Monarch of Darkness, Arsene

“Ok. I get it.” Lilith groaned, wiggling deeper into my arms. She sighed, almost exhausted to hear anything else, “Please don’t tell me more. We’re on a date, not going to a funeral.”

“Oops. I forgot. Guess this is why I don’t talk about Zariel much. His story depresses me. My bad. I… Should have—”

“No! It’s fine.” Lilith hastily retorted, shaking her head, somewhat panicked. “I just wasn’t expecting it. I do want to hear more. I just don’t want you to cry.” Her arms lifted to my cheek, catching a drop ebbing from my eye.

I froze.

“I… I didn’t think I could still cry.” I told her. “I don’t even remember the last time I shed a single tear. I—

“Is he crying? Pathetic.” A low-hummed voice spat.

“Right! Gods, I hate men who cry. So pathetic? I ever told you I dumped my last cause he lost a fight? He was a boxer. Gods, he was an ugly crier. Yuk.”

A/N: True story, lol.

“He was so cute too. Such a shame. He got all the looks. I’m surprised he got the balls to hold his girl while showing such a pathetic sight. ”

“Don’t listen to them, Sene,” Lilith said, coming out of my grip. She hooked her arms around me. Nodding away. “I like it when you cry. It makes me feel closer.”

“What they said didn’t bother me,” I told her. It was just bitches being bitches.

“Nore should it. There just a bunch of bitches who’d never find themselves a man.” Lilith chimed in.

“Hey! That’s my line!” I joked, and she leaned her head over my shoulder.

“Can you tell me about your Sister? How’d she become the Greatest Killer of the Myriad Heavens.”

“I lowkey forgot her real name. But her nickname was Zhu. Later on, she started going by Truck-kun. I can’t say how she became a great killer, but when she was little. That girl was a handful. Even mother cried at how wild she was.”

“Oh? Truck-Kun?” She said in disbelief. “I’d have thought she was the best of you three. At least in behavior.”

“She was the absolute worse, even as an infant. She snuck out, finding mother’s secret spicy juice. Filia. I believe it was called. The name of her wine… or was it a whisky? I don’t know. But…”

“The wine… was called Daughter? You know Filia means Daughter in Latin, right?” Lilith remarked, and a tight hold coiled around my heart, halting the blood through my veins.

“Iza.”

“Maybe,” Lilith muttered. “It could have been a coincidence, but…”

“Excuse me. Lord Snow, Lady Snow, a word?” An impeccable voice, consumed with a sense of glory, asked if not commanded.

Footsteps halting, we spun to our rear to a man with eyes so cold and impartial, I once again felt I was within Flame’s court yet again.

Judgment!

Judgment without bias bled from this man, with short silvery hair and eyes of silver and gold. He stood tall and poised, elegant yet cold, unmoving like a mountain yet approachable.

A Seraphim?!

“Who are you?” Lilith asked, her voice a lingering array of ice.

“Forgive the late introduction. I am the Scribe of Heaven, Lord of Heavens Gate, and Archangel of the Seven Heavens, Metatron.”

Heavens Gate? Noted.

Introductions are a common thing. They are, for the most part, about pride. When introducing themselves, most speak their name or give their title away with pride, especially in business, where confidence is key. It signifies achievement. It shows how far a person has traveled.

When someone gives away their title, they always list their proudest achievement. Even if it wasn’t to scheme, and they said it without thinking. It’s safe to say the title one carries is significant. 𝙗𝙚𝒅𝒏𝙤𝙫𝙚𝒍.𝒐𝙧𝙜

“Are you the one who tried to kill Tiamat and my wife?” I calmly asked.

Metatron, who stood draped in loose feathered robes that made it seem he’d just descended from the clouds. Reached into his chest area and pulled out a parchment, rolled up like a scroll.

“A letter of apology. But I’m sure to the likes of you. It means nothing.” He calmly replied. Neither confirming nor denying involvement. And yet he delivers a letter of apology?

“And this apology is for what exactly?” Lilith asked, not missing a step. She asked what I wanted too.

“For this War between Seraphim and Abyss.” He said, a half smile upon his lips.

Coldness brimmed within me at the blatant disrespect. Did Metatron truly think no one would discover what he did? Did he truly think we didn’t find any skeletons, or did he not care if we found any? Then again. Why would he? We are already at war.

“Uriel was abrasive in his actions. And for that, we apologize. Shall we find a cafe to discuss why I’m here? It’s getting chilly. And I’m sure a young woman like yourself is cold.”

“I am getting quite cold.” Lilith somehow agreed, rubbing her shoulders; she eagerly beamed at me.

“… You’re a god in a mortal realm.”

“And I’m cold,” she muttered, folding her arms.

…

…

…

“Well?” I questioned, having found a Cafe where a single cup of coffee is somehow sixteen dollars. Who the hell is paying for that?

“Oh! Can I have this entire row? And this and this.” Lilith pointed, smiling away at the startled look of the waiter, daring to blush at my wife.

Motherfucker I’ll gut you and your family. I know she is cute. But look away!

“I’d like to put an end to this war before it escalates,” Metatron said calmly, in a poised demeanor, the moment the waiter stepped away.

I smiled, playing his game. ” Metatron. Why do you think this war started?”

“Oh.” He lifted his head, the half grin over his lips deepening. ” As I said, Uriel and his—”

“Abrasive action. Yes, I remember.” I interjected. ” A fine way to start a war. But no. we started this war because we learned that some Angel hired a bunch of thugs to kill my wife and unborn children alongside one of my dearest friends Tia.”

“We had nothing to—”

I shook my head. “You know the game, Metatron. All it takes is one. And this assassin got close to my wife. Invaded the citadel and somehow managed to approach her.”

For the first time, he frowned, and I continued, “The lone assassin was killed off pretty quickly, and Soul Searched, leading to nothing.”

“I don’t understand?” He said, acting faint. “Arsene, are you suggesting we had something to do with—”

Bloodlust leaked from our lips as Lilith and eye leaned back in our chair, amused.

An angel… trying to play the game with a Snow. How entertaining.