same as I remember seeing it for the first time with him there to occupy it. I remembered being intimidated by not only the site of his actual throne, one made from the horns of his killed enemies, but by Lucius himself when sat there in all his demon glory, like the Hellish master he was.
But this was as far from a Kingdom in Hell that you could get, for everywhere you looked was a beauty that only the wildest of imaginations could have conjured up without first seeing the magnificence of this place. As for the throne, it was nothing short of a piece of artwork. One that began as a group of trees that I had seen in the forest. Four of them to be exact, that were all grouped together and exactly as you would have expected to see them before being plucked from the ground.
They rose from the ground to the height of my shoulders before that natural bend of theirs started to take shape. This then made it a perfect and organic shape for a King to sit on before the tree straightened and started to branch out, separating from one another, each becoming its own tree the closer to the ceiling it reached.
It was as if this throne had been planted with four seeds in a row at least 200 years before being ready for its first King to sit on it, making me wonder if some kind of magical spell had been used to make them grow as a solid entity rather than letting time do all the work.
I could just about see that there was a hidden staircase that wrapped around the back so it could be accessed with ease. This in itself stood at the centre of a raised dais made up of layers of half-moon shapes that got smaller and created steps leading up. Each tree that started to branch out held an insignia carved into the wood, making me wonder if this represented the joining together of four kingdoms? Had there at one time been one King to rule them all? If that was true then how did they get split up in the first place? Again, my curious nature was rearing its head and had me eager to find out if I was right?
As for its current King, he now ascended the steps, making his way to his throne and upon reaching it, he then motioned for me to come closer. It was like our first meeting all over again, when he was sat upon the dragon looking down at me as he did now. In fact, I was actually surprised to find that his throne wasn't made out of some giant dragon’s head. But then, thinking back on it, other than the few elements outside, there hadn’t been one thing inside that referred to dragons. This then made me wonder if the Kingdom came first and the dragons second?
“Now, as to why you are here,” he said, surprising me out of my inner questions and coming right to answering them.
“Wow, I have to say that's refreshing,” I commented making him look intrigued.
“And what would that be, my dear?”
“Well, I'm never quite used to anyone just coming right out and answering questions that I haven’t even had a chance to ask yet,” I told him, saying without so many words that I was curious.
“Ah, I see, so people underestimate your ability to handle things?” he guessed and again I was surprised.
“Wow, you're perceptive too, the Queen must be one lucky girl,” I stated as a way to see if he was married and hoping that he was… happily.
“I am afraid that for one of the four Kings of the Elemental Realm, finding a Queen isn't as easy as you would think,” he admitted with a bitter edge to his tone that was understandable if what he said was true. But then again, I don't suppose there was a dating app for looking for Fae princesses to marry.
“Why, do you have to marry royalty?” I questioned, making him smirk once more and lean forward after bracing his forearm on his knee.
“Why, are you offering, Princess?” he said emphasising my title, and at this I choked back a cough and said,
“No, trust me, I have my hands full with my own King… and I would be too much of a handful in a place like this.”
“And what is it exactly about being here that is so unfathomable to you?” he