Erebus remembered what it was like when he was younger. 

Standing in front of The Council, watching some disapproving faces and some sympathetic faces look back at him. It was nerve wracking, back then as a newly crowned king and now as an established and hopefully respected ruler. 

He pushed the heavy wooden double doors open ten minutes earlier than the rest of The Council was expected to arrive, anxious to begin. Besides, it always looked well and intimidating when he was seated on his imposingly large but plain chair, face terrifyingly neutral, as the members filed in. 

Unfortunately, his plans were foiled by the typical too-early arrival of Evelia and Elias. 

Evelia was sitting on her chair, arms crossed and looking mildly annoyed, pointedly turned away from Elias as she examined her nails critically from under her purple cloak’s hood. Elias himself sat two seats away from her across the table, his lips twisted into a small, self-amused smirk as he smoothed a wrinkle on the word ghanum on his own black and white cloak.

“Good evening, Erebus,” Eve called as he crossed the room as quietly as he could towards his seat. He suddenly felt very young, as if he’d interrupted something important between two adults, despite not being much younger than the pair.

“Good evening,” he responded, giving a nod to Elias as well. The masked man arranged his expression into something more neutral and nodded back.

“Will you be telling us what’s on the agenda, or shall we wait?” Evelia asked.

“All in good time,” Erebus said easily, though he longed to inform his cousin of his plans before the meeting. He regretted keeping it a secret now. He itched for the rest of The Council to arrive. 

As if on cue, a white-cloaked figure entered the room, a red-covered figure hot on his heels. Erebus was tempted to laugh at the despairing expression on Damon’s face as Lyssa followed him doggedly, her mismatched red and blue eyes dancing with mirth at whatever morbid joke Erebus assumed she’d just made.

The two demons filed into their seats, a small distance away to Damon’s apparent relief, when the doors swung open. Erebus suppressed the urge to sigh; when had his Council become so punctual?

Dark green and black cloth marked the entrance of Gomi and Levina, both looking somewhat annoyed at the other. Erebus made a mental note to stagger the times of arrival for the Council members. He wasn’t sure he knew how to handle any fights between the stronger-willed members of the council.

The tension in the air grew stifling, in spite of the small conversations and movements of The Council. Erebus’s skin felt hot, and he longed to start as soon as possible.

Quickly, he counted the seats. Damon had insisted on dragging a chair from his spot at near the end of the rectangular table to sit directly across from Erebus, his black eyes sharp and cool. Gomi and Levina, seated across from one another, the poison vials in Gomi’s hands clinking together as Levina glared at them. Lyssa already looked bored in her spot to the right of Gomi, feet kicked up on the table and her knives sliding in and out of her sleeves and in between her pale fingers with a terrifying precision. Evelia seemed to lean as far as she could away from the dancing blades, her seat noticeably closer to Erebus’s. Across from Lyssa, Elias’s smile had returned, as if laughing at a private joke. The seats on both sides of him were empty.

Astaroth was gone, Erebus already knew, but…

“Where’s Estel? If you’re all here already, I’d like to start.”

Elias’s grin widened. “I wouldn’t count on them showing up.”

Just as the words left his mouth, the door banged open again. Estel stormed in, looking highly embarrassed. He took a seat with as much dignity as he could manage in the too-short brown cloak falling around their knees in place of the usual long, sweeping silvery-purple garment.

The room went almost entirely silent, except for Elias’s partly smothered snickers. Estel’s ears went pink.

“Took the wrong cloak. Can we get started, please?” the white-haired demon insisted, fidgeting.

At their words, the tension eased considerably. Erebus felt himself relax slightly, grateful for Elias’s antics.

“As you all know,” Erebus began steadily, “I’ve been working on a plan-”

He was cut off by a loud cough. Damon’s eyes grew ever sharper, but by now Erebus had grown used to his almost vicious and active lack of support of said plan.

“-and, as you all know, the first part of the plan is to take magic from our neighbors, the elves. So, I’ve finalized the main components for the mechanism required to take the magic from the elves. Or, more accurately, Elias has.”

The demon gave a small, satisfied smile as The Council applauded them lightly. Damon’s hands remained noticeably still, even as the other non-supporting members clapped without enthusiasm.

“I have a question,” the fiery-haired Councilman stated in his calm, yet somehow utterly obnoxious voice. Erebus nodded in acknowledgement, taking a seat as Damon stood.

“How, exactly, are we sure that this… mechanism works?” he inquired, spitting the word mechanism as if it were a far worse curse. Evelia didn’t even attempt to hide her slight eye roll. 

“So worried, and for a plan you disapprove of?” Erebus asked innocently, relishing in the flash of anger that blazed across the other demon's face briefly, before his mask of calm slipped back on. “Relax, Damon. Elias tested it. It’s safe, painless, and effective. I’m sure you’re not concerned about the last part, but it won’t hurt the elves. You’re ridiculously concerned for them, especially for a demon.”

Damon gritted his teeth before taking a seat. Erebus stood again, looking up and down the seats to make eye contact with each and every Council member. 

“I’m assigning all of you to head missions that will venture into the villages in the five elven kingdoms. Once Elias and the others at the alchemy lab finalize the design and make copies, you will each be assigned a region to enter and test. Our monthly Council meetings will become weekly. I expect reports from every expedition,” Erebus said, his voice as commanding as he could manage to make it. “You will receive information detailing the villages you’re traveling to, courtesy of some spy work. Any questions?” he asked, pointedly glancing at Damon. The demon avoided eye contact stubbornly.

Gomi’s voice rang out suddenly, their one white and one green eye flashing in the dim light. “Will we receive compensation for these missions?”

“Is it not your duty to assist your king?” Erebus returned, calm and steady. He hoped Gomi didn’t sense his fear.

When the demon refused to back down, he nodded. “Naturally, you will all receive a bonus if your job is completed adequately.”

Satisfied, Gomi nodded. Erebus looked around again.

“No more questions?”

A soft snore from the always-tired Estel slumped over the table, having fallen asleep, seemed to signal the end of the meeting. The young King of Demons dismissed The Council with the firm reminder that they were expected to show themselves at the meeting next week.

As usual, the last two were Elias and Evelia. Elias hefted his sleeping partner in his arms and gave Erebus a nod before he took his leave.

“You did well, Ere,” Evelia said fondly, her eyes soft and kind. He nodded with a smile, thanking her. She looked as if she wanted to say something before deciding against it, giving him a gentle pat on the shoulder before turning to go.

Exhausted by the facade he’d maintained during the short meeting, Erebus collapsed into his uncomfortable seat, leaning back with a sigh. His crown slipped off with a clatter. 

“I just hope it’s enough to save them,” he said quietly to the empty room. Despite having cultivated and modified and pondered upon this plan for nearly three years, it still seemed unsteady and undeveloped.

With a suddenness that shocked him, he wished he could see his father. Orpheus would know what to do, what to say. He would ruffle Erebus’s hair lovingly and tell him that, no matter what happened, everyone would see that he had done his best.

Unfortunately, lacking that option, Erebus did the next best thing.

He stood, picked up his crown, placing it carefully on his head as if to strengthen his courage, and headed in the direction of the dungeon to visit the Astanian king.