Hello, we are finally back! Thank you so, so much for your patience. I will write my thoughts in the description so as to not take up too much space here. 

Although it might be better to re-read from the start, if you'd rather not, I'll add a list of the important scenes/plot points so far in the comments below. Thank you for reading!

~~~

If the chamber they had slept in branded windows, the dawning sun would shine rays of golden and oranges against the walls. Instead, Drokn blinked awake to near-pitch darkness, while his left cheek pressed against the elf's chest. Moving his arm over in an attempt to press down and prop himself up, he was reminded of the shackles which bound him from behind. A light clanking of metal came from his movement, and he quickly chose not to rebel against the metal chains as to not wake the elf, although he deeply wished to make a scene expressing his discomfort.

Instead, he shuffled lightly for a moment, tucking himself to stay against the elf's warmth. Yet, just as he had settled in the peacefulness, Eial moved in wake. To the demon's disappointment, rather than seeming equally enticed to stay in their shared touch, Eial readied himself to sit up and eased Drokn to a sitting stance, as well. With his legs crossed next to Drokn who had swung his feet off the bed, Eial hugged Drokn from the side by the waist and nuzzled his cheek against Drokn's shoulder.

"Were you comfortable? Did you sleep well?" Eial's sweet voice chimed clear within this empty space.

"There's only so much comfort on this sorry excuse for a bed," Drokn grumbled. Then, taking a glance in the direction of Eial's chest, followed with, "Mmm, but I suppose it could have been worse." Warmed by Eial's bashful giggle, Drokn craved to lay on the elf's chest again. Reaching down for a few extra kisses, he tried to coax the elf for more sleep.

However, after accepting a couple pecks, Eial covered Drokn's lip with a chuckle. "It's morning and the guards will be here soon. It is best to wake up now."

Looking around the room only lit by the dimmed lantern, a brow curled in confusion. "How can you tell? You can't even see outside if it's dark or not."

Chuckling a little more and thinking nothing of it, Eial sweetly responded, "Well, I'm used to this now so my body has learned to naturally tell."

"'Used to this' as in when you would sleep underground?"

"Ah, that, and, " Eial smiled as he patted the hard bed under him, "from sleeping here."

Suddenly, a shadow washed over the demon's eyes. Used to sleeping here? Here?? For how long?! Looking around, he witnessed the windowless room, the hard beds, the small space with nothing but the flickering light and their own heartbeats. The demon's reddening eyes stared at the innocent ones before him which seemed to find nothing peculiar in what was just said. Yet for the demon, his blood began to boil.

Just then, a knock came from the door, splitting both of their attentions. In came none other than the elven guard who had brought them together the night before. As soon as she stepped inside, she was met with the bottom of a foot darting towards her. Moving aside with ease, she dodged the boot and turned to grab the shackles that chained the demon's hands from behind.

"You fucking-!" Drokn started to shout, before-

"Good morning to you, as well," Glolieh interrupted. She glanced towards the awkwardly frantic Eial who had quickly stood up at Drokn's sudden aggression. Seeing as he also seemed clueless, she turned her attention patiently back to the struggling demon within her grasp. "Care to enlighten me as to what seems to displease you?"

"You fucking elves! Shitty fuckers! You-," Drokn continued in a slurry of curses, repeating several, and inventing curses anew, all until his curses ran dry. In his continued fury, he finally roared, "You locked him here? You made him sleep here?? In this cell?? This whole fucking time?!"

As Drokn spewed a thread of more curses, Glolieh was taken aback for a moment that the demon had gotten upset over the elf's treatment first over his own discomfort in staying in the cells. Then, looking down slightly, she felt her chest tinged with guilt. "For that, I apologize. I, too, do not believe he deserves to be here."

"Then why the fuck is he here?!"

"...I have no words. It is truly in my dishonor that he has stayed here for so long."

"No!" Suddenly, a new voice entered the conversation and gentle footsteps walked towards the two. "Glolieh did nothing wrong. I am a stranger and I could be dangerous. It only makes sense that I stay here. Anyway, Glolieh tried to have my room switched. Please don't be mad at her. She has been nothing but kind to me."

What? A sudden darkness clouded the demon's breath, and his pulse beat with a different drum as he looked at the elf with a heat that masked uncertainty and betrayal. Why are you defending her? "If she tried to have your room switched, why wasn't it switched in the end?!"

"Well, that's because..." Eial started.

An awkwardness filled the air as Drokn's frigid breath grazed over his frowning lips. He stared at Eial, waiting for him to continue.

Instead, Glolieh assisted to finish in place of the hesitant little elf. "Although it doesn't forgive me for my negligence thus far, my attempt at having his room changed had to be paused because you had made a surprise visit, King Drokn."

Drokn paused briefly as he recalled the evening before when he had fallen into the throne room. He hadn't questioned why everyone had gathered there. His mind was rather willingly occupied by finally finding his elf that any other thought was of no value. Regardless, it made no difference to the demon. "He shouldn't have been here in the first place!"

"That," the guard responded with downturned eyes, "I do agree with. I deeply apologize."

Drokn was unsure how to respond further. Cursing had lost its point, and what he saw behind him were solemn eyes deep with regret. Normally, Drokn would not care of others' emotions in the height of his own anger. However, a situation that was rare was something forced to be seen and recognized even if unwilling. And that rarity was of someone who, rather than sneering at or ignoring his heated claims, actually responded with guilt. Had paid enough attention to hear him with seriousness at his first mention and apologized with sincerity.

Growing up, all the servants of his palace in the demon territory looked at him as a nuisance, although he would have never admitted to recognizing this at all. The only apologies he had received were through bitten lips and frosty smiles. His own birth mother had initially combated his outbursts with her own in their reunion. Least to mention his birth father, who would not even glance his way even if he had broken every vase in the palace to threaten to be listened to.

Eial had been the only exception, but his apologies were profuse and in response to the demon's own unreasonableness. Those apologies were undeserved.

Yet this guard was different. This guard, an elven guard no less, had no obligation to cater to the demon, especially as the royals she served seemed to have no interest in providing him kind treatment, themselves. In fact, his first encounter with her months ago had not been a favorable one. Nevertheless, she genuinely lowered her head at his outburst without defensiveness.

So, in the face of this new gesture, Drokn was suddenly confronted with a reaction he had not yet learned to navigate. Therefore, he stayed silent, hoping that he could at least hold his wavering fury in his discomforted gaze.

Motioning her downturned eyes back up to attention, Glolieh glanced at the cell's open doorway and closed it before turning back, speaking her next words. "Although with great regret that I did not change how he was treated until now, please have faith that I plan to atone for this. I have a solution to resolve both the issues of Eial being held here, and the consequence of your sudden illegal entrance to the palace. However..." Glolieh's tone turned deeper, firmer, and more resolute as she watched Drokn's eyes linger on her. "I would like to use the favor you owe me."