Perhaps she was a witch, cursed for all eternity to have such divine, incomparable beauty.
Today was the first time she had seen anything but the ground in years. I found myself wondering what she was feeling other than her newfound perpetual irritation at the realization that she was to marry someone who felt lust for her.
It was hardly a hiccup. It didn’t matter to me if she was willing or not, it was already set in stone. I didn’t even feel the need to tell her that she was just as lustful. Unable to control herself when she felt that need between her legs, urging her to touch herself. She had cast the first stone when she herself had been just as sinful as I.
For 10 months I was locked away in that asylum, but I had still been allowed outside every few months. It was for their own ‘cleansing’ purposes, trying to save my soul, but I had still seen everything.
Scarlett? She hadn’t even looked around her own house in nine years. What was she noticing now that she never had before?
I studied the world through the windshield. City streets, towering buildings, cars everywhere, streetlights, street signs, thousands of people walking around, enjoying the blue skies and warm sun of a calm March morning.
I straightened then and glanced over. I knew exactly what she was seeing.
Her eyes weren’t on the sky or the cars or the signs, they were locking onto the people. All of those people, men and women alike, children, walking around free. Wearing whatever they wanted, not going to church or worshiping at home. All of them smiling, laughing, talking on their phones, absolutely uncaged.
Her eyes of green, gold, brown, and black were shifting as thoughts ran through her head. They hardened and softened and hardened again. So much freewill that had been stolen from her. Ripped from her soul before she could even form memories.
Today, she would walk into the church and realize how much of a cage it truly was. “Every kingdom, even this one, even mine,” I began, “requires a certain aspect of what’s called ‘politics’. To go into the true definition of it would take too much time, so I will go into a simplified version. It’s a messy game of power. Who gets it, who keeps it, and what that person chooses to do with it.
“It’s how societies make decisions about laws, resources, and rights, usually through debates, conversations, and elections. These days nobody wants to talk, and those that do get targeted by others who would rather not hear their opinions. At its best, it’s people who want to solve the problems, at its worst, it’s manipulation, corruption, and endless arguing dressed up as leadership.
“In this world,” I continued, keeping my voice low and serious, “the people who run your world steal children and lock them up until they are compliant. They use their power to hurt, harm, and kill. To rape and mutilate. In the real world, the politicsare just as messy but far more harmful because the general population is making a choice to believe in the narrative. It’s like your church but on a much larger scale. The laughter and smiles you see outside of your windows are ignorant ones. The adults usually have an inkling that something is wrong, but they choose not to do anything about it, and those that do choose destructive, hateful ways to address it rather than talking rationally.
“My world,” I went on, glancing over to find her eyes locked on me, “is different in only one aspect: No harm comes to the children, not if I can help it. I manipulate to achieve my agenda, butmyagenda is to shut down places like these, whatever the cost. To rid the world of the tar-filled people. Your role in the politics of my world will be the same as mine. When I am done with you, we will be at equal standing. The Queen of Hearts and the Hatter, ruling, controlling, this hysteric Wonderland.”
She watched me carefully for a second longer before turning back to the road, her jaw clenching slightly before releasing, her hands fisting and releasing.
I turned back to the road. I didn’t ever want my own children, I never had, but not only had they stolen the ability from her, but they had stolen it from every girl within the Church of Daylight. They didn’t have that right. My sinning doll should have had the choice to breed her own little monsters if she wanted. Had that been an option, had she wanted a child…
Perhaps I would have given her one if only to see that smile.
But they had stolen that from her. What else had they done? Did they give vasectomies to the male Favorites before they sold them?
Yes, I was the Devil that walked the world. I did everything in my power to manipulate everyone and anyone I could to ultimately achieve my mission, but children? It was a line I would never cross.
Even I have some morals.
The moment the church came into view, I purred softly in her ear, “Eyes down, little sinner. We must slip into our roles.” This would be her first true test of her will and perseverance. I looked forward to seeing how she would do knowing now what they had done to her.
I turned into the nearly filled parking lot a few moments later, people glancing to watch as I pulled into a spot and shut off the car. “Remain where you are. There is no rule in any book stating that you must open your own doors.”
Without looking back, I grabbed my cane and climbed out of the car, not caring to glance back towards the church as I walked around the front of it and opened her door.
She kept her eyes down as I took her chin in my antlers and guided her out, releasing her only when she was clear of the door.
I shut the door behind her and locked it before finally turning to the church.
They had all stopped to stare as we made our way across the parking lot towards the sidewalk on the other side, her pace keeping in time with mine.
I didn’t waste time greeting them as I reached for the door, opening it for her without hesitation.
“Opening a door for a Favorite?” one of the Pillars commented. “Blasphemous.”
“You’d be surprised, Mr. Langston, what one is willing to do if only shown a slight bit of respect,” I replied easily.
Scarlett walked inside the church and waited, her body reacting to the atmosphere around us. Tensing, prepared for whatever they would do to her.
“How dare you,” Mr. Langston huffed. “I am a Pillar of this community.”
