Chapter 85 The Gardens
Sera woke to Morpheus chirping insistently in her ear, the sprite’s tiny claws kneading her shoulder like he was trying to wake her for something important. Sunlight streamed through the windows, suggesting she’d slept later than usual.
“Alright, alright, I’m up.” She gently moved Morpheus to her lap as she sat up, finding Lilith already dressed and reading by the window.
“You were smiling in your sleep,” Lilith observed without looking up from her book. “Good dreams?”
“I don’t remember.” Sera felt heat creep up her neck. “What time is it?”
“Late enough that you should probably get ready if you have plans.” Now Lilith did look up, her expression knowing. “Belphegor sent a message asking if you’d meet him in the east gardens after breakfast.”
“Oh.” Sera’s heart did something complicated in her chest. “I should… I’ll get ready.”
She dressed with more care than usual, changing her mind three times before settling on something simple but nice. Morpheus watched from the bed, chittering what sounded like approval or possibly impatience.
“Have fun,” Lilith said as Sera headed for the door, Morpheus perched on her shoulder. “And Sera? I’m glad you’re happy.”
The gardens were easier to find this time, and Sera spotted Belphegor waiting near a fountain, looking more put-together than he had yesterday. His hair was neat, clothes fresh, and when he saw her approaching, his face lit up in a way that made her heart stutter.
“You came,” he said, like he’d been worried she wouldn’t.
“Of course I came, you invited me.” Sera stopped a polite distance away, suddenly shy. “How are you feeling?
Better than yesterday?”
“Much better. Thanks to you.” He gestured toward a path that wound deeper into the gardens. “Come on. I want to show you something.”
They walked in slightly awkward silence at first, Morpheus the only one making noise as he chittered at passing birds. The gardens here were different from the showcase areas she’d seen before, less manicured and more wild, plants growing in natural patterns that suggested patient cultivation rather than forced design.
“This is my favorite part of the kingdom,” Belphegor said eventually. “Most people don’t bother coming here because it’s not impressive enough. But that’s why I like it.”
“It’s beautiful.” Sera meant it. There was something peaceful about the untamed growth, the way everything seemed to exist without apology.
“That tree over there,” Belphegor pointed to a massive oak, “I planted when I was young. Everyone said it was pointless because it would take decades to grow properly. But I liked the idea of creating something that would outlast me.”
“How old is it now?”
“About three hundred years. Still young for an oak.” He led her to a bench beneath its branches. “I come here when I need to remember that not everything has to happen quickly to matter.”
They sat, and Morpheus immediately climbed from Sera’s shoulder to Belphegor’s, nuzzling against his neck in greeting. Belphegor scratched under the sprite’s chin absently.
“He missed you,” Sera said. “I told you he was sulking.”
“I missed him too.” Belphegor’s smile was slight. “And not just him.”
Sera’s cheeks burned. She looked down at her hands. “I’m glad you’re feeling better today.”
“Me too.” He was quiet for a moment. “Can I ask you something? And you can say no if it’s too personal.”
“Okay.”
“Yesterday you said people treat you like you’re invisible, like Lilith’s maid or just someone who tags along. Does Lilith know you feel that way?”
Sera thought about it carefully.
“No, and it’s not her fault. She’s dealing with so much already, I don’t want to add to it by complaining about something that doesn’t really matter.”
“It matters if it bothers you.”
“Maybe, but there are bigger problems than my feelings getting hurt by people not remembering my name.” She picked at a loose thread on her sleeve. “Besides, Lilith sees me. That’s what counts.”
“I see you too,” Belphegor said quietly.
“I know.” Sera forced herself to meet his eyes. “That’s why yesterday meant something. Because you didn’t have to let me in, but you did.”
“I’m glad I did.” He shifted slightly closer. “You’re easy to talk to. And I don’t say that about many people.”
They fell into more comfortable conversation after that, talking about nothing important and everything at once. Belphegor told her about growing up as the youngest prince, about feeling like he had to justify his existence when his brothers were all so powerful and defined. Sera told him about her childhood with Lilith, about the ordinary life she’d left behind.
At some point, Morpheus had fallen asleep draped across both their laps, a small warm bridge between them. Sera noticed how their shoulders were almost touching now, how easy it felt to just exist here without worrying about saying the right thing or being interesting enough.
“Can I tell you something?” Belphegor asked, his voice soft enough that she had to lean closer to hear.
“Sure.”
“I don’t usually let people see me like you did yesterday. The bad days, the emptiness, all of it. Most people wouldn’t have come back after I told them to go away.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s uncomfortable, because people don’t know how to handle it when someone isn’t okay. It's easier to accept ‘I’m fine’ and move on.” He looked at her properly. “But you didn’t move on, you came back.”
“I wanted to help,” Sera said simply.
“You did. More than you probably realize.” His hand moved like he was going to reach for hers, then stopped. “Thank you.”
Morpheus chose that moment to wake up and chitter loudly, breaking the tension. He launched himself at a butterfly that had drifted too close, wings fluttering uselessly as he tried to fly after it and failed spectacularly, landing in an undignified heap.
Both Sera and Belphegor laughed, the sound breaking whatever serious moment had been building. Morpheus chittered indignantly from the ground until Sera picked him up.
“You’re not built for flying,” she told the sprite gently. “Accept your limitations.”
“He never does,” Belphegor said, still smiling. “He tries to fly at least once a day despite knowing it won’t work.”
“That’s kind of admirable actually. Stubborn optimism.”
“Or stubborn stupidity. Hard to tell with him.” But Belphegor’s voice was fond.
They walked more of the gardens, Morpheus alternating between their shoulders like he couldn’t decide who he wanted to be near more. The afternoon sun was warm without being aggressive, and Sera found herself not wanting this to end.
“When are you leaving?” Belphegor asked eventually, the question she’d been avoiding thinking about.
“Day after tomorrow, I think. Lilith has one more kingdom to visit, then back to the Vestibulum.”
“Right.” He was quiet for a moment. “Would you… I mean, if you wanted to, you could come back later, not for kingdom business, just because.”
Sera’s heart beat faster. “I’d like that.”
“Good.” He smiled, and it reached his eyes properly this time. “I’d like that too.”
They walked back to the palace as the sun began setting, neither of them in a hurry despite knowing Lilith would probably be wondering where Sera had disappeared to all day. At the entrance to the guest wing, Belphegor caught her hand briefly.
“Thank you for today,” he said. “For yesterday. For not treating me like I’m broken or difficult.”
“You’re not broken,” Sera said firmly. “You’re just honest about having bad days. That’s not the same thing.”
He squeezed her hand once before releasing it. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Definitely.”
Sera practically floated back to her chambers, where she found Lilith waiting with an expression that was equal parts knowing and amused.
“Good walk?” Lilith asked innocently.
“It was fine.” Sera tried to keep her voice casual and failed completely. “We just talked and walked in the gardens.”
“For six hours?”
“It didn’t feel like six hours.” Sera sank onto her bed, Morpheus curling up beside her. “He’s different, Lilith. Not like anyone I’ve met before. He actually listens when I talk, and he doesn’t make me feel stupid for having feelings.”
“I’m happy for you.” Lilith’s smile was genuine. “You deserve someone who sees you.”
“It’s probably nothing,” Sera said, but she was smiling too. “We barely know each other.”
“Sometimes that’s how it starts.” Lilith returned to her book. “Just enjoy it. You’re allowed to have something good for yourself.”
That night, Sera fell asleep thinking about tomorrow, about seeing Belphegor again, about the way he’d looked at her like she mattered and for the first time since arriving in the demon realm, she felt like maybe she’d found something that was just hers.