Demon Diary Fan Fiction ❯ Diplomacy ❯ Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Demon Diary is the property of Lee Chi Hyong, Lee Yun Hee, Kara and TokyoPop. I'm just borrowing them.
Spoilers: Not really, but this story is set three years after Book 7.
Notes: My first yaoi fic. Feedback is very much appreciated.
Thanks: to diagon, for reading it even though she's never seen the books.

Diplomacy

 

The Crusader at the castle gate roared.

 

Eclipse lifted his head, recognising the note of welcome rather than challenge in the beast's voice. Master Raenef had returned.

 

He offered hurried thanks to the Elder Ones and swung himself down from the balustrade. His sandals slapped against the stone floors of the corridors as he all but ran to the entrance hall. As he went, Eclipse took stock of how clean the castle looked. Not that Raenef ever noticed things like untidiness - indeed, his young master still believed that there were certain sprites who picked up discarded garments before washing, ironing, folding and putting them away in cupboards - but he couldn't take Raenef's attitude for granted.

 

Not after he'd been away visiting the elves for the past three months. Eclipse felt his mouth tighten. Elves were fussy creatures, despite the fact that they lived in the forest. They liked things to be neat and tidy, and abhorred waste of any kind. Under other circumstances, he would have sent Raenef to the elves long ago to learn the benefits of being a house-proud demon lord, but the occasion had not lent itself.

 

Still, he wondered how his master had fared amongst the elves. Eclipse had missed Raenef with a hunger that terrified him. He'd thought it was a good idea that they should be parted for a while, but he hadn't realised it would be for so long. A month he could take. Three months was too long without him.

 

He slowed his pace to a walk and stepped into the entrance hall. He'd wanted to present his lord with a calm, unaffected expression, but Eclipse couldn't help but smile at the slender, dusty figure standing in the middle of the hall.

 

Demon Lord Raenef V was swamped by the layers of cloth wrapped around him. Dressed as a nomad, he resembled a ragtag collection of linen and cotton in varying shades of filth and grime, fastened together with a sackcloth sash. As Eclipse came further into the hall, Raenef's attention was wholly given to untying the sash that held his disguise together.

 

“Let me do that, my lord.”

 

Eclipse automatically moved to assist him, his fingers quick and deft. He unpicked the knots from the sash and shook it free, unravelling Raenef from the cloth.

 

He expected a giggle or some silly remark, but Raenef was silent, not even offering a greeting or a `thank you' to his servant.

 

Eclipse straightened up, still holding one end of the sash. The fabric was coarse and gritty. He felt a flash of annoyance that his lord had worn such a poor outfit. Raenef's skin was delicate and soft, deserving of the finest silks and satins. The nomad's clothes were not fitting for a demon lord, not even for a disguise. Eclipse swallowed his desire to order Raenef into the bath at once. He couldn't wait to get rid of these ugly, offensive clothes.

 

Lord Raenef said nothing. He continued to remove the outer layers of his clothes, revealing the coltish body beneath. Eclipse stared at him, looked away, and then stared again, narrowing his gaze to observe his master from a purely disinterested perspective.

 

His hair gleamed like a pale, dusty star; streaks of his fringe bleached white by the sun. The length of it was caught up in the usual high ponytail, tendrils working free to straggle over his shoulders and frame his face. He had a slight tan, his southern skin darkened to the colour of old gold.

 

To Eclipse it looked like grime from the road, and he longed to rub at Raenef's face with a damp flannel, to uncover his master from this hollow-eyed stranger who stood in his place.

 

“You've lost weight,” he said gently. “Did the elves not feed you, my lord? Or was it that their food was not to your taste?”

 

“They don't cook as well as you do, Eclipse.”

 

It was a small comment, but the words glowed like the highest praise. Eclipse smiled, coming forward to collect the rest of the garments that Raenef dropped onto the floor. “Then perhaps you will permit me to make your favourite food this evening,” he said. “Everything is prepared. You need only say the word.”

 

He wasn't going to say that he'd made a fresh batch of sugar-cakes every few days in the hope that Raenef would be back in time to eat them. He'd lost count of how many of the intricate balls of spun sugar he'd fed to the Crusaders or thrown into the moat. He tried not to think about it.

 

“Thanks, but I'm not very hungry.”

 

Eclipse almost dropped the dusty clothes. Raenef was always hungry. One of the first things he'd asked on being told that he was a demon lord with a vast domain was, `Is there food available in this domain place?' That's when Eclipse had known that his new master was a survivor, despite his youth and inexperience, his beauty and his innocence.

 

So for Raenef to push aside the suggestion of food now… He took a tighter grip on the discarded garments and followed him through the hall, suddenly aware of the fact that his lord hadn't yet looked at him.

 

“Master Raenef! Master…?”

 

Eclipse didn't need to use their telepathic link to read Raenef's mood. His shoulders hunched and his face averted, his master sidled past, looking for all the world like a servant rather than a demon lord.

 

“Lord Raenef?” Eclipse raised his voice, hearing the echo bounce from the high walls. He saw his lord wince, as if hemmed in by the sound, and with a muffled curse he tucked the clothes beneath one arm, reaching out for Raenef with his free hand. “My lord, are you well?”

 

“Yes. Thank you.”

 

Raenef sounded anything but well. He sounded upset.

 

Eclipse frowned. There could only be one cause of his master's distress. “And the meeting with the elves - how did it go?”

 

His lord shook his head, hair falling into his eyes to hide his expression. “Not now, Eclipse. I'm - I'm tired.”

 

At last Raenef turned to him, offering a half-hearted smile so unlike his usual self that Eclipse felt dread gather around his soul. Trying to keep things normal, he asked, “If you're not hungry, then are you thirsty? I can bring you a cup of hot milk…”

 

Eclipse ran to a halt as he heard the mothering note in his voice. Master Raenef was no longer a child. At nineteen he had lost the awkwardness of youth from his body, but until he had gone beyond Hangma to visit the elves, his mind had still dipped towards the childlike playfulness that Eclipse had come to know and love.

 

Now it seemed that even that had vanished, replaced by a cold, weary lord who wouldn't even look at his most devoted servant.

 

“No,” said Raenef. “No milk. I just want to go to bed.”

 

“I will…”

 

“You don't need to tuck me in, Eclipse. I'm not a child any more.”

 

With a pang of regret, Eclipse realised that Raenef had read his mind. He bowed his head, apologising silently, but received no reply. Shielding his innermost thoughts, he decided to let his young master retire to bed. He would check on him later, when Raenef was asleep.

 

“And you don't need to do that, either,” Raenef said, looking back at him over his shoulder. This time his smile, though tired, was genuine.

 

Eclipse gazed at him. “My lord, you shouldn't be able to do that. I didn't teach you how to probe the inner mind…”

 

Raenef's smile faded. “I learned a few things from the elves.”

 

“You did?”

 

“Yes.” The smile was replaced with a look of twisted grief, and then Raenef turned away. His voice wobbled, and his fists clenched as he brought himself under control. “Good night, Eclipse. Thanks for - for waiting for me.”

 

With that, Raenef hurried from the hall, going halfway down the corridor before he remembered to spell-cast himself to his room.

 

Eclipse stared after him, astonished and troubled. “Of course I'll wait for you,” he said softly. “I promised to stay with you forever. Oh, Master Raenef, what did those vile elves do to you?”

 

He would have no answers tonight. With a sniff of disgust, he realised he was still holding onto the dirty clothes. Eclipse dropped them onto the floor, sending a fire-spell after them to obliterate the garments into ashes. The stench of burning sackcloth filled the air.

 

He made to brush his hands together, only to find that the filth of the northern wastelands had stained his fingers.