223 Chapter 223 An Adult Conversation

"Do you have any idea how hard it was finding you?" grumbled Aella, moving over to a chair next to him to sit down.

"I wasn't hiding," he said, defensively, sitting back down.

"I know, but that didn't help me knowing where to find you," sighed Aella. "What are you doing?"

He had a lot of documents scattered around him on the table, and it looked like he had been writing notes on a piece of parchment.

"I don't agree with what Seifer has been doing so I was looking over the notes from the scribe and what the advisors have been saying to see if I could come up with better ideas."

"That's a good idea," said Aella, leaning forward to see what he had written.

"He doesn't like the humans being in the city, but I think kicking them out like he has done only continues to foster the unease the people have dealing with them. It doesn't help the humans get over what they've been told about their church either. I've been afraid little startups might happen of the church if we don't address it, but Seifer said he would just kill anyone who tried."

"That will really teach them to get along," said Aella sarcastically. "Alfred would never put up with that."

"It's almost like everyone keeps comparing him to you, so anything you were trying to do he immediately goes against. Honestly, Aella, I think…"

Seifer came barging into the room just them, waving at the advisors who were curiously following him. They shut the door leaving the three of them alone in the room. Aella made sure none of them could hear what was said if they tried to listen in.

"What is the meaning of this? Having secret meetings behind my back?" growled Seifer.

"No, actually," began Aella, but Seifer wasn't listening.

He snatched up the parchment that Frederik had been making notes and took a breath to start yelling, but sighed instead. His eyes skimmed over the words written then frowned.

"Look, I don't feel like yelling right now," he grumbled, tossing the paper back down on the table. "Aella, this whole king thing just isn't working. No matter what I do, people make sure to remind me what you've done about it and how I couldn't do it as good. I'm tired, Aella."

"That's what I was talking to Aella about," said Frederik calmly. "I had just told her that nothing you seemed to be doing was good enough. Everyone still found something to complain about."

Seifer looked at Frederik for a moment before nodding and sitting down across from Aella.

"I'm tired of arguing with people or trying to come up with something new that would work better then what you had already done, but everything just keeps getting worse. I think the nobles have been manipulating me to get their way."

"That's because I thought you would say the same things everyone else has been saying. You can't do that because Aella wouldn't like it, or that can't be done like that because Aella wanted it done like this. I'm just sick of the whole thing," snapped Seifer.

"I didn't mean to leave such a mess to you. When I went to stop the volcano from erupting, I had no idea it would take me so long," said Aella.

"It doesn't matter," said Frederik, shaking his head. "Whoever you left in power, the nobles were going to try their hardest to control. They know that the new king wouldn't have the powers you have. They've been plotting how to turn things their way since they were moved here. Once they saw that Seifer could be controlled by mentioning Aella, they've been using that constantly."

"Should I do something?" asked Aella, not wanting to step on their toes.

"The more you are involved, the more the nobles will think they can use you to control the new king, whoever that may be," said Seifer, shaking his head. "I think you need to make Frederik the king. The nobles know that the two of you are closer than you are with me, and if he goes back to doing some of the things I messed up, that you had set in motion and were working, they can't complain as much, I think."

"Then what about you?" asked Frederik.

Aella could tell that being king was exactly what Frederik was wanting, and didn't show the disappointment she was feeling. As her stomach sank, she sat up and nodded.

"What do you want to be doing?" she asked Seifer.

"My girlfriend is in charge of the food distribution in the city. I would kind of like to work with her on that," he said, glancing at Aella.

"Wait, you have a girlfriend?" stammered Frederik. "Since when?"

"Well, when Aella visited last, leaving her pheromones in the throne room, the only girl in the room was Firion's Margaretta. I fled for my life."

"I remember that. There was no way I was going to touch her either," nodded Frederik. "I hid in my room."

"Well, I didn't make it that far," said Seifer. "I ran into Gwen in the hall and well… it was two days later before I worked up the courage to ask her what her name was."

Aella and Frederik both burst out laughing and after a moment Seifer did as well.

"Who was Gwen again?" asked Aella, wiping a tear away. "The name seems familiar."

"She's the demoness you put in charge of the cooking kitchens when you first moved the people here. Her and her mother have moved to overseeing the distribution of food throughout the city as people moved away from the warehouses and managed to start their lives back up."

"Oh, I remember her. She had bright yellow hair, didn't she? Her mother was concerned about the Spell Spire where the evil demon was controlling the magic in the whole kingdom. That was a good call. How are they doing?" asked Aella.

Seifer and Frederik were looking at her in shock with their mouths open and Aella realized they might not have known about the evil brother of Jozef.

"That's why I needed to move everyone and destroy the kingdom," she added.

"You had mentioned it was impossible to fix and that was why everyone was moving," admitted Frederik. "This isn't something we need to worry about, right?"

"Well, other than the fairy I left over there, which needs excessive magic to breed, I don't think you need to worry about it bothering the city here."

"Fairies? I think I remember something about them. Aren't they chaotic and wild?" asked Seifer, scrunching his face thoughtfully.

"Something like that. I don't think they have a way to get over here, so like I said, nothing to worry about," repeated Aella.

"So, are we in agreement that I become king and Seifer can go work with his girlfriend overseeing the food for the city?" asked Frederik, trying to get the topic back on track.

"I'm all for it," nodded Seifer. "I don't want to sit through another boring meeting with the advisors or listen to the nobles talking all afternoon."

"Do you want me to say I made the change?" asked Aella, looking back and forth between the two demons.

"No, I will make a proclamation as the standing king to make Frederik king in my stead with the understanding I am demoting myself to oversee the food for the city," said Seifer, standing up looking much happier.

"Was there anything else you wanted to talk about, Aella?" asked Frederik as he gathered up his papers and documents to follow Seifer.

"No, it's alright. I have plenty to do, setting up the rest of the portals to the trade town," Aella said, standing up.

As Frederik hurried to catch up to Seifer, who was waiting at the door for him, Aella teleported away. She needed a moment to think. Who else could she place in charge of the trade town? None of the other demons who came from the pits with her were leader quality, and she didn't know anyone else well enough to put them there.

Giving herself a shake, she decided she needed to find Firion and tell him to start sending all of the assassins to the trade town to familiarize themselves with it before people started flooding in. Standing on a roof overlooking the city as the sun began to set, she watched as the workers finished working on removing the dome for the night. Firion showed up a few moments later.

"You called?" he asked, leaning against the chimney.

"I'm going to activate the portal that's just outside the city. I want all of the assassins moved to the trade town. They won't be stationed over here anymore."

"What about those of us who have families here?" he asked curiously.

"The families can either stay here or move there. I don't care. Frederik is going to be king instead of Seifer from this point forward and I want the assassins out of the way since they won't follow what the king demands."

"Did you get tired of Seifer doing a poor job?"

"No, actually. I sat there as they had an adult conversation and decided between the two of them what would happen. It was kind of a nice change from the yelling matches we've had in the past."

"Well, they are starting to get to a more adult age," shrugged Firion. "Maturity was bound to happen eventually. Most of them went into the pits at the age of 6 and fought to be king around the ages of 12 and 13. I think Frederik is only now turning 16. Seifer might only be 15."

"Wait, I didn't realize they were that young," said Aella, turning to look at Firion.

"Well," he laughed. "When you have to fight for your life, it has a tendency to age you physically. I'm only 16 myself. Besides, demons mature faster than humans do."

Aella felt old all of a sudden. She was only 18, but compared to those she knew the most, she was old. How old was Alfred? Surely, he wouldn't be her age? She was pretty sure he was older, and Bridgette was older still… maybe even 30? She would have to ask.