarded the carriage her father usually uses, the golden carriage with his insignia. Giovanni guarded her outside by riding on his horse. Ludwig and he Chancellor rode on the separate carriage and the other royal guards followed them via horse.

On the other hand, while the King's allies were on their way to announce the new ruler of the Kingdom, a dark wind went around the camping area of the first prince and the first princess. The ground and the trees surrounding them turned black as the wind went past their area.

The soldiers and the nobles that were present looked confused and frightened at the sight. They could feel a dark presence watching them, invading their campsite. And one by one, they fell on the ground, coughing up blood. It had felt that someone was stopping the functions of their bodies, not letting them breathe properly.

Prince Oleander and Princess Belladonna witnessed what happened when they both stepped out of their tents. They were astounded. Rage boiled inside of them. Unknown of the real circumstances, they started blaming each other.

As they both prepare to fight one another, the dark wind graced around them, encircling each one of them. And in a blink, Prince Oleander and Princess Belladonna fell on the ground. Their eyes opened widely and lips parted. There was no blood or any sign of resistance from the two. It was as if, they had retired peacefully to death and succumb to the darkness.

The land they occupied for their camp remained black. This massacre-like phenomenon was soon called "The Black Massacre." But as the years went by, the massacre became known as "The Black Curse of Aoife."

And it hunted the new Queen for years.