Azure stood in line with the three girls that had been taken to the castle. She was trembling, pale blue eyes downcast as she waited with a bowed head and baited breath. She hadn't once stopped shaking since she had been put in a carriage and spirited away. The mostly blind girl clenched the front of her dirty dress, trying to hid her trembling hands. She was scared out of her mind and she just wanted to go home. Of course, if that ever happened, which it wouldn't, her parents would never let her back into the house and she would be homeless. She bit her lip, fighting back tears.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dani stood by a girl slightly shorter than herself who had white hair. The brunette was nervously biting her lip as she looked around. They had been taken to the great hall in the castle. She glanced at the other girls, wondering what village they had come from. She faced forward again, worrying her lip between her teeth.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The demon king glanced at his sons as they joined him in the great hall. He gestured at the four girls standing before him. "I reviewed the batch that come in and these are the four I picked out. Make your choice my sons." He said.

The demon's castle. vast and unprecedented in architecture and profound in structure. Not a single human could comprehend the design of this homely fortress beneath the veil of reality and the demon realm. Our footsteps was heard in the main corridor. The Demon King marched with my brothers towards the throne room of yours truly to initiate some sort of ritual of survival of our dying race. Each one of us was quiet, both disgusted yet excited mixed together to make the perfect state of being-- Madness. The look in each of my brother's eyes was disgust. To have humans carry the offspring of our... 'Grandeur' race... It was perhaps the worst shame that struck us noble demons.

And so, we came to a large double door. It towered far higher than one would expect. The ceiling wasn't even visible from where we were standing. The only flames that guided our path was the dark chandelier seemingly hanging from nothingness. He slammed the door open, leaving an otherwise glass-shattering shockwave throughout the entire hall as he soon appeared before the four human girls. Other chandeliers shook from his magnitude and lesser demons would scurry away terrified of the Demon-King's presence. We took our place in front of the Demon-King."I reviewed the batch that came in and these are the four I picked out. Make your choice my sons."

... And that's all he had to say? Even a demon would at least keep their tradition and introduce the girls whom they were about to spend their eternity being tortured by. "This is not quite what I was expecting. You should also pay more attention to your attitude while you're in the great hall, father. This is not some meager ritual. This is our survival. You'd at least make them feel welcome by speaking the part." I crossed my arms in disappointment of his demeanour. "Let me make my examinations."

Stepping my own brilliance forward, I made sure to look myself presentable in front of the future carriers of my offspring. It was the very least honour that they would receive in their unending spiral of pain. I approached one trembling with fear and distraught. There was a need for me to lower myself to her level. Her hands tucked behind the battered dress that shook in terror of her demise, or so it seems. My hands reached out to her cheeks, the thumb pushing those tense pale skin as he looked at her fainting eyes and dull hair. She was trembling inside-- and she was trembling for her life. A smile I gave for such courage she has to stand before me and the Demon King made my hands feel just as jittery and invasive to crush it.

Enough of that trembling blind child. I moved on from her to examine the other girl whom at least was taller, and did so with my fingers and thumbs as previous. Her skin felt smoother. Elastic and flexible rather. The green eyes that used to be full of life was now but leaves beneath its tree-- waiting to wither and die. She did not pique my interest, not even the one before.

The next, was a girl who's scarred. Her skin, full of scratches and wounds from fights. I reached my hands to her face and just as I did, she swatted it away from her face before I squeezed her skin instead. This raven was a rebellious and strong-willed one. To break into her would take more than just strength. It needed wits and discipline... Violent disciplines. Those bloody eyes have seen cruelty beyond measure, yet how shameful that it isn't like ours.

Even then, she remained to fight against me. She pushed my hands away from her face once again, and I leered intently into her. This pile of guts was going to be turned to ashes if she kept that up. I moved on to the final girl who was plainly dressed and seemingly different from the others. There was no resistance when my hand reached for her inspection and gave me a quick and brief examination. Amber eyes that blinded everyone else in her wake. Disappointing. All of them.

I quietly returned to the exact position I stood in front of the Demon-King. His curiosity would soon probably question the decision of his eldest son. To which, I would reply; "I will choose whomever left after my brothers." I stood with my back up high and my eyes continually to stare into nothing, at no expression.

Gaara stood in the room watching as his brother lectured thier father about the tradition. The young demon prince hated when his self-rightous brother did things like that. His brother just didn't have as strong of an existence as Gaara, so the brother clung to stupid things like tradition. These thoughts and many like it ran through the demon's head as he finally looked up at the vile humans across from him. He pointed up at one next to the crying and shaking one. She seemed to have a spirit, Gaara would enjoy breaking that spirit then leading up to the kill. He savored the moment. "Her." Gaara says, then looks to his father. "Tradition is for those who don't believe in their existence. Don't see their purpose in life. Let me prove to myself that I'm alive, let me just kill her now." He says

Alec stared down on the girls with pity and disgust, but surprisingly with more pity. After half listening to his brother's speech about...whatever, Gaara spoke. Alec turned his head to him. "Really, Gaara? Hasn't even been five minutes and already you want to rip the poor girl's head off her shoulders? What a brute you are." Alec's words came out softly and smoothly. He shook his head and turned his attention back to the girls, eyes flicking back and fourth between all of them. One girl in particular captivated him. Her hair a sleek redish-brown and her eyes almost the same. She was on the end so he knelt beside her. " I want this one. She looks-" Alec shrugged his shoulders. "Interesting, I don't know."

“Argh, this is what you wanted us here for? I can’t believe that I had to put off my meeting for this!” The white-haired demon grumbled under his breath. What a waste of time! He was going to his usual spot with Mathisen and Emeric, but now he had this to deal with instead. Not worth it!

He huffed in irritation, glaring down at the girls. Lucius, 'the good son,' started going on about pleasantries and such or something like that. Why did he care? Nobody really cared what happened to the little lowlifes!

He continued growling to himself as his eldest brother took his time examining the creatures and the other two made their comments. Maybe if he just grabbed one and left, he could still meet up with his friends and go out. These humans were all the same, anyway, weren’t they? No need to spend so much time brooding over this choice.

He turned to Lucius, seeing that expression he always hated on his face. To him, it looked smug, like he was too important to even bother with anything. “You really have to let someone else make your decision? How uncool.” Nicolai shook his head with a shrugging motion, a smirk on his face. “Or is it your idea of being generous? Whatever, I don’t have time for all this anyhow.”

Moving swiftly in front of the remaining girls, he noticed the white haired one shaking like a leaf and bent down to her level. Something wrong with her eyes, he saw. Waving a hand in front of her face, he snickered. “Quality control really sucks, apparently! Geez, I can’t believe these were handpicked!” Smirk widening, he dropped his hand from in front of her face and grabbed her wrist. “Well, too bad, guess you’ll have to do ‘cause again, I don’t have time for this! Don’t worry, I’m sure even my mutt-blood will be enough to overrule your deficiencies!”

Alyssa walked into the castle with some other girls and it was just huge! She hasn't seen a castle like this before. As they were there standing up she noticed that, some lord was asking his sons to pick the girls they want. God, she wanted to punch the shit out of em.

---

Melinda looked around as she stood up with somm other girls. She was so tired! And these people were pissing her off. Melinda sighed crossing her arms close to her chest, and looking around all bored but then she was chosen! All she did was stay quiet.

Dani watched nervously as one of the men stepped forward and began walking towards them. She watched him crouch down in front of the girl on her left and examine her. Then he stood and stood in front of her. She gazed up at him with wide green eyes as he laid his hands on her cheeks. He didn't look long and then he was moving onto the next girl. She watched as this one fought against him. Soon he stepped back towards the king and Dani saw one of them point at her. Her body tensed and she bit her lip harder. Her eyes then widened as he asked his father if he could just kill her now. She felt her body shiver at the cold look in his eyes and she then wondered if maybe death would be preferred over any time she had to spend in his presence. She mentally slapped herself. What's wrong with me?! I have to stay positive. So, with that in mind and she lifted her head high and stared straight at the one who picked her.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Azure stood there, listening to one of the princes talk. Suddenly, she felt hands on her cheeks and her eyes shot up. She flinched at the shadowy figure she could barely make out and thankfully he didn't linger long and moved onto the next girl. She lowered her eyes again and waited. She heard one of them ask if he could just kill her and she tensed, wondering which 'her' he was referring to. She suddenly felt someone in front of her and she peeked up, wondering if it was the other one from before. With her bad eyesight however she couldn't tell. She saw him wave a hand in front of her face then heard him snicker. He suddenly grabbed her wrist and she gasped in surprise and flinched.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The king watched on as his eldest son inspected all the girls before stepping back. The man assumed he was just going to wait until his brothers have picked and then take the last one. Then Gaara made his choice. He chuckled. "No Gaara, you can not kill her now. That would defeat the whole purpose of doing this." Alec and Nicolai made their choices soon after and the king looked at Lucius and gestured at the last girl. "This one is yours then." He surveyed his sons before turning and walking towards the throne room. "Come my sons and we will begin the binding ceremony."

Gaara watched his father as the demon king spoke about how they had to go off and preform some ceremony. The demon prince was annoyed with this, what was the point of this? Gaara existed solely to kill, not to make kids or deal with some human. But he had to put up with her for now, then Gaara could stregnthen his existinance and remind himself that he was alive. He looked at the girl. "Come on. Don't tempt me into killing you now." He said.

Alec stared down onto the human he chose, eyes picking at her appearance. He scoffed at the hard look she wore. That attitude will be gone within the week. Alec thought. It's a shame, really. None of them are truly aware of the pain and suffering to come. Alec caught his father's order and stood up from his knelt position. "Well you'd better get a move on, yeah?" Alec said running a hand through his hair. He let out a soft yawn and gestured for the girl to stand.

Nicolai had to admit that he did get just a little bit of enjoyment out of the reaction the girl provided, but rolled his eyes at the mention of the ceremony. Oh yeah, I guess I couldn't just leave after all. That was a dumb thing to forget. He didn't bother waiting for the girl to move, instead opting to pick her up and hoist her over his shoulder. The sooner they got through this, the better, right? With that thought still firmly planted within his mind, he turned and quickly followed his father. "Off we go, then."

It was clear that all of my brothers accepted my resolve with indirect insults or the sharpness of their tongue. They didn't know the importance of abiding to tradition and how it sows seeds of trust that grow into deception. My intention wasn't to show father that I despised these traditions, rather I am deceiving him. As insults come one after another the curl of my grin only grew wider and wider. Even though silent and seemingly frozen in a state of a petrified pose, everything I needed was moving as I have wanted it to be. One by one, my brothers lowered their princehood to these rotting pieces of flesh bags, pointing and choosing who their carriers will be. How lowly of them to be fooled in such trickery. I, the eldest son of the Demon-King am too gracious and pure for the likes of these... 'females'.

Gaara was the first to choose a woman and by choosing, he too has favoured the human. The second to fall was Alec. The third, Nicolai. Pitiful. If they truly are my demon brothers, where is their pride? "This one is yours then." The Demon-King have declared. It was the rebellious one. The black sheep among white ones. With that spiteful look in her eyes he was certain that breaking her was going to be quite the pleasant experience. Without even turning to approach her, he followed the command of the Demon-King wordless into the throne room. "Come my sons. We will begin the binding ceremony." The huge double doors opened once again, and I stepped up to the stairs after Nicolai.