Chapter 83 The Keepers of Patience
“There’s someone I want you to meet.”
Belphegor appeared at breakfast, a scheduled appearance, which apparently meant something significant in a kingdom where timing was optional. He looked more alert than usual, almost energized in his characteristically understated way.
“Who?” Lilith asked around a mouthful of bread.
“The Keepers. They live in the mountains north of the capital.” He was already moving toward the door. “Bring comfortable shoes. It’s a walk.”
Sera glanced at Lilith with raised eyebrows but stood anyway, abandoning her half-eaten meal. They’d learned over the past few days that when Belphegor actually initiated something, it was worth paying attention to.
The walk turned out to be less of a walk and more of a hike that wound through forests where trees grew so thick the canopy blocked most sunlight. Belphegor moved with surprising energy for someone whose defining characteristic was supposed to be lethargy, navigating the path with obvious familiarity.
“So who are the Keepers?” Sera asked, only slightly out of breath.
“Old demons who decided centuries ago that palace politics were exhausting and retreated to the mountains to just think.” Belphegor ducked under a low branch. “They’re probably the wisest beings in my kingdom, maybe in all seven realms. They just don’t advertise it.”
“And they’ll talk to us?”
“They’ll talk to Lilith. They’ve been curious about the Seraph since she arrived in our realm.” He glanced back with a slight smile. “Fair warning, they don’t give straightforward answers. You have to work for insight.”
The path opened suddenly onto a clearing where a structure that was part building and part cave had been carved into the mountainside. Smoke drifted from somewhere inside, carrying the scent of burning herbs. Before anyone could knock or call out, something small and fast launched itself at Belphegor with a chittering noise.
Lilith jumped back, but Belphegor just laughed and caught the creature mid-leap. It was about the size of a cat, covered in soft silver fur with oversized eyes and small wings that fluttered uselessly as it climbed up to perch on his shoulder.
“This is Morpheus,” Belphegor said, scratching under the creature’s chin. “He’s supposed to live here with the Keepers, but he prefers following me around and sleeping in inappropriate places.”
“What is he?” Sera moved closer, clearly charmed despite her usual wariness around demonic creatures.
“A dream sprite. Mostly harmless, occasionally helpful, always lazy.” Morpheus yawned wide enough to show tiny pointed teeth, then curled against Belphegor’s neck and appeared to fall asleep instantly. “See? Perfectly embodying Sloth.”
An ancient voice called from inside the structure. “Belphegor. We were wondering when you’d bring her.”
They entered to find three elderly demons arranged around a fire that burned without producing heat. Two women and one man, all with the kind of weathered faces that suggested they’d seen everything worth seeing and weren’t impressed by most of it.
“Keepers,” Belphegor said with more respect than Lilith had heard him use for anyone except the Devil. “This is Lilith, the Seraph. And her companion Sera.”
The eldest woman, her hair white as snow and eyes sharp as broken glass, studied Lilith with uncomfortable intensity. “Sit. We have questions.”
Lilith sat on the cushions provided, very aware that this felt less like a social visit and more like an examination. Sera settled beside her while Belphegor took a position slightly behind them, Morpheus still sleeping on his shoulder.
“You’ve visited six kingdoms now,” the old man said without preamble. “Learned about six sins. What have you actually learned?”
The question felt like a trap. Lilith considered her answer carefully. “That every sin is more complicated than I expected. That they’re not just vices, they’re ways of understanding the world.”
“Surface answer,” the second woman said dismissively. “What did you learn about yourself?”
That was harder. Lilith thought about all the kingdoms she’d visited, the different lessons each one had offered, the various versions of herself she’d discovered in each place.
“I learned that I don’t know myself as well as I thought I did,” she said finally. “Every kingdom shows me a different part of who I could be, and I still don’t know which parts are really me.”
The three Keepers exchanged looks that might have been approval.
“Better,” the eldest woman said. “Now the real question. The prophecy demands you choose one brother to bind yourself to, unite the seven kingdoms under a single rule. But you’ve formed connections with multiple princes in different ways. How do you choose what your heart wants when you don’t fully understand what that means?”
Lilith felt Sera’s hand find hers, a silent support. “I don’t know.”
“Of course you don’t. If you did, you wouldn’t be here.” The old man leaned forward. “But not knowing isn’t the same as having no answer. Sometimes the heart knows before the mind catches up. What does your heart say when you’re not trying to make it make sense?”
The weight of the question pressed down on her. The prophecy, the kingdoms, the impossible responsibility of uniting realms that had been separate for millennia.
“My heart says I’m terrified of making the wrong choice,” she admitted quietly. “That whatever I decide will have consequences I can’t predict, and I don’t want to be responsible for that.”
“Interesting.” The second woman smiled slightly. “What if you didn’t have to choose the way everyone expects you to?”
“The prophecy—”
“The prophecy says you must bind yourself to one of the seven princes to unite the kingdoms. But prophecies are tricky things. They rarely mean exactly what people think they mean.” The eldest woman’s eyes glittered. “Has anyone actually explained what ‘binding’ entails? What the ceremony requires? What loopholes might exist?”
Lilith realized with growing shock that no, no one had explained the specifics. Everyone just assumed binding meant marriage to one brother, choosing one kingdom, ruling beside one prince.
“You’re saying there might be another way?”
“We’re saying you should ask more questions before accepting that your only options are the obvious ones.” The old man stood creakily. “But that’s not why Belphegor brought you here. That’s just free advice because we like watching people squirm less.”
“Then why did he bring me?”
“To give you something,” the eldest woman said. She disappeared into the back of the cave and returned with a small crystal vial filled with liquid that seemed to shift colors. “When the moment comes that you need absolute clarity, when you must know your own heart without doubt or fear clouding the truth, drink this. It will show you what you really want.”
Lilith took the vial carefully. “What is it?”
“Distilled truth. Extremely rare, powerful, temporary.” The woman’s expression was serious. “Use it wisely. You only get one dose, and once you know your truth, you can’t unknow it.”
They left shortly after, Lilith clutching the vial like it might explode. Morpheus woke up long enough to transfer from Belphegor’s shoulder to Sera’s, chittering happily and nuzzling against her neck.
“He likes you,” Belphegor observed. “He’s very particular about people.”
“He’s adorable,” Sera said, scratching behind what might have been ears. “Can I keep him?”
“He keeps himself. But if he wants to follow you around, I won’t stop him.” Belphegor led them back down the mountain path. “What did you think of the Keepers?”
“Terrifying and helpful in equal measure,” Lilith admitted. “Did you know they were going to say that about the prophecy? About there being other options?”
“I suspected. The Keepers see things others miss because they’ve spent centuries doing nothing but thinking.” He glanced back at her. “Does it change anything? Knowing there might be loopholes?”
“I don’t know yet. Maybe.” Lilith tucked the vial carefully into her pocket. “I need to think about it.”
“Good. Thinking is what this kingdom does best.” Morpheus had fallen asleep again on Sera’s shoulder, and Belphegor smiled at the sight. “Looks like you’ve been adopted.”
“I’m okay with that,” Sera said, gently stroking the sprite’s fur. “He’s better company than most demons I’ve met.”
They walked in comfortable silence, and Lilith noticed how Belphegor kept pace with Sera now, how their hands almost brushed when the path narrowed, how they shared small smiles about nothing in particular.
By the time they reached the palace, Morpheus had firmly decided Sera was his new favorite person, refusing to leave her shoulder even when Belphegor tried to coax him away.
“Traitor,” Belphegor told the sprite fondly. “I raised you from an egg.”
Morpheus chittered something that might have been an apology but didn’t move.
“I’ll take good care of him,” Sera promised, and something in Belphegor’s expression softened in a way Lilith had never seen from him before.
“I know you will.”
Later that evening, Lilith sat in her chambers turning the crystal vial over in her hands while Sera played with Morpheus on the bed. The sprite had fully committed to his new person, chirping happily as Sera dangled a ribbon for him to chase.
“Do you think the Keepers are right?” Sera asked without looking up. “About there being other options?”
“I don’t know. But it’s the first time anyone’s suggested the prophecy might not mean exactly what everyone assumes it does.” Lilith held the vial up to the light, watching colors swirl inside. “Part of me wants to drink this right now, just to know. But another part is terrified of what the answer might be.”
“Maybe that’s why they said to wait for the right moment. When you absolutely need to know, not just when you’re curious.” Morpheus had abandoned the ribbon in favor of curling up in Sera’s lap. “Although I’m not sure how you’ll know when that moment is.”
“I guess I’ll know when it happens.” Lilith tucked the vial away carefully. “Did you see how Belphegor looks at you?”
Sera’s cheeks colored slightly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yes you do. He’s different around you. More present, more engaged.” Lilith smiled. “And Morpheus choosing you definitely means something.”
“He’s nice,” Sera admitted quietly, stroking the sleeping sprite’s fur. “Different from what I expected. Everyone talks about Sloth like it’s just laziness, but he’s actually incredibly thoughtful. He just doesn’t waste energy on things that don’t matter.”
“Sounds like you’ve been paying attention.”
“Maybe.” Sera’s smile was soft. “Is that allowed? For me to like one of the princes when you’re the one who’s supposed to be choosing?”
“I think you’re allowed to like whoever you want. The prophecy is about me, not you.” Lilith lay back on her bed. “Besides, seeing you happy makes this whole thing feel less suffocating. Like not everything has to be about destiny and kingdoms and impossible choices.”